PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Neville Williams (ranked 24696 p4p, 0 weight class) and Yuki Sanada (ranked 10368 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Williams
vs
Sanada

178 cm
18
150 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

170 cm
25
155 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Counter fighter
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Neville Williams!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Yuki Sanada!
The judges for this bout are Yuuki Gou, Yukihiro Shimada and Taro Takaoka.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Williams darts in looking for a takedown but Sanada gets double underhooks and turns Williams into the cage.
Sanada drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Williams defends it well.

Sanada moves into range and clinches up with Williams.
Sanada is trying to drag Williams to the mat but Williams just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Williams wants to stall.

Sanada's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Sanada shoots in for a takedown but Williams shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Williams changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sanada with a poor takedown
and Williams makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Neville Williams has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Yuki Sanada.
Williams throws a body punch but Sanada moves out of range.

Sanada shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sanada prevents Williams from improving his position.
Williams is working hard here to advance position.
Sanada takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Williams wants to improve his position but Sanada is controlling well.
Sanada is thwarting Williams's attempts to control the position.
Sanada is controlling the pace.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.

Williams has one foot on Sanada's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.
Sanada changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Williams tries to avoid it but Sanada manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Williams to the ground. Williams escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Williams thinks about countering with a head kick.
Sanada has his takedown stuffed
and Williams counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Sanada shoots in for a takedown but Williams shows good takedown defense.

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Williams wants to control but Sanada postures up.
Williams tries to bench press Sanada off him but Sanada keeps the position.
Williams is trying to escape the position but Sanada is controlling the position.
Sanada scores with a couple of short elbows.
Sanada is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.
Sanada working the ground and pound but Williams is defending the strikes.
Williams is letting Sanada control him for a moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Williams is trying to control Sanada's posture but Sanada avoids it.
Sanada is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Williams will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Sanada working the ground and pound.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Yuki Sanada will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Sanada tries for a takedown but Williams sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Williams thinks about countering with a body kick.
Sanada shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Williams counters with a straight right hand.
Sanada goes for a double leg but Williams avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Williams continues to drive forward.
Neville Williams has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Yuki Sanada.
Sanada closes the distance and clinches up with Williams, looking for a takedown. Sanada pushes Williams against the cage but Williams circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Williams drops down looking for a counter takedown but Sanada sprawls and moves away.
Williams looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Williams gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sanada throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Williams works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Williams wants to get back to his feet but Sanada is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Williams bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Sanada's guard.

Williams sitting in guard here, content to control.
Williams preventing the sweep.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Williams missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Sanada is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Williams postures up.
Sanada seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.

Sanada has an active guard here but Williams has managed to pass into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sanada is pressing down on Williams's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Sanada seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Sanada 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.

Sanada has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Williams can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Sanada is pulling down on Williams's head. It's preventing any offense from Williams, at least for the moment.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Sanada looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Williams shoots in but Sanada avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Sanada goes for a double leg but Williams avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Williams continues to drive forward.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Williams lands with a shot to the body.
Sanada shoots and misses
enabling Williams to counter with a crisp jab.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Neville Williams dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Horrible takedown attempt by Sanada or perhaps it was just good defense by Williams, which made it look bad.
Williams was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
Sanada tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Williams defends well and Sanada ends up having to push Williams into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Sanada misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Neville Williams has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Yuki Sanada.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sanada shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Williams dips down and scores with a jab to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Williams displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Sanada.
Sanada takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Sanada moves out of range as Williams throws a body kick.
Sanada throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Williams cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Williams defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Sanada.
Williams throws a quick counter kick to the body but Sanada avoids it.

Sanada closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Williams quickly recovers to half guard.
Williams pushes Sanada off but Sanada dives into side control.
Williams is pushing Sanada's head away, looking to escape. Sanada manages to hold on to the position though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Williams is trying to control Sanada's posture but Sanada avoids it.
Williams is trying to get back to his feet.
Williams trying to remain calm as Sanada controls from the top position.
Sanada tries to advance to mount but can't.
You can see the frustration on Williams's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Williams is trying to escape the position but Sanada is controlling the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sanada fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Williams is looking to regain half guard here but Sanada keeps moving and retains side control.
Sanada takes a little break here. Williams wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.
Yuki Sanada has got the better of the ground game so far.
Williams takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Williams is trying to control Sanada's posture but Sanada avoids it.
Williams bucks up and tries to throw Sanada off but instead Sanada has got his back!
Williams is trying to stand back up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sanada just keeping the dominant position. He can't wait too long though, otherwise the referee will stand them back up.

Sanada looking to break Williams's wrist control so he can sink in the choke. Williams remaining controlled and patient though - he really has to keep calm otherwise Sanada will wrap this one up with the rear naked choke!
Sanada controls the position.
Sanada is continuing to stall.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Yuki Sanada.
I think Sanada 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 Yuuki Gou scores the fight 28:29
Judge Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 29:28
Judge Taro Takaoka scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Yuki Sanada!
Post fight, Yuki Sanada stared into the camera and said 'みんなさんありがとうございました ! '.