PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Yuhki Tajima (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rickson Alves (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Buckle up people - heeeeeeeeeere we go!

Tajima
vs
Alves

183 cm
20
184 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

178 cm
22
185 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

Syndicate Drugs

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Yuhki Tajima!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rickson Alves!
The judges for this bout are Seu Braga, Daniel Cesar and Leandro Rodrigues.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Alves misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Alves fails with the takedown.
Alves misses with a takedown attempt - Tajima sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Yuhki Tajima has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rickson Alves.
Alves fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Tajima keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tajima stuffs the takedown attempt from Alves. Alves gets slowly back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Tajima changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Alves looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.

Tajima goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Alves rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Tajima's guard! Nice work there by Alves!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Tajima looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

Alves avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

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

Tajima is looking for a triangle but Alves pushes his legs off easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Tajima is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

Tajima is looking for a triangle but Alves pushes his legs off easily.

Tajima throws his legs up looking for a submission but Alves uses it to pass to side control.

Alves is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Tajima knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for leaving it all in the cage!

Alves tries for a kimura but Tajima is defending well.
Tajima is looking for a sweep.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tajima is looking to slip a leg under and get half guard but Alves is one step ahead and moves to full mount!
Tajima tries to control Alves's head but Alves pushes him back down and moves quickly to lock up an arm here - he's swung around for an armbar! Will he get it??? Yes! Tajima is tapping out! Lovely Jiu Jitsu there!
Tajima prevents Alves from taking his back.
Tajima is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Tajima wants to improve position but instead he's given up his back.
Tajima trying to control but not successfully.
Tajima breaks Alves's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
Tajima is breathing heavily.
Tajima trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Alves manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!
Alves postures up.

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.
Alves trying to control the position from guard on top but Tajima is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

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

Tajima looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

Alves thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Alves pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Tajima is keeping the position for now.

Tajima looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

Alves avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

Tajima looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Alves has his takedown stuffed

and Tajima counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Tajima.
Alves keeping moving, preventing Tajima from controlling successfully.

Tajima is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Alves is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Alves has escaped and now he's on top!

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

Alves avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Alves trying to control but Tajima is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Tajima working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Alves doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Alves manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Tajima keeping moving, preventing Alves from controlling successfully.
Alves is looking to stand up but Tajima won't let him.
Alves wants to control from the top but Tajima keeps moving.
Alves is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Tajima is on top in guard.
Tajima works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Alves manages to get to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tajima trying to control the position from guard on top but Alves is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Alves bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Tajima's guard.

Tajima throws his legs up looking for a submission but Alves uses it to pass to side control.
Tajima looking for a sweep but Alves has passed into full mount! Oh no!
Alves throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Tajima is wriggling around trying to escape.
Tajima is squirming around, avoiding Alves's attempts to control the action.
Tajima slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Yuhki Tajima overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Tajima looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

Alves seems to be working for a kimura but Tajima defends the submission attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Alves is looking to take a break and control but Tajima is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Tajima looking for submissions off his back.
Tajima is looking to get back to full guard here but Alves has managed to pass to side control instead.
Tajima is wriggling around here but as he tries to escape, Alves has taken his back.
Tajima tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Alves trying to control but Tajima is having none of it.
Tajima gets back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tajima gets back to full guard.
Alves throwing strikes from guard but Tajima blocks nicely.

Tajima is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Alves trying to control but Tajima is working from the bottom.

Alves thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Alves stopping the sweep attempt from Tajima.
Tajima manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Alves manages to get himself to full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yuhki Tajima dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Tajima has his takedown stuffed

so Alves counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Alves stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Tajima swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Tajima looking to hit a scissor sweep but Alves is one step ahead there.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Tajima controlling Alves's posture.

Tajima looking for a guillotine here but Alves defends easily.

Alves drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Alves jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Tajima looking for a guillotine here but Alves defends easily.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Alves is looking to work some ground and pound but Tajima has wrist control.
Alves looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

Tajima working for a triangle but Alves defends it easily.

Tajima throws his legs up looking for a submission but Alves uses it to pass to side control.
Alves gets to mount! Tajima was on the offensive and wasn't defending properly.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tajima is working to get back to half guard.
Tajima tries to improve his position but instead Alves has taken his back!
You know, I was talking to some of our celebrities at ringside tonight and they were split right down the middle on who was going to win this fight.

Alves is looking to finish the fight by rear naked choke. Tajima knows exactly what he's got planned though, so he's defending well. Maybe a few strikes would soften Tajima for a finish.

Tajima preventing the rear naked choke attempt from Alves.

Tajima defending nicely against the rear naked choke attempt.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Alves missing with strikes from the back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tajima trying to control the hands but Alves breaks the grip.
Will Alves go for the finish here or will he try and keep control of the position?
Alves keeps control of the position as Tajima tries to break free.

Alves working for a RNC but it's not happening just yet.
Tajima wants to control his opponent's hands but Alves gets his hands free.
A lull in the action here.

Alves is looking to finish the fight by rear naked choke. Tajima knows exactly what he's got planned though, so he's defending well. Maybe a few strikes would soften Tajima for a finish.
Alves doesn't have the hooks in and Tajima manages to turn into his guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Alves throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Tajima drops back, looking for a kneebar! Alves looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Alves looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Alves!

Alves tries for a kimura but Tajima is defending well.
Tajima is looking for a sweep.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Alves moves into full mount!
Rickson Alves has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Alves moves to back control.
Alves somehow managing to miss with a strike from the back.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rickson Alves comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Tajima 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 Seu Braga scores the fight 28:28
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 28:28
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 28:28

The fight is ruled a draw!