PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Shun Sugawara (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kotetsu Yamamoto (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). This should be a great matchup!

Sugawara
vs
Yamamoto

172 cm
20
155 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

168 cm
19
149 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Very quick

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter fighter
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Shun Sugawara!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Kotetsu Yamamoto!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, Tiny Johnson and Wesley Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Yamamoto lands a head shot.
Sugawara misses with a shot to the body
and Yamamoto cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
A jab lands there for Yamamoto.

Sugawara is rocked!
Sugawara tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Yamamoto was well out of range. Poor timing from Sugawara.

Sugawara is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Yamamoto's half guard.
Sugawara is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Yamamoto wants to control but Sugawara is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Yamamoto told us pre-fight that he has been working on his escapes in training. Let's see if he can call on some of his new skills to get back to his feet.
Yamamoto moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Yamamoto not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Yamamoto is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Yamamoto keeping moving, preventing Sugawara from controlling successfully.
Yamamoto looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sugawara trying to control the position from guard on top but Yamamoto is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Sugawara is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.

The fighters are working up against the cage. Yamamoto manages to wriggle his way back to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched against the cage.
Yamamoto lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Sugawara backwards.
Sugawara lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Sugawara drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Sugawara wants to get back to striking at distance but Yamamoto won't allow it.
Sugawara makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.

Sugawara pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sugawara takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Shun Sugawara seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Yamamoto displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Sugawara.
Yamamoto swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Sugawara throws a body kick, spinning off balance
and Yamamoto counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
We've been hearing reports that Sugawara has been drilling takedowns in recent sessions so let's see if that has an impact on the result of this fight.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Sugawara misses with a takedown attempt
and Yamamoto connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Shun Sugawara. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Yamamoto closes the distance and clinches.
Sugawara is trying to pull guard but Yamamoto has him pressed against the cage.
Sugawara tries a body shot but Yamamoto blocks it.
Sugawara just leaning against Yamamoto, taking a breather.
Sugawara struggles to land a body shot inside as Yamamoto controls his hands.
Yamamoto tries to work over Sugawara's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Yamamoto misses with the head strike.
Yamamoto prevents a body shot from Sugawara.
Sugawara prevents a body shot from Yamamoto.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nice body punch from Yamamoto - that landed with a thud.
Sugawara blocks a body shot from Yamamoto.
Yamamoto lands a nice uppercut.
Yamamoto pushes Sugawara back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Yamamoto tries to throw a body punch but Sugawara avoids it by throwing Yamamoto back against the cage.
Yamamoto goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Yamamoto lands a body punch.
Yamamoto has a couple of punches blocked by Sugawara.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Yamamoto creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Oh Sugawara is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Sugawara displaying some good clinch control by pressing Yamamoto up against the cage.
Sugawara seems to have got his legs back now.
Yamamoto content to slow the pace in the clinch.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Sugawara.
Yamamoto working aggressively here.
Yamamoto lands with a short shot to the head.
Yamamoto is looking to control Sugawara's arms but Sugawara gets an underhook and turns him. Now Yamamoto has his back to the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yamamoto scores with a hook to the body.
Sugawara struggles to land a body shot inside as Yamamoto controls his hands.
Yamamoto tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Sugawara's elbow.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Yamamoto taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Sugawara goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Yamamoto swings away with an uppercut that misses.
A right hook to the body lands for Yamamoto.
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!
Yamamoto lands a body punch.
Yamamoto tries to throw a body punch but Sugawara avoids it by throwing Yamamoto back against the cage.
Sugawara is trying to stall.
Yamamoto lands with a left to the head.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Yamamoto has a couple of punches blocked by Sugawara.
Yamamoto throws a punch but it's blocked by Sugawara.
Yamamoto has Sugawara pressed against the cage, preventing Sugawara from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kotetsu Yamamoto dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

A bone on bone clash there as Yamamoto blocks the leg kick.
Yamamoto has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Sugawara takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Sugawara throws a solid leg kick but Yamamoto takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Sugawara.
Sugawara shoots and misses
and Yamamoto counters with a straight right hand.
Yamamoto lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Sugawara at a distance.
Yamamoto scores with a jab to the jaw.
The fighters circling - Yamamoto throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Sugawara misses with a straight right.
Kotetsu Yamamoto seems to be getting the better of the standup.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Yamamoto lands a right hook to the body.
A jab from Yamamoto misses.
Sugawara connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Sugawara keeps the fight on the outside.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yamamoto ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Yamamoto! But no joy.
Sugawara throws an off balance right hand
and Yamamoto counters with a crisp right that sends Sugawara to the canvas! Yamamoto follows up with punches from the mount and this one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:12 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Kotetsu Yamamoto!
In his post fight interview, Kotetsu Yamamoto gave a big smile as he said 'We are NJPW!!!'.