PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Wata nabe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Yoshijiro Tanaka (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

nabe
vs
Tanaka

172 cm
21
154 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

172 cm
19
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Likes ground

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Wata nabe!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Yoshijiro Tanaka!
The judges for this bout are Hirohito Nitta, Taro Takaoka and Yasuomi Hirokawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
No luck for nabe with that takedown attempt.
nabe fails to land the takedown.
Tanaka tries to clinch there but nabe circles away.

nabe feints and as Tanaka raises his hands in defense, nabe changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Tanaka preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
nabe sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Tanaka keeping moving, preventing nabe from controlling successfully.
Tanaka wants to stand and escape but nabe is having none of it.
nabe has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

That's one minute gone in the round.
nabe wants to control from the top but Tanaka keeps moving.
nabe looking to sit in guard and control but Tanaka gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
nabe wants to sweep here but Tanaka controlling him for the moment.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

nabe shoots in for a takedown and gets it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
nabe content to control rather than advance.

nabe decides to return to a standing position.
No luck for nabe with that takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Wata nabe. That's going to take a lot out of him.
nabe is breathing heavily.
Tanaka plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!

Tanaka gets caught flat footed, as nabe shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
nabe pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Tanaka is keeping the position for now.

Tanaka manages to escape and get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tanaka wants to clinch.
nabe swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Tanaka stuffs the takedown.
Wata nabe seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
nabe darts in trying to clinch
and Tanaka counters with a solid body kick.
nabe with a poor takedown

and Tanaka counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Tanaka.
nabe is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
nabe content to control rather than advance.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tanaka is trying to get back to full guard.

nabe escapes and gets back to his feet.
nabe tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Tanaka counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for nabe!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
nabe wants to control but Tanaka is having none of it.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Tanaka tries to stand up but he's trapped just for the moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Yoshijiro Tanaka will probably get the nod.
That's time! nabe's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

nabe looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Tanaka has hold of nabe's hands but nabe slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
nabe is tying to control. Tanaka wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
nabe keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
nabe is looking to advance position but Tanaka won't allow it.
Tanaka has hold of nabe's hands but nabe slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
nabe wants to free his trapped foot but Tanaka is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Tanaka is breathing heavily.
nabe missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

nabe stands up and beckons Tanaka to join him on the feet.
Wata nabe is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
nabe throws the kick towards the body but Tanaka avoids it.
nabe fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Tanaka wants to clinch up but nabe keeps it at a distance.
nabe misses with a takedown
and Tanaka counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. nabe is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Tanaka fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

nabe changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Tanaka looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
nabe trying to control the position but Tanaka is working away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tanaka defending against the ground and pound.
nabe looking to control but instead Tanaka has slipped a leg in, to regain half guard.

nabe decides to return to a standing position.
Tanaka throws a front kick that sends nabe stumbling back into the cage.
nabe throws a sloppy head kick

and Tanaka counters with a single leg into guard. nabe didn't expect that.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Tanaka decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on nabe, up you get!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

nabe rushes Tanaka and presses him up against the cage.
nabe tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Tanaka smiles and moves away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Wata nabe. That's going to take a lot out of him.
nabe tries for a takedown but Tanaka circles away easily
and Tanaka counters with a nice kick to the body.
nabe has his takedown stuffed

and Tanaka moves into the clinch.
Tanaka misses with a knee to the head.
Tanaka stalls.
Tanaka tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. nabe just stands there and leans against the cage.
Tanaka tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

Tanaka breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Tanaka.
nabe looks to move to half guard but instead Tanaka has passed into mount! Damn!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tanaka controlling his opponent.
nabe keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
nabe is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
nabe regains half guard.
nabe is trying to maintain the position but Tanaka is very close to passing his half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yoshijiro Tanaka showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. And we move into the final round!

nabe drives through and clinches with Tanaka against the cage.
Tanaka has had enough of the clinch but nabe keeps him there for the moment.
nabe tries to land a knee to the head but Tanaka blocks with his arms.
nabe changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Tanaka fights it off and pushes away nicely.
nabe tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Tanaka swivels and escapes.
nabe misses with a takedown
and Tanaka counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. nabe is lucky that one didn't land flush.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Wata nabe. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Tanaka wants to clinch.
nabe tries to clinch but Tanaka moves out of range.
nabe tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Tanaka swivels and escapes.

nabe looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
nabe seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tanaka tries to get to full guard but nabe has control of the leg.
Tanaka holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.
nabe trying to control from half guard but Tanaka is working away.

Tanaka looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Tanaka is staying active underneath nabe, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
nabe looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Wata nabe overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
nabe has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
nabe fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!

nabe stands up from mount. Strange move.

Tanaka gets caught flat footed, as nabe shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
nabe pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Tanaka is keeping the position for now.
nabe with a flurry of punches that miss.
Tanaka is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.

Tanaka wriggles free and stands up.
nabe misses with a few strikes there.

nabe has managed to clinch.

Tanaka breaks from the clinch.

Tanaka moves into the clinch successfully.
nabe has Tanaka pressed against the cage.
nabe throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Tanaka blocks it with crossed arms.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
nabe tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Tanaka smiles and moves away.

Tanaka shoots in and bounces nabe off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.

nabe is working an open guard so Tanaka takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.

Tanaka gets caught flat footed, as nabe shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Tanaka controls nabe momentarily but nabe frees himself.
nabe trying to control but Tanaka is working from the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
Wata nabe showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Tanaka has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 28:29
Judge Taro Takaoka scores the fight 28:29
Judge Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Yoshijiro Tanaka!