PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Lyoto Machida (ranked 8269 p4p, 653 weight class) and Roman Lee (ranked 7649 p4p, 0 weight class). Roman Lee told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Machida
vs
Lee

186 cm
20
185 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

183 cm
18
190 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
KO power

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Granite chin

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 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Lyoto Machida!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Roman Lee!
The judges for this bout are Ren Mimura, Yukihiro Shimada and Tatsuya Matsuyama.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Lee shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Machida looks for a takedown but Lee sprawls well.
Lee throws a chopping leg kick but Machida manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
It looked like Machida was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Lee attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Machida.
Lee throws a low kick but it's checked well by Machida.
Lee looks winded!
Lee swats away the attempt to clinch by Machida.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lee pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Lee leaves Machida with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Lee was about to counter that last move with a leg kick but changes his mind.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Lyoto Machida. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Lee stuffs the takedown.
Lee looking to land some kicks to the body here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lee throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Lee throws the kick towards the body but Machida avoids it.
Lee throws a solid leg kick but Machida takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Lee.
Machida shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Machida tries to close the distance and clinch but Lee swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Roman Lee is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
A looping hook to the body misses from Machida. Lee does a little dance to reset his feet.
Machida tries a low kick but Lee avoids it.
Lee tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Lee tried to score with a low kick but Machida checks it.
Machida shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Lee sprawls well. Lee wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Machida gets slowly back to his feet.
Machida shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Lee defends it nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Machida tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Machida looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Lee is fending him off so far but Machida persists. Nope, Lee circles away and we're back to standing.
Machida plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Roman Lee seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Machida moves into the clinch.
Lee slowing the pace effectively.
Lee is working Machida over against the cage.
Lee throws a punch but it's blocked by Machida.
Machida tries to work over Lee's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Lee can't find room to land a body shot as Machida controls the action.
Lee lands with a light punch inside.
Lee on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Machida is trying to pull guard but Lee has him pressed against the cage.
Machida tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Machida jumps guard but Lee stands there with Machida around his waist. Machida gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Lee on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Lee lands a hook that snaps the head of Machida backwards.

Machida breaks the clinch.
Lee 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.
Lee misses with a low kick.
Machida tries to clinch but Lee is having none of it.
Lee goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Lee throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Machida checks a low kick from Lee.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lee throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Machida fails with a takedown attempt.
Lee throws a push kick but Machida slaps the foot to one side.
Machida takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Lee misses with a low kick.
Machida shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Lee sprawls well. Lee wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Machida gets slowly back to his feet.
Lee flicks out a counter leg kick but Machida steps away.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Machida shoots in but no luck this time.
Machida with a poor takedown

and Lee moves into the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Roman Lee dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Good work by Machida as he checks the leg kick.
Machida tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Lee defends well and Machida ends up having to push Lee into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Machida is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Lee flicks out a counter leg kick but Machida steps away.
Machida shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Lee pinned against the cage. Lee gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Lee tries to score with a low kick but Machida moves his leg out of the way.
Lee looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Machida tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lee keeps the fight on the outside.
Lyoto Machida is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Machida moves out of range of the body kick from Lee.
Lee is breathing heavily.
Machida shoots in looking for a takedown. Lee tries to sprawl out of it but Machida keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Lee manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Lyoto Machida. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nice sprawl there from Lee as Machida shoots in.
Machida tries to clinch up but Lee circles away and keeps his distance.
Machida blocks the body kick.
Lee throws the kick towards the body but Machida avoids it.
Lee throws a shot from downtown. Machida moves away and avoids it.
Lee avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Lee will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Machida appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Lee blocks a head kick by Machida.
Lee shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Lee is looking to land body kicks.
Lee finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nice sprawl there from Lee as Machida shoots in.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Lee, right into the meat.
Lee throws a front kick aimed at Machida's knee but Machida avoids it well.
Machida blocks a leg kick.
Machida fails with a takedown attempt.
Lee takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Lee leaves Machida with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Lee loads up on a big right hand but Machida slips the punch.
Machida looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Lee is fending him off so far but Machida persists. Nope, Lee circles away and we're back to standing.
Lee fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Machida.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Machida cracks a nice hook into Lee's ribs.
Machida tries to clinch up.
Lee has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Lee misses with a low kick.
Roman Lee seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Machida checks a low kick from Lee.
Lee throws a low kick but Machida avoids it.
Machida blocks a leg kick.
Machida misses with a head kick.
Machida will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Lee misses with a kick to the body.
Machida tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Lee swivels and escapes.
Lee circles away from the clinch attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Machida slips under a jab from Lee.
Machida is looking to clinch but Lee is avoiding it.
Lee throws a nice inside leg kick.
Machida shoots in but Lee avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Lee scoring well with a low kick there.
Machida falls off balance throwing a combination
and Lee counters with a low kick, right behind Machida 's knee.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Machida shoots in for a takedown but Lee shows good takedown defense.
Machida moves out of range of the body kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Roman Lee showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Lee tries to land a front kick but Machida steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Lee is looking to chop away at Machida's legs.
Machida goes for a double leg but Lee avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Lee continues to drive forward.
Machida moves out of range of the body kick from Lee.
Lee feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Machida's calf.
Lee on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Lee uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Machida.
Lee swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Machida shoots for a takedown but Lee saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Machida tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Lee swivels and escapes.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Lyoto Machida. That's going to take a lot out of him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Machida shoots in for a double leg but Lee sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Lee.
Machida wants to clinch.
Machida backing away here, and Lee unleashes a leg kick that just misses.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lee tries to score with a low kick but Machida moves his leg out of the way.
Machida avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
The fight stays on the outside here - Machida looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Machida moves away from the strike by Lee.
Machida is trying hard to land a takedown here. Lee sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Lee feints a counter leg kick.
Machida shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Lee flicks out a counter leg kick but Machida steps away.
Lee lands a head shot.
Machida takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Lee scores with a jab to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lee scores with a leg kick.
No luck for Machida with that takedown attempt.
Lee misses with a body kick.
Machida blocks a low kick nicely.
Horrible takedown attempt by Machida or perhaps it was just good defense by Lee, which made it look bad.
Machida blocks a leg kick.
Machida throwing a counter right hand but Lee manages to avoid it.
Lee fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Machida checks it well.
Lee circles away from the clinch attempt.
Machida fails with a takedown attempt.
Lee follows through with a counter body kick but it doesn't land.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lee tries a low kick but Machida avoids it.
A low kick from Lee is predictable there
and Machida counters with a one-two to the body.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Machida checks a leg kick.
Machida throws a head kick but Lee moves out of range.
Lee throws a front kick aimed at Machida's knee but Machida avoids it well.
Machida tries to counter with a takedown but Lee is quick to defend against it.
Nice sprawl there from Lee as Machida shoots in.
Lee pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Lee throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Lee throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Machida drops down looking for a counter takedown but Lee sprawls and moves away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Machida tries to clinch up but Lee circles away and keeps his distance.
Nice defenses there by Machida.
Machida tries to score a power double leg takedown but Lee sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Machida somewhat.
Lyoto Machida has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Lee fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Machida checks it well.
Lee tried to score with a low kick but Machida checks it.
Lee slaps away a takedown attempt from Machida, before circling back to the center of the mat.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Lee explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.

And that's the end of the fight!
Roman Lee comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Lee 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 Ren Mimura scores the fight 27:30
Judge Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 27:30
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Roman Lee!