PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Yap Taylor (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Johnny Chase (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Johnny Chase will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Taylor
vs
Chase

185 cm
22
185 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

180 cm
23
194 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

Decent wrestler
Brawler
Self confident

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

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 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Yap Taylor!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Johnny Chase!
The judges for this bout are Ren Mimura, Shirou Masuda and Yuuki Gou.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Taylor shoots and misses

and Chase moves into the clinch.
Chase wants to break free but Taylor has control.
Chase wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Taylor has Chase pressed against the cage, preventing Chase from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Chase letting Taylor take a breather here.
Chase is trying to push Taylor away but Taylor has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.

Chase pulls guard.
Chase lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Taylor!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Chase wants to control the pace but Taylor is squirming around nicely.
Chase throwing strikes here but Taylor is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Taylor tries to hold on but Chase pushes him away.
Taylor keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Chase throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
Chase scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Taylor tries to hold on but Chase postures up.
Chase can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Taylor is looking to escape.
Chase blocks Taylor's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Taylor looking to escape from mount but he's given up his back!

Chase working for the choke.
Chase is hanging on to Taylor's back as he tries to escape.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Chase trying to control momentarily.
Chase is not going to allow Taylor to sit and survive in this position.
Will Chase go for the finish here or will he try and keep control of the position?
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taylor turns into Chase and is now in his guard.
Taylor stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Chase swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Taylor advances position into side control!
Taylor sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Chase is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Taylor staying calm.
Taylor in side control, throwing shots but Chase defends.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Taylor looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Taylor wants to lay and pray for a moment but Chase keeps working.
Chase is trying to control Taylor's posture but Taylor avoids it.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Taylor swings around for an armbar but Chase sees it coming a mile off and turns beautifully into Taylor's guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Johnny Chase will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Chase closes the distance looking to clinch

and Taylor counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Taylor controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Chase trying to keep a closed guard but Taylor is proving a slippery customer.
Chase preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Taylor postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Taylor has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Taylor with a flurry of punches that miss.
Taylor passes Chase's left leg - he's now in half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Taylor throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

Taylor is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Chase doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Taylor.
Taylor prevents Chase from standing back up.
Taylor wants to pass to mount but Chase is defending the position.
Taylor is keen to just control but Chase is a slippery customer.

Taylor is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Chase is just riding it out for now. Taylor eventually gives up the hold.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Taylor lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Chase is refusing to be controlled, as Taylor sits in half guard.
Yap Taylor overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Taylor content to control rather than advance.
Taylor thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Chase's head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taylor wants to lay and pray for a moment but Chase keeps working.

Taylor is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Chase is just riding it out for now. Taylor eventually gives up the hold.
Taylor is looking for the mount but instead finds himself back in full guard.
Taylor trying to control the position from guard on top but Chase is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Taylor keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Chase's head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Chase avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Chase keeping full guard, as Taylor tries to pass.
Taylor passes Chase's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Taylor tries to pass the half guard into mount. Chase knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Taylor thows a huge punch but Chase dodges it nicely.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Taylor is trying to control. Chase wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Taylor wants to free his trapped foot but Chase is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Chase tries to kick Taylor off but Taylor keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yap Taylor dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Taylor shoots for a takedown but Chase saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Chase scores with a shot to the body.
Chase tries to close the distance and clinch up but Taylor swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Chase shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Taylor sprawls well. Taylor wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Chase gets slowly back to his feet.
Chase tries for a takedown but Taylor sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

Taylor manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Chase on his heels. He'll look to pass Chase's guard now, I'm sure.
Taylor stands and throws Chase's legs to the side, diving into side control.
The referee asks Taylor politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Taylor prefers to stall for the moment though.
Taylor throws a strike aimed at the side of Chase's head but Chase avoids it well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Chase is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Taylor asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Chase is letting Taylor control him for a moment.
Taylor throwing ground and pound but whilst doing so, he forgets to control position and Chase works his way back to half guard. Good composure under pressure.

Chase looking for submissions off his back.
Chase takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Taylor seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Taylor is trying to control the action in half guard but Chase is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Taylor throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Taylor throws a strike but Chase avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Taylor stands and throws Chase's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Chase struggling a bit here.
Taylor controlling the position from side mount.
A control attempt from Chase but he's now mounted!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taylor is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Chase can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Taylor trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Taylor throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Taylor lands a nice shot to the head.
Chase wants to hold on but Taylor pushes him away.
Taylor throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Taylor looking to finish with strikes here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Chase keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Taylor scores with a couple of good head shots there.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Taylor misses with a head shot.

Taylor is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Chase to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Chase shrugs it off.
Chase is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Taylor thowing shots but they're missing.
Taylor 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.

And that's the end of the fight!
Yap Taylor showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Taylor 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 Ren Mimura scores the fight 29:28
Judge Shirou Masuda scores the fight 29:28
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Yap Taylor!