PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Leroy Sloan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Shinya Yamamoto (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Sloan
vs
Yamamoto

170 cm
24
145 lbs
0 - 7 - 0

167 cm
19
147 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Solid chin

L.A. Elite Clothing Co
Canuck Beavermeat Nutrition

L.A. Elite Clothing Co

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Leroy Sloan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Shinya Yamamoto!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Yamamoto, Yasuomi Hirokawa and Tatsuya Matsuyama.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sloan fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Yamamoto avoids it really well and circles away.
Sloan fails in his attempt to clinch.
Sloan is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Yamamoto circles away from the clinch attempt.
Sloan tries to clinch up but Yamamoto circles away and keeps his distance.

Yamamoto drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Sloan wants to get back to his feet but Yamamoto is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Yamamoto is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Yamamoto stops Sloan from standing up.
Sloan trying desperately to get back to his feet here but he's not having any joy at all. He's going to tire himself out if he's not careful.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yamamoto wants to pass the guard but Sloan is keeping the position.
Sloan wants to stand and escape but Yamamoto is having none of it.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Yamamoto avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Sloan tries to clinch up.
Sloan moves to clinch but Yamamoto breaks away

and Yamamoto counters with a takedown into side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sloan seems a little lost for a moment, as Yamamoto dominates the positioning.
Sloan is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Yamamoto is controlling him well.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Yamamoto is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.
Sloan wants to control but Yamamoto postures up.
Yamamoto controls the position.
Sloan wants to get back to his feet but Yamamoto drags him back down.
Yamamoto moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sloan wants to get back to his feet but Yamamoto drags him back down.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Shinya Yamamoto wasn't active enough on the ground.
Sloan tries to close the distance and clinch but Yamamoto swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Yamamoto shoots in looking for a takedown. Sloan tries to sprawl out of it but Yamamoto keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Sloan manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Sloan tries for a takedown but Yamamoto sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Sloan closes this distance looking for a takedown but Yamamoto circles away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Leroy Sloan. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sloan displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Yamamoto.

Sloan tries to keep at a distance but Yamamoto has taken the fight into the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sloan with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Sloan tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Sloan throws a knee to the head but misses.
Sloan tries a knee to the head but Yamamoto blocks it.
Sloan tries to land a knee to the head but Yamamoto blocks with his arms.
Sloan using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Yamamoto has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Yamamoto is looking for a takedown.
Sloan tries a knee to the head but Yamamoto blocks it.
Yamamoto tries for a takedown but Sloan manages to get underhooks.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Sloan tries to land a knee to the head but Yamamoto blocks with his arms.
Sloan with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Yamamoto tries for a takedown. No joy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Shinya Yamamoto will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Yamamoto tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Sloan swivels and escapes.
Sloan tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Yamamoto swivels and escapes.
Yamamoto fails with a takedown attempt.
Sloan tries to clinch up.
Sloan tries to clinch up.
Sloan tries to clinch up.
Sloan moves in looking to clinch but Yamamoto pushes him off.
Yamamoto shoots in for a takedown but Sloan shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Leroy Sloan has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Shinya Yamamoto.
Yamamoto shoots in for a takedown but Sloan shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Yamamoto fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Sloan tries to close the distance and clinch but Yamamoto swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Sloan scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Sloan tries to get to his feet but he's trapped momentarily.
The ground and pound from Sloan seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Sloan tries to stand but Yamamoto is controlling his head.
Yamamoto can't do much from the bottom here.
Sloan wants to lay and pray for a moment but Yamamoto keeps working.

Yamamoto explodes and escapes back to his feet! Nice escape there!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sloan fails with a takedown attempt.
Sloan tries to clinch up

and Yamamoto counters with a single leg into guard. Sloan didn't expect that.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Sloan tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Sloan is looking to stand up but Yamamoto isn't so interested in that idea.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Yamamoto slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Sloan trying to remain calm as Yamamoto controls from the top position.
Shinya Yamamoto has got the better of the ground game so far.
Sloan is pushing Yamamoto's head away, looking to escape. Yamamoto manages to hold on to the position though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sloan seems a little lost for a moment, as Yamamoto dominates the positioning.
Sloan is trying to get back to his feet.
Sloan wants to control but Yamamoto postures up.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Sloan is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Yamamoto is controlling him well.
Yamamoto content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Shinya Yamamoto wasn't active enough on the ground.
Yamamoto shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Sloan as he jumps to the side.
Sloan tries to close the distance and clinch up but Yamamoto swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Yamamoto shoots in looking for a takedown but Sloan manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Yamamoto's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Sloan leaves Yamamoto with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Sloan fails with a takedown attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Shinya Yamamoto will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's time! Back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Sloan tries to clinch but Yamamoto moves out of range.
Sloan tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Yamamoto paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Sloan wants to clinch up but Yamamoto keeps it at a distance.
Sloan tries to clinch up

and Yamamoto counters with a takedown into side control.
Sloan wants to control but Yamamoto postures up.
Sloan wants to get back to his feet but Yamamoto drags him back down.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Yamamoto thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
The referee asks Yamamoto politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Yamamoto prefers to stall for the moment though.
Yamamoto creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Sloan sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
Sloan is trying to buck Yamamoto off.
The referee asks Yamamoto politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Yamamoto prefers to stall for the moment though.
Yamamoto prevents Sloan from escaping the position.
Yamamoto happy to just control the position for now.
Sloan is looking to regain half guard here but Yamamoto keeps moving and retains side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yamamoto taking a breather here.
Sloan wants to get back to his feet.
Shinya Yamamoto is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yamamoto remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Shinya Yamamoto wasn't active enough on the ground.
Sloan closes this distance looking for a takedown but Yamamoto circles away.
Horrible takedown by Yamamoto or perhaps it was just good defense by Sloan which made him look bad.
Sloan fails with an attempt to clinch.

Yamamoto gets a double leg takedown into Sloan's guard.
Yamamoto is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Sloan wants to stand up but Yamamoto is controlling him.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Shinya Yamamoto hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Sloan displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Yamamoto.
Leroy Sloan is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Sloan tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Yamamoto counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Yamamoto.
Leroy Sloan has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Sloan working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Yamamoto has passed into half guard!

And that's the end of the fight!
Shinya Yamamoto comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Yamamoto winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 28:30
Judge Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 27:30
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Shinya Yamamoto!
Shinya Yamamoto very nearly forgot to thank Valhalla Fight Wear amongst all the excitement of his win but just as the interview came to a close, he screamed their name. Hopefully he'll get a few nice freebies in the mail as a thank you.