PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Goro Yamamoto (ranked 5719 p4p, 3949 weight class) and Abdullah Keita (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both these guys have solid standup skills and neither is particularly fantastic on the ground, so let's hope for a nice standup war!

Yamamoto
vs
Keita

191 cm
25
158
0 - 1 - 0

185 cm
25
157
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Powerful

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Goro Yamamoto!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Abdullah Keita!
The judges for this bout are Reed Andrews, Jonathan Paton and Joseph Jones.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The fight stays on the outside here - Yamamoto looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Yamamoto tries to close the distance and clinch but Keita swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Yamamoto shoots in and drives through. Keita sprawls well.
Keita misses with a few strikes there.
Keita dips to his left and cracks Yamamoto with an uppercut!
A combination from Keita does no damage.
Keita throws a hook but Yamamoto avoids it easily.
Keita looks to land a combination but Yamamoto avoids it well.
Keita misses with a straight left.
Yamamoto is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Keita.
Keita misses with the combination.
Keita checks a leg kick.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Keita swinging wildly here.
Keita fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Keita throws a nice looking combination but Yamamoto bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Keita looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yamamoto fails with an attempt to clinch.
Keita works over Yamamoto's head and body with a nice combination.
Yamamoto will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Yamamoto will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Goro Yamamoto. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Keita pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Keita leaves Yamamoto with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Yamamoto tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Keita paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Yamamoto tries a head kick but it misses.
Yamamoto fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
A punch combination from Keita misses.
Yamamoto is looking to clinch but Keita is avoiding it.
Keita takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Yamamoto really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Keita stuffs the takedown.
Keita unleashes a big counter combination but Yamamoto bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.
Yamamoto is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Yamamoto cracks Keita with a right hand to the side of the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Yamamoto closes the distance and clinches up with Keita, looking for a takedown. Yamamoto pushes Keita against the cage but Keita circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Keita throws the left hand but Yamamoto avoids the punch easily.
Yamamoto tries a head kick but it misses.
Keita looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Keita fails to land with a series of punches.
Keita defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Yamamoto.
Abdullah Keita seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Yamamoto is breathing heavily.
Keita falls off balance throwing a combination
and Yamamoto counters with a thumping low kick.
Yamamoto is trying hard to land a takedown here. Keita sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Keita throws out a counter right but Yamamoto avoids it with no problem.
Keita swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Keita avoids a kick to the body.
Danga de danga de dang - Keita scores with a four punch combination!
Keita throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Yamamoto slips a jab from Keita.
Keita just manages to avoid a counter high kick fromYamamoto.
Keita throws a hook but Yamamoto avoids it easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yamamoto shoots in looking for a takedown. Keita tries to sprawl out of it but Yamamoto keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Keita manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Yamamoto looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Yamamoto closes the distance and clinches up with Keita, looking for a takedown. Yamamoto pushes Keita against the cage but Keita circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Keita scores with a three punch combo!
Keita lands a two punch combo.
Keita swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Yamamoto counters with a three punch combo that has Keita backing up. Keita nods at Yamamoto to acknowledge the strikes.

Yamamoto clinches up with Keita and pushes him back against the cage.
Yamamoto prevents Keita from breaking the clinch.
Keita is trying to push Yamamoto away but Yamamoto has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
A body shot lands from Yamamoto.
Keita has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

Yamamoto breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Keita swinging wildly here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yamamoto misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Keita looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Yamamoto lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Keita keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Yamamoto takes one on the button.
A punch combination from Keita misses.
Yamamoto plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Yamamoto tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Keita manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Despite the aggression on Keita's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Keita tries to bum rush Yamamoto with a series of wild strikes but Yamamoto uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Keita takes a kick to the side of the head.

Yamamoto has Keita up against the cage in a clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Abdullah Keita dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

The fight stays on the outside here - Yamamoto looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Keita lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Yamamoto circles away quickly and effectively.
Yamamoto slips a jab and a cross from Keita.
Yamamoto shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Keita pinned against the cage. Keita gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Keita throws a nice looking combination but Yamamoto bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Keita throws a series of strikes that have Yamamoto backpedaling.
Yamamoto rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Keita moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Yamamoto shoots in but no luck this time.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Yamamoto tries to clinch but Keita is having none of it.
No joy there for Keita, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Keita is breathing heavily.
Yamamoto shoots for a takedown but Keita saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Goro Yamamoto. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Some wild striking there from Keita.
Yamamoto tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Keita manages to circle out of the way.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Keita gets tackled into the cage by Yamamoto. Yamamoto maintains the clinch.

