PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between James Yap (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tyler Liddell (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Yap comes to the cage accompanied by go the distance. Liddell is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Bring Me Down (Swollen Mix Feat. Saigon) . These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Yap
vs
Liddell

170 cm
23
133 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

167 cm
24
142 lbs
0 - 0 - 1

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Big right hand

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite 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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, James Yap!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 1, fighting out of Montreal, Tyler Liddell!
The judges for this bout are Trevor Gratis, Yves DeLean and Alec Ball.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Liddell will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Liddell.
Yap doesn't manage to clinch there - Liddell circles away.
The fight stays on the outside here - Yap looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Liddell changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Yap tries to avoid it but Liddell manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Yap to the ground. Yap escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
James Yap has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Tyler Liddell.
Liddell tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Yap swivels and escapes.
Liddell shoots in for a takedown but Yap shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Liddell takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Yap lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Liddell avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Yap tries to clinch there but Liddell circles away.

Yap has taken the fight to the clinch.

Yap breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Liddell shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Liddell gets a double leg takedown into Yap's guard.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Yap wants to stand but Liddell is controlling the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yap keeping moving, preventing Liddell from controlling successfully.
Yap wants to stand but Liddell is controlling the position.
Yap is breathing heavily.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Yap tries to clinch but Liddell is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yap tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Liddell paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Yap tries to clinch but Liddell moves away

and Liddell decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Yap's guard.
Yap wants to get back to his feet but Liddell is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Liddell looking to pass the guard.
Liddell missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Yap is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Liddell throws a big right hand that misses.
Liddell engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Liddell wants to control from the top but Yap keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Liddell postures up in Yap's guard and throws a big left but Yap blocks it.
Liddell throws a big elbow that misses.
Yap is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Liddell is controlling him.
Yap trying desperately to get back to his feet here but he's not having any joy at all. He's going to tire himself out if he's not careful.
Liddell throwing strikes from guard but Yap blocks nicely.
Liddell wants to control from the top but Yap keeps moving.
Liddell slips nicely into half guard.
Liddell looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Yap with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yap is refusing to be controlled, as Liddell sits in half guard.
Liddell drops an elbow to the side of Yap's head.
Liddell looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Liddell performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Liddell is pressing down on Yap's thigh, looking to free his foot. Yap is holding on for now.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Liddell is keen to just control but Yap is a slippery customer.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Tyler Liddell will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Yap leaves Liddell with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Liddell circles away from the clinch attempt.
Yap throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Liddell circles away from the clinch attempt

and Liddell decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Yap's guard.
Yap wants to stand but Liddell is controlling the position.
Yap is looking to stand back up but Liddell counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Yap.
Yap avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Liddell.
Liddell controlling the action here.

Liddell is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Liddell throwing shots but Yap is blocking nicely.
Liddell not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Liddell throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Yap tries to kick Liddell off but Liddell keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Liddell looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Liddell lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Liddell not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Liddell is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Yap is trying to stand up here but Liddell is controlling him well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Liddell has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Liddell with good strikes from the mount here!
Liddell is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Yap can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Yap takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Liddell controlling the position easily from mount.
Tyler Liddell has got the better of the ground game so far.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Yap's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.
Liddell is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Yap taking shots to the head.

Liddell is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Yap to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Yap shrugs it off.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Liddell landing punches.
Liddell working the ground and pound effectively.
Yap wants to get back to his feet.
Yap in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Liddell landing strikes from the mount and Yap is in trouble!
Liddell breaks from Yap's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Yap is squirming around, avoiding Liddell's attempts to control the action.
Yap wants to try and get back to his feet.
Liddell postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Yap looks a forlorn figure.
Liddell wants to control the pace but Yap is squirming around nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Liddell is working for a guillotine from mount but Yap frees his head quite easily.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Liddell controlling the position easily from mount.
Liddell has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Liddell has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Yap's face.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
You get the feeling that Yap really doesn't like being in this position too much.
Liddell controlling his opponent.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tyler Liddell showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Liddell shoots in but no luck this time.
Liddell shoots in and drives through. Yap sprawls well.
Yap throws a lazy head kick

so Liddell counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Liddell trying to control but Yap is working from the bottom.
Yap is looking to stand back up but Liddell counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Yap.
Liddell sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Yap defending well though.
Yap is trying to stand back up but Liddell is controlling him
Well, if Liddell is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Yap wants to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Liddell slows the pace down in half guard.

Liddell is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.

Liddell is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Yap defends it well.
Yap is trying to stand up here but Liddell is controlling him well.
Liddell performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Liddell is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Liddell is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Yap is just riding it out for now. Liddell eventually gives up the hold.
Liddell works his way into side control.
Liddell wants to lay and pray for a moment but Yap keeps working.
Liddell landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Liddell is looking to take a break and control but Yap is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Liddell looks up at the clock and then as Yap takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Liddell smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Liddell has knee on belly and moves into mount.
Yap tries to buck Liddell off but he can't manage it.
Yap taking shots to the head.
Liddell controlling the pace for now.
Liddell looking to finish Yap with some ground and pound. This is bad for Yap!
Liddell landing punches.
Liddell raining down hammerfists from mount.
James Yap has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The referee warns Yap that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Liddell controlling his opponent.
Liddell has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Liddell won't let Yap get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.
Liddell with shots to the head and body - Yap looks very uncomfortable down there.
Yap 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.
Tyler Liddell is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Liddell lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Liddell tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tyler Liddell comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Liddell 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 Trevor Gratis scores the fight 27:30
Judge Yves DeLean scores the fight 27:30
Judge Alec Ball scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tyler Liddell!
Tyler Liddell thanked the fans post fight for their support.