PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Hajime No Ippo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Shojo Shoujou (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). No Ippo comes to the cage accompanied by Hajime Theme. Hajime No Ippo could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Shojo Shoujou's chin.

No Ippo
vs
Shoujou

165 cm
20
145 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

165 cm
18
130 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Big right hand

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Hajime No Ippo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Shojo Shoujou!
The judges for this bout are Hirohito Nitta, Shirou Masuda and Sosuke Kotani.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
No Ippo misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Shoujou avoids a punch combination nicely.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!

Shoujou looking for a takedown here - he's got it.

No Ippo manages to wriggle out and sneak his way back up to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched up against the cage.
No Ippo tries to break free but Shoujou pushes him back against the cage.
Shoujou stalling in the clinch.
No Ippo wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Shoujou is looking to control No Ippo's arms but No Ippo gets an underhook and turns him. Now Shoujou has his back to the cage.
A short body shot lands from Shoujou as the two fighters clinch.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Shoujou landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Shoujou is stalling here.

Shoujou lands a takedown into guard.
Both fighters have adopted an aggressive gameplan on the ground!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

No Ippo has managed to wall walk up one of the corner posts to get back to his feet. Shoujou is pushing him up against the cage, looking to control the position.
No Ippo tries to circle away but Shoujou has him pinned against the cage.
No Ippo tries to break the clinch but Shoujou is controlling the position.
Shoujou digs a right hand into No Ippo's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on No Ippo's gas tank.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shoujou lands a knee to the head.
No Ippo wants to get back to striking at distance but Shoujou won't allow it.
Shoujou is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but No Ippo is keeping busy.
Shoujou lands a right hand.
Shoujou using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Shoujou stalls.
No Ippo wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Shoujou has him pressed against the cage.
Shoujou landing knees to the head.
Shoujou throws a knee to the head but misses.
No Ippo is trying to break free.
We've been informed that Shoujou has been sparring a lot of Muay Thai in the buildup to this fight so let's see if that has an impact on the result.
A short left from Shoujou.
No Ippo tries to break the clinch but Shoujou is controlling the position.
No Ippo takes a knee to the side of the body.
Shoujou with a knee to the head.
No Ippo has had enough of the clinch but Shoujou keeps him there for the moment.
No Ippo has had enough of the clinch but Shoujou keeps him there for the moment.
Shoujou dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Shoujou lands a nice uppercut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Shoujou using the Thai plumb to throw knees but No Ippo has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Shoujou has No Ippo pressed against the cage, preventing No Ippo from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Shoujou landing some nice looking knees to the body.

Shoujou turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!
No Ippo is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Shoujou is controlling him well.
Shoujou is looking to take a break and control but No Ippo is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

No Ippo throws his opponent off and manages to get back to his feet! Nicely done!

No Ippo gets a clinch.
Shoujou lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Shoujou working No Ippo over with knees to the body.
Shoujou landing some nice looking knees to the body.
No Ippo tries to break free but Shoujou pushes him back against the cage.
Shoujou lands a knee to the head.
Shoujou lands a good knee to the midsection. No Ippo won't want to take too many of those.
No Ippo tries to circle away but Shoujou has him pinned against the cage.
Shoujou lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A short right from Shoujou.
Shoujou unloads a knee to the mid-section. No Ippo lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.

Shoujou turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!

Shoujou is trying to get an arm triangle but No Ippo is defending well.

Shoujou tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Shoujou has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
No Ippo wants to get back to his feet.
Shoujou wants to lay and pray for a moment but No Ippo keeps working.
No Ippo is trying to buck Shoujou off.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Shoujou trying to control the action but No Ippo is working from the bottom.
No Ippo wants to get back to his feet but Shoujou drags him back down.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
A lull in the action here.
Shoujou is looking to take a break and control but No Ippo is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
No Ippo is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Shoujou has just dragged him back down to the mat.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Shojo Shoujou dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

No Ippo misses with a few strikes there.
No Ippo lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by No Ippo.

Shoujou bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
No Ippo wants to get back to his feet.

Shoujou tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Shoujou has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Shoujou wants to lay and pray for a moment but No Ippo keeps working.
Shoujou is staying tight to No Ippo's torso, preventing him from escaping.

Shoujou tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Shoujou has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
No Ippo pushes Shoujou away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Shoujou gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Shoujou tries for a kimura but No Ippo is defending well.
Shoujou landing a few strikes.
No Ippo is trying to get back to his feet.

Shoujou wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by No Ippo, who protects the arm well.
Shoujou moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.
No Ippo is trying to get back to his feet.

No Ippo bucks up and manages to escape back to his feet!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
No Ippo misses with a few strikes there.
And Shoujou tries to counter it with a takedown but No Ippo pushes his down on his head and steps out.
A big left from No Ippo misses.

Shoujou takes the fight into the clinch.
A battle for position here, against the cage.

Shoujou wants the takedown. No Ippo is fighting it off but Shoujou persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in No Ippo's guard against the cage.

