PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Ryo Yoshimitsu (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Travis Zangief (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Zangief has chosen We Own It as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Ryo Yoshimitsu has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Yoshimitsu
vs
Zangief

180 cm
23
155 lbs
6 - 5 - 1

170 cm
21
150 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Very confident

Xtreme Merchandise

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 5 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Ryo Yoshimitsu!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Travis Zangief!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Fujiwara, Hirohito Nitta and Sosuke Kotani.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Zangief misses with a takedown
and Yoshimitsu counters with a left and a right that stings Zangief.
Zangief doesn't succeed with the takedown
enabling Yoshimitsu to counter with a crisp jab.
No luck for Zangief with that takedown attempt.
Ryo Yoshimitsu has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Travis Zangief.
Zangief with a lazy takedown attempt

and Yoshimitsu decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Zangief's guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Yoshimitsu postures up in Zangief's guard and throws a big left but Zangief blocks it.
Zangief keeping moving, preventing Yoshimitsu from controlling successfully.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Yoshimitsu makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Yoshimitsu looking to sit in guard and control but Zangief gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zangief tries to stand but Yoshimitsu is controlling from the bottom.
Zangief trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

Zangief has gone for a leg lock! Yoshimitsu slips out almost immediately though and dives into Zangief's guard.
Yoshimitsu working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.

Yoshimitsu gets to his feet - Zangief follows without any prompting.
Zangief wants to clinch but Yoshimitsu slips to the side
and Yoshimitsu counters with a lovely straight right hand!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zangief slips a jab and a cross from Yoshimitsu.
Yoshimitsu defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Zangief.
Yoshimitsu turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Zangief shoots and misses
and Yoshimitsu counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Zangief looks winded!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Zangief doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Yoshimitsu counters with a straight right hand.
Zangief with a poor takedown

and Yoshimitsu counters with a takedown into side control.
Yoshimitsu moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yoshimitsu in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Zangief taking a bit of punishment here - Yoshimitsu scoring with strikes.
Yoshimitsu wants to control but Zangief is keeping him busy.
Yoshimitsu lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Zangief down.
Zangief is being controlled here.
Yoshimitsu lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Zangief down.
Yoshimitsu takes a little break here. Zangief wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.
Zangief is not content to let Yoshimitsu control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yoshimitsu scoring with punches from side control.

Yoshimitsu is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Zangief has escaped the position, nice work there.
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!
Zangief tries to buck Yoshimitsu off but Yoshimitsu is having none of it.
Yoshimitsu wants to control but Zangief is keeping him busy.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Zangief tries to buck Yoshimitsu off but Yoshimitsu is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ryo Yoshimitsu dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Yoshimitsu lands with a cross.
Yoshimitsu throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Yoshimitsu lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Zangief gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Zangief takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Zangief throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Yoshimitsu throws a right hand that Zangief ducks under and follows up with a left that Zangief also avoids with ease.
Yoshimitsu rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Zangief moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Zangief with a lazy takedown attempt

and Yoshimitsu counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zangief wants to get back to full guard.
Zangief is breathing heavily.
Yoshimitsu seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Zangief does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Zangief on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Ryo Yoshimitsu overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Zangief is looking to get back to full guard here but Yoshimitsu has managed to pass to side control instead.
Yoshimitsu lands a few punches from side control.
Yoshimitsu creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.

Yoshimitsu looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Yoshimitsu scores with a couple of short elbows.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yoshimitsu connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Zangief some visible discomfort.
Zangief can't do much from the bottom here.
Zangief tries to buck Yoshimitsu off but Yoshimitsu is having none of it.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Yoshimitsu looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Zangief is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Yoshimitsu controlling the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zangief takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.

Yoshimitsu tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Yoshimitsu has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Zangief takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Yoshimitsu tries to score with some ground and pound. Zangief controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Zangief can't do much from the bottom here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Yoshimitsu tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Yoshimitsu has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Yoshimitsu wants to lay and pray for a moment but Zangief keeps working.
Zangief tries to bench press Yoshimitsu off him but Yoshimitsu keeps the position.
Zangief is being controlled here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Zangief tries to buck Yoshimitsu off but Yoshimitsu is having none of it.
Yoshimitsu landing a few strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ryo Yoshimitsu dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're 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.

Zangief shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Zangief misses with a takedown
and Yoshimitsu counters with a two punch combo.
Yoshimitsu throws a right and a left that Zangief avoids nicely.
Zangief throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Zangief closes the distance looking to clinch

and Yoshimitsu counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yoshimitsu lands a couple of digs.
Zangief takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Yoshimitsu is standing up over Zangief. Zangief looks to escape but Yoshimitsu dives into side control.
Yoshimitsu trying to control the action but Zangief is working from the bottom.
Zangief is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Yoshimitsu looks up at the clock and then as Zangief takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Yoshimitsu smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Yoshimitsu trying to control the action but Zangief is working from the bottom.
Yoshimitsu landing a few strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yoshimitsu in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.

Yoshimitsu decides to stand back up. Yoshimitsu steps back and let's Zangief get back to his feet.
Yoshimitsu has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.

Zangief tries to keep at a distance but Yoshimitsu has taken the fight into the clinch.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Zangief misses with a hook to the ribs.
Yoshimitsu has had enough of the clinch but Zangief keeps him there for the moment.
Yoshimitsu tries to break free but Zangief pushes him back against the cage.
Zangief is trying to break the clinch but Yoshimitsu is controlling him.
Yoshimitsu wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Zangief tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zangief tries to pull guard but Yoshimitsu forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Ryo Yoshimitsu has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Travis Zangief.
Zangief misses with a knee to the head.

Yoshimitsu breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Zangief takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Zangief tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Yoshimitsu swivels and escapes.
Travis Zangief has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Zangief closes the distance but Yoshimitsu moves to the side
and Yoshimitsu counters with a left and a right that stings Zangief.
Zangief tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Yoshimitsu counters with a two punch combo.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zangief with a lazy takedown attempt
and Yoshimitsu counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Ryo Yoshimitsu is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Zangief misses with a takedown
and Yoshimitsu counters with a three punch combo that has Zangief backing up. Zangief nods at Yoshimitsu to acknowledge the strikes.

Zangief is rocked!
Ryo Yoshimitsu is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Zangief wants to clinch
and Yoshimitsu counters with a left right combination that sends Zangief crashing to the mat - Yoshimitsu wastes no time in diving on top of him and pounding Zangief out for a TKO! Devastating finish!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:43 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Ryo Yoshimitsu!
Our winner, Ryo Yoshimitsu, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.