PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Go Yamamoto (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Grant Fletcher (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Grant Fletcher will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Yamamoto
vs
Fletcher

171 cm
21
152 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

170 cm
21
155 lbs
3 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Go Yamamoto!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Grant Fletcher!
The judges for this bout are Donatello Bradman, Hugh Johnson and John Mangel.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Yamamoto shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Yamamoto takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
A nice elbow there by Yamamoto.
Yamamoto has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Fletcher's face.
Yamamoto controlling the pace for now.
Fletcher really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Yamamoto scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Yamamoto lands a heavy elbow.
Fletcher tries to lock up and control but Yamamoto gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Yamamoto in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Yamamoto lands with some strikes.
Fletcher regains half guard.
Fletcher tries to roll over but Yamamoto keeps him under control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fletcher is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Yamamoto trying to mount his opponent but Fletcher defends it.
Yamamoto scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Yamamoto is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Yamamoto controlling from the full mount.
Fletcher wants to hold on but Yamamoto pushes him away.
Yamamoto takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Yamamoto working away from the top, dropping strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yamamoto scores with a couple of good head shots there.
A nice elbow there by Yamamoto.
The referee warns Fletcher that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Yamamoto controlling from mount.
Yamamoto landing strikes from the mount and Fletcher is in trouble!

Fletcher is rocked!
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Yamamoto cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Fletcher is still in real trouble! Can Yamamoto finish him?
Yamamoto pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
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.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Yamamoto cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Fletcher looks gassed!
Yamamoto controlling the position easily from mount.
Yamamoto pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Go Yamamoto dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Yamamoto looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Fletcher is fending him off so far but Yamamoto persists. Nope, Fletcher circles away and we're back to standing.
Fletcher seems to have recovered his senses.

Yamamoto rushes Fletcher and presses him up against the cage.
Fletcher lands a knee to the head.
Fletcher looking to throw knees to the head but Yamamoto is blocking nicely.
Yamamoto avoiding damage as Fletcher throws knees to the body.

Yamamoto gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Fletcher regains guard.
Yamamoto trying to control the position from guard on top but Fletcher is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Yamamoto passes into half guard.
Nice strikes from Yamamoto there.
Fletcher blocking the ground and pound attempt from Yamamoto.
Yamamoto content to control rather than advance.
Yamamoto is tying to control. Fletcher wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yamamoto has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Fletcher is breathing heavily.
Yamamoto with a couple of short strikes.
Yamamoto landing strikes from the mount.
Yamamoto controlling his opponent.
Yamamoto scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Yamamoto with shots to the head and body - Fletcher looks very uncomfortable down there.
Yamamoto with good strikes from the mount here!
Yamamoto working Fletcher over with strikes here.
Yamamoto punishing his opponent with strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yamamoto lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Fletcher hang on?
Yamamoto scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Yamamoto cracks Fletcher with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Yamamoto lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Yamamoto scoring with strikes but Fletcher is staying in there.
Yamamoto takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Fletcher is in a horrible position here. Yamamoto smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Yamamoto is in the full mount, landing strikes.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Yamamoto lands a big shot there that rocks Fletcher but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Yamamoto looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Go Yamamoto overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Yamamoto working Fletcher over with strikes here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Go Yamamoto dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Yamamoto fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Fletcher with a poor takedown

and Yamamoto counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Yamamoto won't allow Fletcher to get back to his feet.
Yamamoto pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Fletcher is keeping the position for now.
Yamamoto is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Yamamoto advances position into side control!
The referee asks Yamamoto politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Yamamoto prefers to stall for the moment though.
Fletcher is looking for a sweep.
Yamamoto lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Yamamoto working the body and head with strikes.
Yamamoto lands a decent elbow from side control.
Yamamoto lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fletcher takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Yamamoto scoring with punches from side control.
Fletcher tries to improve position but can't.
Fletcher on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Yamamoto scores with punches from side control.
Yamamoto working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Yamamoto is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.
Fletcher takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Yamamoto is working Fletcher over with some ground and pound from side control.
Yamamoto staying calm.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Yamamoto wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Fletcher, who protects the arm well.
Yamamoto controlling the position from side mount.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Yamamoto's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Go Yamamoto clearly takes that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Yamamoto darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Yamamoto wants to control but Fletcher is keeping him busy.
Fletcher is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Yamamoto drops an elbow to the side of Fletcher's head.
Yamamoto working over Fletcher with some ground and pound. Fletcher looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Yamamoto lands with a punch from half guard.
Yamamoto lands strikes from half guard.
Yamamoto is taking a breather. Fletcher says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Fletcher is absolutely dripping with sweat - he looks exhausted.
Yamamoto working over Fletcher with some ground and pound. Fletcher looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yamamoto works his foot free and advances to mount.
Yamamoto punishing his opponent with strikes.
Yamamoto looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Yamamoto lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Fletcher hang on?
Yamamoto lands a big shot there that rocks Fletcher but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Yamamoto cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Yamamoto lands a heavy elbow.
Yamamoto takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Fletcher is desperately trying to improve his position but Yamamoto has a good base and remains in mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The referee warns Fletcher that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Yamamoto lands a heavy elbow.
Yamamoto unloading with bombs!

Yamamoto with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Yamamoto is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Fletcher can do to turn this around?
Yamamoto working the ground and pound effectively.
Yamamoto controlling from the full mount.
Yamamoto has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Fletcher's face.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
A nice elbow there by Yamamoto.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Go Yamamoto had his way with Grant Fletcher in that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. And we move into the final round!

Yamamoto scores with a takedown into Fletcher's guard.
Yamamoto advances to half guard.
Fletcher tries to get to full guard but Yamamoto has control of the leg.
Yamamoto is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Yamamoto scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Yamamoto slips a nice elbow through Fletcher's hands, connecting with Fletcher's forehead.
Fletcher wants to control but Yamamoto is keeping busy.
Yamamoto is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Fletcher is wobbling all over the place through exhaustion. Will he make it to the final bell?
Yamamoto is pressing down on Fletcher's thigh, looking to free his foot. Fletcher is holding on for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fletcher tries to get to full guard but Yamamoto has control of the leg.
Yamamoto takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Yamamoto lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Still in half guard, Yamamoto seems content to control.
Yamamoto working over Fletcher with some ground and pound. Fletcher looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Yamamoto with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Yamamoto working the head and body with strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Fletcher looking for submissions off his back.
Yamamoto is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Yamamoto winds up and cracks Fletcher with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Yamamoto uses his free foot to push down on Fletcher's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Fletcher.
Yamamoto raining down shots from the mount!
A nice elbow there by Yamamoto.

And that's the end of the fight!
Go Yamamoto showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Yamamoto, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 5 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Donatello Bradman scores the fight 50:45
Judge Hugh Johnson scores the fight 50:45
Judge John Mangel scores the fight 50:45

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Go Yamamoto!