No Ippo wriggles free and stands up.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Shoujou rushes No Ippo and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
No Ippo wants to break the clinch but can't.
Shoujou keeps the fight in the clinch, despite No Ippo's efforts to push away.
No Ippo is trying to force a seperation but Shoujou has the dominant position.
Shoujou lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Shoujou unloads a knee to the mid-section.
No Ippo is trying to break free.

Shoujou has No Ippo pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Shoujou pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending No Ippo tumbling to the mat - Shoujou dives into No Ippo's guard.
Shoujou is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
No Ippo keeping full guard, as Shoujou tries to pass.
Shoujou landing with the ground and pound.
Shoujou wants to control from the top but No Ippo keeps moving.
No Ippo wants to get back to his feet but Shoujou is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Shoujou postures up in No Ippo's guard and throws a big left but No Ippo blocks it.

No Ippo has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Shoujou off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
No Ippo dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
No Ippo looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Shoujou steps in looking to clinch after the strikes miss from No Ippo.

Shoujou moves into the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
No Ippo tries to circle away but Shoujou has him pinned against the cage.
Shoujou working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
No Ippo wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Shoujou has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Shoujou looking to throw knees to the head but No Ippo is blocking nicely.
Shoujou has No Ippo pressed against the cage, preventing No Ippo from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Shoujou utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
No Ippo has had enough of the clinch but Shoujou keeps him there for the moment.
A left hand lands to the body for Shoujou.
No Ippo is trying to force a seperation but Shoujou has the dominant position.
Shoujou with a knee to the head.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Shoujou lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
The referee calls for Shoujou to work.
No Ippo is trying to break free.
Knees in the clinch landing for Shoujou.
No Ippo wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
No Ippo wants to break free but Shoujou has control.
Shoujou working No Ippo over with knees to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Shojo Shoujou showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Shoujou feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to No Ippo's calf.
Sloppy strikes from No Ippo. Those never looked like landing.
No Ippo looks to land a combination. Shoujou sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.

Shoujou changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. No Ippo looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.

No Ippo explodes and escapes back to his feet! Nice escape there!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
A slapping leg kick lands for Shoujou.
A chopping leg kick lands by Shoujou.

Shoujou closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. No Ippo quickly recovers to half guard.
No Ippo is trying to stand back up but Shoujou is controlling him
Shoujou looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.

Shoujou seems to be working for a kimura but No Ippo defends the submission attempt.
No Ippo is refusing to be controlled, as Shoujou sits in half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

No Ippo kicks Shoujou off and gets back to his feet.
No Ippo misses with a two punch combination.
Shoujou lands a nice leg kick that just misses No Ippo's sensitive parts.

Shoujou throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. No Ippo tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Shoujou is in No Ippo's guard.
No Ippo keeping moving, preventing Shoujou from controlling successfully.
Shoujou slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
No Ippo is trying to get back to his feet.
Shoujou is putting a hurting on No Ippo here, landing some big shots from side control.

Shoujou tries for a kimura but No Ippo is defending well.

Shoujou tries for a kimura but No Ippo is defending well.
Shoujou takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
No Ippo wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Shoujou trying to control the action but No Ippo is working from the bottom.

No Ippo throws his opponent off and manages to get back to his feet! Nicely done!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Some wild striking there from No Ippo.
No Ippo swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

Shoujou moves into the clinch successfully.
Shoujou with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
No Ippo wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Shoujou has him pressed against the cage.
No Ippo is trying to push Shoujou away but Shoujou has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Shoujou lands a right hand that snaps the head of No Ippo backwards.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Shoujou wants the takedown. No Ippo is fighting it off but Shoujou persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in No Ippo's guard against the cage.

No Ippo is scooting his butt against the cage and has managed to get back to his feet. Shoujou presses him back against the cage, presumably looking to take the fight back to the mat.
No Ippo wants to break free but Shoujou has control.
No Ippo looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
A shot in the inside from Shoujou.
No Ippo wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Shoujou keeps the fight in the clinch, despite No Ippo's efforts to push away.
No Ippo wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Shoujou tries a body shot but No Ippo blocks it.
No Ippo is looking to break free of the clinch but Shoujou has double underhooks.
No Ippo looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
No Ippo tries to circle away but Shoujou has him pinned against the cage.

Shoujou tightens his grip and picks No Ippo up, before dumping him to the ground. No Ippo manages to land in guard.
Shoujou content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
No Ippo working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Shoujou.
Shoujou stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. No Ippo swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
No Ippo wants to stand and escape but Shoujou is having none of it.
Shoujou is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
No Ippo wants to stand but Shoujou is controlling the position.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
No Ippo throws a big shot that misses.

A momentary lapse in concentration from No Ippo enables Shoujou to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. No Ippo manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Shoujou lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Hajime No Ippo has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Shojo Shoujou is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
No Ippo wants to stand and escape but Shoujou is having none of it.
Shoujou slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Shojo Shoujou comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Shoujou winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 27:30
Judge Shirou Masuda scores the fight 27:30
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Shojo Shoujou!
Hajime No Ippo spoke after the fight, saying 'A Kumi me deixou !'.