Keita breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Yamamoto shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Keita sprawls well. Keita wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Yamamoto gets slowly back to his feet.
Keita misses with a two punch combination.
Keita will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Yamamoto showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Keita.
Keita stuffs the takedown attempt from Yamamoto. Yamamoto gets slowly back to his feet.
Keita throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Yamamoto scores with a one two! Keita had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Yamamoto closes this distance looking for a takedown but Keita circles away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Keita scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Keita pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Keita misses with the combination.
Yamamoto throws a one two combo.
Yamamoto slips a jab and a cross from Keita.
Yamamoto tries to counter with a takedown but Keita is quick to defend against it.
An inside leg kick lands from Yamamoto.
Yamamoto throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Keita looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Yamamoto is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Despite the aggression on Keita's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Keita keeps the fight on the outside.
Keita has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Keita misses with a series of wild punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Keita keeps the fight on the outside.
Yamamoto has a takedown stuffed.
Keita throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Yamamoto sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Keita misses with a double jab
and Yamamoto counters with a two punch combo.
The fight stays on the outside here - Yamamoto looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Yamamoto tries to clinch but Keita moves out of range.
A jab from Keita misses.
Keita swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Yamamoto shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Keita as he avoids it easily.
Yamamoto tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Yamamoto shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Keita defends it nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Keita's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Keita duly obliges.
Yamamoto looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Keita is fending him off so far but Yamamoto persists. Nope, Keita circles away and we're back to standing.
A punch combination from Keita misses.
Yamamoto shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Keita as he jumps to the side.
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!
Keita avoids a punch combination nicely.
Keita throws a combination. Yamamoto tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Keita throws a combination that misses
and Yamamoto counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Keita avoids the head kick by Yamamoto.
As Yamamoto backs off Keita throws a huge counter combo but Yamamoto manages to avoid it all.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Abdullah Keita showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Yamamoto closes the distance and clinches up with Keita, looking for a takedown. Yamamoto pushes Keita against the cage but Keita circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
No joy there for Keita, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Keita looks to throw the jab but Yamamoto is out of range.
Yamamoto dodges the punch combination from Keita.
Yamamoto slips a jab and a cross from Keita.
Keita throws a series of punches but Yamamoto moves out of range.
A swing and a miss from Keita.
Keita avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Yamamoto fails with the takedown.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Keita misses with a jab, cross combination.
Abdullah Keita seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Keita throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Yamamoto.
Yamamoto closes this distance looking for a takedown but Keita circles away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Goro Yamamoto. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Yamamoto is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Abdullah Keita is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yamamoto fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Keita avoids it really well and circles away.
Keita looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Keita will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Yamamoto throws a head kick that Keita semi-blocks.
Yamamoto shoots in for a takedown but Keita shows good takedown defense.
Yamamoto dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Keita swinging wildly here.
Yamamoto changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Yamamoto fails with the takedown.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Keita misses with a two punch combination.
Goro Yamamoto is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Keita throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Yamamoto.
Keita tries to bum rush Yamamoto with a series of wild strikes but Yamamoto uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Yamamoto shoots for a double leg takedown but Keita sprawls well. He's pushed Yamamoto's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Keita lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
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!
Keita throws a series of punches but Yamamoto avoids them all with ease.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Yamamoto.
Keita throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Yamamoto sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Keita swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

Yamamoto fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Keita, pushing him back against the cage.
Yamamoto jumps guard but Keita turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Keita has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

Keita breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Keita thows a left - swing and a miss!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yamamoto tries to clinch but Keita moves out of range.
Keita swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Yamamoto throws a series of punches but Keita moves out of range.
Yamamoto fails with an attempt to clinch.
Yamamoto tries to clinch but Keita is having none of it.
Yamamoto will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Left hook, right uppercut from Keita.
Keita misses with a combination
and Yamamoto counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Keita lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Yamamoto darts in looking for a takedown but Keita gets double underhooks and turns Yamamoto into the cage.
Yamamoto avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Keita tries to bum rush Yamamoto with a series of wild strikes but Yamamoto uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Keita misses with a two punch combination.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Yamamoto tries to close the distance and clinch but Keita swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Yamamoto tries a head kick but it misses.
Yamamoto wants to clinch up but Keita keeps it at a distance.
The crowd cheers as Keita lands an impressive looking overhand right. Yamamoto doesn't seem phased though.
Yamamoto shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Keita defends it nicely.
Yamamoto walks into a jab.
Yamamoto staying out of range there.
Yamamoto tests Keita's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Keita throws an off balance right hand
and Yamamoto counters with a two punch combo.
Keita throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Goro Yamamoto has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Abdullah Keita is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
That kick from Yamamoto tenderised Keita's leg. Keita is trying to keep his angry face on.

And that's the end of the fight!
Abdullah Keita comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Keita 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 Reed Andrews scores the fight 27:30
Judge Jonathan Paton scores the fight 27:30
Judge Joseph Jones scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Abdullah Keita!