PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Eddie Alpha (ranked 2477 p4p, 276 weight class) and Yanji Klushinwa (ranked 3607 p4p, 344 weight class). Yanji Klushinwa acknowledges the crowd's support as he enters the cage.

Alpha
vs
Klushinwa

186 cm
22
180 lbs
5 - 4 - 0

191 cm
26
195 lbs
5 - 6 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Experienced

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Solid 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 5 - 4 - 0, fighting out of London, Eddie Alpha!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 6 - 0, fighting out of New York, Yanji Klushinwa!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Fujiwara, Yasuomi Hirokawa and Sosuke Kotani.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Klushinwa shoots for a takedown but Alpha saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Alpha appears to be looking for a big counter.
Alpha swats away the attempt to clinch by Klushinwa.
Klushinwa tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Alpha paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Klushinwa pushes Alpha up against the cage in a clinch.
Alpha wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Alpha is trying to break the clinch but Klushinwa is controlling him.

Klushinwa breaks from the clinch.
Klushinwa wants to clinch
and Alpha counters with a stiff right hand.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Klushinwa is looking to clinch but Alpha is avoiding it.

Klushinwa gets a clinch.
Alpha can't break the clinch.
Klushinwa keeps control of Alpha as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Klushinwa unloads a knee to the mid-section.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Alpha tries to break the clinch but Klushinwa is controlling the position.
Alpha misses with some punches.

Alpha escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Klushinwa closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Alpha's guard.
Klushinwa looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Klushinwa got a little sloppy there for a moment and Alpha has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Klushinwa has managed to get both his arms back between Alpha's legs - danger averted.
Alpha can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Klushinwa controls the pace.

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Alpha working for submissions but it's allowed Klushinwa to get to half guard.
Klushinwa is controlling the pace.
Let's hope that Klushinwa has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Alpha is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Klushinwa pulls his head out easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Alpha looking for submissions off his back.
Klushinwa with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Alpha wants to get back to full guard but Klushinwa has mounted him!
Alpha is looking to get to half guard.
Alpha wants to hold on but Klushinwa pushes him away.
Klushinwa controlling the position easily from mount.
Klushinwa avoids the attempt from Alpha to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Klushinwa tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Alpha is working to get back to half guard.
Klushinwa controlling from the full mount.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Alpha wants to hold on but Klushinwa pushes him away.
Alpha is wriggling around trying to escape.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yanji Klushinwa dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Klushinwa forces Alpha back against the cage and clinches.
Klushinwa has Alpha pressed against the cage, preventing Alpha from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Alpha is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Klushinwa is keeping busy.
Klushinwa drops down looking for an ankle pick but Alpha pulls his leg out and moves away.
Alpha looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
The fight stays on the outside here - Klushinwa looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Alpha throwing a counter right hand but Klushinwa manages to avoid it.
Alpha blocks a head kick by Klushinwa.
Klushinwa takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Klushinwa fails with an attempt to clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Klushinwa moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Alpha dodges the punch combination from Klushinwa.
A jab from Klushinwa misses.
Alpha went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Klushinwa tries to clinch up
enabling Alpha to counter with a crisp jab.
Klushinwa wants to clinch
and Alpha connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Klushinwa throws a left and a right that both miss
and Alpha counters with a one-two to the body.
Alpha misses with a few strikes there.
Klushinwa wants to counter the offense by Alpha and move into the clinch position.
Alpha lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.

Klushinwa shoots in and bounces Alpha off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Alpha looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Klushinwa passes into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Klushinwa controlling the action here.
Alpha gets back to full guard.
Klushinwa sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Alpha on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Alpha tries to get out of the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Alpha has his foot on Klushinwa's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Klushinwa works his way back into a safe position though.

Alpha looking for a guillotine here but Klushinwa defends easily.

Alpha has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Klushinwa is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Alpha.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.
Alpha wings away with a couple of strikes but they don't land.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Alpha is trying to get back to his feet.
Alpha is looking to reverse the position.
Yanji Klushinwa has got the better of the ground game so far.
Klushinwa is staying tight to Alpha's torso, preventing him from escaping.
Alpha tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Klushinwa wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
A lull in the action here as Klushinwa stalls from top position.
Alpha manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Klushinwa slows the pace down in half guard.
Klushinwa passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Alpha!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Eddie Alpha will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Klushinwa fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Alpha avoids it really well and circles away.
Klushinwa throws out a loose jab but Alpha uses good head movement to avoid it.
The fight stays on the outside here - Klushinwa looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Eddie Alpha is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Alpha misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Eddie Alpha is winning the standup battle so far.
Klushinwa lands a really nice looking cross but Alpha seems unphased.
Alpha throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Klushinwa holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Klushinwa misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Alpha.
Alpha is looking to break free of the clinch but Klushinwa has double underhooks.
Alpha is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Klushinwa's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Klushinwa drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Klushinwa controlling from side mount.
Klushinwa is continuing to stall.
Alpha is looking for a sweep.
Alpha is working hard here to advance position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Alpha wants to control but Klushinwa postures up.
Alpha is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Klushinwa is controlling him well.
Alpha is trying to improve his position.
Alpha seems a little lost for a moment, as Klushinwa dominates the positioning.
Alpha is trying to control Klushinwa's posture but Klushinwa avoids it.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Alpha tries to bench press Klushinwa off him but Klushinwa keeps the position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Klushinwa controls the position.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Eddie Alpha is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Klushinwa shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Alpha manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.

Alpha is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Klushinwa is aware though and is defending well.
Klushinwa showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

Alpha working for submissions but it's allowed Klushinwa to get to half guard.
Alpha is looking to get back to full guard here but Klushinwa has managed to pass to side control instead.
Klushinwa has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Alpha is pushing Klushinwa's head away, looking to escape. Klushinwa manages to hold on to the position though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Alpha is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Klushinwa staying calm.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Alpha gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Yanji Klushinwa comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Klushinwa has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 28:29
Judge Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 28:29
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Yanji Klushinwa!
Yanji Klushinwa tried to hype himself up post fight but didn't word it too well and it ended up with him sounding like a bit of a tool.