PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between George Hale (ranked 2567 p4p, 2037 weight class) and Mario Yamasaki (ranked 227 p4p, 184 weight class). Hale comes to the cage accompanied by Tenggar Cavalry - Lone Wolf. Both these guys have solid standup skills and neither is particularly fantastic on the ground, so let's hope for a nice standup war!

Hale
vs
Yamasaki

170 cm
25
146
2 - 0 - 0

167 cm
25
145
4 - 1 - 0

Good takedowns
Excellent MT
Big right hand

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Granite chin

Seventh Circle Clothing
White Gorilla

White Gorilla

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 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, George Hale!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Mario Yamasaki!
The judges for this bout are Gregory Folan, Robert Douchet and Dillan Fox.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Hale keeps control of Yamasaki as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Hale fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Yamasaki blocking some punches.
Hale lands a left hand that snaps the head of Yamasaki backwards.
A short left from Hale.
Yamasaki blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Hale misses with the head strike.
Yamasaki is defending well against a takedown attempt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hale keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Yamasaki's efforts to push away.
Hale lands a hook that snaps the head of Yamasaki backwards.
Hale misses with the head strike.
Hale lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Hale definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hale goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Yamasaki looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Yamasaki takes a shot to the head.
Hale is trying to drag Yamasaki to the mat but Yamasaki just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Yamasaki wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Hale misses with a hook to the ribs.
Hale misses with a hook to the ribs.
Yamasaki working hard to break the clinch.
Yamasaki tries to circle away but Hale has him pinned against the cage.
Yamasaki taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Yamasaki is trying to force a seperation but Hale has the dominant position.
A head punch on the inside from Hale fails to land.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A short left from Hale.
Hale tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Hale misses with a punch to the body.
Hale lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Yamasaki backwards.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Yamasaki.
Hale lands a right hand.
Yamasaki taking a breather.
Yamasaki blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Hale pushes Yamasaki back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Hale is leaning against Yamasaki and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Hale is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Yamasaki is defending well for now.
Hale misses with the head strike.
A head punch on the inside from Hale fails to land.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nice body punch from Hale - that landed with a thud.

Hale has moved round to his opponent's back and is looking for a suplex! Oh snap! He's tossed Yamasaki clear over his head and slammed him to the mat!

Yamasaki manages to get to his feet, escaping the difficult position.
Yamasaki throws a series of strikes that have Hale backpedaling.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Yamasaki missing with a left hand there. Hale was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Hale is looking to counter the offense by Yamasaki and move into the clinch.
George Hale seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Hale throws a series of punches but Yamasaki avoids them all with ease.
Hale jabs Yamasaki to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Yamasaki avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hale throws a leg kick but Yamasaki sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Hale lunges at Yamasaki with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Yamasaki's hand.
Hale misses with a body shot.
Hale tries to close the distance and clinch but Yamasaki swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Yamasaki is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Yamasaki has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Yamasaki there as he acknowledges the shot.
Yamasaki misses with a body shot.
Hale is looking to clinch but Yamasaki is avoiding it.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Yamasaki! But no joy.
Hale scores with a crisp jab that stopped Yamasaki in his tracks.

Hale rushes Yamasaki and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

George Hale dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Yamasaki works Hale's body with a nice hook.
Yamasaki throws a shot from downtown. Hale moves away and avoids it.
Hale gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Hale wants to clinch up but Yamasaki keeps it at a distance.
Hale fails with an attempt to clinch.
As Hale backs off Yamasaki throws a huge counter combo but Hale manages to avoid it all.

Hale moves into the clinch.
Yamasaki blocks a body shot from Hale.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Yamasaki tries to break free but Hale pushes him back against the cage.
Hale misses with a punch on the inside.
Hale lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Yamasaki or not.
Yamasaki prevents a body shot from Hale.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hale lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Yamasaki backwards.
A head punch on the inside from Hale fails to land.
Hale throws an elbow that misses.
Yamasaki is trying to break the clinch but Hale is controlling him.
Hale misses with some punches.
Yamasaki wants to break free but Hale has control.
Hale misses with a punch to the body.
Yamasaki prevents a body shot from Hale.
A short right from Hale.
Hale lands a body shot.
Hale lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Hale has a couple of punches blocked by Yamasaki.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hale misses with a hook to the ribs.
Hale is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Yamasaki can do to turn this around?
Hale pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Yamasaki looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Yamasaki prevents a body shot from Hale.
Hale lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Hale swings wildly with an uppercut but Yamasaki uses good head movement to avoid it.

