PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Tsutomu Miyazaki (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Stephen Burke (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Miyazaki
vs
Burke

165 cm
20
140 lbs
5 - 2 - 2

171 cm
20
148 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter fighter
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 2 - 2, fighting out of Helsinki, Tsutomu Miyazaki!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Stephen Burke!
The judges for this bout are Steven Brown, Phil Schofield and Paul Tew.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Miyazaki wants to land a leg kick but Burke is out of range.
Burke tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Miyazaki was well out of range. Poor timing from Burke.
Burke misses with a body shot.
Burke tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Miyazaki was well out of range. Poor timing from Burke.
Miyazaki gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.

Miyazaki fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Burke to the ground. Miyazaki is now in Burke's guard.
Burke is looking to stand up but Miyazaki isn't so interested in that idea.
Burke 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.
Miyazaki throwing strikes but missing.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Burke wants to stand and escape but Miyazaki is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Burke avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Burke really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Miyazaki. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Miyazaki accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Miyazaki cracks Burke with a solid left hand.
Miyazaki is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Miyazaki lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Miyazaki trying to control but Burke is working from the bottom.
Miyazaki with a nice head shot there.
Miyazaki passes into half guard.
Miyazaki winds up and cracks Burke with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Miyazaki lands with a punch from half guard.
Miyazaki drops an elbow to the side of Burke's head.
Burke is trying to stand up here but Miyazaki is controlling him well.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Miyazaki working the head and body with strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Miyazaki throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Miyazaki winds up and cracks Burke with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Burke wants to improve his position but Miyazaki is controlling well.
Miyazaki working the head and body with strikes.
Miyazaki moves nicely into side control.
Miyazaki scores with punches from side control.
Burke is trying to control Miyazaki's posture but Miyazaki avoids it.
Burke is looking for a sweep.
Miyazaki working the ground and pound.
Miyazaki working the head with strikes.

Miyazaki is trying to get an arm triangle but Burke is defending well.
Miyazaki just content to control the position.
Miyazaki has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Miyazaki working the ground and pound.
Miyazaki working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Miyazaki cracks Burke with a big right hand but Burke just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Miyazaki in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Miyazaki working the head and body with strikes.
Miyazaki working the ground and pound.
Miyazaki lands some shots froms side control.
Miyazaki working the body and head with strikes.
Miyazaki lands an elbow.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Miyazaki scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Burke to see if he's OK.
Burke is looking to reverse the position.
Miyazaki scoring with punches and elbows.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Miyazaki looks up at the clock and then as Burke takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Miyazaki smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Miyazaki landing a few strikes.
Miyazaki creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Miyazaki working the ground and pound from side control.
Miyazaki is putting a hurting on Burke here, landing some big shots from side control.
Miyazaki is putting a hurting on Burke here, landing some big shots from side control.
Miyazaki lands a nice forearm strike.
Burke taking a bit of punishment here - Miyazaki scoring with strikes.
Burke is working to avoid the ground and pound but Miyazaki connects with a decent elbow.
Miyazaki working the ground and pound.
Miyazaki lands a decent elbow from side control.
Burke is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Burke wants to control but Miyazaki postures up.
Burke is not content to let Miyazaki control the position.
Miyazaki in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tsutomu Miyazaki dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Burke misses with a hook. Miyazaki ducked under it nicely.
Miyazaki shoots in for a takedown but Burke shows good takedown defense.
Burke takes a swing at Miyazaki's ribcage but misses.
Burke misses with a body shot.
Burke misses with a body shot.
A big right from Burke misses.
Miyazaki shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Burke defends it nicely.
Miyazaki is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Burke can do to turn this around?
A shot to the liver by Burke. Beautiful body shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Burke swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Stephen Burke is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Burke thows a body shot but no joy.
Burke is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Miyazaki rather than just go for the knockout.
Burke lands with an overhand left.
Burke fails to land with a series of punches.

Miyazaki looking to score a takedown here. Burke is defending well but Miyazaki drives through and ends up in Burke's guard.
Burke utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Burke wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Miyazaki won't allow Burke to get back to his feet.
Miyazaki stays in close to Burke's body and controls the position.
Miyazaki trying to control but Burke is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Miyazaki throwing strikes but missing.
Miyazaki is in close to Burke's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Miyazaki distracts Burke with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Miyazaki lands a couple of digs.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Miyazaki keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Burke's head.
Miyazaki with a flurry of punches that miss.
Miyazaki distracts Burke with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Miyazaki wants to pass the guard but Burke is keeping the position.
Burke looking for a sweep. Not yet Burke, not yet.
Miyazaki stops Burke from standing up.
Miyazaki sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Burke's guard.
Miyazaki working over Burke with some ground and pound. Burke looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Miyazaki scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Tsutomu Miyazaki overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Miyazaki is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Miyazaki is nestled in close to Burke, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Miyazaki working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Miyazaki working the head and body with strikes.
Miyazaki throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Miyazaki missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Miyazaki is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Burke is looking to escape.
Miyazaki lands strikes from half guard.
Burke on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Burke taking some punishment here, with Miyazaki in his half guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Miyazaki is looking to take a break and control but Burke is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Miyazaki looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Burke with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Miyazaki not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Miyazaki working over Burke with some ground and pound. Burke looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Miyazaki working over Burke with some ground and pound. Burke looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Nice strikes from Miyazaki there.
Miyazaki working over Burke with some ground and pound. Burke looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Miyazaki stops Burke from getting back to his feet.
Miyazaki is controlling the pace.
Burke trying to control here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Miyazaki working over Burke with some ground and pound. Burke looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tsutomu Miyazaki dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Miyazaki walks into a jab.
Burke wants to slow Miyazaki down by chopping away at his legs.
Miyazaki fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Burke avoids it really well and circles away.
Burke bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Miyazaki's head.
Burke with a hook.
Burke just misses with a punch to the body.
Burke fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Miyazaki manages to avoid it.
Burke lands with an overhand left.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Miyazaki keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Miyazaki moves away from the strike by Burke.
Miyazaki checks a low kick from Burke.
Burke misses with a body shot.
Miyazaki tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Burke swivels and escapes.
Burke misses with a wild body shot.
Burke just misses with a punch to the body.
Burke fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Miyazaki manages to avoid it.
Burke throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Miyazaki misses with a low kick.
Burke connects with a single shot there.
Burke works Miyazaki's body with a nice hook.
Burke lands a jab to Miyazaki's midsection.
Burke just misses with a punch to the body.
Miyazaki doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Burke swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Burke pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Burke just misses with a punch to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Burke just misses with a punch to the body.
Miyazaki checks the leg kick.
Burke throws a right and a left that both miss.
Miyazaki uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Burke.
Miyazaki throws a solid leg kick but Burke takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Miyazaki.
Miyazaki throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Burke thows a left - swing and a miss!
Burke misses with a body shot.
Burke swings and misses with a hook to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Burke just misses with a punch to the body.
Burke ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Miyazaki moves away.
Miyazaki uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Burke.
Miyazaki shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Burke as he jumps to the side.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tsutomu Miyazaki. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Burke thows a body shot but no joy.
Burke just misses with a punch to the body.
Miyazaki moves away from the strike by Burke.
Stephen Burke has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Burke thows a body shot but no joy.

And that's the end of the fight!
Stephen Burke comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Miyazaki 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 Steven Brown scores the fight 29:28
Judge Phil Schofield scores the fight 29:28
Judge Paul Tew scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tsutomu Miyazaki!
Tsutomu Miyazaki was full of energy after the big win and talked about how he thinks he can do big things in this sport. The crowd were appreciative of his determination to succeed.