PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Yen Askren (ranked 1511 p4p, 189 weight class) and Dan Tasker (ranked 2733 p4p, 304 weight class). Askren comes to the cage accompanied by Hello from the Askren Side. Both fighter's entrance songs getting the crowd jumping here.

Askren
vs
Tasker

178 cm
22
185 lbs
8 - 4 - 1

183 cm
22
173 lbs
6 - 4 - 1

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Granite chin

Sully's Bar & Grill
Freebok (85% Laundry)

Freebok (85% Laundry)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 4 - 1, fighting out of Los Angeles, Yen Askren!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 4 - 1, fighting out of Hilo, Dan Tasker!
The judges for this bout are Chris Saunders, Ryoma Takatsuka and Roger Salmon.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nice defenses there by Tasker.
No joy there for Tasker, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Nice uppercut there from Askren.
Tasker stalks Askren and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Askren's face. Askren staggers backwards, shaken.
Askren throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Tasker avoids the body shot from Askren.
Askren scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Tasker tries to clinch but Askren moves out of range.
Tasker tries to close the distance and clinch up but Askren swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Tasker throws a lazy right hand but Askren sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Askren appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Tasker shoots for a double leg takedown but Askren sprawls well. He's pushed Tasker's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Tasker misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Tasker avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Tasker is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Tasker tries to clinch there but Askren circles away.
Tasker keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Askren throws a body shot but no joy.
Tasker moves in looking to clinch but Askren pushes him off.
Tasker fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Tasker blocks a jab.
Askren misses the shot to the body.
Tasker uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Askren.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Askren.
Tasker is looking to clinch but Askren is avoiding it.
Tasker is looking to clinch but Askren is avoiding it.
Tasker moves in looking to clinch but Askren pushes him off.
Tasker just misses with a punch to the body.
Tasker fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Askren is looking to counter with a shot to the body.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tasker tries to score a body lock takedown but Askren shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Yen Askren has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Dan Tasker.
Tasker tries for a takedown but Askren manages to get underhooks.
A shot in the inside from Askren.

Askren manages to break the clinch.
Tasker lands a jab-cross combination.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Tasker tries to clinch up
and Askren counters with a nice uppercut.
Yen Askren is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Tasker slips under a jab.
Tasker with the counter takedown but Askren avoids it easily.
Askren throws a lazy right hand but Tasker sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Tasker looks to throw the jab but Askren is out of range.
Askren swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Tasker feints the counter takedown.
A nice combination there by Tasker.
Dan Tasker seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Askren throws a jab when Tasker was well out of range.
Askren avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Askren swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Askren misses with a wild body shot.
Askren clobbers Tasker with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Tasker moves in looking to clinch but Askren pushes him off.
A counter left hand to the body from Askren misses its target.
Tasker tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Askren paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Tasker fails to land the takedown.
Horrible takedown attempt by Tasker or perhaps it was just good defense by Askren, which made it look bad.
It looked like Askren was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Tasker.
A looping hook to the body misses from Askren. Tasker does a little dance to reset his feet.
Tasker doesn't manage to clinch there - Askren circles away.
Askren defending well as Tasker loads up on a big left hand.
Askren was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tasker fails to land the takedown.
Askren circles away from the clinch attempt.
Askren was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Tasker tries to clinch up but Askren circles away and keeps his distance.
Tasker fails in his attempt to clinch.
Askren tests Tasker's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Askren moves into range and connects with a jab.
Tasker fails with an attempt to clinch.
Tasker fails with a takedown attempt.
Askren keeps the fight on the outside.
Tasker doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Askren counters with a lovely straight right hand!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yen Askren dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Tasker on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Askren with a nice cross.
Askren takes a swing at Tasker's ribcage but misses.
We've been told by Askren's head coaches at Death Valley Training Facility that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.
Askren throws an off balance right hand

and Tasker counters with a shoot takedown. Askren fights it but they end up in guard.
Askren keeping moving, preventing Tasker from controlling successfully.
Tasker is stalling in the full guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tasker trying to control the position from guard on top but Askren is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tasker passes Askren's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Askren gets full guard.
Askren 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.
Tasker won't allow Askren to get back to his feet.
Tasker trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Tasker trying to control but Askren is working from the bottom.
Askren is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Tasker can do to turn this around?

