PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Masamichi Yamaji (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Edward Elric (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Elric has chosen Lil Wayne - Rolling In The Deep (Sorry 4 The Wait) as his entrance music. Masamichi Yamaji had a look across the cage there at his opponent. He definitely means business

Yamaji
vs
Elric

193 cm
21
262 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

196 cm
21
270 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
World class MT
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Masamichi Yamaji!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, Edward Elric!
The judges for this bout are Sam Margolis, James Glass and Donald Grub.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Yamaji buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Elric dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Yamaji. That did some damage!
Yamaji just misses with a punch to the body.
Yamaji loads up on a big right hand but Elric slips the punch.
Yamaji avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
The fighters circling - Elric throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Yamaji throws a lazy right hand but Elric sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Elric misses the shot to the body.
Yamaji looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Elric uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Yamaji.
Elric tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Yamaji manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Yamaji pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Elric scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Yamaji doesn't seem bothered though.
Yamaji scores with a shot to the body.
Some bone on bone action there as Yamaji checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yamaji dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Yamaji misses with a kick to the body.
Elric tries a low kick but Yamaji avoids it.
A clash of legs there as Yamaji blocks the low kick.
Elric scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Yamaji misses with a leg kick.
Elric misses with a low kick.
A combination from Yamaji does no damage.
A solid leg kick lands there for Elric.
Elric throws a series of punches but Yamaji avoids them all with ease.
Yamaji throws a half hearted mid kick.
Elric moves away from the strike by Yamaji.
Sloppy strikes from Elric. Those never looked like landing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Elric has managed to clinch.
Yamaji is trying to break the clinch but Elric has him pressed against the cage.
Elric tries a knee to the head but Yamaji blocks it.
Yamaji blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Elric lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Yamaji tries a body shot but Elric blocks it.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Yamaji working hard to break the clinch.
Yamaji misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Elric misses with the head strike.
Yamaji swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Elric lands with a right to the head.
Elric blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

Yamaji escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Yamaji misses with a wild body shot.
Elric misses with a wild body shot.
Yamaji throws a body punch but Elric moves out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Elric clinches with his opponent.
Yamaji is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Elric.
Elric keeps control of Yamaji as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

Yamaji breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Yamaji moves into range and connects with a jab.
Elric throws a front kick aimed at Yamaji's knee but Yamaji avoids it well.
Yamaji stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
A slapping leg kick lands for Yamaji.
Elric tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Yamaji was well out of range. Poor timing from Elric.
A lazy left from Yamaji finds it's target.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Decent striking displayed by Elric there.
Elric throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Yamaji.
Elric with a jab.
Elric looks to land a combination but Yamaji avoids it well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yamaji takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.

It looks like Masamichi Yamaji has been cut.
Elric moves in looking to clinch but Yamaji pushes him off.
Elric tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Yamaji manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Elric checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
A looping hook to the body misses from Elric. Yamaji does a little dance to reset his feet.
Elric throws a combination that misses
and Yamaji counters with a stiff right hand.
Elric tries to clinch up but Yamaji circles away and keeps his distance.
Elric swinging wildly here.
Yamaji throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Elric moves out of range of the body kick from Yamaji.
Elric looking to land some kicks to the body here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Masamichi Yamaji will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Masamichi Yamaji's cut.
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.

