PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Ephram Urani (ranked 127 p4p, 276 weight class) and Kai Yamaguchi (ranked 17 p4p, 34 weight class). Yamaguchi has chosen Yama Yama as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Urani
vs
Yamaguchi

165 cm
36
158
31 - 18 - 2

176 cm
40
157
43 - 15 - 1

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Granite chin

HARDCORE
Conviction

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 31 - 18 - 2, fighting out of New York, Ephram Urani!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 43 - 15 - 1, fighting out of Sydney, Kai Yamaguchi!
The judges for this bout are Tatsuya Matsuyama, Yukihiro Shimada and Ren Mimura.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Yamaguchi is looking to score with low kicks.
Urani throws a quick counter head kick but Yamaguchi was just out of range.
Yamaguchi looks to land a left hand but Urani moved out of range nicely.
Yamaguchi swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Urani takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Urani keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Yamaguchi lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Urani at a distance.
Yamaguchi on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Yamaguchi looks to score with a jab to the body but Urani is just out of range.
Yamaguchi misses with a wild body shot.
Yamaguchi is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Urani rather than just go for the knockout.
Urani moves out of range of the strikes.
Urani lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Yamaguchi takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.

Urani moves into the clinch successfully.
Yamaguchi misses with a punch on the inside.
Urani blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Urani struggles to land a body shot inside as Yamaguchi controls his hands.
Yamaguchi scores with a shoulder strike.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Urani tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Yamaguchi misses with a body punch.
Urani is trying to pull guard but Yamaguchi turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Yamaguchi tries to work over Urani's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
I was talking to Urani's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Yamaguchi working some nice short punches in the clinch.
A hook to the body from Urani.
A head punch on the inside from Yamaguchi fails to land.
Urani lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Yamaguchi swings wildly with an uppercut but Urani uses good head movement to avoid it.
Urani slowing the pace effectively.
Urani jumps guard but Yamaguchi stands there with Urani around his waist. Urani gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Yamaguchi lands with a left to the head.
Urani is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Urani tries to work over Yamaguchi's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Urani lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Yamaguchi swings wildly with an uppercut but Urani uses good head movement to avoid it.
Urani lands with a short punch from the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Urani lands with a left to the head.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
A short right from Urani.
Yamaguchi blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Urani.
Urani lands with a light punch inside.
Yamaguchi goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Yamaguchi misses with some punches.
Urani taking a breather.
Yamaguchi working aggressively here.
Yamaguchi scores with a shoulder strike.
Urani lands a nice uppercut.
Yamaguchi tries to work over Urani's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Urani.
Yamaguchi lands a body punch in the clinch.
Urani tries to pull guard but Yamaguchi holds him up against the cage and eventually Urani drops back down to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ephram Urani. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Yamaguchi lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Urani lands a hook that snaps the head of Yamaguchi backwards.
Urani blocks an uppercut.
Urani lands an uppercut.
Urani blocks a body shot from Yamaguchi.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A nice right hand lands inside from Urani.
A head punch on the inside from Yamaguchi fails to land.
Yamaguchi tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

Urani jumps into guard, dragging Yamaguchi to the mat.
Yamaguchi wants to control from the top but Urani keeps moving.
Yamaguchi pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Urani is keeping the position for now.
Urani has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.

Urani had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Yamaguchi defends it easily.

The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Urani is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Yamaguchi is aware though and is defending well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Yamaguchi stands up from Urani's guard - Yamaguchi perhaps looking for a knockout.
Urani takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.

Yamaguchi drives through and clinches with Urani against the cage.
Urani can't find room to land a body shot as Yamaguchi controls the action.
Yamaguchi fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Yamaguchi misses with a hook to the ribs.
Urani is stalling here.
Yamaguchi misses with some punches.
Urani blocking some punches.
Urani misses with a short punch on the inside.
Yamaguchi misses with a body punch.
Yamaguchi misses with a body punch.
Urani blocking some punches.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Ephram Urani will probably get the nod.
That's time! Urani's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Yamaguchi keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Urani backing away here, and Yamaguchi unleashes a leg kick that just misses.
Yamaguchi lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Urani throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.

Urani darts in and clinches Yamaguchi up against the cage.
Urani prevents a body shot from Yamaguchi.
Ephram Urani has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Urani blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Urani prevents a body shot from Yamaguchi.
Urani misses with a hook to the ribs.

Urani jumps guard and drags Yamaguchi to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.

Urani is working an open guard so Yamaguchi takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Yamaguchi takes a head kick and shrugs it off.

It looks like Kai Yamaguchi has been cut.
Urani throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Yamaguchi misses with a hook to the body
and Urani counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Yamaguchi is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Yamaguchi stuns Urani with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Urani slips a straight right by Yamaguchi.
Yamaguchi tries a low kick but Urani avoids it.
Yamaguchi throws a nice head kick!
Yamaguchi thuds his right hand into Urani's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Urani bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Yamaguchi's head.
Urani tries to land a front kick but Yamaguchi steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.

