PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Connor Freeman (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Xia Yaj (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Freeman
vs
Yaj

169 cm
22
140 lbs
9 - 3 - 0

168 cm
22
146 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Dangerous knees
Good gas tank

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 - 3 - 0, fighting out of London, Connor Freeman!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, Xia Yaj!
The judges for this bout are James Ackerman, James Atkins and Daniel Bishop.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Freeman throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Yaj's waist but Yaj gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Freeman off to one side.
Freeman looks to land a combination but Yaj avoids it well.
Yaj buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Freeman fails with the takedown
and Yaj counters with an inside leg kick.
Yaj dives in and grabs Freeman's left leg, looking for a takedown. Freeman pushes down on Yaj's head and hops out.
Freeman misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Yaj.

Yaj looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Freeman!
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Freeman is trying to get back to his feet.
Yaj wants to control for a moment but Freeman uses the opportunity to move back to half guard.
Freeman tries to kick Yaj off but Yaj keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yaj thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Yaj stalling away here and it's allowed Freeman to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Yaj trying to control but Freeman is working from the bottom.
Freeman wants to stand but Yaj is controlling the position.
Yaj is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Freeman wants to stand but Yaj is controlling the position.
Yaj wants to control from the top but Freeman keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Xia Yaj wasn't active enough on the ground.
Freeman slips a jab from Yaj.
Freeman shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Yaj sprawls well. Yaj wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Freeman gets slowly back to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Connor Freeman. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Freeman shoots for a double leg takedown but Yaj sprawls well. He's pushed Freeman's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Nice uppercut lands for Yaj. That snapped Freeman's head back.
Yaj buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.

Freeman drives through with a takedown into guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Yaj striking off his back but it's not causing Freeman any problems.
Yaj is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Freeman is controlling him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Freeman trying to control the position from guard on top but Yaj is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Freeman not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Freeman stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Yaj swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Yaj working a defensive guard here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Yaj tries to bum rush Freeman with a series of wild strikes but Freeman uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Freeman has a takedown stuffed.
Yaj displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Freeman.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Freeman avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Yaj feints and then cracks Freeman's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Freeman down.

Freeman closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Yaj tries to get to full guard but Freeman has control of the leg.
Freeman tries to pass the half guard into mount. Yaj knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Freeman with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Freeman wants to free his trapped foot but Yaj is holding on for dear life with his legs.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Yaj is trying to control but can't.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Xia Yaj will probably get the nod.
That's time! Freeman's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Freeman closes this distance looking for a takedown but Yaj circles away.
Yaj throws out a leg kick but Freeman moves out of range and Yaj only half commits.
Yaj misses with a head kick.
Yaj connects with a leg kick. Freeman looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Yaj's coach down at Soul Supremacy - UK was telling us pre-fight that they have been working on Yaj's balance. Obviously they view that as a key factor in the outcome of this fight.
Yaj lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Freeman fails to land the takedown.
Freeman scores with a jab. Yaj acknowledges it with a nod of the head.

Freeman closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Yaj to the mat! Yaj manages to get full guard.
Freeman throwing strikes but missing.
Freeman trying to control the position from guard on top but Yaj is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Freeman connects with a couple of short punches.
Freeman wants to control from the top but Yaj keeps moving.

Connor Freeman has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Freeman shoots in for a takedown but Yaj shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Connor Freeman. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Freeman shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Yaj but Yaj pushes him off and we're back to square one.
The fighters circling - Yaj throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
A jab from Yaj does it's job there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yaj has a takedown stuffed.
Yaj lands a jab to the nose.
Freeman lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Yaj at a distance.
Yaj is looking to clinch but Freeman is avoiding it.
Freeman dives in and grabs Yaj's left leg, looking for a takedown. Yaj pushes down on Freeman's head and hops out.
Yaj with a nice cross.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Freeman shoots in and drives through. Yaj sprawls well.
Yaj misses with a wild body shot.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Yaj enables Freeman to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Yaj manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Yaj controlling Freeman's posture.
Freeman trying to control but Yaj is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yaj is controlling Freeman's posture.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Yaj.
Freeman moves away from the strike by Yaj.
Yaj is looking to chop away at Freeman's legs.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Freeman.

Freeman scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Yaj wants to get back to full guard.
Freeman wants to control but Yaj is keeping him busy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yaj is trying to control but can't.
Freeman prevents Yaj from improving his position.
Freeman prevents Yaj from standing back up.
Yaj is trying to maintain the position but Freeman is very close to passing his half guard.
Freeman slows the pace down in half guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Xia Yaj has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Yaj throws a looping overhand right but Freeman ducks down to avoid it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Connor Freeman will probably get the nod.
That's time! Freeman's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. And we move into the final round!

Yaj gets a clinch.
Yaj misses with a knee strike.
Yaj scores with a knee to the head.
Freeman tries to break free but Yaj pushes him back against the cage.
Yaj misses with some punches.
Freeman blocks an uppercut.
Freeman working hard to break the clinch.
Freeman wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Yaj has him pressed against the cage.
Yaj throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Freemans head.
Nice elbow from Yaj.
Yaj lands a good knee to the midsection. Freeman won't want to take too many of those.
Yaj can't find room to land a body shot as Freeman controls the action.
Yaj unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Yaj tries to land knees in the clinch but Freeman avoids the damage to the body.
Freeman is trying to break the clinch but Yaj has him pressed against the cage.
Yaj scores with a knee to the head.
Freeman is trying to force a seperation but Yaj has the dominant position.
Yaj landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Yaj lands a knee to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yaj has Freeman pressed against the cage, preventing Freeman from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Freeman tries to break the clinch but Yaj is controlling the position.
Freeman blocking some punches.
Yaj tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Freeman's elbow.
Yaj lands a shot to the body.
Freeman wants to get back to striking at distance but Yaj won't allow it.
I was talking to Freeman's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Freeman wants to break free but Yaj has control.
Freeman tries to break free but Yaj pushes him back against the cage.
Yaj misses with an elbow strike.
Yaj keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Freeman's efforts to push away.
Freeman takes an elbow to the forehead.
Freeman blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Yaj tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Freeman's elbow.
A short right from Yaj on the inside.

Freeman pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Freeman fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Yaj gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Freeman to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Freeman won't allow Yaj to get back to his feet.
Freeman won't allow Yaj to sweep him here.
Freeman content to stall in guard here.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Yaj is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Connor Freeman has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Freeman lands a body shot.
Freeman keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Yaj.
Freeman looks for a takedown but Yaj sprawls well.
Freeman fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Connor Freeman. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Yaj finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Freeman just misses with a punch to the body.
Freeman misses the shot to the body.
Freeman has a takedown stuffed.
Yaj misses with a body shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Freeman looks to land a body kick but Yaj moved away.
Freeman shoots in looking for a takedown. Yaj tries to sprawl out of it but Freeman keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Yaj manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Connor Freeman seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Freeman ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Yaj feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Freeman's calf.

Yaj shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Freeman's guard.
Yaj controls from within his opponent's guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Freeman is trying to control the position but Yaj postures up.

And that's the end of the fight!
Xia Yaj comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Yaj has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 James Atkins scores the fight 28:29
Judge Daniel Bishop scores the fight 28:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Xia Yaj!
An out of breath Xia Yaj thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.