PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Ilya Yaj (ranked 1468 p4p, 152 weight class) and Adam Walker (ranked 954 p4p, 109 weight class). Ilya Yaj has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Yaj
vs
Walker

170 cm
26
146 lbs
6 - 5 - 0

160 cm
26
135 lbs
9 - 4 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Cardio machine

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Powerful

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 6 - 5 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Ilya Yaj!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 4 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Adam Walker !
The judges for this bout are Bart Greer, David Hoff and Daniel Franklin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Yaj moves into range and clinches up with Walker .
Yaj fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Yaj lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Walker letting Yaj take a breather here.
Yaj lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Walker .
Walker lands with a left to the head.

Walker breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Yaj throws a lazy right hand but Walker sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Yaj throws a body shot but no joy.
Yaj on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Nice body punch from Yaj.
Walker tried to score with a low kick but Yaj checks it.
Nice uppercut lands for Walker . That snapped Yaj's head back.
Yaj moves out of range as Walker strikes.
As Walker tries to get set, Yaj tries to push him back and clinch up but Walker manages to avoid the attempt.
Yaj rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Walker moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Walker connects with a solid leg kick.

Walker moves into range and clinches up with Yaj.

Walker breaks the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Walker clinches up against the cage.
Yaj scores with a shot to the side of Walker 's head.
Yaj lands with a short shot to the head.
Yaj is trying to drag Walker to the mat but Walker just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Walker blocks an uppercut.
Walker lands a body punch.
Yaj tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Walker 's elbow.
Yaj tries to work over Walker 's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Yaj lands a left hand that snaps the head of Walker backwards.
Walker tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Walker misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Yaj avoiding damage as Walker throws knees to the body.
Walker can't find room to land a body shot as Yaj controls the action.
Walker can't find room to land a body shot as Yaj controls the action.
Yaj tries a body shot but Walker blocks it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Walker is pressed up against the cage. Yaj has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Walker down to the mat. Walker avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Ilya Yaj seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Walker throws out a loose jab but Yaj uses good head movement to avoid it.
Yaj tries to clinch
and Walker counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Yaj misses with a right hand
letting Walker counter with a right hand.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Walker darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Yaj throws a shot to the body.
Walker scores with a shot to the body.
Yaj throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Walker lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Nice jab there from Yaj.
Yaj wants to clinch.
Walker appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
Walker ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Walker misses with a straight left.
Yaj tries to counter by clinching up but Walker breaks away and moves out of range.
A punch combination from Walker misses.
Yaj definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.

Yaj clinches with his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yaj misses with a punch to the body.
Yaj lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Yaj lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Walker backwards.
Yaj throws a head punch that misses.
Walker pushes Yaj back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Yaj misses with some punches.
Nice body punch from Yaj.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Walker .
Yaj goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Yaj throws a head punch that misses.
Yaj blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Walker blocks a body shot from Yaj.
Walker looking to slow down the pace here.
Walker tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Yaj's elbow.

Walker escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Yaj staying out of range there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yaj walks into a straight right hand from Walker .
Yaj shoots in for a takedown but Walker shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ilya Yaj. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Yaj lands a nice looking body shot.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Yaj moves out of range as Walker strikes.
Walker throws a leg kick but Yaj sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Walker throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Yaj is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Yaj fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Walker , pushing him back against the cage.
Walker tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Yaj's elbow.
Yaj swings wildly with an uppercut but Walker uses good head movement to avoid it.
Walker lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Yaj or not.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Walker .
Walker misses with a body punch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Adam Walker will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Yaj swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Walker keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Yaj throws a lazy right hand but Walker sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Walker jabs Yaj to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Yaj checks a low kick from Walker .
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Walker .
A bone on bone clash there as Yaj blocks the leg kick.
Good work by Yaj as he checks the leg kick.
Walker avoids the body shot from Yaj.
Walker has tried to improve his agility in the runup to this fight.
Yaj throws a body punch but Walker moves out of range.
Walker throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Walker throws an ugly left hook that misses

