PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Eiji Kawashima (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Yang Tao (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Tao's choice of entrance music: Carl Douglas - Kung Fu Fighting. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Kawashima
vs
Tao

182 cm
33
170 lbs
33 - 9 - 0

175 cm
34
170 lbs
32 - 11 - 0

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Olympic wrestler
World class MT
Granite chin

Zipp Zapp
Kemists ↑ 5x160Q

Zipp Zapp
Hellbent

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 33 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Eiji Kawashima!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 32 - 11 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Yang Tao!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, and Timothy Bukovac.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kawashima chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Tao fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Kawashima has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Kawashima there as he acknowledges the shot.
A clash of legs there as Kawashima blocks the low kick.
Tao swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Tao throws a low kick but it's checked well by Kawashima.
Tao throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Yang Tao seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Tao ducks right into an uppercut from Kawashima.
Tao throws the kick towards the body but Kawashima avoids it.
Kawashima scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Kawashima tries a low kick but Tao avoids it.
Tao throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Kawashima connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
A big right from Kawashima misses.
Kawashima jabbing away but nothing is landing.
No joy there for Kawashima, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Kawashima throws a body shot but no joy.
A leg kick checked by Kawashima.
Kawashima lands with a kick to the ribs.
Kawashima stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Tao.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kawashima throws the left hand but Tao avoids the punch easily.
Tao throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
Kawashima misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Tao cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Kawashima lunges at Tao with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Tao's hand.
Kawashima throws a leg kick but Tao sees it coming and moves out of range.
Kawashima just misses with a punch to the body.
Tao lands a front kick.
Kawashima misses with a kick to the body.
Tao jabs at Kawashima's body.
Tao scores with a jab.
Kawashima takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Tao lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Kawashima is looking to clinch.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Kawashima tries to clinch but Tao is having none of it.
A telegraphed right hand from Kawashima misses the target.
Kawashima uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Tao.
Tao has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tao keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Tao chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Kawashima connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Tao thuds his shin into the meat of Kawashima's side.
Kawashima takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Tao.
Tao misses with an uppercut
letting Kawashima counter with a right hand.
Tao throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Kawashima takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Tao keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Tao scoring well with a low kick there.
Tao loads up on a big right hand but Kawashima slips the punch.
A solid leg kick lands there for Tao.
Tao avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Tao tests Kawashima's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Tao looks to land a body kick but Kawashima moved away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kawashima misses with a straight left.
Kawashima takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Tao steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Kawashima.
Kawashima throws a low kick but Tao avoids it.
Tao bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Tao throws out a leg kick but Kawashima moves out of range and Tao only half commits.
Kawashima lands a nice shot that snaps Tao's head back.
Tao throws a quick inside leg kick.
Kawashima lands with a nice body punch.
Tao fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Tao misses with a looping right.
Tao slips a straight right by Kawashima.
Tao checks the leg kick nicely there.
Kawashima blocks a leg kick.
Tao tries to land a front kick but Kawashima steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kawashima avoids the body shot from Tao.
Kawashima works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A swing and a miss from Kawashima.
A solid leg kick lands there for Tao.
Tao pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Kawashima avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Kawashima does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Tao throws a push kick but Kawashima slaps the foot to one side.
Tao misses with a body shot.
Tao lands a head shot.
Tao scores with a sloppy right hand. Kawashima should have avoided that one.
Kawashima staying out of range there.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Tao misses with a body kick.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Tao.
Tao fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Kawashima checks it well.
Kawashima tries to clinch but Tao moves out of range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Yang Tao will probably get the nod.
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.

Tao attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
A punch lands to the side of Kawashima 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Tao scores with a nice body kick.
Kawashima has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Tao lands with a nice body punch.
Tao keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Tao throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Tao takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Good work by Kawashima as he checks the leg kick.
Kawashima checks a low kick from Tao.
Tao cracks the inside of Kawashima's front leg.
Tao moves out of range of the strikes.
Kawashima throws a jab but it's blocked by Tao.
Kawashima buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Kawashima takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Tao ducks under a wild hook from Kawashima.
Tao is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tao throws out a leg kick but Kawashima moves out of range and Tao only half commits.
A shot to the liver by Kawashima. Beautiful body shot.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Tao, right into the meat.

Kawashima has taken the fight to the clinch.
Kawashima lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Tao backwards.
Kawashima goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Tao tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Kawashima's elbow.
Kawashima creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Kawashima lands a shoulder strike.
Tao trying to control the position but instead, Kawashima has worked for underhooks and has pushed Tao into the cage.
Kawashima misses with a punch on the inside.
Tao has a couple of punches blocked by Kawashima.

