PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Esa Kettu (ranked 953 p4p, 860 weight class) and Kai Yamaguchi (ranked 128 p4p, 121 weight class). Yamaguchi has chosen Yama Yama as his entrance music. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Kettu
vs
Yamaguchi

179 cm
38
155
26 - 19 - 3

176 cm
43
157
46 - 18 - 1

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Granite chin

Good wrestler
World class MT
Granite chin

Altitude Clothing

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 26 - 19 - 3, fighting out of New York, Esa Kettu!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 46 - 18 - 1, fighting out of Sydney, Kai Yamaguchi!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, Frank Antenori and Don Winkell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kettu misses with a body shot.
Yamaguchi scores with a crisp jab that stopped Kettu in his tracks.
Kettu misses with a body shot.
Yamaguchi thumps Kettu with a low kick.
Kettu takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Kettu misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Yamaguchi.
Kettu checks the leg kick.
Kettu throws a looping overhand right but Yamaguchi ducks down to avoid it.
Kettu throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
enabling Yamaguchi to counter with a crisp jab.
Kettu swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Yamaguchi counters with a good low kick that Kettu was not able to check.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Yamaguchi lands a leg kick that knocks Kettu off balance momentarily.
Kettu looks to land a left hand but Yamaguchi moved out of range nicely.
Kettu rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
enabling Yamaguchi to counter with a crisp jab.
Kettu throws a left and a right that both miss
and Yamaguchi counters with a nice low kick that buckles Kettu's knee momentarily.
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!
Good shot there by Yamaguchi.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kettu throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Yamaguchi misses with a body shot.
Kettu uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Yamaguchi.
Kettu is looking to wear down Yamaguchi with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Kettu looks to score with a jab to the body but Yamaguchi is just out of range.
Yamaguchi fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Kettu connects with a jab.
Kettu checks the leg kick nicely there.
Yamaguchi jabs at Kettu's body.
Kettu throws a predictable looking body shot
and Yamaguchi counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Kettu looks to land a left hand but Yamaguchi moved out of range nicely.
Kettu works Yamaguchi's body with a nice hook.
Kettu swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Kettu looks to throw the jab but Yamaguchi is out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yamaguchi lands a front kick.
Kettu throws a right and a left that both miss.
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!
Kettu looks to throw the jab but Yamaguchi is out of range.
Yamaguchi keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Kettu looks to land a left hand but Yamaguchi moved out of range nicely.
Yamaguchi stuns Kettu with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Kettu fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Yamaguchi manages to avoid it.
Yamaguchi lands with a kick to the ribs.
Yamaguchi cracks Kettu with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Kettu misses with a hook to the body
and Yamaguchi connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
A looping hook to the body misses from Kettu. Yamaguchi does a little dance to reset his feet.
Yamaguchi is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Kettu with a body shot.
Yamaguchi takes a swing at Kettu's ribcage but misses.
Kettu looks to land a right hand but Yamaguchi moved out of range.
Kettu drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kettu staying out of range there.
Yamaguchi fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Kettu has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Kettu blocks the body kick.
Kettu lands a really nice looking cross but Yamaguchi seems unphased.
Kettu scores with a sloppy right hand. Yamaguchi should have avoided that one.
Yamaguchi slips under a jab.
Yamaguchi stuns Kettu with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Yamaguchi, as that shot connected.
Esa Kettu seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Kettu misses with a hook
and Yamaguchi counters with a low kick, right behind Kettu 's knee.
Kettu throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Kettu throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Yamaguchi counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Kettu with a hook.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Yamaguchi ducks under a wild hook from Kettu.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kettu takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Yamaguchi throws a big shot that misses.
Yamaguchi scores with a body shot.
Yamaguchi connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
The fighters circle momentarily. Yamaguchi darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Kettu is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Kettu swinging wildly here.
Yamaguchi is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Kettu with a body shot.
Kettu throws a left and a right that both miss
and Yamaguchi counters with a left to the body.
Yamaguchi throws a low kick but Kettu moves out of range easily.
Kettu lands with a cross.
Kettu looks to score with a jab to the body but Yamaguchi is just out of range.
Kettu fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Yamaguchi manages to avoid it.
Kettu stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Yamaguchi.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

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

Decent striking displayed by Kettu there.
Yamaguchi looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Yamaguchi scores with a punch to the head.
Yamaguchi throws a lazy right hand but Kettu sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
A jab from Kettu misses.
Yamaguchi counters with a body kick.
Kettu lands a jab to the nose.
Kettu throws a sloppy body shot
and Yamaguchi counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Yamaguchi uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Kettu.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Yamaguchi lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Kettu has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Kettu and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.
Kettu swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kettu throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Yamaguchi sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Kettu swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Yamaguchi counters with a nice low kick that buckles Kettu's knee momentarily.
Kettu has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Kettu throws a shot from downtown. Yamaguchi moves away and avoids it.
Kettu misses with a wild body shot.
Yamaguchi misses with a looping right.
Kettu seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kettu connects with a looping right hand.
Kettu is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Yamaguchi.
Kettu throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Kettu misses with a lunging right hand
and Kettu takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
The fighters circling - Kettu throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Yamaguchi is trying to counter with his kicks.
Yamaguchi is looking to land body kicks.
Yamaguchi has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Kettu throws a body shot but no joy.
Kettu avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Yamaguchi uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Kettu.
Yamaguchi looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Jab by Yamaguchi.
Yamaguchi throws a leg kick but Kettu sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Kettu throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Yamaguchi is looking to slow Kettu down with leg kicks.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kettu misses with a body shot.
Yamaguchi flicks out a counter leg kick but Kettu steps away.
Kettu ducks under a wild hook from Yamaguchi.
Kettu throws a one two combo.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Kettu swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Yamaguchi cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Kettu uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Yamaguchi.
A nice combination there by Kettu.
Kettu misses with a hook. Yamaguchi ducked under it nicely.
Kettu misses with a lunging right hand
and Yamaguchi counters with a thumping low kick.
Yamaguchi bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Yamaguchi uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Kettu.
Kettu takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Kettu swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
An inside leg kick from Yamaguchi misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kettu digs a good hook to Yamaguchi's body.
Yamaguchi looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Kettu shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Yamaguchi with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Kettu lands with a nice body punch.

