PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Bill Nye (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Willy Yarbourgh (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Willy Yarbourgh has the eye of the tiger tonight.

Nye
vs
Yarbourgh

180 cm
26
187 lbs
10 - 11 - 1

190 cm
25
195 lbs
10 - 7 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Great elbows
Very strong

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Good gas tank

Pirates Powder

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 10 - 11 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Bill Nye!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Willy Yarbourgh!
The judges for this bout are Arvi Lind, Ben Zyskovitsi and Johanna Lukiainen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Yarbourgh shoots for a takedown but Nye saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Yarbourgh misses with a jab to the body
and Nye counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.

Yarbourgh rushes Nye and presses him up against the cage.
Nye controlling the action here for a moment.
Yarbourgh fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

Yarbourgh gets a trip takedown into half guard.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Yarbourgh with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
It looks like Yarbourgh might be adopting somewhat of a lay and pray gameplan here, which I'm sure won't go down too well with the paying fans in attendance... Or the ring announcers come to think of it.
Yarbourgh trying to control the action but Nye is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Willy Yarbourgh has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.

Yarbourgh moves into the clinch successfully.
Nye looking to stall.
Nye has Yarbourgh pushed against the cage.
Yarbourgh drops down looking for an ankle pick but Nye pulls his leg out and moves away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yarbourgh is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Yarbourgh dives in and grabs Nye's left leg, looking for a takedown. Nye pushes down on Yarbourgh's head and hops out.
Bill Nye has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Willy Yarbourgh.
Yarbourgh wants to clinch up but Nye keeps it at a distance.
Nye wants to clinch but Yarbourgh slips to the side
and Yarbourgh counters with a nice body shot.

Nye closes the distance and clinches.
Yarbourgh stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nye stalls.
Nye pushes Yarbourgh back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Nye looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Yarbourgh takes a knee to the side of the body.

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

Nye shoots in and bounces Yarbourgh off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Nye pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Yarbourgh is keeping the position for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nye trying to control but Yarbourgh is working from the bottom.
Yarbourgh is pulling down on Nye's head to control his posture.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Nye forces Yarbourgh back against the cage and clinches.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Willy Yarbourgh will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Nye tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Yarbourgh manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Nye fails with an attempt to clinch.
Nye tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Yarbourgh moves into the clinch.

Nye breaks from the clinch.
Yarbourgh looks to clinch
and Nye counters with a nice leg kick.
Nye looks to clinch

and Yarbourgh counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Yarbourgh controlling the pace.
Nye wants to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yarbourgh throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Yarbourgh trying to control from half guard but Nye is working away.

Yarbourgh stands, ready to strike. The ref makes him back up and allows Nye to get to his feet.

Yarbourgh throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Nye tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Yarbourgh is in Nye's guard.
Yarbourgh trying to control but Nye is working from the bottom.
Nye working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Yarbourgh.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nye is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Nye tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Yarbourgh.
Yarbourgh desperately trying to maintain half guard.
Nye is looking to stall here but Yarbourgh recovers full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yarbourgh keeping moving, preventing Nye from controlling successfully.

Nye decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.

Yarbourgh clinches with his opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yarbourgh prevents a body shot from Nye.
Nye is stalling here.
Nye gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Yarbourgh.
Yarbourgh stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Nye is trying to pull guard but Yarbourgh turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Yarbourgh has a couple of punches blocked by Nye.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Willy Yarbourgh showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Nye displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Yarbourgh.
Willy Yarbourgh seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Nye throws a leg kick but Yarbourgh sees it coming and moves out of range.
Nye moves in looking to clinch but Yarbourgh pushes him off.
Nye displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Yarbourgh.
Yarbourgh tries to clinch up.
Yarbourgh shoots in for a takedown but Nye shows good takedown defense.
Bill Nye has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Willy Yarbourgh.
Yarbourgh with a lazy takedown attempt

and Nye moves into the clinch.
Nye is pressed up against the cage. Yarbourgh has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Nye down to the mat. Nye avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Yarbourgh tries to clinch up.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Nye has closed the distance and engaged Yarbourgh in a clinch.

Nye pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Nye closes the distance and pushes Yarbourgh back into the cage.

Yarbourgh breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Yarbourgh is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Nye circles away from the clinch attempt.
Yarbourgh swats away the attempt to clinch by Nye.
Nye tries to clinch
and Yarbourgh counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Yarbourgh wants to clinch but Nye slips to the side
and Nye makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Nye tries to clinch but Yarbourgh moves away
letting Yarbourgh counter with a right hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nye tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Nye gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Yarbourgh counters with a nice double leg into side control. Nye won't be happy with that.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Yarbourgh misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Yarbourgh postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Yarbourgh tries to advance to mount but can't.
Yarbourgh controls the position from side control.
Nye is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yarbourgh misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Bill Nye has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Yarbourgh takes a little break here. Nye wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.
Yarbourgh tries to move to mount but Nye blocks the move with his legs.
Nye is trying to work for a sweep but Yarbourgh has mounted him!
Yarbourgh cracks Nye with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
A nice elbow there by Yarbourgh.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nye wants to get back to his feet.
Yarbourgh lands a big shot there that rocks Nye but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Yarbourgh tries to control but Nye wriggling away.
Nye squirming around on the bottom, looking to escape.
Yarbourgh tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Nye is wriggling around trying to escape.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Nye is squirming around, avoiding Yarbourgh's attempts to control the action.
Willy Yarbourgh is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Yarbourgh controlling from the full mount.

And that's the end of the fight!
Willy Yarbourgh comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Yarbourgh 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 Arvi Lind scores the fight 28:30
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 27:30
Judge Johanna Lukiainen scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Willy Yarbourgh!
Willy Yarbourgh really struggled to get his t-shirt on before his hand was raised. Making sure that FinnFighter Nutrition (Five 160Q supps!) logo gets some air time is pretty tricky when you're all sweaty.