[2022-03-05-GLEAT-LIDET-UWF-Ver. 2] Daisuke Nakamura vs. Daijiro Matsui

[corwo]

Neither man wastes any time getting into the action. Nakamura dominates the ground game, forcing Matsui to use an escape thirty seconds into the match. Nakamura forces Matsui to fight from behind, smothering him on the mat and forcing him to use the ropes to flee.

Both competitors weave in and out of holds seamlessly. There’s so much intent and purpose behind every hold. Take, for example, the kneebars Matsui constantly uses as a tool to neutralize his opponent. It’s a stark contrast to the filler mat work that besets most Japanese promotion’s main event scenes. Matsui hones in on Nakamura with yet another kneebar to cost him a point, but Daisuke rushes him immediately for a down. An excellent struggle over an armbar follows, but Matsui again finds himself in the ropes. Matsui briefly gains the upper hand with a suplex that keeps Nakamura down for a count of eight. Matsui grabs a sleeper, and suddenly, Nakamura’s down to two points himself.

From there, both find themselves flustered, swinging wildly for any strike that will land. A flash armbar seals the deal, and Nakamura snags the win. A delightful match, full of vim and vigor, one that shows you don’t need to go thirty minutes to tell a complete story.

[MikeCampbell]

This is closest that I've seen a Lidet UWF match come to feeling a UWF match from the old days. The work is simple, but very well done. Nakamura has the striking advantage, Matsui has the advantage with his throws, and they use the mat to settle the tie. Neither seems out of their element on the mat, and they're both able to knock off points with their submissions just as well as with their striking/throwing. Nakamura wins after throwing kicks at Matsui and taking him by surprise with a flying juji-gatame, but Matsui's loss doesn't cause any hit to his aura or credibility, and it feels like a rematch between them could just as easily end with Matsui winning.