| 1 | 26.11.2021 | Ma Stump Puller | 8.0 | .... somehow a really awesome match? Bas is one of those guys who would've naturally been fantastic in wrestling: solid charisma, killer strikes, great athleticism, and was quite technical. At this point in his career, he's more or less retired from serious MMA work due to a combination of injuries and wear and tear. He's not even done much wrestling beyond 2 or 3 matches, and Nishimura has to essentially guide the guy into a 30 minute timed draw under catch rules. Naturally this does lead to some awkward exchanges at points given his inexperience, but Bas does a damn good job here, nailing his usual big palm strikes and kicks expertly. His selling is a bit exaggerated at points where he'll sorta flail around after a single strike, which is silly, but for the most part he's very good for a guy who doesn't have a lot of wrestling experience. Nishimura really sells the danger of Bas as well, bumping for knockdowns in the first few minutes and really trying to keep away from his strikes in favour of technical work and grounding him, which made sense as Rutten's career losses were all via grounded submissions. Nishimura REALLY stretches Bas at points here with his submissions, and they looked fairly realistic despite the shoot-style conditions. Bas is convincing when selling submissions as well, usually not screaming like some tend to do but really showing the pain when it matters: when a cross armbreaker is applied, he immediately grabs the ropes without consideration because of how painful the hold is. Just small, smart stuff like that from him to sell Nishimura's capabilities and the real danger he's in. Don't get me wrong, there's some bits where I'm confused as to what exactly Bas is trying to do, like randomly doing a Frankensteiner jump but not doing the actual move or doing dropkicks out of nowhere, but his stuff mostly made sense. Bas also seems to be the heel to a extent as he heelishly kicks Nishimura unprovoked when he's trying to get back in the ring and targets his weakened legs from then on in with holds. Nishimura in turn keeps to the ropes and tries to ground him even more, making him more of a babyface here. This does end in a draw but both men get their chance to shine here. This is definitely not for everyone but if you want a example of Inokism working properly, this is definitely a example worth mentioning. |
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