PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Takayama Yataro (ranked 1970 p4p, 216 weight class) and Tank Yu (ranked 1961 p4p, 215 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Yataro might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Misoji Misaki. Takayama Yataro has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Yataro
vs
Yu

163 cm
20
143 lbs
7 - 1 - 0

173 cm
26
149 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Counter fighter
Heavy handed

Sportivité

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the featherweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Takayama Yataro!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Tank Yu!
The judges for this bout are Josh West, Roger Salmon and Ryoma Takatsuka.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Yu tries to close the distance and clinch but Yataro swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Yataro swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Yu tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Yataro paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Yu clinches with his opponent.
Yataro blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Yu takes a shot to the head.
Yataro lands an uppercut.
Yataro scores with a shoulder strike.
Yu throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Yataros head.
Yu trying to stall but Yataro improves his position.
Yataro wants to break the clinch but can't.
Yataro wants a takedown.
Yu misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Yu blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Yataro throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Yus head.
Yataro lands a hook that snaps the head of Yu backwards.
Yataro can't find room to land a body shot as Yu controls the action.
Yataro misses with a hook from the clinch.
I was talking to Yataro's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Yataro doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Yu tries to throw a body punch but Yataro avoids it by throwing Yu back against the cage.
Yu misses with some punches.

Yataro jumps into guard, dragging Yu to the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yu trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Yu trying to control but Yataro is working from the bottom.

Yataro escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Yu gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Yataro controlling Yu's posture.
Yataro lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Yu is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Yu has momentary wrist control but Yataro slips an elbow through the middle.
Yataro working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Yu's head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yu wants to stand up but Yataro is controlling him.
Yataro controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Yu looking for a sweep. Not yet Yu, not yet.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Yu can do anything to dispel that myth.
Yataro is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Yu keeping moving, preventing Yataro from controlling successfully.
Yataro won't allow Yu to get back to his feet.
Yataro is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Yataro connects with a couple of short punches.
Yataro preventing the sweep.
Yu doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Yataro lands a couple of digs.
Yataro working some strikes from top position.
Yataro connects with a couple of short punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yataro postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.

Yataro avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Yataro working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Yataro trying to control but Yu is working from the bottom.
Yataro is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Yataro chips away with some ground and pound.
Yataro chips away with some ground and pound.
Yu has momentary wrist control but Yataro slips an elbow through the middle.
Yataro stopping the sweep attempt from Yu.
Yataro with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Yataro works over Yu with some ground and pound from guard.
Yataro stands up over Yu, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yataro working some strikes from top position.
Yataro landing some decent shots from guard.
Yataro content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Yataro distracts Yu with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Yataro scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Yu working a defensive guard but Yataro manages to pass into side control anyway.
Yu has found himself in a tricky position here. He's been working his transitions in training so let's see if he can work his way out of it.
Yataro working the ground and pound.
Yataro is working Yu over with some ground and pound from side control.
Yataro lands some shots froms side control.
Yataro cracks Yu with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Yu takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Yu being controlled for a moment.
Yu taking punishment in the form of punches.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Takayama Yataro dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Yu doesn't manage to clinch there - Yataro circles away.
Yataro throws a body shot but no joy.
Yu has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Yu there as he acknowledges the shot.
Yu closes the distance but Yataro moves to the side
and Yataro counters with a straight right hand.
Takayama Yataro seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Yu is looking to clinch.
Yataro is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Yu can do to turn this around?
Nice sprawl there from Yu as Yataro shoots in.
Yataro shoots in for a takedown but Yu shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Yu takes a shot to the body in his stride.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Yu tries to clinch but Yataro moves out of range.
Yu stuffs the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Takayama Yataro. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Yataro fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

Yataro shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Yu's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yu wants to sweep but no luck.
Yataro has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Yataro connects with a couple of short punches.
Yu is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Yataro lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Yataro slips nicely into half guard, despite the strikes coming from Yu.
Yataro winds up and cracks Yu with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Yataro looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Yu tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Yataro lands strikes from half guard.

Yu looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Yataro lands with a punch from half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yu taking some punishment here, with Yataro in his half guard.
Yataro lands strikes from half guard.
Yataro looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Yu with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Yu is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Yataro scores with a couple of nice shots.
Yataro passes into side control, despite Yu's attempt to control the position.
Yu takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
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!
Yu is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Yataro trying to control the position but Yu is working away.
Yataro creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yataro landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Yataro slips into full mount, dodging the strikes by Yu.
Yataro looking to finish Yu with some ground and pound. This is bad for Yu!
Yataro lands a big elbow.

Yu is rocked!

It looks like Tank Yu has been cut.
Yu wants to control but Yataro is having none of it.
Yataro unloading with bombs!
Yu is still in real trouble! Can Yataro finish him?
Yu takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Yu tries to reverse the position but Yataro maintains control.
Yataro raining down shots from the mount!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Yataro postures up and connects with a big shot that has rocked Yu badly. He's trying desperately to grab hold of Yataro around the waist but Yataro pushes him off and unloads with more strikes, forcing the referee to jump in and save him! Yataro is the winner by TKO! Yataro jumps onto the cage and shouts into the camera. "We did it momma!"

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:57 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Takayama Yataro!
Takayama Yataro is the new featherweight champion!
Takayama Yataro seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.