PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Robbie Luatua (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Masamichi Yamaji (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Luatua comes to the cage accompanied by Puff Daddy feat Jimmy Page - Come with me. Yamaji has chosen Forgotten Places by Max Ablitzer as his entrance music. 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.

Luatua
vs
Yamaji

189 cm
30
262 lbs
21 - 10 - 0

193 cm
36
262 lbs
20 - 7 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Granite chin

Good wrestler
World class MT
Granite chin

Aspire Clothing
Conviction

Aspire Clothing

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 21 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Robbie Luatua!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 20 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Masamichi Yamaji!
The judges for this bout are Chris Downing, Tiny Johnson and Daniel Franklin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Yamaji circles away from the clinch attempt.
Luatua chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Luatua throws a body kick despite being completely out of range
and Yamaji counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Luatua defending well as Yamaji loads up on a big left hand.
Luatua looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Yamaji tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Luatua is able to avoid easily.
Luatua looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Yamaji lands with a kick to the temple. Luatua shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Yamaji lands with a straight right. Luatua didn't see that one coming.
Jab, jab by Yamaji - just one landing.
Yamaji connects with a jab.
Yamaji lands with a straight right. Luatua didn't see that one coming.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
A slow jab from Yamaji misses its intended target.
Luatua tries to counter by clinching up but Yamaji breaks away and moves out of range.
Yamaji fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Luatua checks it well.
Yamaji misses with a hook to the body

and Luatua counters by clinching up.
Yamaji tries to throw a body punch but Luatua avoids it by throwing Yamaji back against the cage.
Luatua lands a body punch in the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Luatua struggles to land a body shot inside as Yamaji controls his hands.
Yamaji swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Yamaji lands a hook to the side of the head.
Luatua lands with a light punch inside.

It looks like Masamichi Yamaji has been cut.
Luatua is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Yamaji is defending well for now.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Yamaji.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Yamaji.
Luatua swings wildly with an uppercut but Yamaji uses good head movement to avoid it.
Yamaji scores with a shot to the side of Luatua's head.
Luatua lands a shot to the body.
Yamaji misses with a short punch on the inside.
Yamaji misses with a hook to the ribs.
Yamaji softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Yamaji misses with a punch to the body.
Luatua lands a left hand that snaps the head of Yamaji backwards.
Yamaji throws a punch but it's blocked by Luatua.
Yamaji tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yamaji wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Luatua has him pressed against the cage.
Yamaji wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
A bit of stalling here from Luatua.
Luatua tries to work over Yamaji's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Luatua is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Yamaji is defending well for now.
Nice elbow from Luatua.
Yamaji misses with a punch on the inside.
Luatua tries a body shot but Yamaji blocks it.
Luatua misses with the head strike.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Luatua.
Luatua looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Luatua misses with the head strike.
Yamaji lands with a light punch inside.
A head punch on the inside from Yamaji fails to land.
Yamaji lands a left hand that snaps the head of Luatua backwards.
Yamaji misses with a hook to the ribs.
Yamaji is pushing Luatua up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Yamaji swings wildly with an uppercut but Luatua uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Luatua throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Yamajis head.
Luatua misses with a shot to the kidneys.
A head punch on the inside from Luatua fails to land.
Yamaji controlling the action here for a moment.
Luatua fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Yamaji lands with a right to the head.
Yamaji misses with a short punch on the inside.
Yamaji tries a body shot but Luatua blocks it.
Yamaji goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Luatua lands a right hand that snaps the head of Yamaji backwards.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Yamaji.
Luatua lands a hook that snaps the head of Yamaji backwards.

That has opened up Masamichi Yamaji's cut even more.
Luatua blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yamaji tries a body shot but Luatua blocks it.
Luatua swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Luatua softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Yamaji can't break the clinch.

Yamaji breaks from the clinch.
Yamaji looks to land a combination. Luatua sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Yamaji misses with a leg kick.
An inside leg kick lands from Luatua.
Yamaji throws a leg kick that is checked

and Luatua counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Luatua.
Yamaji swings away with an uppercut that misses.

Yamaji's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Yamaji throws a combination that misses
and Luatua counters with a huge left! Yamaji is in big trouble! He's backing up but Luatua isn't giving him chance to recover. Under a barage of punches the ref has to step in to save Yamaji from any more damage. A dominating finish by Luatua!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:48 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Robbie Luatua!
Robbie Luatua retains his heavyweight title!
Robbie Luatua was full of energy after the big win and talked about how he thinks he can do big things in this sport. The crowd were appreciative of his determination to succeed.
The defeated Masamichi Yamaji had this to say: '*spits on the mat*'.