Hale breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Yamasaki throws a lazy right hand but Hale sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Hale takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
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!
Nice defenses there by Hale.
Yamasaki throws a looping overhand right but Hale ducks down to avoid it.
Hale tries to counter by clinching up but Yamasaki breaks away and moves out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hale tries to clinch but Yamasaki is having none of it.
No joy there for Yamasaki, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Yamasaki misses with an uppercut. Hale saw that one coming.
Yamasaki comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Yamasaki takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Mario Yamasaki seems to be getting the better of the standup.

Hale takes the fight into the clinch.
Hale swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Hale misses with some punches.
Hale misses with a hook to the ribs.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hale misses with a punch to the body.
Hale swings wildly with an uppercut but Yamasaki uses good head movement to avoid it.
Yamasaki wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Hale has him pressed against the cage.
Still in the clinch, Hale scores with a nice short uppercut.

Hale breaks from the clinch.
Hale tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Yamasaki looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.

Hale moves into range and clinches up with Yamasaki.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Yamasaki.
Yamasaki is looking to control Hale's arms but Hale gets an underhook and turns him. Now Yamasaki has his back to the cage.
Hale misses with the head strike.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

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

Hale fails with an attempt to clinch.
Yamasaki ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Hale moves away.
Hale tries to counter by clinching up but Yamasaki breaks away and moves out of range.
Hale moves in looking to clinch but Yamasaki pushes him off.
Yamasaki uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Hale.

Hale moves into the clinch.
Hale misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Yamasaki.
Hale throws a head punch that misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hale struggles to land a body shot inside as Yamasaki controls his hands.
Hale lands with a right to the head.
A head punch on the inside from Hale fails to land.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Hale just misses with a elbow thrown towards Yamasaki's brow.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hale tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Yamasaki's elbow.
Yamasaki takes a shot to the head.
Hale swings wildly with an uppercut but Yamasaki uses good head movement to avoid it.
Yamasaki tries to break free but Hale pushes him back against the cage.
Hale lands a nice uppercut.
Hale misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Yamasaki.
Hale throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Yamasaki prevents a body shot from Hale.
Hale swings away with an uppercut that misses.
George Hale has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Hale fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Hale misses with a body punch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hale fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Yamasaki wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Yamasaki tries to circle away but Hale has him pinned against the cage.
Hale goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Hale tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Yamasaki blocking some punches.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Hale.
Hale misses with a punch to the body.
Hale keeps control of Yamasaki as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Hale throws an elbow that misses.
Hale swings wildly with an uppercut but Yamasaki uses good head movement to avoid it.
Hale has a couple of punches blocked by Yamasaki.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hale has a couple of punches blocked by Yamasaki.
Hale misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Yamasaki is looking to control Hale's arms but Hale gets an underhook and turns him. Now Yamasaki has his back to the cage.
Yamasaki wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Yamasaki working hard to break the clinch.
Hale is trying to drag Yamasaki to the mat but Yamasaki just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
George Hale is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Hale keeps control of Yamasaki as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Hale.
Yamasaki is looking to control Hale's arms but Hale gets an underhook and turns him. Now Yamasaki has his back to the cage.
Yamasaki is trying to force a seperation but Hale has the dominant position.
Yamasaki wants to get back to striking at distance but Hale won't allow it.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Hale lands with a light punch inside.
Mario Yamasaki has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Yamasaki misses with a knee to the head.

And that's the end of the fight!
George Hale showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Hale, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Gregory Folan scores the fight 30:27
Judge Robert Douchet scores the fight 30:27
Judge Dillan Fox scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... George Hale!
Our winner, George Hale, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.