PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Kazuhiro Yamada (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Akiyama Shinichi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Yamada comes to the cage accompanied by The Raising Fighting Spirit. Both fighters look pumped up here. Let's hope this is a good fight!

Yamada
vs
Shinichi

176 cm
25
165 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

155 cm
26
145 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Big heart

Powerful takedowns
Counter striker
Granite chin

Brute
[WOT] DTK Designs (Laundry)

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Kazuhiro Yamada!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Akiyama Shinichi!
The judges for this bout are Yuuki Gou, Hirohito Nitta and Ren Mimura.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Yamada tries to score with a low kick but Shinichi moves his leg out of the way.
Shinichi drops his hands momentarily and Yamada takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Kazuhiro Yamada seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Yamada connects with a right hand. Shinichi shakes it off.
Yamada clobbers Shinichi with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Shinichi shoots in but no luck this time.
Nice body punch from Yamada.
Yamada just misses with a punch to the body.
Shinichi checks the leg kick.
Yamada is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
Shinichi is looking to clinch but Yamada is avoiding it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shinichi gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Nice cross by Yamada.
Yamada just misses with a punch to the body.
Some wild striking there from Yamada.
Yamada slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Yamada wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Shinichi gets cracked there but stands up to it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Shinichi moves forwards but Yamada connects with a nice, crisp jab.

Shinichi closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Yamada did well to prevent Shinichi getting side control.

Shinichi is looking for a kimura here.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Shinichi is trying to control the action in half guard but Yamada is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Shinichi wants to pass the guard but Yamada is defending well.

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yamada is refusing to be controlled, as Shinichi sits in half guard.
Yamada on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Yamada tries to get out of the position.

Shinichi is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Yamada defends it well.
Shinichi is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Yamada is looking for a sweep. Shinichi is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Shinichi wants to control but Yamada is keeping him busy.
Shinichi is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Shinichi can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Yamada is looking to escape.
Yamada knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Shinichi on the ground.
Yamada is working to get back to half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Shinichi tries to control but Yamada wriggling away.
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 Kazuhiro Yamada will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Shinichi shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Yamada as he jumps to the side.
Shinichi takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
Yamada tests Shinichi's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Yamada misses with an attempted mid kick.
Yamada scores with a shot to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A clash of legs there as Shinichi blocks the low kick.
Shinichi on the wrong end of a nice jab.
The fighters circling - Yamada throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Shinichi tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Yamada paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Shinichi keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Yamada.
Yamada is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Yamada jabs at Shinichi's body.

Yamada gets tackled into the cage by Shinichi. Shinichi maintains the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Shinichi is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Yamada to keep the fight standing.
Shinichi is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Yamada to keep the fight standing.
Kazuhiro Yamada has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Akiyama Shinichi.

Shinichi jumps guard and drags Yamada to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Shinichi wants to sweep here but Yamada controlling him for the moment.
Shinichi being controlled here, momentarily.
Shinichi has a closed guard, preventing Yamada from standing up.
Yamada will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Shinichi is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Shinichi keeping moving, preventing Yamada from controlling successfully.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Kazuhiro Yamada wasn't doing enough on the ground.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Shinichi is defended easily by Yamada.
Shinichi takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Some bone on bone action there as Shinichi checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Shinichi keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Yamada ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Yamada throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Yamada tests Shinichi's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Shinichi uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Yamada.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kazuhiro Yamada dominated that second round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Yamada scores with a punch to the head.
Shinichi fails with the takedown.
Yamada listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Yamada scores with a crisp jab that stopped Shinichi in his tracks.
Shinichi takes one to the side of the head.
Yamada tests Shinichi's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Shinichi takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yamada misses with a wild combination.
Yamada lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Yamada fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Shinichi manages to avoid it.
Kazuhiro Yamada is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Shinichi gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Yamada lands with a nice body punch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Shinichi checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.

Shinichi drives through with a takedown into Yamada's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Shinichi stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Yamada swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Shinichi controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Shinichi wants to control from the top but Yamada keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shinichi is pushing down on Yamada's leg trying to pass to half guard. Yamada is fighting to maintain full guard but Shinichi has managed to sneak the leg through.
Shinichi trying to control from half guard but Yamada is working away.

Shinichi has hold of the far side arm. He's working for the Kimura, can Yamada defend it? Shinichi steps over the head and cranks it - Yamada is tapping out! That was textbook stuff right there - nice submission victory for Shinichi!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:31 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Akiyama Shinichi!
A victorious Akiyama Shinichi thanked his army of followers in his post fight interview, telling people to make sure they follow him on Twitter.