PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Yamoto Aoki (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Stephen Burns (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Aoki
vs
Burns

186 cm
20
192 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

187 cm
22
187 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Self confident

BJJ Brown Belt
Brawler
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Yamoto Aoki!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Stephen Burns!
The judges for this bout are Yasuomi Hirokawa, Yuuki Gou and Kenichi Hosakawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Aoki tries to clinch there but Burns circles away.
Burns tries to move into range but Aoki moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Burns misses with a low kick.
No luck for Burns with that takedown attempt.
Aoki keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Burns closes the distance and clinches up with Aoki, looking for a takedown. Burns pushes Aoki against the ropes but Aoki circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Yamoto Aoki has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Stephen Burns.
Burns looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Aoki is fending him off so far but Burns persists. Nope, Aoki circles away and we're back to standing.
Aoki buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Burns takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Nice takedown defense from Aoki. No joy for Burns on that attempt.
Aoki connects with a solid leg kick.

Aoki fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Burns, pushing him back against the ropes.
Aoki drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Burns gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Aoki tries to break the clinch but Burns is controlling the position.
Aoki goes for a takedown attempt but Burns pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

Aoki closes the distance and pushes Burns back into the ropes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Aoki wants to get back to striking at distance but Burns won't allow it.
Burns tries for a takedown but Aoki manages to get underhooks.
Aoki tries to break the clinch but Burns is controlling the position.
Aoki drops down looking for an ankle pick but Burns pulls his leg out and moves away.

Burns closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Burns lands in his opponent's guard.

Aoki looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

Burns is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Burns looks gassed!
Aoki keeping moving, preventing Burns from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Aoki throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Burns wants to pass the guard but Aoki is keeping the position.
Aoki keeping moving, preventing Burns from controlling successfully.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Aoki tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Burns paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Aoki lands a nice looking body kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Aoki tries to close the distance and clinch but Burns swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Burns takes a kick to the side of the head.
Burns looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Aoki buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Burns fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

Aoki closes the distance and clinches.
Aoki tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Burns just stands there and leans against the ropes.
Aoki tries to pull guard but Burns won't allow it.
Burns changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Aoki fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Aoki explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.
Burns has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Aoki finds it's way round the side to connect with Burns's head.
Aoki tries to clinch but Burns moves out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Burns gets caught flat footed, as Aoki shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Aoki sitting in guard here, content to control.
Aoki trying to control the position from guard on top but Burns is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Aoki throws a big right hand that misses.
Burns controls Aoki momentarily but Aoki frees himself.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Aoki stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Burns swivels though and keeps the full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yamoto Aoki dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Burns moves into the clinch.
Burns prevents a body shot from Aoki.

Burns lands a takedown into guard.
Burns looking to pass the guard.
Burns won't allow Aoki to sweep him here.
Burns wants to pass the guard but Aoki is keeping the position.
Burns sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Aoki's guard.
Burns looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Burns trying to mount his opponent but Aoki defends it.
Aoki is looking to escape.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Aoki gets back to full guard.

Aoki is looking for a triangle but Burns pushes his legs off easily.
Burns wants to control from the top but Aoki keeps moving.
Aoki knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Burns on the ground.
Burns might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Aoki kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Burns postures up and lands a big shot to Aoki's brow.
Burns passes into half guard.
Aoki wants to get back to full guard.
Aoki taking some punishment here, with Burns in his half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Burns wants to pass the guard but Aoki is defending well.
Aoki is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Aoki is in trouble now - Burns has advanced to mount!

Burns jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Aoki manages to avoid the submission attempt.
Aoki manages to get back to half guard.
Aoki is not content to let Burns control the position.
Burns passes the guard and advances to mount!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Burns fails to advance to Aoki's back.
Burns prevents Aoki from getting the reversal.

Burns working for a submission but Aoki is keeping him at bay.
Aoki throws a strike from the bottom but Burns uses the opportunity to take his back.

Burns has his hand under the chin of his opponent looking for the choke. He's nearly got it! This one could be all over! But no, Aoki has freed his hand and lives to survive another… well, another couple of seconds at least!
Aoki manages to reverse the position and now he's in Burns's guard. Nice work there by Aoki.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Burns lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Aoki!
Aoki can't escape the position.
Burns tries to control but Aoki wriggling away.

Burns stands up from the dominant position, so we're back on the feet.

Aoki feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Stephen Burns showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Burns avoids the head kick by Aoki.
Burns on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Burns shoots and misses

and Aoki counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Aoki has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Aoki sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Burns's guard.
Burns is looking to improve his position.

Aoki is looking for a kimura here.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Aoki in particular looking to stall.
Burns is looking to control Aoki's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Burns avoid being mounted?
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Aoki winds up and cracks Burns with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Burns gets back to full guard.
Burns keeping moving, preventing Aoki from controlling successfully.
Burns trying to control the position.
Burns keeping moving, preventing Aoki from controlling successfully.
Burns bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Aoki's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Burns passes Aoki's right leg, so he's now in half guard.

Aoki looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

Burns seems to be looking for submissions.
Aoki tries to roll over but Burns keeps him under control.
Burns frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.

Burns is standing up out of mount! Strange tactic there - he must really want this one on the feet!
Burns gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Aoki counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Burns with a lazy takedown attempt
and Aoki counters with a nice low kick that buckles Burns's knee momentarily.
Yamoto Aoki has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Stephen Burns.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Burns shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

so Aoki counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Burns wants to stand up but Aoki is controlling him.
Stephen Burns has got the better of the ground game so far.
Aoki stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Burns swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Aoki throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Burns works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Burns is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Aoki stopping the sweep attempt from Burns.

Burns is looking for a triangle but Aoki pushes his legs off easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Aoki stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Burns swivels though and keeps the full guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Burns closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Aoki to the mat! Aoki manages to get full guard.
Burns won't allow Aoki to sweep him here.
Burns stands and throws Aoki's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Burns in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Burns controlling the position from side mount.
Aoki striking from the bottom but nothing landed.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Yamoto Aoki.
I think Aoki has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight for Yamoto Aoki!
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight for Yamoto Aoki!
Judge Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight for Yamoto Aoki!

Yamoto Aoki wins by unanimous decision!