PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Shuuji Hanamoto (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mieszko Szczygiel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Hanamoto comes into the arena with Am I Evil? blaring out of the sound system. 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.

Hanamoto
vs
Szczygiel

186 cm
28
194 lbs
19 - 14 - 0

175 cm
29
192 lbs
13 - 9 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Dangerous knees
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 19 - 14 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Shuuji Hanamoto!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 13 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Mieszko Szczygiel!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Shimada, Yasuomi Hirokawa and Shirou Masuda.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Hanamoto shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Hanamoto was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Szczygiel is looking to improve his position but Hanamoto isn't that keen on the idea.
Hanamoto working Szczygiel over with strikes here.
Szczygiel tries to hold on but Hanamoto pushes him away.
Hanamoto putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Hanamoto scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Szczygiel is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Szczygiel slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Szczygiel is looking to improve his position.
Hanamoto is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Szczygiel trying to hold on to Hanamoto's head to control him but Hanamoto postures up.
Hanamoto tries to pass the half guard into mount. Szczygiel knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Hanamoto is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Szczygiel doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Hanamoto.
Hanamoto misses with a head shot. Szczygiel uses the momentum to regain guard.
Hanamoto will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Szczygiel is trying to control the position but Hanamoto postures up.
Hanamoto has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Szczygiel is proving hard to escape from.
Hanamoto with a flurry of punches that miss.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Szczygiel is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Szczygiel utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Szczygiel has momentary wrist control but Hanamoto slips an elbow through the middle.

Szczygiel throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Hanamoto has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Hanamoto throwing strikes but missing.
Szczygiel tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Szczygiel is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Szczygiel throwing shots but Hanamoto is blocking nicely.
Hanamoto trying to control here.

Hanamoto looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Szczygiel performing his best blanket impression for a moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hanamoto tries to get to full guard but Szczygiel has control of the leg.
Hanamoto is working hard here to advance position.
Hanamoto moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Hanamoto lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Szczygiel!
Szczygiel keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Szczygiel is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Szczygiel tries to hold on but Hanamoto pushes him away.
Szczygiel is bucking up trying to escape but Hanamoto cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Hanamoto raining down shots from the mount!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Szczygiel can't escape the position.
Hanamoto lands a big shot there that rocks Szczygiel but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Szczygiel is wriggling around trying to escape.
Szczygiel taking shots to the head.
Hanamoto raining down hammerfists from mount.

Hanamoto swings around for an armbar but it's a sloppy attempt and Szczygiel is now in Hanamoto's guard. A big mistake from Hanamoto there, giving up the dominant position!

Hanamoto uses the cage to get back to his feet.

That's five minutes gone in the round.
Hanamoto waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Szczygiel.

Hanamoto rushes Szczygiel and presses him up against the cage.

Hanamoto successfully pulls guard.
Szczygiel trying to control the position from guard on top but Hanamoto is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Hanamoto looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Szczygiel puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Szczygiel takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Szczygiel prevents Hanamoto from improving his position.
Szczygiel with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Hanamoto is looking for a sweep. Szczygiel is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Szczygiel not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Hanamoto moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.

That's six minutes gone in the round.
Hanamoto manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Szczygiel is in a horrible position here. Hanamoto smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Hanamoto lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Hanamoto wants to control the pace but Szczygiel is squirming around nicely.
BOOM! Hanamoto connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Szczygiel keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Hanamoto fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Hanamoto throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Hanamoto cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
The referee warns Szczygiel that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Hanamoto throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Hanamoto landing shots from mount.
Hanamoto in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Hanamoto thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Hanamoto avoids the attempt from Szczygiel to control.
Hanamoto scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Hanamoto is landing with some decent strikes but Szczygiel is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Szczygiel tries to reverse the position but Hanamoto maintains control.
Hanamoto trying to control but he's not successful this time.

That's eight minutes gone in the round.
Hanamoto cracks Szczygiel with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Hanamoto has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Szczygiel's face.

Szczygiel is rocked!
Hanamoto postures up and connects with a big shot that has rocked Szczygiel badly. He's trying desperately to grab hold of Hanamoto around the waist but Hanamoto pushes him off and unloads with more strikes, forcing the referee to jump in and save him! Hanamoto is the winner by TKO! Hanamoto jumps onto the cage and shouts into the camera. "We did it momma!"

Ladies and gentlemen, after 8:32 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Shuuji Hanamoto!
Shuuji Hanamoto seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.