PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Yoshahiro Matsui (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jake Heke (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Matsui
vs
Heke

195 cm
25
205 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

180 cm
23
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Intelligent

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Yoshahiro Matsui!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Jake Heke!
The judges for this bout are Shirou Masuda, Taro Takaoka and Yukihiro Yamamoto.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Matsui tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Heke swivels and escapes.
Heke fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Heke swinging wildly here.

Matsui shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Heke is trying to defend but Matsui finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Matsui trying to mount his opponent but Heke defends it.
Heke is trying to stand up here but Matsui is controlling him well.
Heke is trying to get back to full guard.
Heke is looking to control Matsui's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Heke avoid being mounted?
Matsui is trying to control. Heke wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Matsui is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Heke defends it well.
Matsui looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Heke with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.

Matsui seems to be working for a kimura but Heke defends the submission attempt.
Heke is trying to maintain the position but Matsui is very close to passing his half guard.
Matsui throws a strike but Heke avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Heke lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Matsui!
Matsui regains half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Heke trying to mount his opponent but Matsui defends it.
Matsui avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Heke.
Matsui is looking to control Heke's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Matsui avoid being mounted?
Matsui is looking to improve his position.

Matsui manages to escape and get back to his feet!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Heke swinging wildly here.
Heke pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Heke tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Matsui manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Heke tries to clinch up but Matsui circles away and keeps his distance.
Jake Heke seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Matsui avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Heke looks gassed!
Matsui tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Heke manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Matsui closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Heke did well to prevent Matsui getting side control.

Matsui is working for a submission of some sort.
Matsui perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Matsui decides to stand and escape the position.
Heke tries to clinch but Matsui moves out of range.
Heke connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.

Matsui changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Heke looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Matsui content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
Matsui landing a few strikes.
Matsui has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for Heke!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Heke really trying hard to get back to half guard here.

Matsui is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Heke is surviving well by controlling Matsui's body position as best he can.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yoshahiro Matsui dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Heke doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Matsui decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Heke's guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Matsui sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Matsui trying to control but Heke is working from the bottom.
Heke trying to keep a closed guard but Matsui is proving a slippery customer.
Matsui trying to control the position from guard on top but Heke is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Yoshahiro Matsui.
Matsui misses with a takedown attempt - Heke sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Matsui rushes Heke and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Heke lands with a left to the head.
Matsui is looking to take this one to the mat.
Heke trying to stall but Matsui improves his position.

Heke has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Matsui uses from the top position.
Heke is breathing heavily.
Matsui pushing down on Heke's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Heke is looking to escape.
Matsui trying to control the pace.
Matsui frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Matsui working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Matsui lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Matsui lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Matsui working for a guillotine from mount but Heke is in no mood to give up.
Matsui wants to control the pace but Heke is squirming around nicely.
Heke really wants to buck Matsui off and get back to his feet.
Matsui controlling from mount.
Matsui fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Matsui will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Matsui lands a nice shot to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Matsui with shots to the head and body - Heke looks very uncomfortable down there.
Heke in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Matsui controlling the position easily from mount.
Matsui tries to control but Heke wriggling away.
Heke keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Matsui content just to control the position here.
Matsui can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Heke is looking to escape.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
A nice elbow there by Matsui.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Matsui is in the full mount, landing strikes.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
BOOM! Matsui connects with a massive shot to the dome!

Matsui looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
Matsui takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Matsui lands a big elbow.
Matsui punishing his opponent with strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yoshahiro Matsui dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

A combination from Matsui does no damage.
Heke throws a left and a right that both miss

and Matsui counters with a single leg into guard. Heke didn't expect that.
Heke is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Matsui pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Heke is keeping the position for now.

Matsui decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Heke shoots and misses

and Matsui counters with a single leg into guard. Heke didn't expect that.
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!
Matsui scoring with some ground and pound.
Matsui stays in close to Heke's body and controls the position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.

Matsui moves into the clinch.
Knees in the clinch landing for Matsui.
Matsui lands a knee to the body.
Heke wants to break the clinch but can't.

Matsui breaks from the clinch.

Matsui gets a double leg takedown into Heke's guard.

Heke is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Matsui is aware though and is defending well.
Matsui passes Heke's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Heke moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Heke keeping moving, preventing Matsui from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Matsui is stalling in the full guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Heke had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Matsui defends it easily.
Matsui pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Heke is keeping the position for now.
Matsui passes Heke's left leg - he's now in half guard.

Matsui stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Matsui gets the takedown into side control.
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.
Heke is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Matsui trying to control the position but Heke is working away.
Heke is trying to improve his position.
Matsui is staying tight to Heke's torso, preventing him from escaping.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Matsui working away.
Matsui working the ground and pound from side control.
Matsui scores with a couple of short elbows.
Matsui scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Heke to see if he's OK.
Matsui scores with a couple of short elbows.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Matsui remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
Matsui cracks Heke with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Jake Heke has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Yoshahiro Matsui is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!

Matsui thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

And that's the end of the fight!
Yoshahiro Matsui showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Matsui, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Shirou Masuda scores the fight 30:27
Judge Taro Takaoka scores the fight 30:27
Judge Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Yoshahiro Matsui!