PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Gawon Kim (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jushin Kusanagi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Kusanagi is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Got The Life. Gawon Kim had a look across the ring there at his opponent. He definitely means business

Kim
vs
Kusanagi

175 cm
22
165 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

178 cm
21
150 lbs
5 - 7 - 1

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Gawon Kim!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 7 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Jushin Kusanagi!
The judges for this bout are Shirou Masuda, Yuuki Gou and Shigeki Sano.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kim fails in his attempt to clinch.

Kim shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Kim showed some decent athleticism there.

Kim is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

Kim is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Kusanagi defends it well.
Kim is taking a breather. Kusanagi says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Kim wants to stand up but Kusanagi has a hold of him and won't allow it.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Kim is working for a kimura but Kusanagi is defending it quite comfortably.

Kusanagi manages to escape and get back to his feet!
Kusanagi throws a sloppy head kick and Kim moves out of range easily.
Kusanagi pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Kusanagi goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Kusanagi throws a nice head kick!
Kusanagi misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Kim tries to clinch but Kusanagi is having none of it.
Kim tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Kusanagi swivels and escapes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kim doesn't manage to clinch there - Kusanagi circles away.
Kim closes this distance looking for a takedown but Kusanagi circles away.
Kim is breathing heavily.

Kim shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Kim was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Kim thowing shots but they're missing.
Kim pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Kim trying to control but Kusanagi is having none of it.
Kusanagi tries to buck Kim off but he can't manage it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kusanagi tries to hold on but Kim postures up.
Kusanagi throwing hammer fists to the chest of Kim. What's that going to do exactly?
Kim looking to ground and pound but Kusanagi is blocking nicely.

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

The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Kusanagi stands up from Kim's guard - Kusanagi perhaps looking for a knockout.
Kusanagi fails with the takedown

and Kim counters with a single leg into guard. Kusanagi didn't expect that.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kusanagi is looking to stand up but Kim isn't so interested in that idea.
Kim trying to control but Kusanagi is working from the bottom.
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.
Kusanagi keeping full guard, as Kim tries to pass.
Kusanagi keeping moving, preventing Kim from controlling successfully.
Kim throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
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 Gawon Kim will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Kim fails with an attempt to clinch.
Kim shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Kusanagi counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Kusanagi.

Kim is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Kusanagi trying to control the position from guard on top but Kim is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Kim trying to control the position here.
Kim bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Kusanagi's guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kusanagi seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Kim trying to control but Kusanagi is working from the bottom.
Kim prevents Kusanagi from getting back to his feet.
Kim wants to pass the guard but Kusanagi is keeping the position.
Kim wants to stand but Kusanagi has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Kusanagi trying to keep a closed guard but Kim is proving a slippery customer.
Kim trying to control the position from guard on top but Kusanagi is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Kim looking to sit in guard and control but Kusanagi gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Kim manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kusanagi is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Kim lands with some strikes.
Kim trying to control but Kusanagi is having none of it.
Kim takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Kusanagi is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Kim cracks Kusanagi with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.

Kim is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Kusanagi has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Kusanagi!
Kusanagi trying to stand up but can't free himself from Kim's guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Kusanagi trying to control the position from guard on top but Kim is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jushin Kusanagi showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Kim has taken the fight to the clinch.
Kim can't get the takedown.
Kim is looking for a takedown up against the ropes. Kusanagi gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.

Kusanagi pulls Kim into guard.
Kusanagi keeping full guard, as Kim tries to pass.

Kim postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Kusanagi is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Kim, into his guard.
Kim trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kusanagi wants to pass the guard but Kim is keeping the position.
Kim has control of Kusanagi's left arm, preventing Kusanagi from doing any damage.
Kusanagi trying to control the position from guard on top but Kim is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Kusanagi postures up in Kim's guard and throws a big left but Kim blocks it.

Kim had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Kusanagi is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Kim Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Kusanagi's back instead.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Kusanagi is keeping busy.

Kim seems to be going for a rear naked choke. He has an arm under Kusanagi's chin but Kusanagi turns very nicely into Kim's guard. Good BJJ skills being displayed there by Kusanagi.
Kusanagi trying to control but Kim is working from the bottom.

Kim looks to be working for a triangle here. Oh, it looks like he might have it! Kusanagi has picked Kim up and slammed him! Kim can't keep hold of the triangle and Kusanagi manages to pass to side control!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kim is looking to reverse the position.
Kim tries to control but Kusanagi manages to take his back.
Kusanagi lands with a big left hand that may well have hurt his opponent. Can Kim hold on?!
Kusanagi cracks Kim with a big shot to body and one to the head - really punishing Kim from the back mount here, looking to soften him up.
Kim is really stuck here.
Kusanagi connects with a series of strikes and the referee is calling for Kim to escape the position.
Kusanagi has his opponent trapped and is landing shots. Not a good position for Kim.
Kim trying to get back to his feet but Kusanagi is in full control for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Kim can't escape the position.
Kusanagi is riding his opponent, not letting Kim buck him off.
Kusanagi keeps control of the position as Kim tries to break free.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Kusanagi scores with punches from the back.
Kim just trying to survive but Kusanagi is wriggling into a better position, looking to finish.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jushin Kusanagi comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Kusanagi has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 28:29
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 28:29
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jushin Kusanagi!