PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Miyata Ichiro (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Shingen Yamamoto (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ichiro comes into the arena with I'm Back blaring out of the sound system. There are an array of beautiful celebrities at ringside tonight! I wonder if any of them paid for their tickets.

Ichiro
vs
Yamamoto

182 cm
19
150 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

180 cm
18
150 lbs
0 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ White Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Miyata Ichiro!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Shingen Yamamoto!
The judges for this bout are Yasuomi Hirokawa, Tatsuya Matsuyama and Ren Mimura.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Yamamoto keeps the fight on the outside.

Yamamoto moves into range and clinches up with Ichiro.
Ichiro wants to break the clinch but can't.
Yamamoto takes a knee to the side of the body.
Yamamoto connects with a knee to the head.
Ichiro wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

Yamamoto breaks from the clinch.
Yamamoto throws a leg kick which misses Ichiro's front leg but catches the back leg as Ichiro tries to avoid it.
Yamamoto changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Ichiro tries to avoid it but Yamamoto manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Ichiro to the ground. Ichiro escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Ichiro dives in and grabs Yamamoto's left leg, looking for a takedown. Yamamoto pushes down on Ichiro's head and hops out.
Yamamoto swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Ichiro closes the distance looking to clinch
and Yamamoto counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Yamamoto doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Ichiro counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Yamamoto keeping moving, preventing Ichiro from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ichiro controlling from the top position.
Ichiro has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Yamamoto is proving hard to escape from.
Yamamoto looking for a sweep. Not yet Yamamoto, not yet.
Yamamoto keeping moving, preventing Ichiro from controlling successfully.

That's two 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.
Yamamoto working a defensive guard here.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Ichiro tries to clinch but Yamamoto moves out of range.

Yamamoto shoots in and bounces Ichiro off the ropes to secure the takedown into guard.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Yamamoto is fighting to break Ichiro's control of his arms but Ichiro is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ichiro striking off his back but it's not causing Yamamoto any problems.
Ichiro looking to hit a scissor sweep but Yamamoto is one step ahead there.
Ichiro keeping moving, preventing Yamamoto from controlling successfully.
Ichiro wants to stand up but Yamamoto is controlling him.
Yamamoto trying to control but Ichiro is working from the bottom.
Ichiro lands a good elbow from the bottom.
Yamamoto trying to control but Ichiro is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

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

Ichiro closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Ichiro lands in his opponent's guard.
Ichiro slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Sloppy strikes there by Ichiro.
Yamamoto wants to control but Ichiro postures up.
Ichiro controls the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Miyata Ichiro dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Yamamoto throws a head kick that Ichiro semi-blocks.

Ichiro closes the distance and pushes Yamamoto back into the ropes.
Ichiro cracks Yamamoto with a nice body shot.
Yamamoto tries to pull guard but Ichiro won't allow it.
Ichiro has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Yamamoto avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Ichiro jumps guard but Yamamoto stands there with Ichiro around his waist. Ichiro gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Ichiro tries to land a knee to the head but Yamamoto blocks with his arms.
Yamamoto drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Yamamoto lands a good knee to the midsection. Ichiro won't want to take too many of those.
Ichiro drops down looking for an ankle pick but Yamamoto pulls his leg out and moves away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Miyata Ichiro. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Ichiro tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Yamamoto counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Ichiro is lucky that one didn't land flush.

Ichiro closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yamamoto is trying to get back to half guard.
Yamamoto avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Ichiro.
Ichiro working away.
Ichiro looks up at the clock and then as Yamamoto takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Ichiro smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!

Ichiro stands up.
A punch combination from Yamamoto misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.

Yamamoto moves into the clinch successfully.
Ichiro jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Yamamoto walks away with a smile on his face. Ichiro gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Ichiro fails in his attempt to clinch.
Yamamoto fails with an attempt to clinch.
Ichiro throws a shot from downtown. Yamamoto moves away and avoids it.
The fight stays on the outside here - Yamamoto looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Ichiro fails in his attempt to clinch.

Ichiro decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Yamamoto is trying to control but Ichiro passes into side control!
Yamamoto gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yamamoto has his hands clasped together around Ichiro's back. He's all about the action.
Yamamoto is looking to escape.
Yamamoto is trying to maintain the position but Ichiro is very close to passing his half guard.
Yamamoto wants to get back to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Yamamoto is trying to stand back up but Ichiro is controlling him
Ichiro really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Yamamoto manages to get to full guard.
Ichiro pushes down on Yamamoto's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Ichiro wants to take a breather but Yamamoto is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Miyata Ichiro dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Ichiro doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Yamamoto counters with a shoot takedown. Ichiro fights it but they end up in guard.
Ichiro looking to control.
Yamamoto controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Yamamoto wants to control from the top but Ichiro keeps moving.
Yamamoto distracts Ichiro with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Yamamoto pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Ichiro is keeping the position for now.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Yamamoto connects with a couple of short punches.
Ichiro is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.

Ichiro throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ichiro keeping moving, preventing Yamamoto from controlling successfully.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Yamamoto is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Ichiro keeping full guard, as Yamamoto tries to pass.
Ichiro has a closed guard, preventing Yamamoto from standing up.

Ichiro throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

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.
Yamamoto trying to control but Ichiro is working from the bottom.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Yamamoto lands with a nice body kick.
Ichiro wants to clinch up but Yamamoto keeps it at a distance.
Yamamoto fails with a takedown attempt.
Ichiro will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

Yamamoto shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Ichiro is trying to control but can't.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yamamoto wants to get back to his feet.
Yamamoto is looking to take a break and control but Ichiro is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Yamamoto lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Ichiro tries to get to full guard but Yamamoto has control of the leg.
Ichiro is refusing to be controlled, as Yamamoto sits in half guard.
Yamamoto wants to stand but Ichiro has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.

Ichiro looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Yamamoto feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Yamamoto wants to control from the top but Ichiro keeps moving.
Ichiro tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Yamamoto trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Shingen Yamamoto has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Miyata Ichiro is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Yamamoto won't allow Ichiro to sweep him here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Shingen Yamamoto comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Ichiro has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 29:28
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 29:28
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Miyata Ichiro!