PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Shinya Okay (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rocky Zeniciano (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.

Okay
vs
Zeniciano

180 cm
20
135 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

190 cm
19
140 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Intelligent

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Shinya Okay!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Rocky Zeniciano!
The judges for this bout are Steve Erwin, Hugh Johnson and John Mangel.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Zeniciano takes a swing at Okay's ribcage but misses.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Zeniciano jumps guard but Okay stands there with Zeniciano around his waist. Zeniciano gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Zeniciano is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Okay pulls him back up using the underhooks.

Okay gets control of Zeniciano's arms and successfully pulls guard. Okay will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Okay throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Zeniciano won't allow Okay to get back to his feet.
Okay tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Zeniciano postures up in Okay's guard and throws a big left but Okay blocks it.
Zeniciano pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Okay is keeping the position for now.
Zeniciano wants to stand and escape but instead Okay has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Zeniciano is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zeniciano wants to get back to his feet but Okay is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Okay landing with the ground and pound.
Okay is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Zeniciano lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Okay!
Zeniciano avoids the attempt from Okay to control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Okay manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Zeniciano is thwarting Okay's attempts to control the position.

Okay manages to escape and get back to his feet!
Okay defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Zeniciano.
Shinya Okay has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rocky Zeniciano.

Okay takes the fight into the clinch.
Zeniciano tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Okay smiles and moves away.
Zeniciano uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Okay.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zeniciano tries to clinch up but Okay circles away and keeps his distance.
Okay really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Zeniciano has a takedown stuffed.
Okay throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Zeniciano.
Zeniciano keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Zeniciano.
Zeniciano looks gassed!
Zeniciano doesn't manage to clinch there - Okay circles away.
Zeniciano keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Zeniciano swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Okay fails with a takedown attempt.
Okay changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Zeniciano tries to avoid it but Okay manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Zeniciano to the ground. Zeniciano escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Zeniciano shoots in for a takedown but Okay shows good takedown defense.
Okay fails with a takedown attempt.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Zeniciano.
Okay is not content to let Zeniciano control the position.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Okay is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Zeniciano off and has taken his back!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Shinya Okay will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Okay tries to clinch up.
Zeniciano goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Okay shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Zeniciano as he jumps to the side.
Zeniciano tries to score a power double leg takedown but Okay sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Zeniciano somewhat.
Okay misses with a takedown attempt - Zeniciano sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Zeniciano is looking to clinch.
Zeniciano is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Okay.
Zeniciano showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Okay.
Nice takedown defense from Okay. No joy for Zeniciano on that attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zeniciano throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Okay slaps away a takedown attempt from Zeniciano, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Shinya Okay has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rocky Zeniciano.
Zeniciano is breathing heavily.
Okay tries to clinch but Zeniciano moves out of range.
Zeniciano fails with the takedown.
Zeniciano uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Okay.
Okay looks to land a combination but Zeniciano avoids it well.
Zeniciano tries to clinch there but Okay circles away.
Okay dives in and grabs Zeniciano's left leg, looking for a takedown. Zeniciano pushes down on Okay's head and hops out.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Okay will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Zeniciano fails to land the takedown.
Zeniciano misses with a jab, cross combination.

Okay drives through with a takedown into Zeniciano's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Zeniciano trying to strike off his back.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Okay accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Zeniciano wants to stand and escape but Okay is having none of it.
Zeniciano avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Zeniciano really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Okay. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Okay's corner is telling him to maintain position.

We're going to have a standup here because Shinya Okay wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.

Okay rushes Zeniciano and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Okay jumps guard.
Okay bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Zeniciano's guard.

Okay gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Okay is defended easily by Zeniciano.
Okay shoots in but Zeniciano avoids the takedown attempt easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The fight stays on the outside here - Zeniciano looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
A shot to the liver by Zeniciano. Beautiful body shot.
Zeniciano is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Shinya Okay is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Okay tries to close the distance and clinch up but Zeniciano swats him away and circles back towards the center.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Zeniciano lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Okay at a distance.
Zeniciano looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Okay is fending him off so far but Zeniciano persists. Nope, Okay circles away and we're back to standing.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Shinya Okay dominated that second round.
That's time! Okay's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Okay shoots in for a takedown but Zeniciano shows good takedown defense.

Zeniciano drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Zeniciano trying to control the position from guard on top but Okay is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Okay trying to control the position.
Zeniciano trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Zeniciano loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Zeniciano takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Okay has his hands on Zeniciano's head, controlling the position.
Zeniciano must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Okay keeping full guard, as Zeniciano tries to pass.

That's one minute gone in the round.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Nice takedown defense from Okay. No joy for Zeniciano on that attempt.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Okay is defended easily by Zeniciano.
Zeniciano dips to his left and cracks Okay with an uppercut!
Zeniciano shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Okay as he jumps to the side.
Okay dives in and grabs Zeniciano's left leg, looking for a takedown. Zeniciano pushes down on Okay's head and hops out.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Shinya Okay. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Okay tries to clinch but Zeniciano moves out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Okay doesn't manage to clinch there - Zeniciano circles away.
Zeniciano looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Nice sprawl there from Zeniciano as Okay shoots in.
Rocky Zeniciano seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Zeniciano tries to score a power double leg takedown but Okay sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Zeniciano somewhat.
Okay shoots in but Zeniciano avoids the takedown attempt easily.

Okay pushes Zeniciano up against the cage in a clinch.
Okay being controlled against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zeniciano is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Okay tries to land knees in the clinch but Zeniciano avoids the damage to the body.
Zeniciano jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Okay walks away with a smile on his face. Zeniciano gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Zeniciano stuffs the takedown attempt from Okay. Okay gets slowly back to his feet.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Okay is defended easily by Zeniciano.
Okay shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Zeniciano as he avoids it easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Okay tries to clinch there but Zeniciano circles away.
Zeniciano tries to clinch up.
Zeniciano tries to close the distance and clinch up but Okay swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Zeniciano closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Okay quickly recovers to half guard.
Shinya Okay overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Okay makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Okay.
Okay is trying to control the position from the bottom.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Zeniciano wants to control from the top but Okay keeps moving.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rocky Zeniciano comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Okay has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Steve Erwin scores the fight 29:28
Judge Hugh Johnson scores the fight 29:28
Judge John Mangel scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Shinya Okay!