PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Issy Rapid (ranked 5297 p4p, 5560 weight class) and Ryu Yamauchi (ranked 416 p4p, 435 weight class). The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Rapid
vs
Yamauchi

170 cm
22
150
1 - 1 - 0

170 cm
22
154
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Big heart

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Issy Rapid!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Ryu Yamauchi!
The judges for this bout are Francis DeMontford, Topper Green and Ben Hemmingworth.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rapid looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Yamauchi is fending him off so far but Rapid persists. Nope, Yamauchi circles away and we're back to standing.
Despite the aggression on Yamauchi's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.

Rapid moves into the clinch.
Yamauchi looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Yamauchi can't break the clinch.
Rapid tries for a takedown but Yamauchi manages to get underhooks.
Yamauchi is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Yamauchi prevents a takedown attempt there.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Issy Rapid. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rapid tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Yamauchi smiles and moves away.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rapid misses with a wild body shot.

Rapid closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.
Yamauchi sneaks back into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Rapid is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Yamauchi has managed to free his arm - good work.
Rapid is breathing heavily.

Rapid is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Yamauchi has managed to free his arm - good work.
Rapid prevents Yamauchi from improving his position.

Rapid is looking for submissions but instead, Yamauchi has regained full guard.
Yamauchi tries to land a sweep but no joy.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Yamauchi working a defensive guard here.
Rapid knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Yamauchi on the ground.
Yamauchi has a closed guard, preventing Rapid from standing up.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Yamauchi looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Rapid throwing strikes from guard but Yamauchi blocks nicely.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Yamauchi is on top in guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yamauchi trying to control the position from guard on top but Rapid is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Yamauchi scoring with punches to the head and body.
Yamauchi looking to pass the guard.
Yamauchi trying to control but Rapid is working from the bottom.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Yamauchi trying to move into half guard but instead Rapid has managed to sweep!

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Rapid is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Yamauchi is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Yamauchi has escaped and now he's on top!

Yamauchi trying to control the position from guard on top but Rapid is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Yamauchi pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Rapid is keeping the position for now.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Ryu Yamauchi dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare each other down, ready to get back to the action.

Rapid shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Rapid fails with a takedown attempt.

Rapid forces Yamauchi back against the cage and clinches.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Yamauchi decides to pull guard.

Rapid gets to his feet - Yamauchi follows without any prompting.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yamauchi swats away the attempt to clinch by Rapid.
Despite the aggression on Yamauchi's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Yamauchi fails to land with a series of punches.
Rapid throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Yamauchi makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Yamauchi slaps away a takedown attempt from Rapid, before circling back to the center of the mat.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Issy Rapid. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rapid throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Yamauchi's waist but Yamauchi gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Rapid off to one side.
As Rapid backs off Yamauchi throws a huge counter combo but Rapid manages to avoid it all.
Yamauchi has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
No luck for Rapid with that takedown attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yamauchi moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Issy Rapid seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rapid on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Rapid avoids a punch combination nicely.
Jab by Yamauchi.
Rapid with a poor takedown
and Yamauchi counters with a stiff right hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rapid is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Yamauchi.

Rapid is rocked!
Yamauchi thuds a left hand into Rapid's body.
Oh Rapid is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Rapid tries for a takedown but Yamauchi circles away easily
and Rapid takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Rapid tries to land a front kick but Yamauchi steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Yamauchi looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Rapid seems to have got his legs back now.
Rapid needs to keep his hands up - Yamauchi had a free shot at his head there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yamauchi shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Rapid eats them both and turns towards Yamauchi to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Rapid shoots in but Yamauchi avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Yamauchi swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Rapid fails with a takedown attempt.
As Rapid backs off Yamauchi throws a huge counter combo but Rapid manages to avoid it all.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Yamauchi misses with a jab, cross combination.
Yamauchi displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Rapid.
As Rapid backs off Yamauchi throws a huge counter combo but Rapid manages to avoid it all.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Ryu Yamauchi showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Yamauchi fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Issy Rapid is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Yamauchi jumps guard but Rapid turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Yamauchi wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Rapid has him pressed against the cage.
Yamauchi is trying to break the clinch but Rapid has him pressed against the cage.
Yamauchi wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Rapid breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Rapid moves in looking to clinch but Yamauchi pushes him off.
Yamauchi is looking for the big counter here.
A right-left combo lands from Yamauchi.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Yamauchi checks a leg kick.
Yamauchi looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Crunch! Rapid slams his shin into Yamauchi's torso.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Rapid with a lazy takedown attempt
and Rapid takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Jab by Yamauchi.
Rapid swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Yamauchi counters with a one-two to the body.
Yamauchi scores with a jab. Rapid acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Rapid connects with a looping right hand.
Yamauchi misses with a wild combination.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rapid tries for a takedown but Yamauchi circles away easily
and Yamauchi cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Rapid takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Yamauchi throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Rapid.
Yamauchi throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
It looked like Rapid wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Rapid tries to clinch up.
A nice combination there by Yamauchi.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yamauchi throws a series of punches but Rapid avoids them all with ease.
Rapid is looking to counter the offense by Yamauchi and move into the clinch.
Rapid doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Rapid takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Issy Rapid has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Issy Rapid. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A jab from Yamauchi does it's job there.
Yamauchi might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
Yamauchi scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Rapid swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Yamauchi counters with a three punch combo that has Rapid backing up. Rapid nods at Yamauchi to acknowledge the strikes.
Rapid is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yamauchi misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Yamauchi works over Rapid's head and body with a nice combination.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Yamauchi will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Yamauchi connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Ryu Yamauchi is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Rapid fails with the takedown.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ryu Yamauchi comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Yamauchi winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Francis DeMontford scores the fight 26:30
Judge Topper Green scores the fight 26:30
Judge Ben Hemmingworth scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ryu Yamauchi!