PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Felipe Alvez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kevin Yates (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The fight MMA fans around the world have waited their entire lives for!

Alvez
vs
Yates

172 cm
18
131 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

175 cm
22
135 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Self confident

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Felipe Alvez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Kevin Yates!
The judges for this bout are Paulo Santos, Edson Gomes and Emerson Jorge.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Yates closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Alvez to the mat! Alvez manages to get full guard.
Alvez keeping moving, preventing Yates from controlling successfully.
Alvez trying to control the position.
Yates is looking to work some ground and pound but Alvez has wrist control.
Yates not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Let's hope that Yates has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Yates is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

Kevin Yates has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Alvez defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Yates.

Yates throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Alvez tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Yates is in Alvez's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Alvez is looking to sweep but instead, Yates has passed into half guard.

Yates is working for a kimura but Alvez is defending it quite comfortably.
Yates throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

Yates decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.
Yates misses with an attempted mid kick.
Yates shoots for a double leg takedown but Alvez sprawls well. He's pushed Yates's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Yates misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Alvez.
Alvez pivots, looking for a leg kick but Yates is out of range and Alvez settles back down.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Alvez moves into range and clinches up with Yates.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.

Yates pulls guard successfully.
Alvez's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Yates 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.
Alvez knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Yates on the ground.
Alvez controlling from the top position.
Yates looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yates is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Felipe Alvez wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Yates takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
A combination from Yates does no damage.
Yates tries to close the distance and clinch but Alvez swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Alvez is defended easily by Yates.
Yates shoots in for a takedown but Alvez shows good takedown defense.
Felipe Alvez has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Kevin Yates.
Alvez tries to close the distance and clinch but Yates swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Yates is trying hard to land a takedown here. Alvez sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Yates looks gassed!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Alvez is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Alvez shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Yates is trying to defend but Alvez finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Yates wants to control but Alvez is keeping busy.
Yates wants to get back to his feet.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
The fighters are battling for position here. Yates manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kevin Yates dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Alvez shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Alvez with a poor takedown

and Yates holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Yates has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Alvez avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Yates looking to stall.
Yates is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Alvez pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Yates goes for a takedown in the clinch but Alvez prevents it.
Felipe Alvez has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Kevin Yates.

Yates pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Alvez goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Alvez lands with a nice body punch.
Alvez lands a jab-cross combination.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yates will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Yates is breathing heavily.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Alvez.
Alvez lands with an uppercut that bounces Yates off the cage and back into range.

Alvez shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Yates's guard.
Alvez is looking to stand up but Yates won't let him.
Kevin Yates has got the better of the ground game so far.
Yates pulls Alvez in to control the position.
Yates is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Alvez trying to control the position from guard on top but Yates is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Alvez throws a big right hand that misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Alvez fails with a takedown attempt.
Alvez misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Alvez tries for a takedown but Yates circles away easily

and Yates counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Alvez's guard now.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Yates wants to control from the top but Alvez keeps moving.

Yates stands up and waves to Alvez to follow him.
Alvez stuffs the takedown attempt from Yates. Yates gets slowly back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yates avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Alvez closes this distance looking for a takedown but Yates circles away.

Alvez instigates a clinch.

Yates's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Alvez misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Alvez fails with the takedown

and Yates counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

Yates escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Alvez fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Yates prevents the takedown attempt.

Yates jumps guard.
Yates trying to keep a closed guard but Alvez is proving a slippery customer.

Yates scrambles and gets back to his feet.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Alvez tries to clinch up.
Yates tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Alvez paws at him with a jab and circles away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Kevin Yates will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Alvez gets caught flat footed, as Yates shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Yates is pushing down on Alvez's leg trying to pass to half guard. Alvez is fighting to maintain full guard but Yates has managed to sneak the leg through.
Yates wants to take a breather but Alvez is having none of it.
Alvez wants to improve his position but Yates is controlling well.
Yates throwing shots but Alvez is blocking nicely.

Yates is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Alvez doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Yates.
Alvez misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yates controlling the action here.
Alvez wants to control but Yates is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Yates moves into full mount! Alvez won't be happy about that!
Yates misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Yates throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Yates can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Alvez is looking to escape.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Yates goes for an armbar but Alvez turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from Alvez.
Yates is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Alvez trying to control but Yates is working from the bottom.
Yates not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Alvez wants to stand and escape but instead Yates has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.

Yates stands up from Alvez's guard - Yates perhaps looking for a knockout.
Yates shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Alvez but Alvez pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Alvez fails with the takedown.

Yates moves into range and clinches up with Alvez.
Yates tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Alvez avoids it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Yates breaks the clinch.
Alvez blocks a head kick by Yates.
Alvez fails with the takedown.
Yates shoots in and drives through. Alvez sprawls well.
The fight stays on the outside here - Yates looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Alvez manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Yates on his heels. He'll look to pass Yates's guard now, I'm sure.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Alvez preventing the sweep.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Yates trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Kevin Yates comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Yates winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Paulo Santos scores the fight 27:30
Judge Edson Gomes scores the fight 27:30
Judge Emerson Jorge scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kevin Yates!