and Yaj counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Yaj.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Yaj takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Yaj tries to throw a body punch but Walker avoids it by throwing Yaj back against the cage.
Walker can't find room to land a body shot as Yaj controls the action.
Walker is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Yaj is keeping busy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Walker tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Yaj's elbow.
Yaj tries a body shot but Walker blocks it.
Walker working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Yaj lands a body punch.
Yaj lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Yaj misses with a short punch on the inside.
Walker throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Walker trying to land knees to the body.
Walker struggles to land a body shot inside as Yaj controls his hands.
Still in the clinch, Walker scores with a nice short uppercut.
Yaj struggles to land a body shot inside as Walker controls his hands.
Yaj misses with a punch on the inside.
Yaj prevents a body shot from Walker .
Yaj doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Walker blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Yaj struggles to land a body shot inside as Walker controls his hands.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Walker stalling in the clinch but Yaj improves position.
Yaj misses with a punch to the body.
Walker tries to throw a body punch but Yaj avoids it by throwing Walker back against the cage.
A short right from Yaj on the inside.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Yaj lands a shoulder strike.
Ilya Yaj has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Walker stalling the fight.
Yaj stalling.
Yaj lands with a left to the head.
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!
Walker misses with a hook to the ribs.
Walker misses with a hook to the ribs.
Yaj tries to throw a body punch but Walker avoids it by throwing Yaj back against the cage.
Yaj fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Yaj throws a head punch that misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yaj goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Come on Walker - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
A right hook to the body lands for Yaj.
Yaj fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Yaj lands with a light punch inside.
Yaj swings wildly with an uppercut but Walker uses good head movement to avoid it.
Walker struggles to land a body shot inside as Yaj controls his hands.
Yaj misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Walker prevents Yaj from breaking the clinch.
Yaj has a couple of punches blocked by Walker .
Yaj lands a right hand that snaps the head of Walker backwards.
A head punch on the inside from Yaj fails to land.
Walker misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Yaj has a couple of punches blocked by Walker .
A frustrated look appears on Walker 's face as he tries to break the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Walker lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Yaj backwards.
Yaj tries to work over Walker 's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Walker .
Yaj lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Yaj working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Walker blocks a body shot from Yaj.
Yaj cracks Walker with a nice body shot.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Walker goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Walker tries to throw a body punch but Yaj avoids it by throwing Walker back against the cage.
Yaj goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Yaj blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Yaj lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Walker trying to stall but Yaj improves his position.
A right handed body shot lands from Yaj.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Yaj.
Yaj's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Yaj swings wildly with an uppercut but Walker uses good head movement to avoid it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ilya Yaj dominated that second round.
That's time! Yaj's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Walker jabs at Yaj's body.
Walker defending well as Yaj loads up on a big left hand.
Yaj fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

Yaj gets a clinch.
Walker blocking some punches.
Nice body punch from Yaj - that landed with a thud.
Yaj goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Yaj tries to work over Walker 's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Walker working aggressively here.
Yaj misses with a hook from the clinch.
Yaj lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Walker struggles to land a body shot inside as Yaj controls his hands.
Walker scores with a shoulder strike.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yaj ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Yaj tries to clinch there but Walker circles away.
Walker swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Yaj scores with a nice right hand.
Yaj fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Walker on the side of the head.
Yaj tries to clinch but Walker is having none of it.

Yaj fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Walker , pushing him back against the cage.
A short body shot lands from Yaj as the two fighters clinch.
Yaj fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Walker wants to break the clinch but can't.
Walker is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Yaj blocks an uppercut.
Walker lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Yaj backwards.
Walker tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Yaj scores with a shot to the side of Walker 's head.
Yaj misses with a shot to the kidneys.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yaj goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Yaj swings wildly with an uppercut but Walker uses good head movement to avoid it.
Walker can't find room to land a body shot as Yaj controls the action.
Walker is trying to maintain a safe position but Yaj gets an underhook and turns Walker into the cage.
Yaj scores with a nice hook to the head.
Walker blocks an uppercut.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Yaj lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Yaj lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Yaj misses with a short punch on the inside.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
A hook to the body from Yaj.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Walker .
Yaj goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Yaj swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Walker blocks an uppercut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Yaj.
Walker scores with a nice hook to the head.
Yaj working aggressively here.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Yaj.
Walker blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Walker .
Yaj blocks a body shot from Walker .
Walker works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Yaj blocks a body shot from Walker .
Yaj prevents a body shot from Walker .
A nice right hand lands inside from Walker .
A right handed body shot lands from Walker .
Walker tries to work over Yaj's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Yaj misses with a hook from the clinch.
Walker tries to throw a body punch but Yaj avoids it by throwing Walker back against the cage.
Yaj softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Yaj.
Yaj lands a hook to the side of the head.
Walker blocks an uppercut.
Stalling in the clinch from Walker .
Walker tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Yaj's elbow.
Walker lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Yaj has a couple of punches blocked by Walker .
Walker lands with a right to the head.
Yaj lands a body shot.
Yaj has a couple of punches blocked by Walker .
Yaj misses with a punch to the body.
Yaj blocks a body shot from Walker .
Yaj lands a shot to the body.
Walker blocks an uppercut.
Yaj misses with a short punch on the inside.
Walker blocking some punches.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ilya Yaj showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Yaj has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Bart Greer scores the fight 29:28
Judge David Hoff scores the fight 29:28
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ilya Yaj!
An out of breath Ilya Yaj thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.