PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Yushin Okami (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Matteo Baccini (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Yushin Okami has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Okami
vs
Baccini

188 cm
25
184 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

186 cm
25
190 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Intelligent

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Enjoys gardening

[B2F] Born 2 Fight

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Yushin Okami!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Matteo Baccini!
The judges for this bout are Sosuke Kotani, Shirou Masuda and Kenichi Hosakawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Okami closes the distance looking to clinch

and Baccini counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Okami is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Baccini pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Okami is keeping the position for now.

Okami manages to escape and get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Okami clinches up with Baccini and pushes him back against the cage.

Baccini decides to pull guard.
Baccini looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Okami has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Okami wants to get up but he can't break Baccini's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

Baccini is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.

Baccini gets a trip takedown into half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Baccini trying to mount his opponent but Okami defends it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Baccini content to control rather than advance.
Baccini moves into full mount! Okami won't be happy about that!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Baccini controlling the pace for now.
It looks like Baccini might be adopting somewhat of a lay and pray gameplan here, which I'm sure won't go down too well with the paying fans in attendance... Or the ring announcers come to think of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Matteo Baccini hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Okami keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matteo Baccini dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Okami tries to clinch but Baccini moves away

and Baccini counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Okami's guard now.
Baccini wants to pass the guard but Okami is keeping the position.
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.
Baccini stops Okami from standing up.
Baccini is pushing down on Okami's leg trying to pass to half guard. Okami is fighting to maintain full guard but Baccini has managed to sneak the leg through.
Baccini is controlling the pace.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Yushin Okami has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Baccini throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Okami misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

Baccini scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Baccini content to control rather than advance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Matteo Baccini wasn't active enough on the ground.
Okami tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Baccini counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Baccini is stalling in the full guard.
Baccini's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Yushin Okami has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Okami tries to clinch up

so Baccini counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Baccini engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Okami wants to get back to his feet but he's too absorbed in his own little project and Baccini manages to pass to side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Baccini prevents Okami from standing back up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matteo Baccini showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Baccini blocks a head kick by Okami.
Okami darts in trying to clinch

and Baccini counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Okami can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Baccini controls the pace.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.

Yushin Okami has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Baccini avoids a punch combination nicely.
Okami tries to clinch but Baccini moves away

and Baccini decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Okami's guard.
Okami wants to stand but Baccini is controlling the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Baccini is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.

Yushin Okami has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Okami looks to clinch

and Baccini counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Okami!
Baccini controlling his opponent.
Matteo Baccini has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Matteo Baccini wasn't active enough on the ground.
Okami looks to clinch

and Baccini counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Okami is wriggling around but Baccini manages to pass to half guard.
Okami wants to get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Baccini tries to pass the half guard into mount. Okami knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Still in half guard, Baccini seems content to control.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Horrible takedown by Baccini or perhaps it was just good defense by Okami which made him look bad.
Baccini with a lazy takedown attempt
and Okami counters with a big head kick but Baccini shrugs it off.

Baccini shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Baccini was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Baccini content just to control the position here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Matteo Baccini comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Baccini 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 Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 27:30
Judge Shirou Masuda scores the fight 26:30
Judge Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Matteo Baccini!