PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Bobby Knuckles (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Lai Yong (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Knuckles
vs
Yong

168 cm
22
153 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

175 cm
18
150 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Very confident

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Bobby Knuckles!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Lai Yong!
The judges for this bout are Ren Mimura, Yuuki Gou and Shigeki Sano.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Yong gets the takedown into side control.
Knuckles gets back to half guard.

Knuckles looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Knuckles is looking for a sweep. Yong is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Yong working to pass to mount. He's got his hand pressing down on Knuckles's thigh. Knuckles counters though and makes it back to full guard.

Yong drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Knuckles manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Yong has Knuckles in his guard.

Yong looking for subs off his back but Knuckles has passed one foot through into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Knuckles is keen to just control but Yong is a slippery customer.
Still in half guard, Knuckles seems content to control.
Yong tries to get to full guard but Knuckles has control of the leg.
Yong is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Yong punching from the bottom.
Yong tries to get to full guard but Knuckles has control of the leg.
Knuckles not landing any meaningful shots this time.

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

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Yong takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Yong throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Knuckles's waist but Knuckles gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Yong off to one side.

Knuckles drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.

Yong is looking for a triangle but Knuckles pushes his legs off easily.
Yong looks gassed!
Yong looking for a sweep. Not yet Yong, not yet.
Knuckles tries to stand but Yong is controlling from the bottom.
Yong doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Knuckles tries to stand but Yong is controlling from the bottom.
Yong tries to strike from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Knuckles preventing the sweep.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Knuckles is looking to stand up but Yong won't let him.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Yong gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Knuckles holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Knuckles is trying to maintain a safe position but Yong gets an underhook and turns Knuckles into the ropes.

Knuckles has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Yong is trying to keep an underhook but Knuckles manages to get the takedown into half guard.
Yong misses with some strikes from the bottom.

Knuckles is working for a submission of some sort.
Yong wants to control but Knuckles is keeping busy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Knuckles wants to free his trapped foot but Yong is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Yong regains full guard. Nicely done.
Yong is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Yong is trying to keep Knuckles in close.
Yong wants to sweep here but Knuckles controlling him for the moment.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Knuckles is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bobby Knuckles dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Knuckles shoots and misses

so Yong counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Yong wants to control from the top but Knuckles keeps moving.
Yong postures up in Knuckles's guard and throws a big left but Knuckles blocks it.
Yong looking to pass the guard.

Knuckles has his foot on Yong's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Yong works his way back into a safe position though.
Yong throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Yong wants to pass the guard but Knuckles is keeping the position.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Yong lands a couple of decent looking shots.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yong trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Yong fails with the takedown

so Knuckles counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Knuckles trying to control but Yong is working from the bottom.

Yong working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Knuckles doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Knuckles manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Knuckles accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

Yong has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Knuckles can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Knuckles trying to stand up but can't free himself from Yong's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yong keeping moving, preventing Knuckles from controlling successfully.

Yong escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Knuckles gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Knuckles passes Yong's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Yong is staying active underneath Knuckles, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Yong wants to improve his position but Knuckles is controlling well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Knuckles trying to control the action but Yong is working from the bottom.
Knuckles sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Yong defending well though.
Yong is looking to control Knuckles's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Yong avoid being mounted?

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Knuckles misses with a takedown

and Yong counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Yong sitting in guard here, content to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Knuckles controlling Yong's posture.
Knuckles keeping full guard, as Yong tries to pass.
Bobby Knuckles overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Yong trying to control but Knuckles is working from the bottom.
Knuckles utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Yong trying to move into half guard but instead Knuckles has managed to sweep!
Yong throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Knuckles wants to control from the top but Yong keeps moving.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Lai Yong showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Knuckles tries for a takedown but Yong circles away easily

and Yong counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Knuckles's guard now.
Knuckles working a defensive guard here.
Yong must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Yong stopping the sweep attempt from Knuckles.
Knuckles lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Yong!
Yong wants to hold on but Knuckles pushes him away.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Knuckles prevents Yong from getting the reversal.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yong tries to hold on but Knuckles pushes him away.
Yong is trying to reverse the position but instead Knuckles has taken his back - oops!
Yong covering up well and avoiding damage.
Yong is really stuck here.
Yong trying to control the hands but Knuckles won't let him.
Yong is trying to avoid being dragged into an even worse position than he's already in but Knuckles is staying active.
Knuckles throwing damaging strikes from the back! Yong could be in trouble here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Knuckles lands with a nice looking elbow that stuns Yong.
Knuckles wants to control but Yong is keeping busy.
Yong tries to escape the position.
Knuckles somehow managing to miss with a strike from the back.
Yong is in bad spot here.
Knuckles gets his hands free as Yong looks to control.
Knuckles slows the pace down here. Having a little breather whilst he's in a dominant position, looking to rest and regain some energy, ready to go for the finish.
Knuckles throwing wild punches that miss their target.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yong wants to escape the position.
Yong tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Yong just holding on.
Knuckles lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Knuckles throwing strikes here but Yong is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
A nice elbow there by Knuckles.
Knuckles tries to control but Yong wriggling away.
Knuckles looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Yong is desperately trying to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yong looking to escape from mount but he's given up his back!
Yong tries to escape the position.
Yong covering up well and avoiding damage.
Yong rolls, trying to escape but Knuckles keeps control of the position.
The crowd hopeful of a finish here - Knuckles's supporters are on their feet, screaming for him to go for the rear naked choke.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Knuckles missing with strikes from the back.
Knuckles doesn't have the hooks in and Yong manages to turn into his guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Lai Yong.
I think Yong has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Ren Mimura scores the fight 28:29
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 29:28
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight 29:29

The fight is ruled a draw!