PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Kreg Yamovitch (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Luigi Watanabe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Watanabe's choice of entrance music: Bad Man A Step. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Yamovitch
vs
Watanabe

173 cm
32
155 lbs
14 - 16 - 0

175 cm
26
164 lbs
11 - 10 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Solid boxing
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 14 - 16 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Kreg Yamovitch!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Luigi Watanabe!
The judges for this bout are Ian Loll, Elvis Blanc and Steve Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Yamovitch tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Watanabe swivels and escapes.
Jab, jab by Watanabe - just one landing.
Kreg Yamovitch seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Yamovitch throws a right hand that Watanabe ducks under and follows up with a left that Watanabe also avoids with ease.
Yamovitch misses with a body shot

and Watanabe counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Watanabe is looking to advance position but Yamovitch has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!
Yamovitch with the ground and pound from mount.
Yamovitch trying to control but Watanabe is having none of it.
Yamovitch throws some wild stikes that Watanabe manages to avoid easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watanabe is in all sorts of trouble here.
Watanabe wants to control but Yamovitch is having none of it.
Watanabe sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Yamovitch trying to control the action but Watanabe is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Yamovitch.
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.

Yamovitch is trying to work for a kimura but Watanabe is defending well.
Yamovitch wants to lay and pray for a moment but Watanabe keeps working.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Yamovitch is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.

Watanabe actively working from the bottom here.

That's four 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.

Yamovitch is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Yamovitch looks to land a strike but Watanabe avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
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 Kreg Yamovitch will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Yamovitch misses with an uppercut. Watanabe saw that one coming.
Yamovitch looks to land a combination but Watanabe avoids it well.
Yamovitch misses with a two punch combination.
Yamovitch lands a nice looking body shot.
Yamovitch takes a swing at Watanabe's ribcage but misses.
Yamovitch fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Watanabe manages to avoid it.
Yamovitch misses with a few strikes there.
Yamovitch looks to throw a body kick
and Watanabe counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Yamovitch tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Watanabe manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
A shot to the body from Yamovitch misses
and Watanabe counters with a straight right hand.
Yamovitch throws a right and a left that Watanabe avoids nicely.
Yamovitch lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Watanabe circles away quickly and effectively.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yamovitch blocks a jab.
Yamovitch has a takedown stuffed.
Yamovitch misses with a two punch combination.
Watanabe lands with a kick to the temple. Yamovitch shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
A low kick from Yamovitch misses
and Watanabe counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Watanabe misses with a looping right.
Yamovitch fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Horrible takedown by Yamovitch or perhaps it was just good defense by Watanabe which made him look bad.
Nice straight punches there by Watanabe. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Watanabe.
Yamovitch misses with a body punch
and Watanabe counters with a lovely shot to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Yamovitch.
Watanabe checks a leg kick.
Watanabe showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Yamovitch.
Yamovitch throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Yamovitch falls off balance throwing a combination
and Watanabe counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Yamovitch lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Watanabe circles away quickly and effectively.
Watanabe lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Yamovitch misses with a jab to the body
letting Watanabe counter with a right hand.
Yamovitch lands a nice hook to Watanabe's body. Watanabe takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yamovitch lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Watanabe circles away quickly and effectively.
Watanabe misses with a straight left.
Yamovitch misses with a double jab
and Watanabe counters with an outside leg kick.
Yamovitch tries for a takedown but Watanabe circles away easily
and Watanabe counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Kreg Yamovitch. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Watanabe fails to land the takedown.
Yamovitch throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Watanabe counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Watanabe throws a hook but Yamovitch blocks it.
Yamovitch misses the body punch
and Watanabe counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
A jab from Yamovitch misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yamovitch on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
A head kick by Yamovitch misses
and Watanabe counters with a straight right hand.
A combination from Yamovitch does no damage.
Watanabe blocks a head kick by Yamovitch.
Yamovitch is trying hard to land a takedown here. Watanabe sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Yamovitch throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Watanabe 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.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Watanabe avoids a punch combination nicely.
Yamovitch closes this distance looking for a takedown but Watanabe circles away.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Yamovitch throws a right hand that misses
and Watanabe counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Watanabe avoids a punch combination nicely.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kreg Yamovitch dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Yamovitch throws a leg kick but Watanabe sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Yamovitch tries to clinch up.
Yamovitch showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Watanabe.
Yamovitch throws a predictable looking body shot
and Watanabe connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Yamovitch swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Yamovitch lands with a good body shot.
Yamovitch's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Watanabe connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Yamovitch scrambles back to his feet.
Yamovitch looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Yamovitch swings for the body but Watanabe moves out of range.
Yamovitch pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Yamovitch is trying hard to land a takedown here. Watanabe sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Watanabe throws a hook to the side of Yamovitch's head but Yamovitch sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Kreg Yamovitch is winning the standup battle so far.
Yamovitch misses with a combination
and Watanabe counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
A punch combination from Yamovitch misses.
Yamovitch misses with a few strikes there.
A nice combination there by Yamovitch.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Watanabe chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Watanabe staying out of range there.
Kreg Yamovitch is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Watanabe with a jab.
Yamovitch slips a straight right by Watanabe.
Yamovitch pushing out the jab but it's not landing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yamovitch on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Yamovitch throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Donk. Watanabe catches Yamovitch right on the button with a cross.
Yamovitch tries to land a body kick
and Watanabe counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Yamovitch thinking.
Watanabe takes one on the button.
Watanabe shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Yamovitch as he avoids it easily.
Yamovitch throws a body kick despite being completely out of range
and Watanabe counters with a straight right hand.
Yamovitch lands with an uppercut that bounces Watanabe off the cage and back into range.
Yamovitch circles away from the clinch attempt.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Yamovitch misses with a double jab.
Yamovitch tries a head kick but it misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yamovitch throws a combination that misses
and Watanabe counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Yamovitch dodges the punch combination from Watanabe.
Yamovitch lands with a shot to the body.
Yamovitch misses with a body punch
and Yamovitch takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Kreg Yamovitch is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Yamovitch misses with a few strikes there.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Watanabe lands an elbow inside.
Yamovitch takes a knee to the side of the body.
Watanabe lands an elbow inside that Yamovitch shrugs off.

It looks like Kreg Yamovitch has been cut.
Yamovitch stops a takedown attempt from Watanabe.
Yamovitch misses with the head strike.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Watanabe utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Yamovitch is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Watanabe to keep the fight standing.
Watanabe tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Watanabe just misses with a elbow thrown towards Yamovitch's brow.
Yamovitch dodges an elbow strike from Watanabe.
Yamovitch is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Watanabe is defending well for now.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Watanabe comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Watanabe looks to throw an elbow but misses.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Watanabe just misses with a elbow thrown towards Yamovitch's brow.
Yamovitch managing to block the knees to the body from Watanabe.
Yamovitch misses with a hook to the ribs.
Watanabe softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Watanabe pushes off an throws an elbow but Yamovitch leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Yamovitch lands a nice uppercut.
Yamovitch looking to slow down the pace here.
Luigi Watanabe has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Watanabe lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Luigi Watanabe.
I think Yamovitch has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Ian Loll scores the fight 29:28
Judge Elvis Blanc scores the fight 29:28
Judge Steve Smith scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kreg Yamovitch!