PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Taka Yoshi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Marty Van Buren (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Van Buren has chosen Dead Souls as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Yoshi
vs
Van Buren

190 cm
24
220 lbs
13 - 4 - 0

186 cm
25
214 lbs
9 - 1 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Solid boxing
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the light heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 13 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Taka Yoshi!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Marty Van Buren!
The judges for this bout are Wesley Smith, Robert Twigg and Cecil Peabody.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Yoshi doesn't manage to clinch there - Van Buren circles away.
Yoshi fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Van Buren manages to avoid it.

Yoshi throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Van Buren was covering up waiting for the punch and Yoshi finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Yoshi won't allow Van Buren to sweep him here.
Yoshi looking to pass the guard.
Yoshi trying to control but Van Buren is working from the bottom.
Yoshi sitting in guard here, content to control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Van Buren avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Yoshi wants to control from the top but Van Buren keeps moving.
Yoshi pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Van Buren is keeping the position for now.
Yoshi stopping the sweep attempt from Van Buren.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Van Buren defending well as Yoshi loads up on a big left hand.
Yoshi misses with a straight right.
Yoshi lunges at Van Buren with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Van Buren's hand.
Van Buren on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Yoshi. Yoshi obviously looking to wear him down.
Marty Van Buren is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Van Buren lands a nice hook to Yoshi's body. Yoshi takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Van Buren throws a predictable looking body shot
and Yoshi counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Yoshi throws out a loose jab but Van Buren uses good head movement to avoid it.
Yoshi ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Van Buren moves away.
Yoshi shoots for a double leg takedown but Van Buren sprawls well. He's pushed Yoshi's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Van Buren thows a leg kick but Yoshi checks it
and Yoshi counters with a series of strikes. Van Buren will be more careful next time no doubt.
Yoshi 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.
Van Buren misses with a body punch

so Yoshi counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Van Buren keeping full guard, as Yoshi tries to pass.
Van Buren wants to sweep here but Yoshi controlling him for the moment.
Van Buren being controlled here, momentarily.
Yoshi wants to pass the guard but Van Buren is keeping the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Yoshi slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Van Buren wants to sweep here but Yoshi controlling him for the moment.

Van Buren throws his legs up looking for a submission but Yoshi uses it to pass to side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Taka Yoshi dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Van Buren takes a swing at Yoshi's ribcage but misses.
Yoshi misses with the combination.
Van Buren tries to clinch up.
Van Buren goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Van Buren takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Van Buren throws a head kick but Yoshi moves out of range.
A decent looking cross lands there for Yoshi.
Van Buren ducks under a wild hook from Yoshi.
Yoshi checks a leg kick.
Taka Yoshi seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Van Buren takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Yoshi connects with a good right hand that stumbles Van Buren. Van Buren circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Van Buren misses with a body shot.
Yoshi connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Van Buren displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Yoshi.
Van Buren misses with a hook. Yoshi ducked under it nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yoshi tries to clinch there but Van Buren circles away.

Yoshi has managed to clinch.
Van Buren is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Van Buren misses with a knee to the head.
Van Buren using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Yoshi has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Van Buren is looking to control Yoshi's arms but Yoshi gets an underhook and turns him. Now Van Buren has his back to the cage.
Yoshi wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Van Buren has him pressed against the cage.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Van Buren takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Van Buren misses with a knee strike.
Van Buren lands a nice elbow from the clinch.

Yoshi breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Yoshi dodges the punch combination from Van Buren.
Van Buren tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Yoshi was well out of range. Poor timing from Van Buren.
Van Buren throws a sloppy head kick
and Yoshi connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Van Buren lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.

Yoshi drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yoshi content to stall in guard here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Van Buren can't keep his opponent in guard - Yoshi advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yoshi throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Yoshi throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Van Buren keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Van Buren is staying active underneath Yoshi, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Yoshi not landing any meaningful shots this time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Yoshi works his way into full mount!
Yoshi landing strikes, looking to finish!
Yoshi lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Van Buren is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Yoshi can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Van Buren is looking to escape.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Taka Yoshi dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Van Buren throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Yoshi dives in and grabs Van Buren's left leg, looking for a takedown. Van Buren pushes down on Yoshi's head and hops out.
Yoshi misses with a jab to the body
and Van Buren counters with a body kick that stops Yoshi in his tracks momentarily.
Van Buren walks into a jab.
Yoshi misses with a body shot.
Van Buren scores with a leg kick.
Van Buren looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Good leg kick by Van Buren there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Van Buren throws a right and a left that both miss.
Yoshi tries to bum rush Van Buren with a series of wild strikes but Van Buren uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Yoshi throws an overhand right that lands on Van Buren's shoulder, as Van Buren tries to avoid the shot.
Van Buren tries a head kick but it misses.
Yoshi checks a leg kick nicely.
Van Buren swats away the attempt to clinch by Yoshi.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A combination from Van Buren does no damage.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Van Buren closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Yoshi did well to prevent Van Buren getting side control.
Yoshi holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.
Still in half guard, Van Buren seems content to control.
Yoshi trying to keep hold of his opponent's head but Van Buren manages to pass to mount!
Yoshi is trying to escape the mount.
Van Buren looking to control but Yoshi is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Van Buren misses with a head shot.
Yoshi is looking to get to half guard.
Van Buren lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Yoshi keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Van Buren avoids the attempt from Yoshi to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Van Buren wants to control the pace but Yoshi is squirming around nicely.
Yoshi working to try and regain half guard.
Van Buren trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Yoshi is looking to improve his position but Van Buren isn't that keen on the idea.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Van Buren trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Van Buren avoids the attempt from Yoshi to control.
Van Buren tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Yoshi wants to control but Van Buren is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Marty Van Buren really dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Yoshi closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Taka Yoshi overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Yoshi fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Yoshi is pausing for a moment. What's he doing? It looks like he's clearing his nose. Oh dude! He's shot a load of snot all down Van Buren's shoulder. That is not cool.
Yoshi trying to control the action but Van Buren is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yoshi throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Van Buren manages to get back to half guard.
Yoshi not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Yoshi throwing shots but Van Buren is blocking nicely.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Yoshi controlling the action here.
Van Buren tries to regain full guard. Instead though, Yoshi has advanced to mount. Uh oh.
Yoshi lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Van Buren wants to hold on but Yoshi pushes him away.
Van Buren tries to get back to half guard but can't.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Yoshi lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Van Buren wants to control but Yoshi is having none of it.
Yoshi trying to control but he's not successful this time.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Yoshi controlling from the full mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Taka Yoshi had his way with Marty Van Buren in that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Yoshi gets a takedown into half guard.
Yoshi seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Van Buren does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Yoshi is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Van Buren gets full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Van Buren looking to control.
Van Buren wants to sweep but no luck.
Van Buren is looking to sweep but instead, Yoshi has passed into half guard.

Yoshi seems like he's working for an arm triangle here. He's freed his trapped foot and he's rotating nicely. Van Buren is in big trouble! He's tapping out! This one is aaaaaaaaaaaall over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:02 of round 5, we have a winner by way of Submission (Arm Triangle). Taka Yoshi!
Taka Yoshi retains his light heavyweight title!