PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Kev Yama (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kodee Neely (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The key to victory for Kev Yama has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Yama
vs
Neely

175 cm
22
175 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

185 cm
18
178 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Big heart

Good wrestler
Brawler
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Kev Yama!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Kodee Neely!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Yama drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Yama wanted to stand there but Neely had control of the position.
Neely trying to keep a closed guard but Yama is proving a slippery customer.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Yama would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Yama tries to free his leg and advance position but Neely is retaining full guard.
Neely is looking to sweep but instead, Yama has passed into half guard.
Yama prevents Neely from improving his position.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Neely shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Yama is trying to defend but Neely finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Neely trying to control the action but Yama is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Yama actively working from the bottom here.
Neely trying to control from half guard but Yama is working away.
Neely content to control rather than advance.
Yama wants to improve his position but Neely is controlling well.
Neely trying to pass the guard but Yama defending well.
Yama makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Yama.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Neely stopping the sweep attempt from Yama.
Neely is stalling in the full guard.
Yama has his hands on Neely's head, controlling the position.

Neely avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Yama is breathing heavily.
Neely trying to control the position from guard on top but Yama is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yama working a defensive guard here.
Neely trying to control but Yama is working from the bottom.
Yama wants to stand up but Neely is controlling him.
Neely trying to control the position from guard on top but Yama is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Kodee Neely.
Yama tries to close the distance and clinch up but Neely swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Neely looks to score with a jab to the body but Yama is just out of range.
Horrible takedown by Neely or perhaps it was just good defense by Yama which made him look bad.

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.

Yama throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Neely was covering up waiting for the punch and Yama finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Neely not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Neely can do anything to dispel that myth.
Yama wants to stand but Neely is controlling his posture from full guard.
Neely not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Neely seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Neely not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kev Yama dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Neely fails with the takedown

and Yama counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Neely's guard now.
Yama passes Neely's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Neely tries to roll over but Yama keeps him under control.

Yama is working for a kimura but Neely is defending it quite comfortably.
Yama is looking to take a break and control but Neely is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Yama scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Neely wants to control but Yama is keeping busy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yama trying to pass the guard but Neely defending well.
Yama thows a huge punch but Neely dodges it nicely.
Neely is trying is best to control the position here.

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

and Neely counters with a shoot takedown. Yama fights it but they end up in guard.
Yama keeping moving, preventing Neely from controlling successfully.
Yama is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Neely trying to control the position from guard on top but Yama is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neely stops Yama from standing up.
Neely wants to control from the top but Yama keeps moving.
Neely is pushing down on Yama's leg trying to pass to half guard. Yama is fighting to maintain full guard but Neely has managed to sneak the leg through.
Yama is looking to improve his position.

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

Neely shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Yama is desperately trying to improve his position but Neely has a good base and remains in mount.
Yama wants to control but Neely is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yama tries to reverse the position but Neely maintains control.
Yama is squirming around, avoiding Neely's attempts to control the action.
Yama is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Neely controlling the pace for now.
Yama keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Neely sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

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.
Neely wants to control the pace but Yama is squirming around nicely.
Yama is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Neely trying to control but Yama is having none of it.
Yama is trying desperately to improve position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kodee Neely showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Yama's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Yama uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Neely.
Yama is looking to clinch but Neely is avoiding it.
Yama fails to land with a series of punches.
Kev Yama is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Neely misses with an uppercut.
Neely has his takedown stuffed

and Yama counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Neely's guard now.
Neely really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Yama. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Yama wants to control from the top but Neely keeps moving.
Yama tries to stand but Neely is controlling from the bottom.
Kev Yama overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Neely is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Yama with a flurry of punches that miss.

Yama drops back looking for a leg! Neely is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Neely manages to kick Yama off! Yama jumps back into Neely's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Neely has his hands on Yama's head, controlling the position.
Neely is trying to control the position but Yama postures up.
Neely is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Yama slips under a jab.
Yama circles away from the clinch attempt.
Yama has his takedown stuffed

so Neely counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Yama tries to land a sweep but no joy.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yama controls Neely momentarily but Neely frees himself.
Neely trying to control the position from guard on top but Yama is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Neely stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Yama swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Yama throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Neely postures up.
Yama wants to sweep but no luck.
Neely trying to control but Yama 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.
Neely tries to clinch but Yama moves away

and Yama counters with a takedown into side control.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Neely takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Yama wants to control but Neely is keeping him busy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yama passes to full mount! That's big trouble for Neely!
Neely tries to lock up and control but Yama gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Yama with a couple of short strikes.

Yama is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Neely has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Neely!

Neely avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Neely stopping the sweep attempt from Yama.
Neely tries to free his leg and advance position but Yama is retaining full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yama is trying to keep Neely in close.
Yama keeping moving, preventing Neely from controlling successfully.
Neely loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Yama keeping moving, preventing Neely from controlling successfully.

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

Yama 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.
Yama scores with a decent looking elbow strike.

And that's the end of the fight!
Kev Yama showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Yama 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 Andi Peters scores the fight 29:28
Judge Gordon Ramsey scores the fight 29:28
Judge Frank Skinner scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kev Yama!