Mugen IV (Japan vs. Philippines) - Seita Ogido vs. Jonathan Refugio RBR

Round 4

Ikehara is baiting with a jab and leaving his left arm extended, pushing with it to obscure Uryu's vision when Uryu tries jumping in to flurry. Ikehara pulls his face out of reach, only getting hit with incidental partially landed blows and countering straight through with his right cross. Nice crisp lead jab by Ikehara now, commanding the center of the ring. Uryu runs straight onto a couple. A few spectators yell in appreciation of Ikehara's artistry in utilizing his reach and height advantages to avoid Uryu's rushes - clearly not a fleet-footed individual but doing just enough adjustment of his legs to stay poised to push or punch - and land the jab from safety.

10-9 Ikehara

38-38

 

Round 5

Uryu is tossing a left hook up top leaping in, getting blocked and letting his arm drop over Ikehara's neck to pull him forth & down into a headlock. Frequent breaks called by the ref. The action is stalling and has degenerated into a clinch off every miss or block in either direction. Uryu misses a 1-2 and ends up practically sprawled over Ikehara's spine. They are draping themselves over each other at the end of each offensive motion instead of punching through the target, in anticipation of what now seems like the inevitability of a clinch. Uryu busier, attacking more. Nobody landing anything.

10-9 Uryu, just for at least punching.

48-47 Uryu

 

Gotta crank it way up.

 

Round 6

Ikehara is forced to his knees in a grappling clinch. Uryu is trotting clockwise around him, slipping jabs with turns of his cheek. Nice hook-cross-hook combo by Uryu, stepping in aggressively while Ikehara turns ponderously with his reflexes too slow to compensate for Uryu having ceased his lateral bouncing. Uryu is managing to get in and out - regardless of whether he scores - without getting impaled on counter jabs or batted away by the right hand Ikehara keeps by his cheek, ready & coiled to strike but unused.

10-9 Uryu

58-56 Uryu

 

They're fighting like they saw each other naked in the locker room and Uryu had the bigger dick.

 

Round 7

Ikehara is pushing out a tentative keep-off-me jab. Uryu is cannonballing in past it and slamming down with tidal-wave hooks. Uryu rakes Ikehara across the cheek with an overhand while flying at him and Ikehara touches a glove on the canvas, and is given a count. Uryu just clawing away at Ikehara and once inside peppering his now bleeding nose with light jabs. Ikehara just grabbing and tying up or countering with loose, arm-weary jabs that meander past the back of Uryu's head.

10-8 Uryu

68-64 Uryu

 

Mild upset in the making...

Ikehara's record is 12-3-1, while Uryu is 6-3-1. (same # of losses and draws but half as many W's)

 

Round 8

Ikehara is still looking to tie up and stall. Uryu pressing the fight and bouncing off the ball of either foot, heels kicking up jauntily. Uryu propels himself forward and lands a pig of an overhand right in midair and Ikehara is floored hard. He beats the count at eightish. Ikehara is too cautious to even jab now. Ikehara dives in face-first on Uryu, and first tries encircling him in his arms, then shoeshining on the stomach. Ref calls a break. Uryu is now coasting in a victory lap now, knowing perhaps he has a sure thing on the cards and not wanting to chance it despite Ikehara's apparent lack of power. Uryu dancing on his toes around Ikehara, ducking under a few lazy right hands lobbed from too far away to do anything, taking them willingly across the nape of the neck.

10-8 Uryu

78-72 Uryu

 

Koichi gets it. No robbery.

Nice performance. Big round of applause from the people in the stands, who just got their money's worth from that alone.

 

Morihisa Iju vs. Yuta Sasaki, 8 rounds @ featherweight

 

Sasaki, with a five inch height advantage standing 5′ 9½″, is an MMA fighter campaigning at flyweight in the UFC.

You can tell from his style, which is very frenetic and features lots of wide looping punches while zigzagging the ring with all the hallmarks of MMA stand-up (twitchy and squared up constantly)

 

Sasaki actually has a very good record in MMA but is 8-9-1 (1) in boxing.

 

Iju has a TKO2 victory over Koichi Uryu from the previous bout.