PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Jonas Yoponku (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Travis Richards (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Yoponku
vs
Richards

191 cm
23
285 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

199 cm
23
265 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Good kicks
Self confident

Good takedowns
Brawler
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Jonas Yoponku!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Travis Richards!
The judges for this bout are Damien Edna, Winston Howard and Eliza Hachem.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Yoponku with a lazy takedown attempt

and Richards decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Yoponku's guard.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Yoponku trying to keep a closed guard but Richards is proving a slippery customer.
Richards slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Yoponku manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Yoponku trying to control but Richards is having none of it.
Yoponku throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
Yoponku wants to control the pace but Richards is squirming around nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Richards holds on to Yoponku as tight as he can, avoiding damage.
Richards is wriggling around trying to escape.
Richards tries to hold on but Yoponku postures up.
Richards regains half guard.
Yoponku trying to mount his opponent but Richards defends it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yoponku trying to control the action but Richards is working from the bottom.
Yoponku throws a big elbow that misses, also allowing Richards to regain full guard.
Richards looking to hit a scissor sweep but Yoponku is one step ahead there.
Yoponku throwing strikes but missing.
Yoponku trying to control but Richards is working from the bottom.
Richards working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Yoponku.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yoponku looking to pass the guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Richards has his hands on Yoponku's head, controlling the position.
Yoponku prevents Richards from getting back to his feet.

Richards manages to escape and get back to his feet.

Richards scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Richards is thwarting Yoponku's attempts to control the position.
Richards is controlling the pace.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yoponku is trying to control but Richards manages to pass to mount!
Yoponku wants to control but Richards is having none of it.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Yoponku really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Richards controlling from mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Travis Richards dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Richards shoots in and gets a takedown into Yoponku's guard.
Richards controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Richards must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Yoponku thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.

Richards gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Richards avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Yoponku looks for a takedown but Richards sprawls well.
Yoponku tries to clinch there but Richards circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yoponku shoots in looking for a takedown. Richards tries to sprawl out of it but Yoponku keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Richards manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Richards stuffs the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jonas Yoponku. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Yoponku gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Richards counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Yoponku!
Richards tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Yoponku tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Richards sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Richards has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Yoponku's face.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Richards with good strikes from the mount here!
Richards thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
Richards looking to control and managing it successfully.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Richards cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Richards lands a nice shot to the head.
Yoponku is looking to improve his position but Richards isn't that keen on the idea.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Richards controlling from mount.
Yoponku is desperately trying to improve his position but Richards has a good base and remains in mount.
Yoponku tries to hold on but Richards postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Richards lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Richards lands a big elbow.
Yoponku tries to hold on but Richards pushes him away.
Yoponku has given up his back here.
Yoponku tries to break free.
Richards lands with a couple of good shots - one to the side of the head and one questionable shot that could be viewed as to the back of the head but the referee lets it go.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Richards looking for the choke from the back.
Richards is hanging on to Yoponku's back as he tries to escape.
Yoponku trying to control the position but Richards manages to sink in the hooks.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Yoponku fending off the submission attempt from Richards.
Yoponku trying to control but not successfully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Travis Richards showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Yoponku tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Richards manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Yoponku tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Richards manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Richards scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.
Richards's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Richards creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Yoponku sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
Richards staying calm.
Yoponku can't do much from the bottom here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Richards has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
Richards stuffs the takedown attempt from Yoponku. Yoponku gets slowly back to his feet.
Richards avoids the head kick by Yoponku.
Yoponku uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Richards.
Yoponku shoots for a takedown but Richards saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Richards circles away from the clinch attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yoponku misses with the combination.

Richards fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Yoponku to the ground. Richards is now in Yoponku's guard.
Richards passes Yoponku's left leg - he's now in half guard.

Richards decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Yoponku.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jonas Yoponku. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
The fight stays on the outside here - Yoponku looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Richards throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Richards tries to clinch up.
Yoponku is looking to clinch.
Yoponku is looking to clinch.
Richards is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Richards throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Yoponku tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Richards is in Yoponku's guard.
Richards trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Yoponku wants to sweep but no luck.
Richards slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Yoponku is looking for a sweep.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yoponku struggling a bit here.

Richards stands up.
Yoponku fails with a takedown attempt.
Jonas Yoponku has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Travis Richards is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
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!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Yoponku is looking to clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
Travis Richards comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Richards 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 Damien Edna scores the fight for Travis Richards!
Judge Winston Howard scores the fight for Travis Richards!
Judge Eliza Hachem scores the fight for Travis Richards!

Travis Richards wins by unanimous decision!