PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Jose Aldo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Hannu Yabal (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Yabal has chosen New Divide, Linkin Park as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Aldo
vs
Yabal

170 cm
25
139 lbs
9 - 8 - 0

170 cm
27
141 lbs
8 - 7 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Granite chin

BJJ Brown Belt
Decent boxing
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 8 - 0, fighting out of London, Jose Aldo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 7 - 0, fighting out of London, Hannu Yabal!
The judges for this bout are James Ackerman, Andrew Berry and William Gold.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Yabal fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Aldo, pushing him back against the cage.
Knees in the clinch landing for Yabal.
A shot in the inside from Yabal.
Aldo is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Yabal is defending well for now.
Aldo misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Yabal.
Aldo tries to pull guard but Yabal won't allow it.
Aldo jumps guard but Yabal stands there with Aldo around his waist. Aldo gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Aldo is looking to break free of the clinch but Yabal has double underhooks.
Aldo throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Yabal blocks it with crossed arms.
Aldo using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Yabal has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
A left hand lands to the body for Yabal.
Aldo tries to pull guard but Yabal won't allow it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jose Aldo. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Yabal lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!

Aldo jumps into guard, dragging Yabal to the mat.

Yabal is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.

Aldo is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Yabal defends well.
Yabal missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Aldo can't keep his opponent in guard - Yabal advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Aldo pushes Yabal off looking to stand but Yabal dives back in and keeps control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Aldo is breathing heavily.
Aldo trying to hold on to Yabal's head to control him but Yabal postures up.
Yabal moves nicely into side control.

Yabal tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Yabal has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Aldo is trying to buck Yabal off.
Aldo dodges the ground and pound from Yabal.

Yabal is trying to get an arm triangle but Aldo is defending well.
Aldo is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Yabal asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Yabal scores with punches from side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Yabal thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Aldo is pushing Yabal's head away, looking to escape. Yabal manages to hold on to the position though.

Yabal tries for a kimura but Aldo is defending well.
Aldo wants to get back to his feet but Yabal drags him back down.
Aldo stops Yabal from passing to mount.

Aldo throws Yabal to one side and escapes!
Aldo looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Aldo wants to clinch

and Yabal counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Aldo avoiding damage as Yabal throws knees to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Aldo on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Yabal working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Yabal has Aldo pushed against the cage.
Aldo lands a hook to the side of the head.
Yabal using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Aldo has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Yabal is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Aldo misses with a knee strike.
Aldo fails to pull guard.
Aldo is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Yabal misses with a knee to the head.
Aldo tries to pull guard but Yabal holds him up against the cage and eventually Aldo drops back down to his feet.
Aldo jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Yabal walks away with a smile on his face. Aldo gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Aldo closes the distance but Yabal moves to the side

and Yabal counters by moving into the clinch.
Yabal on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Aldo avoids a wild elbow strike from Yabal.
Aldo tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Aldo working some nice short punches in the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Come on Yabal - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Yabal trying to land knees to the body.
Yabal is trying to stall.
Aldo tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Aldo misses with a knee strike.

Aldo breaks from the clinch.
Nice cross by Yabal.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Yabal!
Yabal swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Yabal pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Aldo lands a head kick!
Yabal moves into range and lands a nice body kick.
Yabal tries to score with a low kick but Aldo moves his leg out of the way.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hannu Yabal dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Aldo stuffs the takedown.
Aldo plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Aldo tries a head kick but it misses.
Aldo looks to clinch
and Yabal counters with a nice body kick.
Aldo darts in trying to clinch
and Yabal counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

Yabal moves into the clinch successfully.
Knees in the clinch landing for Yabal.
Yabal comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Aldo tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Aldo tries to circle away but Yabal has him pinned against the cage.
Aldo tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Aldo on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Aldo misses with a knee strike.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Yabal misses with an elbow over the top.
Yabal is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Aldo is defending well for now.
Yabal scores with a shoulder strike.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Aldo throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Yabal blocks it with crossed arms.

Yabal manages to pull guard.
Yabal manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Aldo manages to get himself to full guard.
Yabal is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Yabal looking to pass the guard.
Aldo wants to stand but Yabal is controlling the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Yabal passes into half guard.

Yabal is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Aldo sees it coming and defends easily.