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Tasker looking to pass the guard.
Askren wants to stand and escape but Tasker is having none of it.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Tasker lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Askren circles away quickly and effectively.
Tasker shoots in and drives through. Askren sprawls well.
Askren ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Tasker moves away.
Tasker tries to clinch up.
Tasker doesn't manage to clinch there - Askren circles away.
Tasker shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Askren pinned against the cage. Askren gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Askren throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Dan Tasker is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Askren misses with a body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Askren tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Tasker was well out of range. Poor timing from Askren.
Tasker is trying hard to land a takedown here. Askren sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Yen Askren has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Dan Tasker.
A big left from Askren misses.
Tasker tries to clinch up but Askren circles away and keeps his distance.
Tasker closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Askren looks to score with a jab to the body but Tasker is just out of range.
Tasker feints the counter takedown.
Nice body punch from Tasker.
Askren scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Tasker wants to clinch.

Tasker moves into range and clinches up with Askren.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Askren lands with a short shot to the head.
Tasker tries to pull guard but Askren forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Askren blocks an uppercut.

Tasker breaks the clinch.
Tasker throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Askren's waist but Askren gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Tasker off to one side.
It looked like Askren was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Tasker.
Askren lands the left hand.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Tasker lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Askren at a distance.
The fight stays on the outside here - Tasker looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Tasker lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Askren circles away quickly and effectively.
Tasker uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Askren.
Tasker moves in looking to clinch but Askren pushes him off.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yen Askren dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Askren misses with an uppercut. Tasker saw that one coming.
Askren looks to land a left hand but Tasker moved out of range nicely.
Tasker tries to bum rush Askren with a series of wild strikes but Askren uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Tasker ducks under a wild hook from Askren.
Askren slips under a jab from Tasker.
Tasker darts in looking for a takedown but Askren gets double underhooks and turns Tasker into the cage.
Tasker takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Tasker throws a series of punches but Askren moves out of range.
Tasker fails with the takedown
and Askren counters with a stiff right hand.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Tasker changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Askren looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Tasker working away.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Askren is looking to regain half guard here but Tasker keeps moving and retains side control.
Askren manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Askren keeping control of the position.

Tasker is looking for a kimura but Askren is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Tasker to get the leverage.
Tasker is looking to advance position but Askren won't allow it.
Askren trying to control but Tasker postures up.
Tasker prevents Askren from standing back up.
Askren wants to get back to full guard.
Tasker wants to take a breather but Askren is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Askren is trying to maintain the position but Tasker is very close to passing his half guard.
Askren works his way to full guard. Good work.
Tasker looking to pass the guard.
Tasker preventing the sweep.
Tasker's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Tasker trying to control but Askren is working from the bottom.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Askren lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Tasker tries to close the distance and clinch up but Askren swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Askren appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Tasker moves in looking to clinch but Askren pushes him off.
Tasker pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Askren back to the cage. Tasker follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Askren throws a hook to the side of Tasker's head but Tasker sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Tasker darts in looking for a takedown but Askren gets double underhooks and turns Tasker into the cage.
Yen Askren has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Dan Tasker.
Tasker shoots in but Askren avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Nice takedown defense from Askren. No joy for Tasker on that attempt.
Tasker with a poor takedown
and Askren counters with a stiff right hand.
Tasker takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
The fight stays on the outside here - Tasker looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Askren throws a poor cross that misses

and Tasker decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Askren's guard.
Tasker won't allow Askren to get back to his feet.

Askren manages to escape and get back to his feet.
Tasker displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Askren throws out the jab.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A combination from Askren does no damage.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Askren avoids a punch combination nicely.
Tasker misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Askren misses with a wild body shot.
Tasker wants to clinch up but Askren keeps it at a distance.
Tasker fails with a takedown attempt.
Tasker shoots in for a takedown but Askren shows good takedown defense.
Yen Askren is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Tasker fails with a takedown attempt.

And that's the end of the fight!
Yen Askren showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Askren, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Chris Saunders scores the fight 30:27
Judge Ryoma Takatsuka scores the fight 30:27
Judge Roger Salmon scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Yen Askren!
Yen Askren gave a mention to Freebok (85% Laundry) in his post fight interview. That will please them (and hopefully generate some sales).
In defeat, Dan Tasker stepped up to the mic, saying 'Would like to thank my sponsor freebok for there support. '.