PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Tiago Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and yakin yakin sanjamoto (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gracie comes to the cage accompanied by THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. Tiago Gracie had real problems making weight for this fight. After initially coming in at 186.6lbs, he had two hours to make the official fight weight. He made it but it will have taken a lot out of him to cut those extra few pounds. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Gracie
vs
yakin sanjamoto

190 cm
25
200 lbs
5 - 1 - 0

185 cm
26
194 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

Good takedowns
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 2 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Tiago Gracie!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, yakin yakin sanjamoto!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Shimada, Kenichi Hosakawa and Ren Mimura.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
yakin sanjamoto misses with a jab to the body
and Gracie cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Gracie is looking to score with low kicks.
Gracie is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Gracie feints and as yakin sanjamoto raises his hands in defense, Gracie changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.

yakin sanjamoto has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Gracie can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

yakin sanjamoto has an active guard here but Gracie has managed to pass into half guard.

yakin sanjamoto looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

yakin sanjamoto actively working from the bottom here.
Gracie with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.

yakin sanjamoto looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gracie seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.

yakin sanjamoto looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

Gracie is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and yakin sanjamoto defends it well.
yakin sanjamoto wants to improve his position but Gracie is controlling well.

yakin sanjamoto looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
yakin sanjamoto is in trouble now - Gracie has advanced to mount!
yakin sanjamoto tries to get back to half guard but can't.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Gracie with good strikes from the mount here!
yakin sanjamoto is squirming around, avoiding Gracie's attempts to control the action.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
yakin sanjamoto is trying desperately to improve position.
yakin sanjamoto wants to improve position but instead he's given up his back.
Gracie has the hooks in. yakin sanjamoto is trying to push off one leg but he has to do so cautiously to avoid being submitted.
Gracie doesn't have the hooks in and yakin sanjamoto manages to turn into his guard.
Gracie is trying to control the position but yakin sanjamoto postures up.

yakin sanjamoto postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Gracie is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of yakin sanjamoto, into his guard.

yakin sanjamoto escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Gracie gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
yakin sanjamoto looks gassed!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Gracie tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
yakin sanjamoto tries to buck Gracie off but Gracie is having none of it.
yakin sanjamoto is not content to let Gracie control the position.

Gracie looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
yakin sanjamoto is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Gracie off and has taken his back!

yakin sanjamoto is looking for a rear naked choke here but Gracie reverses the position brilliantly into yakin sanjamoto's guard!
Gracie tries to free his leg and advance position but yakin sanjamoto is retaining full guard.
Gracie trying to control but yakin sanjamoto is working from the bottom.

yakin sanjamoto has his foot on Gracie's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Gracie works his way back into a safe position though.

yakin sanjamoto looks to be working for a triangle here. Oh, it looks like he might have it! Gracie has picked yakin sanjamoto up and slammed him! yakin sanjamoto can't keep hold of the triangle and Gracie manages to pass to side control!
yakin sanjamoto gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Gracie not landing any meaningful shots this time.

That's five minutes gone in the round.

yakin sanjamoto looking for submissions off his back.

yakin sanjamoto with the active half guard here but Gracie passes nicely into side control.
yakin sanjamoto is looking to regain half guard here but Gracie keeps moving and retains side control.

That's six minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.

Gracie tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Gracie has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Gracie trying to control the position but yakin sanjamoto is working away.
yakin sanjamoto manages to work his way to half guard, despite Gracie's best efforts.
Gracie tries to stand but his hand is stuck under yakin sanjamoto.

yakin sanjamoto actively working from the bottom here.

yakin sanjamoto is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Gracie pulls his head out easily.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.

yakin sanjamoto with the active half guard here but Gracie passes nicely into side control.
yakin sanjamoto looks to move to half guard but instead Gracie has passed into mount! Damn!
yakin sanjamoto is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Gracie lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
yakin sanjamoto can't escape the position.
yakin sanjamoto wants to improve position but instead he's given up his back.
Gracie controlling well, preventing yakin sanjamoto from escaping the position.
yakin sanjamoto is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

That's eight minutes gone in the round.
Gracie is looking to control yakin sanjamoto but yakin sanjamoto is wriggling around and keeping busy.
yakin sanjamoto rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.
Gracie is looking to take a break and control but yakin sanjamoto is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
yakin sanjamoto gets back to full guard.

Gracie got a little sloppy there for a moment and yakin sanjamoto has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Gracie has managed to get both his arms back between yakin sanjamoto's legs - danger averted.

That's nine minutes gone in the round.
Gracie trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

yakin sanjamoto has his foot on Gracie's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Gracie works his way back into a safe position though.

yakin sanjamoto looking for a guillotine here but Gracie defends easily.

yakin sanjamoto escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Gracie gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
yakin sanjamoto keeping moving, preventing Gracie from controlling successfully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Tiago Gracie will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

yakin sanjamoto listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Gracie shoots and misses
and yakin sanjamoto counters with a lovely straight right hand!
yakin sanjamoto lands with a good body shot.

yakin sanjamoto closes the distance and clinches.

yakin sanjamoto breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Gracie gets caught flat footed, as yakin sanjamoto shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
yakin sanjamoto tries to free his leg and advance position but Gracie is retaining full guard.

yakin sanjamoto thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

yakin sanjamoto drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and yakin sanjamoto jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

yakin sanjamoto drops back looking for a leg! Gracie is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Gracie manages to kick yakin sanjamoto off! yakin sanjamoto jumps back into Gracie's guard.
Gracie looking to control.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

yakin sanjamoto drops back, looking for a kneebar! Gracie looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Gracie looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Gracie!
yakin sanjamoto sneaks back into half guard.
yakin sanjamoto moves into full guard.
Gracie trying to control but yakin sanjamoto is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

yakin sanjamoto looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

yakin sanjamoto is looking to sinch up a triangle. Gracie throws the leg off to one side though and gets in tight to yakin sanjamoto's body to avoid the submission. yakin sanjamoto has instead reached around Gracie's neck and now has a guillotine! Oh, this is biiiig trouble! yakin sanjamoto arches his back and squeezes and forces the tap from his hapless opponent.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:29 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Guillotine). yakin yakin sanjamoto!