PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Yaya Kouame (ranked 978 p4p, 1844 weight class) and Manuel Rios (ranked 139 p4p, 240 weight class). Kouame comes to the cage accompanied by 2Pac - All Eyez On Me. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Kouame
vs
Rios

189 cm
23
185
9 - 6 - 0

187 cm
25
193
2 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

BJJ Purple Belt
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Bondi MMA 🏝️
Conviction

Silverguard Outfitters 🛡
Furnace Performance 🔥

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Yaya Kouame!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Manuel Rios!
The judges for this bout are Chris Downing, Cecil Peabody and Wesley Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kouame throws an overhand right that lands on Rios's shoulder, as Rios tries to avoid the shot.
Kouame is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
A telegraphed right hand from Rios misses the target.
Rios lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Rios on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.

It looks like Manuel Rios has been cut.
Rios jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
We've been told by Kouame's head coaches at Gold Samurai's Gym that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.
Rios is looking to chop away at Kouame's legs.
Rios misses with a looping left.
Rios misses with a looping left.

Kouame takes the fight into the clinch.

Kouame manages to break the clinch.
Rios has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Kouame moves into range and clinches up with Rios.
Rios wants to get back to striking at distance but Kouame won't allow it.
Kouame swings wildly with an uppercut but Rios uses good head movement to avoid it.
Rios wants to get back to striking at distance but Kouame won't allow it.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Kouame breaks the clinch.
A looping hook to the body misses from Rios. Kouame does a little dance to reset his feet.
Kouame tries to close the distance and clinch but Rios swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
A left and a right from Rios both land. Nice combination.
Kouame clobbers Rios with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.

Kouame gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Kouame scores with a shot to the side of Rios's head.
Kouame misses with the head strike.

Kouame breaks from the clinch.
Kouame throws a jab when Rios was well out of range.
Rios moves forwards but Kouame connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Rios tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Kouame is looking to counter punch.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Rios fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Rios fails to land with a series of punches.
Kouame is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Kouame clinches.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rios tries to break the clinch but Kouame is controlling the position.
Rios blocking some punches.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Rios.
Rios is looking to break free of the clinch but Kouame has double underhooks.

Kouame breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Kouame's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Rios connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Kouame scrambles back to his feet.
Rios throws a shot from downtown. Kouame moves away and avoids it.
Kouame bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Kouame drops Rios with a naaaaasty hook - Rios is in real trouble here! Kouame dives in to side control and pounds out his opponent for a TKO victory! The crowd goes nuts!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:37 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Yaya Kouame!