PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Avital Shafir (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ichi Yakuza (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Yakuza's choice of entrance music: The Legend of Zelda, Overworld. Ichi Yakuza looks lathargic as he enters the arena. Wake up son, you're about to have a fight!

Shafir
vs
Yakuza

177 cm
26
140 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

150 cm
32
112 lbs
4 - 31 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Dangerous knees
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Avital Shafir!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 31 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Ichi Yakuza!
The judges for this bout are Robert Douchet, Alec Ball and Ian Loll.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Shafir throws a series of punches but Yakuza moves out of range.
Yakuza looks really tired already! That doesn't bode well for a good, competitive fight!
Danga de danga de dang - Shafir scores with a four punch combination!

Shafir tries to keep at a distance but Yakuza has taken the fight into the clinch.

Yakuza breaks from the clinch.
Shafir will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Good exchange - Shafir coming out on top.
Ichi Yakuza seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Shafir fails to land with a series of punches.
Shafir lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Yakuza backs up against the cage.
Yakuza has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.
Shafir lands a nice leg kick that just misses Yakuza's sensitive parts.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Shafir is looking to score with low kicks.
Shafir takes a swing at Yakuza's ribcage but misses.
Yakuza tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Shafir manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
A solid leg kick lands there for Shafir.
Yakuza is looking to clinch.
Shafir does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
A slapping body kick lands there for Shafir.
Shafir misses with a two punch combination.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Yakuza has Shafir up against the cage in a clinch.

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

Yakuza clinches up with Shafir and pushes him back against the cage.

Yakuza's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Shafir looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Shafir really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Yakuza chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Shafir can pounce on him.
No joy there for Shafir, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
It seemed like Yakuza was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Shafir misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
A combination from Shafir does no damage.
Yakuza tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Shafir manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Yakuza gets a clinch.
Shafir is trying to pull guard but Yakuza has him pressed against the cage.

Yakuza breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Yakuza tries to clinch up but Shafir circles away and keeps his distance.
Yakuza fails in his attempt to clinch.
Shafir throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Yakuza looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Shafir throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Shafir lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Shafir will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Yakuza! But no joy.
Shafir ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Shafir takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Shafir throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.

Yakuza closes the distance and pushes Shafir back into the cage.

Yakuza manages to break the clinch.
Yakuza tries to close the distance and clinch up but Shafir swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Shafir half committed to a counter leg kick.
Shafir throws a head kick that Yakuza semi-blocks.

Yakuza gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Shafir tries to pull guard but Yakuza holds him up against the cage and eventually Shafir drops back down to his feet.

Yakuza's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Shafir lands a high kick!
Shafir connects with a solid leg kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shafir throws a right hand that Yakuza ducks under and follows up with a left that Yakuza also avoids with ease.
Yakuza moves in looking to clinch but Shafir pushes him off.
Shafir lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
A punch combination from Shafir misses.
Shafir misses with a head kick.
Yakuza wants to clinch.
Yakuza has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Shafir.
Shafir is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
Good exchange - Shafir coming out on top.
Shafir misses with a double jab.

Yakuza closes the distance and clinches.
Shafir is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Yakuza to keep the fight standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Avital Shafir. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Yakuza breaks from the clinch.
A nice inside leg kick there by Shafir. That's going to slow Yakuza down.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Shafir chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Yakuza fails in his attempt to clinch.

Yakuza fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Shafir, pushing him back against the cage.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Yakuza manages to break the clinch.
The crowd cheers as Shafir lands an impressive looking overhand right. Yakuza doesn't seem phased though.
Shafir jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
A punch lands to the side of Yakuza 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Shafir throws a leg kick which misses Yakuza's front leg but catches the back leg as Yakuza tries to avoid it.
A slapping body kick lands there for Shafir.
Yakuza tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Shafir paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Yakuza is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Yakuza moves into the clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Yakuza manages to break the clinch.
Shafir lands with a straight right. Yakuza didn't see that one coming.
No joy there for Shafir, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Shafir lands a nice leg kick that just misses Yakuza's sensitive parts.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Avital Shafir dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Shafir swinging wildly here.

Yakuza closes the distance and clinches.

Yakuza's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Shafir.
Shafir misses with a two punch combination.
Avital Shafir is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Shafir throws a wild body kick that Yakuza sees coming a mile off.
Yakuza looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Yakuza is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Shafir.
Shafir lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Yakuza circles away quickly and effectively.
Shafir is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Yakuza is looking to clinch.
Shafir lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Yakuza circles away quickly and effectively.
Shafir throws a series of punches but Yakuza moves out of range.
Shafir throws a head kick but Yakuza moves out of range.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Yakuza! But no joy.
Shafir throws a right and a left that Yakuza avoids nicely.

Yakuza takes the fight into the clinch.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Yakuza breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Yakuza rushes Shafir and presses him up against the cage.

Yakuza breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Yakuza tries to close the distance and clinch but Shafir swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Shafir misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

Yakuza closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Shafir jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Yakuza walks away with a smile on his face. Shafir gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Some wild striking there from Shafir.
Shafir swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Yakuza looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Yakuza tries to clinch but Shafir moves away
and Shafir counters with a one-two to the body.

Yakuza is rocked!
Shafir connects with a right that clearly hurt Yakuza. He's backed up against the cage with nowhere to go as Shafir proceeds to tee off with vicious combinations till Yakuza collapses and taps out under the pressure!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:45 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Avital Shafir!
The defeated Ichi Yakuza had this to say: 'This has not been honorable. Seppuku!'.