PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Neil Gilas (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Akihiko Yamato (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gilas kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Remember The Name - Fort Minor. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Gilas
vs
Yamato

176 cm
24
201 lbs
7 - 2 - 0

191 cm
26
200 lbs
12 - 4 - 0

Good wrestling
Lethal high kicks
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

On Tap (160Q & Laundry)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Neil Gilas!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Akihiko Yamato!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Bishop, Chris Edwards and Richard Clark.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gilas with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Yamato works the jab nicely.
Yamato bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Gilas lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Gilas has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Yamato.
Yamato throws a poor cross that misses

and Gilas counters with a single leg into guard. Yamato didn't expect that.
Gilas is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Gilas trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Yamato tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Gilas landing with the ground and pound.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Yamato trying to control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gilas trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Yamato wants to stand and escape but Gilas is having none of it.
Gilas with a flurry of punches that miss.
Yamato not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Gilas lands a couple of digs.
Gilas with a nice head shot there.

It looks like Akihiko Yamato has been cut.
Gilas trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Yamato bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Gilas's guard.

Yamato looking to pass the guard.
Gilas manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Yamato manages to get himself to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gilas with a flurry of punches that miss.
Yamato is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Gilas is controlling him.
Gilas content to stall in guard here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Gilas throws an elbow that misses. Yamato uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Gilas's guard. Nice move by Yamato!

Gilas 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.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yamato's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Yamato wants to stand and escape but instead Gilas has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.

Gilas throws a strike but Yamato rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Yamato stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Gilas swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Yamato won't allow Gilas to sweep him here.
Yamato slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yamato trying to control but Gilas is working from the bottom.
Gilas has Yamato pulled in close to control his posture.
Yamato wants to stand but Gilas is controlling his posture from full guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Yamato wants to stand and escape but instead Gilas has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.

And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Neil Gilas dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Akihiko Yamato's cut.
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.

Gilas fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Yamato connects with a good right hand that stumbles Gilas. Gilas circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Yamato scores with a crisp jab that stopped Gilas in his tracks.
Yamato's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Yamato duly obliges.

It looks like Neil Gilas has been cut.
Yamato throws a lazy uppercut
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Gilas ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Yamato moves away.
Yamato steps in looking to counter with the mid kick but it doesn't connect.
Akihiko Yamato seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Gilas tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Yamato was well out of range. Poor timing from Gilas.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gilas feints and then cracks Yamato's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Yamato down.
Yamato throws a lazy uppercut

and Gilas counters with a shoot takedown. Yamato fights it but they end up in guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Gilas throwing strikes from guard but Yamato blocks nicely.
Gilas might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gilas missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Yamato utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Gilas wants to control from the top but Yamato keeps moving.
Gilas pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Yamato is keeping the position for now.
Yamato is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Gilas won't allow Yamato to get back to his feet.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Gilas has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Gilas loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Yamato bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Gilas's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gilas working a defensive guard but Yamato manages to pass into side control anyway.
Yamato tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
Gilas is looking to regain half guard here but Yamato keeps moving and retains side control.
Yamato wants to stand but Gilas has his arm trapped.
Gilas is being controlled here.
Gilas is trying to control Yamato's posture but Yamato avoids it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gilas is trying to get back to half guard.
Gilas manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Yamato is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Gilas is trying to get back to full guard.
Yamato is controlling the pace.
Yamato trying to control the action but Gilas is working from the bottom.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Yamato scores with a nice strike.
Yamato scores with a body shot.
Akihiko Yamato is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Gilas misses with a lunging right hand
and Yamato counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Nice defenses there by Yamato.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Gilas takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Gilas is looking to land body kicks.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Akihiko Yamato showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Gilas shoots in but Yamato avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Yamato thinks about the counter body kick.
Yamato lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Gilas looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Gilas ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Gilas tries to work over Yamato's front leg with a kick but Yamato checks it.
Yamato connects with a jab.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gilas fails to land with a series of punches.
Yamato lands a jab to the nose.
Gilas lands a nice hook to Yamato's body. Yamato takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Yamato bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yamato throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Gilas getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Gilas ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Akihiko Yamato seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Gilas throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
A little jabbing left from Yamato on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Gilas fails with a takedown attempt.
An inside leg kick lands from Yamato.
Yamato moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Gilas staying out of range there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gilas takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Gilas dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Gilas fails with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Neil Gilas. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Yamato works the jab nicely.
Yamato has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Yamato is looking to slow Gilas down with leg kicks.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gilas ducks under a wild hook from Yamato.
Gilas with a nice cross.
Gilas scores with a kick to the body.
Nice shot by Gilas.

That has opened up Akihiko Yamato's cut even more.
Yamato scores with a decent looking hook.
A chopping leg kick lands by Yamato.
Yamato throws a hook to the side of Gilas's head but Gilas sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Gilas chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Yamato can pounce on him.
Gilas misses with a hook
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Yamato misses with a hook
and Gilas counters with a lovely shot to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Gilas shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Yamato manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Yamato working a defensive guard here.
Gilas wants to control from the top but Yamato keeps moving.
Gilas throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Yamato being controlled here, momentarily.
Gilas throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Yamato works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Akihiko Yamato.
I think Yamato 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 Daniel Bishop scores the fight 28:29
Judge Chris Edwards scores the fight 28:29
Judge Richard Clark scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Akihiko Yamato!
A very excited looking Akihiko Yamato made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.