PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Kira Yoshikage (ranked 1392 p4p, 2737 weight class) and Piney Winston (ranked 177 p4p, 314 weight class). Piney Winston has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Yoshikage
vs
Winston

170 cm
23
160
5 - 1 - 0

183 cm
22
170
9 - 6 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Basic striking
Cardio machine

Powerful takedowns
Basic striking
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Kira Yoshikage!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Piney Winston!
The judges for this bout are Ben Watson, Ben Hemmingworth and Winston Howard.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Yoshikage shoots in but Winston avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Yoshikage keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
We can't be sure of the tactics at this early stage but we have heard that Winston has been working on his takedowns a lot in the buildup to the fight and we can only assume he's going to look to take this to the mat.
Yoshikage fails with a takedown attempt.
Yoshikage looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.

Winston has taken the fight to the clinch.

Yoshikage has picked Winston up - he's going for a ride! Yoshikage dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Yoshikage passes to side control.
Yoshikage is working Winston over with some ground and pound from side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Winston is looking for a sweep.
Yoshikage in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Winston tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Yoshikage wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

Yoshikage is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Winston has escaped the position, nice work there.
Yoshikage trying to control the position but Winston is working away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Winston can't do much from the bottom here.
Yoshikage working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Yoshikage working the ground and pound.
Winston is looking for a sweep.
Winston is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Winston is working to avoid the ground and pound but Yoshikage connects with a decent elbow.
Winston tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Yoshikage wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Winston struggling a bit here.
Yoshikage working the ground and pound.
Winston is not content to let Yoshikage control the position.
Winston is looking to regain half guard here but Yoshikage keeps moving and retains side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yoshikage is chipping away with strikes.
Winston is not content to let Yoshikage control the position.
Yoshikage grinds an elbow into Winston's temple.
Winston wants to control but Yoshikage postures up.
Winston is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Yoshikage off and has taken his back!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Winston is looking to finish the fight by rear naked choke. Yoshikage knows exactly what he's got planned though, so he's defending well. Maybe a few strikes would soften Yoshikage for a finish.

Winston working for a RNC but it's not happening just yet.
A bit of a pause in the action here. Winston controlling the positon.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Winston controlling well, preventing Yoshikage from escaping the position.
A lull in the action here.
Yoshikage manages to reverse the position and now he's in Winston's guard. Nice work there by Yoshikage.
Yoshikage trying to control but Winston is working from the bottom.

Winston has his foot on Yoshikage's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Yoshikage works his way back into a safe position though.
Yoshikage engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Yoshikage is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Winston trying to keep a closed guard but Yoshikage is proving a slippery customer.
Yoshikage keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Winston's head.
Yoshikage postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Yoshikage working some strikes from top position.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Yoshikage's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

Winston working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Yoshikage doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Yoshikage manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Yoshikage cracks Winston with a solid left hand.
Yoshikage landing some decent shots from guard.
Winston keeping moving, preventing Yoshikage from controlling successfully.
Winston controls Yoshikage momentarily but Yoshikage frees himself.
Yoshikage works over Winston with some ground and pound from guard.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Kira Yoshikage dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Winston keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Yoshikage fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Winston drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Yoshikage defends it well.
Winston slaps away a takedown attempt from Yoshikage, before circling back to the center of the mat.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Kira Yoshikage. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Yoshikage keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Yoshikage keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

Winston instigates a clinch.

Yoshikage jumps guard and drags Winston to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Winston wants to pass the guard but Yoshikage is keeping the position.
Winston trying to control but Yoshikage is working from the bottom.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Yoshikage is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Winston is aware though and is defending well.
Winston throws an elbow that misses. Yoshikage uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Winston's guard. Nice move by Yoshikage!

That's one minute gone in the round.

Winston is actively looking for submissions from his back. He's worked himself a little space on the bottom and seems to be going for a triangle. No, he's switched into an armbar! That was slick! Yoshikage rolls with it to try and escape but Winston cranks on the arm and Yoshikage is forced to tap out! This one is aaaaaaaaall over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:20 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Piney Winston!
Piney Winston bigged himself up after the win. The crowd seemed to love it.