PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Yef Yew (ranked 963 p4p, 124 weight class) and Aito Lager (ranked 2462 p4p, 280 weight class). Lager is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Army Of The Pharaohs - Seven. Rumors backstage are that the fighters have been paid to keep it standing but we know that would never happen in MMA!

Yew
vs
Lager

187 cm
32
185 lbs
22 - 6 - 0

178 cm
30
199 lbs
6 - 5 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Olympic wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

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 22 - 6 - 0, fighting out of London, Yef Yew!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Aito Lager!
The judges for this bout are Taro Takaoka, Shirou Masuda and Yasuomi Hirokawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A decent looking body kick lands there for Yew.
Lager throws an off balance right hand
and Yew counters with an outside leg kick.
Lager swings widly with a right hand
and Yew connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Lager on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Yew. Yew obviously looking to wear him down.

Lager changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Yew looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Yew wants to get back to his feet but Lager drags him back down.
Yew on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Lager sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Yew is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Lager in side control, throwing shots but Yew defends.
Lager misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Yew regains half guard, as Lager was trying to land strikes.
Lager misses with a head shot. Yew uses the momentum to regain guard.
Yew wants to sweep here but Lager controlling him for the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lager stands and throws Yew's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Yew parries the strikes from Lager easily there. Lager is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Yew to escape.
Lager sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Yew is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.

Lager tries for a kimura but Yew is defending well.
Yew struggling a bit here.
Lager misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Lager scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Yew to see if he's OK.
Lager in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Yew tries to improve position but can't.
Yew struggling a bit here.
Yew is trying to improve his position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sloppy strikes there by Lager.
Lager fails to land a wild elbow strike.

Lager tries for a kimura but Yew is defending well.
Lager working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Lager is looking to take a break and control but Yew is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Lager is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
Lager has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Lager cracks Yew with a big right hand but Yew just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Lager looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Yew is avoiding damage well.
Yew tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Lager wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Lager throws an elbow but Yew slips to the side and avoids it well.
Lager is trying to ground and pound but Yew uses the momentary lack of control by Lager to regain half guard.

Lager seems to be working for a kimura but Yew defends the submission attempt.
Lager with the ground and pound but Yew uses the opportunity to regain guard.
Lager looking to sit in guard and control but Yew gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Lager is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Lager wants to improve his position but instead Yew has moved into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Lager actively working from the bottom here.
Yew is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Lager wants to get back to full guard.
Lager moves into full guard.
Yew won't allow Lager to sweep him here.
Lager controlling the position.
Lager looking to control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Aito Lager will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