Yamaguchi closes the distance and clinches.
Kettu can't find room to land a body shot as Yamaguchi controls the action.
Kettu lands a hook to the side of the head.
Yamaguchi misses with a short punch on the inside.
Kettu misses with a punch on the inside.
Kettu blocks a punch to the side of the head.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Kettu takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Yamaguchi misses with a body punch.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Kettu.
Yamaguchi misses with a punch on the inside.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yamaguchi lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Kettu backwards.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Yamaguchi misses with a punch on the inside.
Yamaguchi softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Yamaguchi has a couple of punches blocked by Kettu.
Kettu misses with a short punch on the inside.
Kettu is looking to control Yamaguchi's arms but Yamaguchi gets an underhook and turns him. Now Kettu has his back to the cage.
Yamaguchi lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Kettu backwards.
A bit of stalling here from Kettu.
A body shot lands from Kettu.
Kettu tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Kettu gets through Yamaguchi's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Kettu lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Yamaguchi misses with some punches.
Kettu blocking some punches.

Kettu breaks from the clinch.
Good work by Kettu as he checks the leg kick.
Yamaguchi digs a good body shot into Kettu's ribs.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Kai Yamaguchi will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Kettu slips under a jab from Yamaguchi.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Kettu cracks a nice hook into Yamaguchi's ribs.
Kettu throws an off balance right hand
and Yamaguchi counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Yamaguchi lands a nice hook to Kettu's body. Kettu takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Kettu looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Kettu throws a combination that misses
and Yamaguchi counters with a body kick that stops Kettu in his tracks momentarily.
A nice inside leg kick there by Yamaguchi. That's going to slow Kettu down.
Yamaguchi is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Kettu.
Yamaguchi throws a lazy right hand but Kettu sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Yamaguchi tries to land a front kick but Kettu steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Yamaguchi keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Kettu.
Yamaguchi scores with a spinning back kick!
Kettu throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Yamaguchi finishes the little exchange by landing a big kick to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kettu falls off balance throwing a combination
and Yamaguchi counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Kettu ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Yamaguchi moves away.
Yamaguchi digs a good hook to Kettu's body.
A combination from Kettu does no damage.
Yamaguchi only half commits to the counter leg kick.
Yamaguchi fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Kettu has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Yamaguchi lands a leg kick that knocks Kettu off balance momentarily.
Yamaguchi throws a low kick, looking for Kettu's leg but Kettu calmly moves out of range.
Yamaguchi lands a really nice looking cross but Kettu seems unphased.
Kettu misses with a hook
and Yamaguchi finishes the little exchange by landing a big kick to the body.
Yamaguchi throws out a loose jab but Kettu uses good head movement to avoid it.
A little feinted left hand from Kettu on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Yamaguchi throws a quick inside leg kick.
Yamaguchi misses with a hook. Kettu ducked under it nicely.
Esa Kettu has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kettu walks into a stiff left hand from Yamaguchi.
Yamaguchi misses with a left hand
and Kettu cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Kettu throws a right and a left that both miss.
Yamaguchi with a nice cross.
Kettu throws a body shot but no joy.
Yamaguchi takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Kettu jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Kettu misses with a right hand
and Yamaguchi cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Kettu takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Kettu throws out a loose jab but Yamaguchi uses good head movement to avoid it.
Yamaguchi steps in looking to counter with the mid kick but it doesn't connect.
Kai Yamaguchi is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Kettu throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
A low kick from Yamaguchi is predictable there
and Kettu connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kettu swings widly with a right hand
and Yamaguchi counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Kettu dips to his left and cracks Yamaguchi with an uppercut!
Yamaguchi rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Kettu moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Some bone on bone action there as Kettu checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Kettu tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Yamaguchi was well out of range. Poor timing from Kettu.
Yamaguchi follows through with a counter body kick but it doesn't land.
Yamaguchi throws a quick inside leg kick.
Yamaguchi throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Yamaguchi lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Kettu throws a right and a left that both miss.
Yamaguchi stuns Kettu with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Kettu misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Yamaguchi.
Yamaguchi connects with a solid leg kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yamaguchi jabs Kettu to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Yamaguchi misses with a body shot.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Yamaguchi uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Kettu.
A countering left hand to the body from Yamaguchi misses.
Yamaguchi jabbing away but nothing is landing.
A nice leg kick from Yamaguchi, right into the meat of the thigh.
Yamaguchi misses with a kick to the body.
Kettu misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Yamaguchi.
Yamaguchi misses with a looping left.
Yamaguchi scoring well with a low kick there.
Yamaguchi slips a straight right by Kettu.
A slow jab from Kettu misses its intended target.
Kettu looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Yamaguchi throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Kettu takes a shot to the body in his stride.

And that's the end of the fight!
Kai Yamaguchi comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Yamaguchi has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 27:30
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 28:29
Judge Don Winkell scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kai Yamaguchi!
A very excited looking Kai Yamaguchi made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.