PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Hong Stephenson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kura Tuchaka (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Kura Tuchaka will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Stephenson
vs
Tuchaka

184 cm
18
140 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

162 cm
18
130 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Granite chin

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 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Hong Stephenson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Kura Tuchaka!
The judges for this bout are Shirou Masuda, Ren Mimura and Shigeki Sano.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Tuchaka connects with a looping right hand.
Stephenson keeps the fight on the outside.

Tuchaka closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Tuchaka lands in his opponent's guard.

Stephenson pushes Tuchaka off and gets back to his feet.
Tuchaka wants to clinch.
A little feinted left hand from Stephenson on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Tuchaka throws a sloppy head kick and Stephenson moves out of range easily.

Tuchaka drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.

Stephenson throws his opponent off and manages to get back to his feet! Nicely done!

That's one minute gone in the round.

Tuchaka manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Stephenson on his heels. He'll look to pass Stephenson's guard now, I'm sure.

Stephenson manages to escape and get back to his feet.

Tuchaka closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Tuchaka lands in his opponent's guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Stephenson has control of Tuchaka's left arm, preventing Tuchaka from doing any damage.
Tuchaka wants to control from the top but Stephenson keeps moving.
Tuchaka is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
Stephenson managing to control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Stephenson continues to stall.

The fighters are working up against the cage. Stephenson manages to wriggle his way back to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched against the cage.

Tuchaka pulls Stephenson into guard.
Tuchaka looking to control but Stephenson passes into half guard.
Tuchaka looks winded!
Tuchaka is looking to improve his position.
Tuchaka is looking to get full guard. It looks like he might be successful but at the last minute Stephenson jumps into side control!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Stephenson stands up.
Tuchaka throws a series of strikes that have Stephenson backpedaling.

Tuchaka drives through with a takedown into Stephenson's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.

Stephenson pushes Tuchaka off and scrambles back to his feet.

Stephenson clinches.

Stephenson breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tuchaka closes the distance but Stephenson moves to the side

and Stephenson counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Tuchaka is wriggling around but Stephenson manages to pass to half guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Stephenson is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Stephenson lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.

Tuchaka looking for subs from the bottom but Stephenson mounts him!
Tuchaka taking shots to the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hong Stephenson dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Tuchaka gets tackled into the cage by Stephenson. Stephenson maintains the clinch.

Tuchaka manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Stephenson gets to his feet - Tuchaka follows without any prompting.

Tuchaka throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Stephenson was covering up waiting for the punch and Tuchaka finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Tuchaka must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Stephenson is pulling down on Tuchaka's head. It's preventing any offense from Tuchaka, at least for the moment.
Tuchaka trying to control the position from guard on top but Stephenson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tuchaka wants to stand but Stephenson has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Tuchaka is breathing heavily.

The fighters are working up against the cage. Stephenson manages to wriggle his way back to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tuchaka is trying to break free.
Stephenson fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

Stephenson gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Tuchaka wants to stand back up but Stephenson manages to pass into side control.

Stephenson working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Stephenson is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Tuchaka can do to turn this around?

Stephenson decides to stand back up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Tuchaka shoots in and bounces Stephenson off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.

Stephenson kicks Tuchaka off and gets to his feet.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Tuchaka shoots in for a takedown and gets it.

Stephenson pushes Tuchaka off and gets back to his feet.

Stephenson closes the distance and pushes Tuchaka back into the cage.
Stephenson leaning his opponent against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A right hand to the body from Stephenson.

Stephenson is fighting off a takedown attempt but Tuchaka is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Stephenson to the mat. Stephenson regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.

Stephenson has scooted to the edge of the canvas and used the cage to get back to his feet. Tuchaka has stuck on his opponent and is forcing him back against the cage.

Stephenson gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Tuchaka scrambles, trying to get to his feet, but Stephenson manages to mount him!
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!
Stephenson connects with a couple of good shots from mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Stephenson lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Stephenson working the ground and pound effectively.
Stephenson controlling from the full mount.
Stephenson lands a heavy elbow.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Stephenson postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Tuchaka looks a forlorn figure.
Stephenson controlling the position easily from mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hong Stephenson dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Tuchaka throws a lazy uppercut

and Stephenson counters with a nice double leg into guard.

Stephenson decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Stephenson swats away the attempt to clinch by Tuchaka.
Tuchaka darts in trying to clinch

so Stephenson counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Tuchaka is wriggling around but Stephenson manages to pass to half guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Stephenson trying to work for an americana but Tuchaka has managed to regain full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tuchaka preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Stephenson lands a couple of digs.

Stephenson gets to his feet - Tuchaka follows without any prompting.
Kura Tuchaka seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Tuchaka takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Tuchaka looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.

Stephenson kicks off Tuchaka and gets to his feet.
Stephenson avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Tuchaka moves in looking to clinch but Stephenson pushes him off.
Stephenson tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Tuchaka manages to circle out of the way.

Stephenson gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Stephenson misses with a punch to the body.

Stephenson pulls guard successfully.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Stephenson uses the cage to get back to his feet.
Stephenson avoids the head kick by Tuchaka.

Stephenson fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Tuchaka, pushing him back against the cage.
Tuchaka tries to break free but Stephenson pushes him back against the cage.

Tuchaka is fighting off a takedown attempt but Stephenson is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Tuchaka to the mat. Tuchaka regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
Tuchaka is wriggling around but Stephenson manages to pass to half guard.

The referee calls for the fighters to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Stephenson decides to return to a standing position.

Stephenson clinches with his opponent.
Stephenson trying to land knees to the body.
Stephenson really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Tuchaka working hard to break the clinch.

Stephenson gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Tuchaka regains guard.
Stephenson is standing up over Tuchaka. Tuchaka looks to escape but Stephenson dives into side control.

Stephenson is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Tuchaka has escaped the position, nice work there.
Hong Stephenson overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Stephenson stands up and we're back to a striking position.
Tuchaka takes a swing at Stephenson's ribcage but misses.
A little feinted left hand from Stephenson on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.

Tuchaka scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.

Stephenson has one foot on Tuchaka's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Stephenson has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Stephenson misses with a few strikes there.

Stephenson moves into the clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
Hong Stephenson showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Stephenson, 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 Ren Mimura scores the fight 30:27
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Hong Stephenson!