A looping hook to the body misses from Yew. Lager does a little dance to reset his feet.
Lager catches Yew with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Lager misses with a wild combination.
The fighters circling - Lager throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Yew appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Lager tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Yew was well out of range. Poor timing from Lager.
Yew moves away from the strike by Lager.
Yew moves away from the strike by Lager.
Lager takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Lager's corner calls for a 1-2. Lager obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
We've been told by Yew's head coaches at London BALLS OF STEEL that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.
Jab, jab by Yew - just one landing.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nice shot lands for Lager.
Lager bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Lager with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Yew to score with a decent uppercut.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Lager throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Yew was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Lager blocks the body kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lager throws a body punch but Yew moves out of range.
Yef Yew is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Lager swings away with a body shot that misses
and Yew counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Yew misses with a straight right.
Yew needs to keep his hands up - Lager had a free shot at his head there.
Yew throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Lager misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Yew.
Yew feints and then cracks Lager's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Lager down.
Lager throws a low kick, looking for Yew's leg but Yew calmly moves out of range.
As Lager backs away, Yew returns fire with a leg kick that just misses.
Lager misses the jab.
Lager misses with a hook
and Yew counters with a nice uppercut.
Yef Yew is winning the standup battle so far.
Yew lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Lager checks a leg kick nicely.
Aito Lager seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Nice sprawl there from Yew as Lager shoots in.
Yew swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Lager throws a right and a left that Yew avoids nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lager misses with an uppercut.
Lager throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Lager throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Yew throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Lager sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Lager tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Lager checks a low kick from Yew.
Lager misses with a right hand
and Yew counters with a thumping low kick.
Lager throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Lager bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
And Lager tries to counter it with a takedown but Yew pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Lager misses the shot to the body.
Yew lands a leg kick that knocks Lager off balance momentarily.
Lager jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Lager is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Yew.
Lager waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Yew.
Yew throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Lager waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Yew.
Lager throws out a loose jab but Yew uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lager misses with a few strikes there.
Yew lands with an overhand left.
Lager misses the shot to the body.
Yew throws a leg kick but Lager moved away.
Lager throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Lager shoots in for a takedown but Yew shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Yew.
Lager fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Yew manages to avoid it.
Lager throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Lager!
Lager cracks Yew with an open hand slap.
Nice sprawl there from Yew as Lager shoots in.
Yef Yew has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Aito Lager.
Yew connects with a crisp jab.
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!
Lager ducks under a wild hook from Yew.
Lager throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Yew counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Lager gets a takedown into half guard.
Lager thows a huge punch but Yew dodges it nicely.
Yew moves into full guard.
Lager in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Lager stands up over Yew, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Lager lands a couple of elbows.
Lager in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Yew avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Lager postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Lager is in close to Yew's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Lager works over Yew with some ground and pound from guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Aito Lager showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Yew avoids the body shot from Lager.
Nice uppercut there from Yew.
Lager lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Lager cracks Yew with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Yew is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Yew connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Lager looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Yew keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Lager throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Yew on the side of the head.
Yew jabs Lager to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Yew uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Lager.
It appears Yew was looking to counter with a kick there.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lager misses with a wild combination.
Lager rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Yew counters with a low kick, right behind Lager 's knee.
Yew ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Lager moves away.
Lager tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Lager swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lager misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Yew.
As Lager backs away, Yew returns fire with a leg kick that just misses.
Lager chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Lager uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Yew.
A slow jab from Lager misses its intended target.
Lager misses with a combination
and Yew counters with a nice body kick.
Lager swings away with a body shot that misses
and Lager takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Lager's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Yew connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Lager scrambles back to his feet.
Yew takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Yew scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Lager has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Yew.
Lager takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Lager throws a shot to the body.
Lager misses with a hook. Yew ducked under it nicely.
A cross from Yew lands.
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!
Lager throws a lazy uppercut
and Lager takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A clash of legs there as Lager blocks the low kick.
Lager takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Lager will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Yew connects with an inside leg kick.
Yew digs a good hook to Lager's body.
Lager looks to land a right hand but Yew moved out of range.
Yew keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Yew scores with a shot to the body.
Lager throws a jab but it's blocked by Yew.
Yew fires out a quick counter leg kick but Lager just manages to avoid it.
Yew on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Lager throws a body shot but no joy.
Yew was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Yew showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Lager.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lager fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Yew manages to avoid it.
Lager tries a head kick but it misses.
Lager moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Yew lands a really nice looking cross but Lager seems unphased.
Yew bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Lager's head.
The fighters circling - Yew throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Lager misses with a body shot
and Yew counters with a leg kick.
Aito Lager is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Yew slips under a jab.
Lager lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Lager misses with a body punch
and Yew counters with a stiff right hand.
Lager is trying hard to land a takedown here. Yew sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Yew lands a nice looking body shot.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Lager bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Lager feints the counter takedown.
Lager's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Yew fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Lager on the side of the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lager is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Yew.
Lager throws a hook but Yew avoids it easily.
Lager fails to land with a series of punches.
Yew moves into range and connects with a jab.
Yew tried to score with a low kick but Lager checks it.
Yew jabs Lager right on the nose. Lager blinks but takes it well.

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

Yew has scooted to the edge of the canvas and used the cage to get back to his feet. Lager has stuck on his opponent and is forcing him back against the cage.

Yew's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Yew defending well as Lager loads up on a big left hand.
Lager misses with a hook. Yew ducked under it nicely.
Lager throws a body shot but no joy.
Yef Yew has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Yew misses with a hook.

And that's the end of the fight!
Yef Yew showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Lager 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 Taro Takaoka scores the fight 28:29
Judge Shirou Masuda scores the fight 28:29
Judge Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Aito Lager!
A victorious Aito Lager thanked his army of followers in his post fight interview, telling people to make sure they follow him on Twitter.