PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Yoshikatsu Nakao (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Daisuke Yamamoto (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Daisuke Yamamoto looks lathargic as he enters the arena. Wake up son, you're about to have a fight!

Nakao
vs
Yamamoto

181 cm
20
211 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

190 cm
18
210 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Big heart

Good takedowns
Brawler
Enjoys gardening

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Yoshikatsu Nakao!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Daisuke Yamamoto!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Fujiwara, Shirou Masuda and Tatsuya Matsuyama.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Yamamoto is trying hard to land a takedown here. Nakao sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.

Nakao gets a clinch.
Nakao lands a body shot in the clinch.
Nakao stops a takedown attempt from Yamamoto.

Nakao breaks the clinch.

Nakao clinches up against the cage.
Yamamoto has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Nakao avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Yoshikatsu Nakao has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Daisuke Yamamoto.
Nakao lands a knee to the body.
Yamamoto tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Yamamoto wants a takedown but no success here.
Yamamoto looks gassed!

Nakao pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Nakao closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Nakao breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Nakao darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Nakao is controlling the pace.
Nakao has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yamamoto is looking for a sweep. Nakao is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

Nakao decides to stand and escape the position.
Nakao throws a head kick that misses.
Yamamoto fails with the takedown

and Nakao counters with a nice double leg into side control. Yamamoto won't be happy with that.
Nakao takes a little break here. Yamamoto wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.
Yamamoto tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Nakao wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Nakao wants to control but Yamamoto is keeping him busy.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The ground and pound from Nakao seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Nakao working the head and body with strikes.
Yamamoto tries to improve position but can't.
Yamamoto can't do much from the bottom here.
Nakao is looking to take a break and control but Yamamoto is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Nakao has Yamamoto up against the cage in a clinch.

Nakao is trying to trip Yamamoto. He has hold of a leg but Yamamoto is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Nakao persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Nakao trying to control the position from guard on top but Yamamoto is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Yamamoto wants to sweep here but Nakao controlling him for the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Nakao content to stall in guard here.
Nakao preventing the sweep.
Nakao sitting in guard here, content to control.
Nakao throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Yamamoto works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

Nakao stands and steps away. Yamamoto gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.

Nakao clinches.
Yamamoto wants a takedown.
Yamamoto goes for a takedown in the clinch but Nakao prevents it.

Nakao has Yamamoto pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Nakao pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Yamamoto tumbling to the mat - Nakao dives into Yamamoto's guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Yamamoto tries to land a sweep but no joy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yamamoto keeping moving, preventing Nakao from controlling successfully.

Nakao gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Yamamoto misses with a takedown

and Nakao counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Yamamoto wants to sweep but no luck.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Yamamoto keeping moving, preventing Nakao from controlling successfully.
Nakao has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Nakao looking to pass the guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yoshikatsu Nakao dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Yamamoto shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Nakao counters by moving into the clinch.
Yamamoto goes for a takedown attempt but Nakao pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

Nakao bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
You can see the frustration on Yamamoto's face as Nakao controls the position.
Yamamoto is looking to slip a leg under and get half guard but Nakao is one step ahead and moves to full mount!
Nakao trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Nakao with good strikes from the mount here!
Yamamoto is squirming around, avoiding Nakao's attempts to control the action.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Yamamoto is desperately trying to improve his position but Nakao has a good base and remains in mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yamamoto is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Nakao can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Yamamoto is looking to escape.
Yamamoto is desperately trying to improve his position but Nakao has a good base and remains in mount.
Nakao tries to control but Yamamoto wriggling away.
Nakao throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Yamamoto is trying desperately to improve position.
Nakao pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.

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.
Yamamoto working to try and regain half guard.
Nakao could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Nakao knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Yamamoto on the ground.
Yoshikatsu Nakao overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Nakao cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Yamamoto keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Nakao dominating with strikes here.
A nice elbow there by Nakao.
Yamamoto manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Yamamoto is looking for a sweep. Nakao is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Nakao is trying to control the action in half guard but Yamamoto is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Yamamoto tries to get to full guard but Nakao has control of the leg.
Nakao thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Yamamoto's head.
Yamamoto throws a strike from the bottom that misses.

Nakao is trying to work for a kimura. He's got his hands clasped together - this could be trouble! No, Yamamoto has managed to free his arm - good work.
Yamamoto moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Yamamoto looking for a sweep. Not yet Yamamoto, not yet.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Nakao shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Yamamoto manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yoshikatsu Nakao dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Nakao changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Yamamoto looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Yamamoto gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Yamamoto is refusing to be controlled, as Nakao sits in half guard.
Nakao prevents Yamamoto from improving his position.
Nakao is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Yamamoto is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Nakao wants to lay and pray for a moment but Yamamoto keeps working.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Nakao in particular looking to stall.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yamamoto makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Yamamoto.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Yamamoto is on top in guard.
Yamamoto slips nicely into half guard.
Yamamoto prevents Nakao from improving his position.
Nakao is working hard here to advance position.
Yamamoto passes to full mount!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yamamoto thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Nakao slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Yamamoto stops Nakao from getting back to his feet.
Yamamoto passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Nakao!
Yamamoto forces the positional change into back control.
Yamamoto tries to keep control of the position but Nakao is staying busy.
Nakao has his hands over his head blocking the strikes from Yamamoto.
Nakao trying to control but not successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yamamoto just keeping the dominant position. He can't wait too long though, otherwise the referee will stand them back up.
Yamamoto struggling to land strikes to the head as Nakao covers up.
Yamamoto trying to control.

Yamamoto patiently working for the choke. Which fighter will keep their nerve here?
Yamamoto somehow managing to miss with a strike from the back.
Nakao wants to escape the position.

Nakao preventing the rear naked choke attempt from Yamamoto.
Nakao just trying to survive but Yamamoto is wriggling into a better position, looking to finish.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Nakao showing good submission defense here.

Nakao showing good submission defense here.
Nakao manages to reverse the position and now he's in Yamamoto's guard. Nice work there by Nakao.
Yamamoto wants to sweep but no luck.
Yamamoto keeping moving, preventing Nakao from controlling successfully.
Yamamoto is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

And that's the end of the fight!
Daisuke Yamamoto comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Nakao has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 29:27
Judge Shirou Masuda scores the fight 29:27
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 29:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Yoshikatsu Nakao!