PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Harry HooHar (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kazushi Rakusaba (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rakusaba has chosen David Bowie - Suffragette City as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. There are an array of beautiful celebrities at ringside tonight! I wonder if any of them paid for their tickets.

HooHar
vs
Rakusaba

184 cm
27
175 lbs
5 - 12 - 0

183 cm
30
181 lbs
13 - 9 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Good knees
Very strong

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 12 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Harry HooHar!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 13 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Kazushi Rakusaba!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Shimada, Sosuke Kotani and Shigeki Fujiwara.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rakusaba tries to score a power double leg takedown but HooHar sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Rakusaba somewhat.
Rakusaba shoots in for a double leg but HooHar sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.

HooHar changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Rakusaba looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Rakusaba can't do much from the bottom here.

HooHar is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Rakusaba knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
HooHar misses with the ground and pound.
Rakusaba struggling a bit here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

HooHar is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Rakusaba is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
HooHar throws an elbow but Rakusaba slips to the side and avoids it well.

HooHar is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Rakusaba is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
HooHar in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Rakusaba can't do much from the bottom here.
HooHar is trying to ground and pound but Rakusaba uses the momentary lack of control by HooHar to regain half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
HooHar wants to stand up but Rakusaba manages to regain full guard.
HooHar wants to get up but he can't break Rakusaba's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
HooHar is looking to work some ground and pound but Rakusaba has wrist control.
HooHar working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
HooHar working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
HooHar throws a big elbow that misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
HooHar wanted to stand there but Rakusaba had control of the position.
HooHar throws an elbow that misses. Rakusaba uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in HooHar's guard. Nice move by Rakusaba!
Rakusaba trying to control but HooHar is working from the bottom.
Rakusaba is stalling in the full guard.
Rakusaba in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
HooHar trying to control the position.
HooHar has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Rakusaba has passed into side control.
Rakusaba trying to control the action but HooHar is working from the bottom.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.
Rakusaba wants to lay and pray for a moment but HooHar keeps working.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Harry HooHar dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

HooHar tries a low kick but Rakusaba avoids it.
HooHar connects with a solid leg kick.
HooHar scores with a jab to the head.

It looks like Kazushi Rakusaba has been cut.

Rakusaba gets caught flat footed, as HooHar shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Rakusaba seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
HooHar trying to control but Rakusaba is working from the bottom.
HooHar postures up in Rakusaba's guard and throws a big left but Rakusaba blocks it.
Rakusaba keeping moving, preventing HooHar from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
HooHar connects with a couple of short punches.
HooHar postures up in Rakusaba's guard and throws a big left but Rakusaba blocks it.
HooHar throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Rakusaba works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
HooHar looking to sit in guard and control but Rakusaba gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Rakusaba preventing the sweep.
Rakusaba looking to pass the guard.
Rakusaba trying to control but HooHar is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rakusaba controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
HooHar is trying to control the position but Rakusaba postures up.
Rakusaba trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
HooHar misses with the combination.

HooHar closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Rakusaba quickly recovers to half guard.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
HooHar looks to land a strike but Rakusaba avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
HooHar with a flurry of punches that miss.
Rakusaba utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
HooHar trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Rakusaba wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Rakusaba preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
HooHar won't allow Rakusaba to sweep him here.
HooHar throwing strikes but missing.
HooHar stops Rakusaba from standing up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
HooHar trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
HooHar preventing the sweep.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
HooHar in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
HooHar throwing strikes from guard but Rakusaba blocks nicely.
HooHar trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
HooHar postures up in Rakusaba's guard and throws a big left but Rakusaba blocks it.
Rakusaba trying to control the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Harry HooHar dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Kazushi Rakusaba's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Rakusaba fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
HooHar throws a combination. Rakusaba tries to block but a couple of punches get through.

HooHar forces Rakusaba back against the ropes and clinches.
Rakusaba tries to pull guard but HooHar forces him back to his feet, against the ropes.

HooHar manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Rakusaba is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
HooHar looking for a sweep. Not yet HooHar, not yet.
HooHar looking to control.
Harry HooHar overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rakusaba not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

HooHar gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
HooHar wants to sweep but no luck.
Rakusaba trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Rakusaba wants to control from the top but HooHar keeps moving.
HooHar looking to control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Rakusaba loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Rakusaba's corner is telling him to maintain position.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Harry HooHar just wasn't active enough.
HooHar misses with a two punch combination.
HooHar changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.

HooHar rushes Rakusaba and presses him up against the ropes.
Rakusaba is working for takedown but HooHar is calmly controlling the position for now.
Harry HooHar has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Kazushi Rakusaba.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Rakusaba is looking for a takedown.
A frustrated look appears on HooHar's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Rakusaba drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Rakusaba takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
HooHar is looking to break free of the clinch but Rakusaba has double underhooks.

HooHar pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Harry HooHar is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Rakusaba uses good head movement to avoid the hook from HooHar.
Nice sprawl there from HooHar as Rakusaba shoots in.

HooHar is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Rakusaba's half guard.

HooHar seems to be trying to get a kimura but instead Rakusaba has recovered full guard.
Rakusaba throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Kazushi Rakusaba has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
HooHar missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
HooHar is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.

HooHar postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Rakusaba is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of HooHar, into his guard.
Harry HooHar is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Rakusaba throws a big elbow that misses.

And that's the end of the fight!
Harry HooHar showed his dominance in that final round.
Well HooHar has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 30:27
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 30:27
Judge Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Harry HooHar!