Kawashima's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
A solid leg kick lands there for Tao.
Kawashima blocks the body kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tao misses with a low kick as Kawashima jumps back.
Tao fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Kawashima.
Tao throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Kawashima tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Tao was well out of range. Poor timing from Kawashima.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Kawashima crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Tao - the referee stops the clock and Kawashima gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Tao. Kawashima manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
Tao moves out of range of the strikes.
Tao lands a jab.
Kawashima blocks a jab.
Yang Tao seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Tao fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Kawashima is out of range.
Kawashima thuds his shin into the meat of Tao's side.
Tao throws out a leg kick but Kawashima moves out of range and Tao only half commits.
Kawashima scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
A head kick misses from Kawashima.
Kawashima lands a jab-cross combination.
Kawashima stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Tao.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tao needs to keep his hands up - Kawashima had a free shot at his head there.
Kawashima takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Kawashima takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Tao throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Kawashima avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Kawashima throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Kawashima punishes Tao's body with a nice straight punch.
Kawashima is looking to slow Tao down with leg kicks.
Tao avoids a kick to the body.
Kawashima swinging wildly here.
Kawashima throws a jab when Tao was well out of range.
Kawashima avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Kawashima throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Tao turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kawashima moves out of range as Tao throws a body kick.
Tao misses with an uppercut.
Kawashima dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Tao cracks Kawashima with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Kawashima drives through and clinches with Tao against the cage.
Tao wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Tao tries to stall but Kawashima uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Kawashima lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Tao misses with some punches.
Tao tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Kawashima's elbow.

Kawashima pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Nice defenses there by Kawashima.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Tao connects with a nice looking jab.
Kawashima tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Tao paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Kawashima tries to clinch there but Tao circles away.
Tao connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
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 Eiji Kawashima 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!

Tao misses with the body kick
and Kawashima counters with a nice uppercut.
Kawashima moves out of range as Tao strikes.
Tao scores with a leg kick.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Kawashima checks a leg kick.
Kawashima avoids a kick to the body.
A swing and a miss from Tao.
Tao avoids the head kick by Kawashima.
Tao throws the left hand but Kawashima avoids the punch easily.
Tao throws a nice outside leg kick.
Tao ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Jab, jab by Kawashima - just one landing.
Tao looks for the body kick but Kawashima saw that one coming.
A slapping body kick lands there for Tao.
Kawashima misses with a few strikes there.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Tao misses with a looping right.
Tao misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Kawashima.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kawashima on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
A leg kick checked by Kawashima.
Tao buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Kawashima takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Kawashima takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.

Kawashima closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Tao swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Tao blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Kawashima lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
I was talking to Kawashima's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Tao scores with a shot to the side of Kawashima's head.
Kawashima will be looking to protect his midsection after taking some solid kicks to the body.
Tao wants to stall.
Kawashima keeps control of Tao as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Tao throws a head punch that misses.
A right handed body shot lands from Tao.
A short uppercut from Tao.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!

Kawashima's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Tao looks to score with a jab to the body but Kawashima is just out of range.
Kawashima moves out of range of the leg kick from Tao.
Tao listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Tao is looking to land body kicks.
Tao throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Kawashima misses with a looping left.
Kawashima throws a low kick, looking for Tao's leg but Tao calmly moves out of range.
Kawashima uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Tao has time to react.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Tao.
Kawashima throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Kawashima takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Tao throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Kawashima stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Tao throws the kick towards the body but Kawashima avoids it.
Tao misses with a kick to the body.
Kawashima wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kawashima lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Kawashima.
Kawashima throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Tao ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Kawashima throws out a leg kick but Tao moves out of range and Kawashima only half commits.
Tao buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Kawashima looks to land a body kick but Tao moved away.
Tao looks for the body kick but Kawashima saw that one coming.
Kawashima throws a body punch but Tao moves out of range.
Tao fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Kawashima.
Tao delivers a nice body kick.
Kawashima takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Kawashima looks to score with a jab to the body but Tao is just out of range.
Kawashima just misses with a punch to the body.
Kawashima misses the jab.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tao throws a low kick but Kawashima avoids it.
Tao fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Kawashima checks it well.
Kawashima tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Tao throws a leg kick but Kawashima sees it coming and moves out of range.
Tao lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Kawashima staying out of range there.
Kawashima lands a nice leg kick that just misses Tao's sensitive parts.
Tao throws a leg kick but Kawashima sees it coming and moves out of range.
Tao swings away with a leg kick that misses.
A low kick from Tao is predictable there
and Kawashima counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Kawashima steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Tao.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Kawashima thuds his right hand into Tao's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Tao throws a chopping leg kick but Kawashima manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Tao moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Tao attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Yang Tao.
Well Tao has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Jack Bonds scores the fight 28:29
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 28:29
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 28:30

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