PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between James Raban (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Robert Yolpan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Robert Yolpan will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Raban
vs
Yolpan

200 cm
25
270 lbs
8 - 2 - 0

220 cm
27
281 lbs
7 - 3 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid Muay Thai
Granite chin

Decent wrestler
Excellent boxer
Powerful

Elite Canadian Threads

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 8 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, James Raban!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Robert Yolpan!
The judges for this bout are Topper Green, Skip Squint and Ben Hemmingworth.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Yolpan throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Yolpan checks a leg kick.
Yolpan throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

Raban tries to keep at a distance but Yolpan has taken the fight into the clinch.
Yolpan misses with a short punch on the inside.
Yolpan works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Yolpan misses with the head strike.

Raban manages to break the clinch.
Raban with a nice cross.
Yolpan lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Raban backs up against the cage.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Yolpan fails to land with a series of punches.
Raban throws a half hearted mid kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yolpan with a jab.
Left hook, right uppercut from Yolpan.
Yolpan tries to bum rush Raban with a series of wild strikes but Raban uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
A looping hook to the body misses from Yolpan. Raban does a little dance to reset his feet.
The fight stays on the outside here - Yolpan looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Raban keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Yolpan slaps away a takedown attempt from Raban, before circling back to the center of the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A looping hook to the body misses from Yolpan. Raban does a little dance to reset his feet.
Yolpan keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Raban.
Raban shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Yolpan moves out of range as Raban throws a body kick.
Yolpan looks to score with a jab to the body but Raban is just out of range.
Raban looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Yolpan just misses with a punch to the body.
Yolpan is looking to clinch.
Raban throws a big shot that misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A decent looking cross lands there for Yolpan.
Yolpan looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Raban fails to land with a series of punches.
Yolpan tries to clinch but Raban is having none of it.
Yolpan throws a sloppy body shot

and Raban counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Yolpan's guard now.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Yolpan can do anything to dispel that myth.
Yolpan keeping full guard, as Raban tries to pass.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Yolpan is looking to stand up but Raban isn't so interested in that idea.
Raban wants to pass the guard but Yolpan is keeping the position.
Yolpan is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Yolpan avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Yolpan is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Raban trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Raban trying to control the position from guard on top but Yolpan is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
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!
Yolpan wants to stand up but Raban is controlling him.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Yolpan fails with an attempt to clinch.
Raban closes the distance and clinches up with Yolpan, looking for a takedown. Raban pushes Yolpan against the cage but Yolpan circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for James Raban. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Yolpan checks the leg kick nicely there.
Yolpan lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Raban backs up against the cage.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Yolpan is looking to clinch but Raban is avoiding it.
Yolpan moves out of range of the body kick from Raban.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Robert Yolpan dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Yolpan misses with a double jab.
Yolpan fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Raban manages to avoid it.
Yolpan misses with a wild combination.
Yolpan lands a nice shot that snaps Raban's head back.
Raban shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Yolpan as he avoids it easily.
Yolpan is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Raban rather than just go for the knockout.
Raban throws a head kick but Yolpan moves out of range.
Raban shoots in but Yolpan avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Yolpan misses with a two punch combination.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Yolpan closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Yolpan lands a left hand that snaps the head of Raban backwards.

It looks like James Raban has been cut.
Raban is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Yolpan gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for James Raban. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Raban has had enough of the clinch but Yolpan keeps him there for the moment.
Yolpan lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Nice body punch from Yolpan - that landed with a thud.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Raban blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Raban has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Yolpan misses with some punches.
Yolpan swings away with an uppercut that misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yolpan lands an uppercut.
Yolpan throws a head punch that misses.
Raban tries to work over Yolpan's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.

Raban breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Yolpan rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Raban moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Robert Yolpan seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Yolpan throws a nice looking combination but Raban bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Yolpan tries to clinch but Raban moves out of range.
Raban uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Yolpan.
Robert Yolpan is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Yolpan tries to clinch but Raban moves out of range.
Yolpan fails to land with a series of punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Raban ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Yolpan moves away.
Yolpan throws a body punch but Raban moves out of range.
Yolpan throws a series of punches but Raban avoids them all with ease.
A big right from Raban misses.
Yolpan showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Raban.
Yolpan tries to clinch but Raban is having none of it.
A slow jab from Raban misses its intended target.
Nice jab there from Yolpan.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yolpan tries to clinch but Raban is having none of it.
Yolpan takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Raban gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Raban throws a head kick that misses.
Yolpan takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Robert Yolpan seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Yolpan falls off balance throwing a combination

and Raban counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Yolpan's guard now.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Yolpan is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Raban is controlling him.
Yolpan really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Raban. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Robert Yolpan showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on James Raban's cut.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Some wild striking there from Yolpan.
Raban shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Yolpan as he jumps to the side.
James Raban is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Yolpan is looking to clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A slapping body kick lands there for Raban.
Raban circles away from the clinch attempt.
Yolpan stalks Raban and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Raban's face. Raban staggers backwards, shaken.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Raban misses with a head kick.
Yolpan tries to close the distance and clinch but Raban swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Yolpan lands a lovely overhand right.
Raban looking to land some kicks to the body here.
A cross from Yolpan lands.
Yolpan wants to clinch up but Raban keeps it at a distance.
Some wild striking there from Yolpan.
Yolpan fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Raban manages to avoid it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sloppy strikes from Yolpan. Those never looked like landing.
Yolpan misses with a body shot.
Yolpan lands a nice looking body shot.
Yolpan tries to close the distance and clinch but Raban swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Yolpan throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Yolpan stuffs the takedown.
A left and a right from Yolpan both land. Nice combination.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yolpan swinging wildly here.
Raban shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Yolpan as he jumps to the side.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for James Raban. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Yolpan swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Yolpan tries to clinch there but Raban circles away.
Yolpan tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Yolpan has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Yolpan throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Yolpan is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Yolpan lands a right hook to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Raban misses with a body kick.
Yolpan fails with an attempt to clinch.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Raban avoids the body shot from Yolpan.

Yolpan has managed to clinch.
Yolpan lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Raban backwards.
Yolpan swings wildly with an uppercut but Raban uses good head movement to avoid it.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Yolpan misses with a shot to the kidneys.
James Raban has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Yolpan lands a body shot.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Yolpan pushes Raban back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.

And that's the end of the fight!
Robert Yolpan comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Yolpan 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 Topper Green scores the fight 27:30
Judge Skip Squint scores the fight 27:30
Judge Ben Hemmingworth scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Robert Yolpan!
Robert Yolpan decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.