PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Yoshimitsu Yamamoto (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Fay Merisk (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Yamamoto comes to the cage accompanied by Yada Yada Yada By : Tech N9ne. This should be fireworks!

Yamamoto
vs
Merisk

169 cm
25
155 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

173 cm
20
162 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Good chin

Good wrestler
Brawler
Good gas tank

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Yoshimitsu Yamamoto!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Fay Merisk!
The judges for this bout are Kenichi Hosakawa, Hirohito Nitta and Sosuke Kotani.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Merisk gets caught flat footed, as Yamamoto shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.

Yamamoto drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Yamamoto jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Yamamoto trying to control the position from guard on top but Merisk is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Merisk wants to get back to his feet but Yamamoto is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Merisk keeping moving, preventing Yamamoto from controlling successfully.

Merisk has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Yamamoto can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

Merisk looking for a guillotine here but Yamamoto defends easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yamamoto throwing strikes but missing.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Yamamoto lands a high kick!
Merisk fails with an attempt to clinch.
Merisk misses with a jab, cross combination.
Yamamoto lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.

Merisk shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Yamamoto manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Yamamoto can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Merisk controls the pace.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Merisk wanted to stand there but Yamamoto had control of the position.

Merisk stands up from Yamamoto's guard - Merisk perhaps looking for a knockout.
Yamamoto moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Merisk tries for a takedown but Yamamoto circles away easily
enabling Yamamoto to counter with a crisp jab.
Merisk swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Yamamoto counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Merisk!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yamamoto throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Yamamoto is trying to stand up but he's being controlled by his opponent.
Yamamoto is breathing heavily.
Merisk wants to control but Yamamoto is having none of it.
Yamamoto thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!

Yamamoto has hold of Merisk's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Merisk manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Merisk is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.
Merisk is working to get back to half guard.

Yamamoto is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Merisk is surviving well by controlling Yamamoto's body position as best he can.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Merisk throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Merisk can do anything to dispel that myth.
Yamamoto prevents Merisk from getting the reversal.
Merisk gets back to half guard.
Merisk is trying is best to control the position here.

Merisk manages to escape and get back to his feet!
Merisk throws a head kick that misses.

Merisk rushes Yamamoto and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Merisk is trying to break the clinch but Yamamoto is controlling him.
Merisk fails to pull guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Merisk tries to clinch up.

Yamamoto scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Merisk is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Merisk is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Merisk gets full guard.
Yamamoto trying to control the position from guard on top but Merisk is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Merisk is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Merisk has control of Yamamoto's left arm, preventing Yamamoto from doing any damage.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Merisk looking for a sweep. Not yet Merisk, not yet.

Merisk working for a triangle but Yamamoto defends it easily.

Merisk is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Yamamoto defends well.
Merisk utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

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.

Merisk shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Yamamoto is trying to defend but Merisk finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Yamamoto tries to roll over but Merisk keeps him under control.
Still in half guard, Merisk seems content to control.
Merisk sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Yamamoto defending well though.
Merisk trying to control the pace.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Merisk tries to pass the half guard into mount. Yamamoto knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Merisk trying to control the pace.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Merisk wants to pass the guard but Yamamoto is defending well.
Yamamoto is trying to control but can't.

Merisk escapes and gets back to his feet.
Fay Merisk seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Merisk fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Yamamoto sprawls well initially but Merisk persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Merisk in particular looking to stall.
Merisk really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Yamamoto. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Merisk not landing any meaningful shots this time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Fay Merisk showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Merisk tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Yamamoto is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Merisk stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Yamamoto.
The fight stays on the outside here - Yamamoto looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Yamamoto tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Merisk counters with a single leg into guard. Yamamoto didn't expect that.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Merisk is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Merisk looking to pass the guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Merisk sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Merisk wants to stand but Yamamoto is controlling his posture from full guard.
Merisk postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

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.
Merisk looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Merisk wants to get up but he can't break Yamamoto's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Merisk controls from within his opponent's guard.
Merisk must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

Merisk decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Merisk darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Merisk wants to free his trapped foot but Yamamoto is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Merisk looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Yamamoto has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Merisk is working away from the top position though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Merisk sitting and controlling from the half guard.

Merisk stands up from half guard.
Merisk is looking to clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
Fay Merisk comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Merisk has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 28:29
Judge Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 28:29
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Fay Merisk!