[Note: Read the manga images from right to left. To unlock the transcript, upgrade to paid.]
Ayako Nagamine and Kaoru Nobeoka are up.
"Fight!" the referee shouts.
Ayako is tense. Kaoru takes the initiative with a jab, but Ayako backs away and eats an inside low kick. Kaoru grabs her and runs her into the corner. She takes her down.
Ayako gets back up, but Kaoru takes her back.
Despite the jitters, Ayako listens to her corner and peels Kaoru off her back.
[Confidence comes from trust. If you don't have trust in yourself, you can have trust in your team. Ayako is nervous but trusts that her team got her ready and will tell her what to do when she's stuck.]
They're both back to standing.
"That's weird," says Maki.
"What do you mean?" asks Meguru.
"Nobeoka, just let her go. Back when I fought her, she would've rushed in for another hold instead of breaking away like that."
"I can see her jabs and hooks coming," Kaoru thinks.
"Looks like Nobeoka's been working on her striking," says Maria.
"I've got a bad feeling about this," says Tamiya.
Kaoru lands an inside low kick. She follows up with punches, but Ayako backs away.
"She's loosened up," says Maki.
Ayako lands a right straight and floors Kaoru.
[For the fighter at a reach disadvantage, they have to close space to be close enough to strike their opponent. However, the risk is getting caught on the way in. That's the dilemma. Reach matters in combat sports.]
"Down!" the ref shouts.
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