PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Hyun Kim (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kenji Kuraba (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Kim comes into the arena with To the Top blaring out of the sound system. Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Kim
vs
Kuraba

176 cm
24
160 lbs
16 - 3 - 0

180 cm
26
166 lbs
15 - 8 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 2 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 16 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Hyun Kim!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Kenji Kuraba!
The judges for this bout are Tatsuya Matsuyama, Yukihiro Shimada and Yasuomi Hirokawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kim scores with a leg kick.
Kim throws a head kick but Kuraba moves out of range.
Kim slips under a jab from Kuraba.
Kuraba has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Kim.
Kuraba swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Kim chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Kim swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Kim avoids a punch combination nicely.
Kuraba rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Kim moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

Kim shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Kuraba manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Kim throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Kim postures up in Kuraba's guard and throws a big left but Kuraba blocks it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kim postures up in Kuraba's guard and throws a big left but Kuraba blocks it.
Kuraba wants to get back to his feet but Kim is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

Kim drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Kuraba dives on top into guard.
Kim has a closed guard, preventing Kuraba from standing up.

Kuraba stands up from Kim's guard - Kuraba perhaps looking for a knockout.
Kuraba misses the shot to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A head kick by Kuraba misses
and Kim counters with a thumping low kick.
Good work by Kuraba as he checks the leg kick.
Kuraba circles away from the clinch attempt
and Kuraba counters with a series of strikes. Kim will be more careful next time no doubt.
Kuraba leaves Kim with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Kim tries to land a leg kick but Kuraba saw it coming and moves away.
Kuraba stuns Kim with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Kim throws a series of punches but Kuraba avoids them all with ease.
Sloppy strikes from Kuraba. Those never looked like landing.
Kuraba misses with a straight right.
Kim showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Kuraba.
Kenji Kuraba seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kuraba throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Kim doesn't manage to clinch there - Kuraba circles away.
Kim avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Kuraba scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Kim throws an overhand right that lands on Kuraba's shoulder, as Kuraba tries to avoid the shot.
Kuraba slips a jab and a cross from Kim.
Kim lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Kuraba circles away quickly and effectively.
Kuraba looks for the body kick but Kim saw that one coming.
Kim fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Kuraba takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Kuraba keeps the fight on the outside.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A nice inside leg kick there by Kim. That's going to slow Kuraba down.
Kuraba is looking to score with low kicks.
Kim does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Kim looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Kim with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Kim lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Kuraba circles away quickly and effectively.
Kim's corner calls for a 1-2. Kim obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
A swing and a miss from Kim.
Kim moves out of range as Kuraba strikes.
Kuraba throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Kim.
Kuraba misses with a body shot.
Kim misses with a head kick.

That's five minutes gone in the round.
Kim uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Kuraba.
Kuraba works over Kim's head and body with a nice combination.
A slow jab from Kuraba misses its intended target.
Kim tries to move into range but Kuraba moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Kuraba lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Kuraba lands a slapping body shot.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Kim is defended easily by Kuraba.
Kim misses with a wild combination.
Kim is looking to slow Kuraba down with leg kicks.

That's six minutes gone in the round.
Kuraba slips a jab and a cross from Kim.
Kim doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Kim throws a right hand that Kuraba ducks under and follows up with a left that Kuraba also avoids with ease.
Kuraba misses with the combination.
Kenji Kuraba is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Kim throws a nice inside leg kick.
Kuraba throws a series of punches but Kim avoids them all with ease.
Kuraba misses with a two punch combination.
Kuraba misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Kim.
Kim throws a right hand that Kuraba ducks under and follows up with a left that Kuraba also avoids with ease.
A nice inside leg kick there by Kim. That's going to slow Kuraba down.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.
Kim throws a right and a left that both miss.
A punch combination from Kuraba misses.
Kim looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Kuraba is fending him off so far but Kim persists. Nope, Kuraba circles away and we're back to standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Hyun Kim. That's going to take a lot out of him.
The fighters circling - Kuraba throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Kuraba takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Kim misses with a low kick.
Kim fails with a takedown attempt.
Kuraba ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Kim moves away.
Kuraba throws a nice looking combination but Kim bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Kim misses with a two punch combination.
Kim connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.

That's eight minutes gone in the round.
A leg kick checked by Kuraba.
Kim gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Kim takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Kim looks to land a combination but Kuraba avoids it well.
Kuraba is looking to land body kicks.
Kuraba keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Kuraba throws out a loose jab but Kim uses good head movement to avoid it.
Kim ducks under a wild hook from Kuraba.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Kuraba misses with a wild combination.
Kuraba's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Kuraba scores with a three punch combo!
Kuraba looks gassed!

That's nine minutes gone in the round.
Kuraba fails to land with a series of punches.
Kim throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Kuraba.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Kuraba misses with an uppercut.
Kim tries to clinch there but Kuraba circles away.
Nice defenses there by Kim.

Kim moves into range and clinches up with Kuraba.
Kim misses with a body punch.
Kuraba can't break the clinch.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Kuraba is trying to force a seperation but Kim has the dominant position.
Kuraba wants to break the clinch but can't.
Kuraba tries to break free but Kim pushes him back against the cage.
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 Hyun Kim will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Kuraba just misses with a punch to the body.
Kim moves away from the strike by Kuraba.
Kim moves out of range as Kuraba strikes.
Kim dips to his left and cracks Kuraba with an uppercut!
Kim shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Kuraba pinned against the cage. Kuraba gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Kuraba thows a body shot but no joy.
We are yet to see a takedown attempt from Kuraba in the fight. On paper you would think he is the more dominant ground fighter so let's see if these unusual tactics pay off.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Kim.
Kim finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Kuraba wants to land a leg kick but Kim is out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kim lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Kuraba circles away quickly and effectively.
Kuraba connects with a body shot.
Kim throws a poor cross that misses
and Kim takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Kim uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Kuraba.
Kuraba waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Kim.
A left lands for Kuraba.
Kuraba fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Kim on the side of the head.
Kuraba feints with a jab and clips Kim right behind the ear with a massive overhand right! Kim is sent crashing into the canvas and Kuraba leaps in for the kill! Kim tries to get to his feet but Kuraba is just battering him from every conceivable angle. The ref decides that Kim is in need of a savior and steps in!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:42 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Kenji Kuraba!
Kenji Kuraba made sure to mention his sponsor, [CBK] Knockout Apparel [Clearance Sale!] in his post fight interview.