Yamaguchi tries to keep at a distance but Urani has taken the fight into the clinch.
A short body shot lands from Urani as the two fighters clinch.
Urani misses with a punch on the inside.

Urani has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Yamaguchi uses from the top position.

Urani has his foot on Yamaguchi's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Yamaguchi works his way back into a safe position though.
Yamaguchi has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Urani is proving hard to escape from.
Urani keeping moving, preventing Yamaguchi from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Urani is trying to control the position from the bottom.

Urani had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Yamaguchi defends it easily.

Urani looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Urani controls Yamaguchi momentarily but Yamaguchi frees himself.

Urani working for a triangle but Yamaguchi defends it easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yamaguchi won't allow Urani to sweep him here.

Urani working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Yamaguchi has passed into half guard!

Yamaguchi decides to return to a standing position.
Yamaguchi lands a body shot.
Yamaguchi throws a looping overhand right but Urani ducks down to avoid it.
A solid leg kick lands there for Yamaguchi.
Yamaguchi throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yamaguchi cracks Urani with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Yamaguchi misses with a wild body shot.
Urani was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
Yamaguchi misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Urani has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Yamaguchi scores with a sloppy right hand. Urani should have avoided that one.
Yamaguchi is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Yamaguchi throws a body shot but no joy.
Urani swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Yamaguchi swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Yamaguchi throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Urani counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Urani lands a jab 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!

Urani moves into the clinch successfully.
Urani misses with a hook from the clinch.
Yamaguchi lands a body shot in the clinch.
Urani misses with a hook from the clinch.
Yamaguchi tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Urani fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Yamaguchi lands with a right to the head.
Yamaguchi's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Ephram Urani will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Kai Yamaguchi's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Yamaguchi's corner calls for a 1-2. Yamaguchi obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Urani keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Urani throws a head kick that misses.
Kai Yamaguchi seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Yamaguchi connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Urani takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Urani throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Yamaguchi checks the leg kick nicely there.
A countering left hand to the body from Yamaguchi misses.
Yamaguchi lands a nice shot to the body.
Yamaguchi scores with a hook to the body. Urani takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Yamaguchi misses with a body shot.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Yamaguchi throws a low kick but Urani moves out of range easily.
Urani quickly followed up with a counter body kick but doesn't connect.
Urani stuns Yamaguchi with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Yamaguchi lands with an overhand left.
Yamaguchi works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yamaguchi avoids the head kick by Urani.
Kai Yamaguchi seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Urani misses with a kick to the body.
Urani uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Yamaguchi.
Yamaguchi connects with a leg kick.
Urani's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Yamaguchi connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Urani scrambles back to his feet.
Yamaguchi keeps the fight on the outside.
Yamaguchi throws a quick inside leg kick.
Urani throws a good cross that connects.
Urani takes one to the side of the head.
Yamaguchi swats away the attempt to clinch by Urani.
Yamaguchi scores with a sloppy right hand. Urani should have avoided that one.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yamaguchi swings widly with a right hand

and Urani counters by clinching up.
Urani tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Urani lands a shoulder strike.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Urani tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Yamaguchi smiles and moves away.
Yamaguchi fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Urani manages to avoid it.
Yamaguchi walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Yamaguchi sizes up Urani with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Yamaguchi with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Urani thows a body kick. Yamaguchi tries to catch it but that hurt him.
Yamaguchi thows a left - swing and a miss!
Urani checks a leg kick.
Urani is looking to clinch but Yamaguchi is avoiding it.
Yamaguchi moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Yamaguchi swings and misses with a hook to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Urani drops his hands momentarily and Yamaguchi takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Yamaguchi throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Urani sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Yamaguchi throws a body shot but no joy.
Yamaguchi tries to bum rush Urani with a series of wild strikes but Urani uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Urani tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Yamaguchi manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Yamaguchi scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Yamaguchi's jab looks to have found its range, popping Urani under the eye.
Urani defending well as Yamaguchi loads up on a big left hand.
Urani looked to counter that last move with a leg kick but didn't pull the trigger.
Urani throws a push kick but Yamaguchi slaps the foot to one side.
Urani lands a nice shot that snaps Yamaguchi's head back.
The fight stays on the outside here - Yamaguchi looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Urani is looking to counter the offense by Yamaguchi and move into the clinch.
Yamaguchi misses the shot to the body.
Urani is looking to counter punch.
Urani moves in looking to clinch but Yamaguchi pushes him off.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yamaguchi works Urani's body with a nice hook.
Urani stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Yamaguchi.
Yamaguchi finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
The fight stays on the outside here - Urani looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Urani slips under a jab.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Urani.
Yamaguchi misses with a left hand
and Urani counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Yamaguchi ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Yamaguchi swats away the attempt to clinch by Urani.
Yamaguchi takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Kai Yamaguchi has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Yamaguchi misses with a straight right.

And that's the end of the fight!
Kai Yamaguchi comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Urani 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 Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 29:28
Judge Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 28:29
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Ephram Urani!