PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Yi Dong (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Haruto Suo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). 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.

Dong
vs
Suo

188 cm
23
185 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

177 cm
20
188 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Intelligent

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Yi Dong!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Haruto Suo!
The judges for this bout are Kenichi Hosakawa, Shirou Masuda and Yuuki Gou.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Dong drives through with a takedown into guard.
Dong stands and throws Suo's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Suo is looking to reverse the position.
Suo regains half guard.
Dong performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Suo is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Dong's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Dong's back!
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Suo has the hooks sunk in and you can see the will to fight slowly draining out of Dong's body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dong turns into Suo and is now in his guard.
Dong prevents Suo from getting back to his feet.
Dong is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Dong tries to free his leg and advance position but Suo is retaining full guard.
Suo is looking to stand up but Dong isn't so interested in that idea.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Suo throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Suo looking for a sweep. Not yet Suo, not yet.
Suo is looking to stand up but Dong isn't so interested in that idea.
Dong has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Dong throwing strikes but missing.
Suo strikes from his own guard.
Dong preventing the sweep.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Suo is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Dong swats away the attempt to clinch by Suo.
Dong lands with a thumping leg kick.
Suo fails with a takedown attempt.
Suo misses with an attempted mid kick.

Dong moves into the clinch.
Suo is trying to break the clinch but Dong has him pressed against the cage.

Dong breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Dong slaps away a takedown attempt from Suo, before circling back to the center of the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Suo shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Dong but Dong pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Yi Dong has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Haruto Suo.
Suo looks winded!

Dong closes the distance and pushes Suo back into the cage.

Dong pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Suo tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Dong manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Suo will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

Dong has taken the fight to the clinch.
A bit of stalling here from Dong.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Dong takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Dong has Suo pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Suo manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Dong lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.

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

Yi Dong dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Suo avoids the head kick by Dong.
Suo shoots in but Dong avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Suo fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Dong avoids it really well and circles away.
Dong tries to counter with a takedown but Suo is quick to defend against it.
Yi Dong seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Suo shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Dong pinned against the cage. Dong gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Yi Dong has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Haruto Suo.

Dong moves into the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Dong is trying to pull guard but Suo turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Come on Dong - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.

Dong breaks the clinch.
Yi Dong is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dong thumps Suo with a low kick.

Dong moves into the clinch.
Suo tries to break the clinch but Dong is controlling the position.
Suo wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

Dong breaks the clinch.
Dong lands a high kick!
Dong checks the leg kick nicely there.
Dong lands a head kick. Suo smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Suo darts in looking for a takedown but Dong gets double underhooks and turns Suo into the cage.
Suo swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Suo is breathing heavily.

Dong moves into the clinch.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.

Dong's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dong misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Suo throws a leg kick but Dong sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Dong went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
The fight stays on the outside here - Dong looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Dong feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Suo's calf.
This has been an exciting period of action!
A nice leg kick lands there from Dong.
Dong connects with a high kick.
Suo shoots in but Dong avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Suo shoots in for a takedown but Dong shows good takedown defense.
Dong looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Suo is fending him off so far but Dong persists. Nope, Suo circles away and we're back to standing.
Suo wants to counter the offense by Dong and move into the clinch position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dong's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Dong duly obliges.
Suo fails with the takedown.

Dong rushes Suo and presses him up against the cage.
Dong digs a right hand into Suo's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Suo's gas tank.
Suo wants to stall.

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

Dong clinches with his opponent.
Suo is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Dong pulls him back up using the underhooks.
A right handed body shot lands from Dong.
Dong is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Suo can do to turn this around?
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Dong.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Dong obliges.

Dong breaks the clinch.
Dong misses with a series of wild punches.
Dong fails to land the takedown.
Dong lands a head kick. Suo smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!

Dong feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.

Suo wriggles free and stands up.

Dong shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Suo napping and manages to drive through into side control!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yi Dong dominated that second round.
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. This is the final round!

Dong scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Suo flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Suo moves into full guard.
Suo wants to sweep here but Dong controlling him for the moment.
Dong controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Suo striking off his back but it's not causing Dong any problems.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Suo trying to keep a closed guard but Dong is proving a slippery customer.
Dong stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Suo swivels though and keeps the full guard.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Dong with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Suo fails with the takedown.
Horrible takedown attempt by Suo or perhaps it was just good defense by Dong, which made it look bad.
Suo takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Suo misses with a takedown attempt - Dong sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Yi Dong has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Haruto Suo.

Dong has closed the distance and engaged Suo in a clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Dong's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Dong bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.

Dong decides to take the fight back to the feet.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Suo has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Dong avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
A left hand lands to the body for Dong.
Dong has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Suo avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Dong working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Dong prevents the takedown attempt.
Dong wants a takedown.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A head punch on the inside from Suo fails to land.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Dong.

Dong turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Dong manages to end up in side control.

Dong is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Suo has escaped the position, nice work there.
Dong controls the position.
Dong trying to control the position but Suo is working away.

Dong looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dong wants to lay and pray for a moment but Suo keeps working.
Suo taking punishment in the form of punches.

Dong stands up and we're back to a striking position.

Dong scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Dong trying to control the action but Suo is working from the bottom.
Haruto Suo has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Yi Dong is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Suo is looking to reverse the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Yi Dong showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Dong has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 30:27
Judge Shirou Masuda scores the fight 30:27
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Yi Dong!