PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Don Stewart (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Franky Yip (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Stewart
vs
Yip

183 cm
23
187 lbs
9 - 4 - 0

180 cm
26
185 lbs
8 - 4 - 1

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Excellent grappler
World class boxer
Granite chin

Lion Fightwear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 4 - 0, fighting out of New York, Don Stewart!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 4 - 1, fighting out of London, Franky Yip!
The judges for this bout are Bruno Lombardi, Joseph Jones and John Roberts.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nice defenses there by Stewart.
Yip throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Yip throws a looping overhand right but Stewart ducks down to avoid it.
Stewart changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Yip sizes up Stewart with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Stewart connects with a body shot.
A big right from Yip misses.
Stewart shoots in but no luck this time.
Stewart takes one to the chin there.
Yip with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Stewart to score with a decent uppercut.
Yip throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Stewart.
Donk. Yip catches Stewart right on the button with a cross.
Yip smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Yip lands a slapping body shot.
Yip lands with a nice combination. Stewart backs away looking to recover.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yip moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Stewart's jab looks to have found its range, popping Yip under the eye.
Yip throws a left and a right that both miss

and Stewart counters with a takedown into side control.
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.
Stewart cracks Yip with a big right hand but Yip just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Yip parries the strikes from Stewart easily there. Stewart is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Yip to escape.
Yip is looking for a sweep.
Yip keeps trying to improve his position.

Stewart working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Stewart working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Stewart wants to control but Yip is keeping him busy.
Stewart lands some shots froms side control.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Yip is looking for a sweep.
Stewart wants to control but Yip is keeping him busy.
Yip sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yip is looking to improve his position.

Yip looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Stewart trying to control from half guard but Yip is working away.
Stewart scores with a couple of good hammerfists.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Yip moves into full guard.
Yip keeping moving, preventing Stewart from controlling successfully.
Yip looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Yip wants to control the position but Stewart says "no thanks buddy" and passes to half guard.
Stewart missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Yip controlling the position for now.

Stewart is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Stewart slips a straight right by Yip.
Stewart tries to counter with a takedown but Yip is quick to defend against it.
Yip misses with a jab, cross combination.
Franky Yip seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Stewart connects with a leg kick. Yip looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.

Stewart scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.

Yip manages to escape and get back to his feet!
Yip stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Stewart.
Stewart fails with a takedown attempt.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Stewart throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Yip's waist but Yip gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Stewart off to one side.
Stewart tries for a takedown but Yip sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Yip feints the counter takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Don Stewart. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Stewart takes one on the button.
Yip throws out a loose jab but Stewart uses good head movement to avoid it.
Stewart changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Stewart throws a half hearted mid kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yip swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Yip throws a good cross that connects.
Yip connects with a right hand. Stewart shakes it off.
Yip throws a body shot but no joy.
A low kick from Stewart misses
and Yip counters with a nice uppercut.
Stewart takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
Stewart lands with a straight right. Yip didn't see that one coming.
Yip throws a looping overhand right but Stewart ducks down to avoid it.
A slow jab from Yip misses its intended target.
Yip misses with a hook. Stewart ducked under it nicely.
Jab, jab by Yip - just one landing.
Yip thuds a left hand into Stewart's body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Yip sizes up Stewart with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Stewart fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Yip stuns Stewart with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Yip misses with a two punch combination.
Yip slaps away a takedown attempt from Stewart, before circling back to the center of the mat.

Yip gets the takedown into side control.
Yip working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Stewart is not content to let Yip control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Stewart can't do much from the bottom here.
Yip wants to control but Stewart is keeping him busy.
Yip is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
Yip working away.
Stewart is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Yip works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Stewart is trying to get back to half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Stewart trying to control but Yip flips him over like a cheap hooker and has his back!
Watch the back of the head! Comes the shout from the referee towards Yip.
Stewart is covering up but some of the strikes from Yip are getting through and doing damage.
Yip has the hooks in. Stewart is trying to push off one leg but he has to do so cautiously to avoid being submitted.
Yip gets his hooks in and is throwing strikes.
Yip really has the hooks in deep now - there seems like no escape for Stewart.
Yip connects with a series of strikes and the referee is calling for Stewart to escape the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Franky Yip showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Yip lands with a right hand.
Yip waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Stewart.
Nice sprawl there from Stewart as Yip shoots in.
Stewart takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Stewart takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Yip looks to land a right hand but Stewart moved out of range.
Stewart connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Stewart uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Yip.
Yip throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Stewart attempts a counter takedown but Yip avoids it well and moves away.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Stewart lands a nice leg kick that just misses Yip's sensitive parts.
Yip scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Yip throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Yip misses with a hook. Stewart ducked under it nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A looping hook to the body misses from Yip. Stewart does a little dance to reset his feet.
Yip throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Yip jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Yip takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Stewart tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Yip was well out of range. Poor timing from Stewart.
Good leg kick by Stewart there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Yip tests Stewart's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Stewart throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Yip's waist but Yip gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Stewart off to one side.
Stewart swats away the attempt to clinch by Yip.
Stewart fails with the takedown
and Yip counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Don Stewart has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yip scores with a jab to the jaw.
Yip jabs at Stewart's body.
Yip throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Yip lands a glancing blow to the side of Stewart's head.
Yip throws a sloppy body shot

and Stewart decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Yip's guard.
Yip trying to control the position here.
Stewart scoring with punches to the head and body.
Stewart trying to control but Yip is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yip is trying to hold Stewart in close to prevent damage but Stewart has managed to pass into half guard.
Stewart uses his free foot to push down on Yip's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Yip.
Yip sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Stewart thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Stewart lands with a punch from half guard.
Yip is positioning himself well to prevent Stewart advancing to mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yip is trying to maintain the position but Stewart is very close to passing his half guard.
Franky Yip has got the better of the ground game so far.
Stewart stalling away here and it's allowed Yip to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Franky Yip is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Yip controlling the position.
Stewart postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

Yip has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Stewart can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Stewart scores with a decent looking elbow strike.

And that's the end of the fight!
Franky Yip comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Yip has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Bruno Lombardi scores the fight 27:30
Judge Joseph Jones scores the fight 27:30
Judge John Roberts scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Franky Yip!
Franky Yip opened up his post fight interview with a scream to camera that he wants a title shot! Whether he deserves the shot will be up to the management of the organization, so I guess he'll have to wait and see.