PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Edward Blake (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rio Yaj (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Blake
vs
Yaj

209 cm
26
220 lbs
9 - 3 - 0

192 cm
24
215 lbs
6 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
World class MT
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Dangerous knees
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Edward Blake!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Rio Yaj!
The judges for this bout are Andrew Berry, Phil Schofield and Sam Margolis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Yaj tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Yaj looks to land a combination but Blake avoids it well.
No joy there for Yaj, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Blake loads up on a big right hand but Yaj slips the punch.
Yaj tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Yaj looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Blake is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
A combination from Yaj does no damage.
Yaj looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Yaj uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Blake.
Yaj throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Blake tests Yaj's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Yaj keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Yaj.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Blake struggling a bit here.
Blake taking a bit of punishment here - Yaj scoring with strikes.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yaj working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Yaj just content to control the position.
Blake is working to avoid the ground and pound but Yaj connects with a decent elbow.
Yaj creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Blake sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
Blake sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Yaj with the ground and pound but Blake uses the opportunity to regain guard.
Blake preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Yaj is looking to work some ground and pound but Blake has wrist control.
Blake can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Yaj controls the pace.
Blake is pulling down on Yaj's head to control his posture.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yaj postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Yaj missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Yaj with a nice head shot there.
Yaj throwing strikes but missing.
Yaj pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Blake is keeping the position for now.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Blake pulls Yaj in to control the position.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Blake swings and misses with a hook to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yaj takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Blake looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Yaj misses with a straight left.
Yaj swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Blake circles away from the clinch attempt.
Blake paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Rio Yaj seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Yaj swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Yaj connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Blake's hands.

It looks like Edward Blake has been cut.
Blake thows a left - swing and a miss!
Blake pivots, looking for a leg kick but Yaj is out of range and Blake settles back down.
Yaj throws an off balance right hand
and Blake connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Blake slips under a jab.
Blake swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Blake buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Blake ducks under a wild hook from Yaj.
Yaj takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Blake throws an overhand right that lands on Yaj's shoulder, as Yaj tries to avoid the shot.
Yaj is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Blake.
Blake lands a really nice looking cross but Yaj seems unphased.
Yaj throws a hook but Blake avoids it easily.
Blake appeared to be looking to counter that last move with a leg kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yaj misses with a few strikes there.
Blake throws a lazy right hand but Yaj sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Yaj drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Blake defends it well.
Yaj misses with a hook.
Blake misses with a hook.
Yaj is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Yaj is really struggling to land any decent head shots against his taller opponent.
Blake jabs Yaj right on the nose. Yaj blinks but takes it well.
Yaj darts in looking for a takedown but Blake gets double underhooks and turns Yaj into the cage.

Yaj forces Blake back against the cage and clinches.
Yaj looking to throw knees to the head but Blake is blocking nicely.
Good body shot from Yaj.
Blake is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Blake lands an elbow inside that Yaj shrugs off.
Blake looking to slow down the pace here.
Yaj tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Yaj swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Blake tries to stall but Yaj uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Blake blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Blake gets underhooks to prevent Yaj's takedown attempt.
Edward Blake has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rio Yaj.
Yaj pushes Blake back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
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 Edward Blake will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Edward Blake's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Sloppy strikes from Blake. Those never looked like landing.
Yaj misses with a double jab.
Blake looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Nice takedown defense from Blake. No joy for Yaj on that attempt.
Yaj throws a combination that misses
enabling Blake to counter with a crisp jab.
Blake jabs Yaj to the body, keeping him at a distance.
A slapping leg kick lands for Blake.
Blake connects with a solid leg kick.
Nice shot by Blake.
Yaj looks to land a left hand but Blake moved out of range nicely.
Blake really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Yaj changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Edward Blake is winning the standup battle so far.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Yaj shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Blake as he jumps to the side.
Yaj tries to bum rush Blake with a series of wild strikes but Blake uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Blake wants to land a leg kick but Yaj is out of range.
Blake lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Blake feints and then cracks Yaj's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Yaj down.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Blake lands a nice leg kick that just misses Yaj's sensitive parts.
Yaj throws a big shot that misses.
Yaj misses with a straight left.
Blake is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
Blake walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Yaj tries to clinch but Blake is having none of it.
An inside leg kick lands from Blake.
The fighters circling - Blake throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Blake ducks under a wild hook from Yaj.
A counter left hand to the body from Blake misses its target.
Yaj shoots for a double leg takedown but Blake sprawls well. He's pushed Yaj's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
It looked like Blake wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Edward Blake has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rio Yaj.
Yaj doesn't manage to clinch there - Blake circles away.
Blake keeps Yaj at a distance using the push kick.
Yaj fails to land with a series of punches.
Yaj gets cracked there but stands up to it.

It looks like Rio Yaj has been cut.
Rio Yaj is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Blake pivots, looking for a leg kick but Yaj is out of range and Blake settles back down.
Blake throws a nice inside leg kick.
Blake stuffs the takedown.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Blake takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Yaj 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.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yaj throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Yaj misses with a looping left.
Blake scores with a decent looking hook.
Horrible takedown attempt by Yaj or perhaps it was just good defense by Blake, which made it look bad.
Yaj is breathing heavily.
Yaj scores with a jab to the body.
Yaj scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Yaj is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Blake tests Yaj's chin there with a solid looking shot.
The fighters circling - Yaj throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Blake jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Blake throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Yaj's head.
Yaj's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Blake thows a left - swing and a miss!
Yaj moves out of range as Blake strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yaj lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Blake circles away quickly and effectively.
Blake appeared to be looking to counter that last move with a leg kick.

Blake drops Yaj with a hook right on the temple. He thinks about going to the ground but Yaj looks back up at him and smiles so Blake waves him back to his feet - he obviously thinks he can knock him out after that shot landed.

Yaj is rocked!
Blake fakes the body blow, causing Yaj to drop his hands! Left hook to the temple! Yaj goes stiff, and falls face first into the mat. Goodnight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:15 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Edward Blake!
After winning the bout, Edward Blake thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.