That kick from Elric tenderised Yamaji's leg. Yamaji is trying to keep his angry face on.
Elric with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Elric is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Yamaji lands a jab to Elric's midsection.
Yamaji loads up on a big right hand but Elric slips the punch.
Yamaji connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Elric lands a lovely overhand right.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Elric misses with a leg kick.
Elric is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Yamaji rather than just go for the knockout.
Yamaji lands with a good body shot.
Elric takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Nice shot by Elric.
Yamaji scores with a slapping inside leg kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yamaji displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Elric throws out the jab.
Yamaji connects with a solid leg kick.
Elric is breathing heavily.
Good exchange - Yamaji coming out on top.
A clash of legs there as Yamaji blocks the low kick.
Yamaji tries to work over Elric's front leg with a kick but Elric checks it.
Yamaji throws out a leg kick but Elric moves out of range and Yamaji only half commits.
Yamaji cracks Elric with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Yamaji turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Yamaji connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Yamaji lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Yamaji lands with a thumping leg kick.
A combination from Yamaji does no damage.
Elric moves in looking to clinch but Yamaji pushes him off.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yamaji throws a wild body kick that Elric sees coming a mile off.
Yamaji looks to land a combination but Elric avoids it well.
Elric throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Elric uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Yamaji.
Yamaji dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Elric. That did some damage!
Elric is looking to clinch.
An inside leg kick lands from Yamaji.
An inside leg kick lands from Yamaji.
Elric throws a right hand that misses
and Yamaji counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Elric stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Yamaji.
Yamaji lands with a nice body kick.
Elric keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Elric misses with a low kick.
Elric fails in his attempt to clinch.
Elric's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Yamaji looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Yamaji uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Yamaji lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Elric with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Elric takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Elric avoids the body shot from Yamaji.
Yamaji looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.

Elric fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Yamaji, pushing him back against the cage.
Yamaji wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Elric lands with a right to the head.
Yamaji tries a body shot but Elric blocks it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yamaji is trying to break the clinch but Elric is controlling him.
Elric pressing his opponent against the cage.
We are yet to see a takedown attempt from Elric in the fight. On paper you would think he is the more dominant ground fighter so let's see if these unusual tactics pay off.
Yamaji is trying to force a seperation but Elric has the dominant position.
Yamaji looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Yamaji avoiding damage as Elric throws knees to the body.
Yamaji is trying to break the clinch but Elric has him pressed against the cage.
Yamaji goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Yamaji is trying to break the clinch but Elric has him pressed against the cage.
Yamaji wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Elric has him pressed against the cage.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Elric scores with an uppercut up the middle.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Yamaji tries a body shot but Elric blocks it.
Yamaji wants to get back to striking at distance but Elric won't allow it.
Yamaji tries to circle away but Elric has him pinned against the cage.
Yamaji scores with a hook to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Masamichi Yamaji dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Masamichi Yamaji's cut.
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. And we move into the final round!

Yamaji is looking to chop away at Elric's legs.
Yamaji's jab looks to have found its range, popping Elric under the eye.
Elric keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Elric checks the leg kick.
Elric takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Yamaji misses with a body shot.
Yamaji plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Yamaji just misses with a punch to the body.
Elric moves out of range of the body kick.
Yamaji is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Elric can do to turn this around?
Elric misses with a low kick.
Elric throws a low kick but it's checked well by Yamaji.
Elric throws a leg kick but Yamaji sees it coming and moves out of range.
A cross from Elric lands.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Yamaji.
Edward Elric seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Elric throws the left hand but Yamaji avoids the punch easily.
Yamaji scores with a push kick.
Elric takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Elric shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Elric blocks a head kick by Yamaji.
Elric looks to land a body kick but Yamaji moved away.
Elric throws a sloppy head kick and Yamaji moves out of range easily.
Elric dodges the punch combination from Yamaji.
Yamaji misses with a hook. Elric ducked under it nicely.
Yamaji blocks a head kick by Elric.
Yamaji misses with a low kick as Elric jumps back.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Elric walks forward, straight into a front kick from Yamaji.
Elric pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Yamaji looks to score with a jab to the body but Elric is just out of range.
Elric blocks a leg kick.
Yamaji lands a nice looking body kick.
Yamaji is really turning it up, unleashing another crisp combination which drops Elric like a ton of bricks! The referee dives in to stop the fight, saving Elric from another fist facial!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:35 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Masamichi Yamaji!
An out of breath Masamichi Yamaji thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.