Aldo makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!
Aldo with a poor takedown

and Yabal counters with a single leg into guard. Aldo didn't expect that.
Aldo wants to stand but Yabal is controlling the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yabal advances position into side control!
Yabal trying to control the action but Aldo is working from the bottom.
The strikes coming from Yabal are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Aldo is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Yabal is controlling him well.
Aldo gives up the full mount - oops, sloppy defensive grappling there!
Aldo is trying to escape the mount.
Aldo tries to hold on but Yabal pushes him away.
Yabal controlling from the full mount.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Yabal cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Aldo is squirming around, avoiding Yabal's attempts to control the action.
Aldo is trying to stand.
Yabal moves to take his opponent's back.
Aldo is trying to get back to his feet but he's not managed it yet.
Yabal has the hooks in. Aldo is trying to push off one leg but he has to do so cautiously to avoid being submitted.
Yabal punishes Aldo with strikes from the back mount.
Aldo tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Yabal moves to take his opponent's back.

Aldo defends a rear naked choke attempt by controlling one of Yabal's arms.

Aldo defends a rear naked choke attempt by controlling one of Yabal's arms.
Well, with Yabal on his back, surely it's only a matter of time before Aldo is tapping out... Can he escape the position?

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Aldo showing good submission defense here.
Yabal avoiding Aldo 's attempts to control his hands.
Yabal is trying to stick to Aldo's back but Aldo is turning into Yabal. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Yabal's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Aldo.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!

Aldo gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.

Yabal gets in close and instigates a clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
A right handed body shot lands from Yabal.
Yabal landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Yabal looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Yabal missing with knees to the body.
Yabal managing to block the knees to the body from Aldo.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hannu Yabal showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Aldo closes the distance looking to clinch

and Yabal counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Yabal.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Yabal displaying some good clinch control by pressing Aldo up against the cage.
Nice elbow from Yabal.
Yabal managing to block the knees to the body from Aldo.
Yabal has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Aldo is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Yabal fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Aldo misses with a knee strike.
Nice elbow from Yabal.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Yabal comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Aldo throws a knee to the head but misses.
Yabal blocks a punch to the side of the head.
A nice left hand lands by Yabal.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Yabal lands a nice elbow.
Aldo misses with a knee strike.
Aldo wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Knees to the body from Yabal.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yabal tries to land a knee to the head but Aldo blocks with his arms.
The referee calls for Yabal to work.
Yabal landing knees to the body.
Yabal tries to land knees in the clinch but Aldo avoids the damage to the body.
Aldo misses with a knee strike.
Aldo throws a knee to the head but misses.
Yabal lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Aldo backwards.
Yabal is pushing Aldo up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Aldo throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Yabal blocks it with crossed arms.
Yabal lands an elbow inside.
A frustrated look appears on Aldo's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Yabal lands a damaging elbow.
Yabal tries a knee to the head but Aldo blocks it.
Aldo tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Yabal lands a body shot in the clinch.
Yabal is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Yabal looking to throw knees to the head but Aldo is blocking nicely.

Aldo breaks from the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Aldo closes the distance but Yabal moves to the side

and Yabal counters with a takedown into side control.
You can see the frustration on Aldo's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Yabal trying to control the action but Aldo is working from the bottom.
Aldo is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.

Yabal is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Aldo knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Yabal cracks Aldo with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Aldo is trying to buck Yabal off.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Yabal tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Aldo is pushing Yabal's head away, looking to escape. Yabal manages to hold on to the position though.

Yabal is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Aldo knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Aldo tries to buck Yabal off but Yabal is having none of it.
Hannu Yabal has got the better of the ground game so far.
Aldo manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Aldo is in trouble now - Yabal has advanced to mount!
Aldo can't escape the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Aldo's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.
Yabal moves to back control.
Aldo trying to control but not successfully.
Yabal struggling to keep hold of the position.
Aldo wants to get back to his feet.

Yabal is remaining active here, looking for the choke. The more discerning members of the crowd will appreciate his efforts.
Jose Aldo has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Aldo has the hand control, trying to stop the rear naked choke.

Aldo is displaying good submission defense - not really looking in danger of submitting to the rear naked choke at the moment. That could change in an instant of course if Yabal gets his way!

And that's the end of the fight!
Hannu Yabal comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Yabal 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 James Ackerman scores the fight 27:30
Judge Andrew Berry scores the fight 27:30
Judge William Gold scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Hannu Yabal!