PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Kenshin Yamamoto (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ichi Takeshi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Kenshin Yamamoto has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Yamamoto
vs
Takeshi

169 cm
35
147 lbs
21 - 5 - 1

155 cm
33
138 lbs
18 - 8 - 0

Great wrestler
Solid boxing
Cardio machine

Excellent grappler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

Sun-Tzu

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the bantamweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 21 - 5 - 1, fighting out of Los Angeles, Kenshin Yamamoto!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 18 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Ichi Takeshi!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Yamamoto, Ren Mimura and Shigeki Sano.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Takeshi moves away from the strike by Yamamoto.

Takeshi shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Takeshi trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

Yamamoto is looking for a triangle but Takeshi pushes his legs off easily.
Yamamoto looking to control.
Takeshi missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Takeshi throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Yamamoto works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Takeshi advances to half guard.
Takeshi drops an elbow to the side of Yamamoto's head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Yamamoto regains full guard. Nicely done.
Takeshi controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Takeshi passes Yamamoto's left leg - he's now in half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Takeshi uses his free foot to push down on Yamamoto's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Yamamoto.
Takeshi lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Yamamoto is looking to improve his position but Takeshi isn't that keen on the idea.
Yamamoto is working hard here to advance position.
Yamamoto slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Takeshi is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Takeshi is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Yamamoto is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Takeshi is looking to take a break and control but Yamamoto is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Takeshi thows a huge punch but Yamamoto dodges it nicely.
Takeshi trying to mount his opponent but Yamamoto defends it.
Takeshi thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Yamamoto's head.
Yamamoto trying to control but Takeshi postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yamamoto is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Takeshi keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Yamamoto moves into full guard.

Takeshi got a little sloppy there for a moment and Yamamoto has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Takeshi has managed to get both his arms back between Yamamoto's legs - danger averted.
Takeshi postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Takeshi is in close to Yamamoto's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Takeshi scoring with some ground and pound.
Takeshi wants to control from the top but Yamamoto keeps moving.
Takeshi has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Takeshi working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Yamamoto's head.
Yamamoto can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Takeshi controls the pace.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Takeshi accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

Yamamoto working for a triangle but Takeshi defends it easily.

Yamamoto working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Takeshi doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Takeshi manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Takeshi got a little sloppy there for a moment and Yamamoto has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Takeshi has managed to get both his arms back between Yamamoto's legs - danger averted.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ichi Takeshi 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.

Yamamoto throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Takeshi sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Takeshi drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Yamamoto defends it well.
Yamamoto connects with a single shot there.
Takeshi shoots in looking for a takedown. Yamamoto tries to sprawl out of it but Takeshi keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Yamamoto manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

Takeshi dives in and scores a takedown into Yamamoto's guard.
Takeshi trying to control the position from guard on top but Yamamoto is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Yamamoto looking for a guillotine here but Takeshi defends easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Takeshi wants to control from the top but Yamamoto keeps moving.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Takeshi accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Yamamoto keeping moving, preventing Takeshi from controlling successfully.
Takeshi might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Yamamoto haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.

Takeshi got a little sloppy there for a moment and Yamamoto has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Takeshi has managed to get both his arms back between Yamamoto's legs - danger averted.
Takeshi looking to sit in guard and control but Yamamoto gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Yamamoto trying to control the position from guard on top but Takeshi is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two 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.
Yamamoto loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

Takeshi had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Yamamoto defends it easily.
Yamamoto will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Takeshi working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Yamamoto.
Takeshi keeping moving, preventing Yamamoto from controlling successfully.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Yamamoto stuffs the takedown.
Takeshi closes the distance and clinches up with Yamamoto, looking for a takedown. Takeshi pushes Yamamoto against the cage but Yamamoto circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Kenshin Yamamoto has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ichi Takeshi.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yamamoto displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Takeshi.

Yamamoto scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Takeshi trying to control here.

Yamamoto is working for a kimura from half guard. He's really concentrating on the hold and it's allowed Takeshi to slip a leg under and get back to full guard.
Takeshi 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.
Takeshi has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Yamamoto throwing strikes from guard but Takeshi blocks nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yamamoto stopping the sweep attempt from Takeshi.
Yamamoto trying to control the position from guard on top but Takeshi is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Yamamoto accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Yamamoto circles away from the clinch attempt.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Yamamoto cracks Takeshi with an open hand slap.
Takeshi tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Yamamoto defends well and Takeshi ends up having to push Yamamoto into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.

Yamamoto shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Takeshi napping and manages to drive through into side control!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Yamamoto misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kenshin Yamamoto dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Takeshi fails with a takedown attempt.
Takeshi throws the left hand but Yamamoto avoids the punch easily.
Nice straight punches there by Yamamoto. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Yamamoto.
Yamamoto lands a jab to Takeshi's midsection.
Takeshi needs to keep his hands up - Yamamoto had a free shot at his head there.
Yamamoto is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Yamamoto keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Yamamoto throws a hook but Takeshi blocks it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Yamamoto closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Takeshi did well to prevent Yamamoto getting side control.
Takeshi gets full guard.
Takeshi working a defensive guard but Yamamoto manages to pass into side control anyway.
Yamamoto working the head and body with strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yamamoto fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Takeshi tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Takeshi is trying to control Yamamoto's posture but Yamamoto avoids it.
Yamamoto working the ground and pound from side control.
Takeshi manages to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Yamamoto is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Takeshi defends it well.
Takeshi tries to roll over but Yamamoto keeps him under control.
Yamamoto winds up and cracks Takeshi with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Yamamoto lands a nice short elbow.
Yamamoto lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Takeshi scrambles, trying to get to his feet, but Yamamoto manages to mount him!
Yamamoto scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Takeshi?

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Takeshi is in a horrible position here. Yamamoto smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Yamamoto with good strikes from the mount here!
Takeshi is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Yamamoto unloading with bombs!
Yamamoto looking to finish here with some ground and pound. He lands one big shot that has Takeshi covering up... and two more big strikes land, forcing the referee to step in and put and end to proceedings! This fight is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:58 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Kenshin Yamamoto!
Kenshin Yamamoto retains his bantamweight title!
Our winner, Kenshin Yamamoto, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.
The defeated Ichi Takeshi had this to say: 'Son of a!!!! great shame I great shame Sorry I need more strong in spirit. '.