PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Tsuki Yao (ranked 4396 p4p, 5697 weight class) and Davo Mate (ranked 350 p4p, 0 weight class). Tsuki Yao has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Yao
vs
Mate

185 cm
18
150
0 - 0 - 0

175 cm
18
149
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Tends to cut

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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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Tsuki Yao!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Davo Mate!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Timothy Bukovac and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The crowd cheers as Mate lands an impressive looking overhand right. Yao doesn't seem phased though.
Yao dives in for a single leg takedown but Mate sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Yao is trying to drag Mate to the mat but Mate just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Mate managing to block the knees to the body from Yao.

Mate breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Mate throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Davo Mate seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Mate misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Mate scores with a hook.
Mate swats away the attempt to clinch by Yao.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Yao wants to clinch.
Yao throws a series of strikes that have Mate backpedaling.
Yao really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yao tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Mate paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Despite the aggression on Mate's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Nice sprawl there from Mate as Yao shoots in.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tsuki Yao. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Mate plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Mate misses with the combination.
A head kick misses from Mate.
Mate pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Yao fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Mate.
Nice takedown defense from Mate. No joy for Yao on that attempt.
Mate misses with a head kick.
Yao tries to counter by clinching up but Mate breaks away and moves out of range.
Yao lands with a nice body kick.
Mate misses with a few strikes there.
Yao drops down looking for a counter takedown but Mate sprawls and moves away.
Yao shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Mate but Mate pushes him off and we're back to square one.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mate slaps away a takedown attempt from Yao, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Yao has a takedown stuffed.
Mate throws a lazy head kick
and Yao counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Yao clinches up against the cage.

Yao breaks the clinch.
Mate tries a head kick but it misses.
Mate keeps the fight on the outside.
Mate is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Mate throws a sloppy head kick and Yao moves out of range easily.
Mate looks winded!
Yao darts in looking for a takedown but Mate gets double underhooks and turns Yao into the cage.

Yao's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Mate pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Yao staying out of range there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yao tries to clinch but Mate is having none of it.
Mate misses with a series of wild punches.
Yao wants to clinch up but Mate keeps it at a distance.
Yao tries to clinch but Mate is having none of it.
Yao fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Mate misses with a leg kick
and Yao counters with a nice low kick that buckles Mate's knee momentarily.
Yao shoots in but Mate avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Yao fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Davo Mate is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Yao with a nice calf kick.
A nice combination there by Mate.
Sloppy strikes from Mate. Those never looked like landing.
Yao closes the distance and clinches up with Mate, looking for a takedown. Yao pushes Mate against the cage but Mate circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Mate has worked on his takedown defense in the runup to this fight and it is paying off so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yao's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Yao duly obliges.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A bone on bone clash there as Yao blocks the leg kick.
Mate swats away the attempt to clinch by Yao.
Yao fails with a takedown attempt.
Mate misses with a jab, cross combination.
Yao throwing a counter right hand but Mate manages to avoid it.
Yao closes this distance looking for a takedown but Mate circles away.
Mate throws a body kick that misses
and Yao counters with a two punch combo.
Yao tries to clinch but Mate moves out of range.
Yao lands a head shot.
Yao pulls out of a head kick attempt.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Davo Mate dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Yao tries to clinch but Mate moves out of range.
Mate throws a head kick that misses.
Yao goes for a double leg but Mate avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Mate continues to drive forward.

Mate manages to break the clinch.
Mate throws a body punch but Yao moves out of range.
Yao tries to close the distance and clinch up but Mate swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Yao avoids the head kick by Mate.
Yao appears to be looking for a big counter.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Yao.
Mate takes a head kick and keeps coming.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Mate throws a head kick that Yao semi-blocks.
Yao tries to clinch there but Mate circles away.
Tsuki Yao is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Yao fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Mate avoids it really well and circles away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tsuki Yao. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mate throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Yao throws a big counter combination but Mate scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.
Mate is breathing heavily.
Mate keeps the fight on the outside.
Mate misses with a low kick.
Yao shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Mate sprawls well. Mate wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Yao gets slowly back to his feet.
Mate connects with a right hand. Yao shakes it off.
Mate tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Mate throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Yao tries to clinch up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yao tries to clinch up but Mate circles away and keeps his distance.
Davo Mate seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Yao is looking to clinch but Mate is avoiding it.
Mate misses with a body kick.
Yao throws a combination. Mate tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Mate misses with a head kick.
Yao fails with the takedown.
Yao throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Mate pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Yao fails with the takedown.
Mate lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Yao throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Mate.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Yao is looking to clinch.
Yao avoids a punch combination nicely.
Yao wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yao shoots in for a takedown but Mate shows good takedown defense.
Yao uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Mate.
Mate takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Mate misses with a head kick.
Yao doesn't manage to clinch there - Mate circles away.
Yao is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Mate pulls out of a head kick attempt.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Yao.
Yao shoots in for a double leg but Mate sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
As Yao backs off Mate throws a huge counter combo but Yao manages to avoid it all.
Mate avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
As Yao backs off Mate throws a huge counter combo but Yao manages to avoid it all.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The fight stays on the outside here - Yao looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Mate throws a head kick that misses.
Yao fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Mate avoids it really well and circles away.
Yao tries to clinch but Mate moves out of range.
Mate circles away from the clinch attempt.
Yao fails with a takedown attempt.
Yao shoots in for a double leg but Mate sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Yao dodges the punch combination from Mate.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Davo Mate showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. And we move into the final round!

Yao blocks a head kick by Mate.
Yao changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Mate looks for the body kick but Yao saw that one coming.
Yao wants to clinch up but Mate keeps it at a distance.
Mate is looking for the big counter here.
Mate misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Mate throws a head kick but Yao moves out of range.
Mate fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Yao is looking for a counter combo.
Yao fails in his attempt to clinch.
Mate is looking for the big counter here.
Danga de danga de dang - Yao scores with a four punch combination!
Mate throws a right hand that Yao ducks under and follows up with a left that Yao also avoids with ease.
Mate explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Yao throws a right hand that Mate ducks under and follows up with a left that Mate also avoids with ease.
Yao misses with a series of wild punches.
Mate displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Yao.
Mate is looking for the big counter here.
Mate takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yao fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Mate misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Yao tries to close the distance and clinch up but Mate swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Yao tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Mate paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Mate lands a jab-cross combination.
Mate keeps the fight on the outside.
Yao shoots in but no luck this time.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tsuki Yao. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Yao fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Yao has a takedown stuffed.
A head kick misses from Yao.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
That kick from Mate tenderised Yao's leg. Yao is trying to keep his angry face on.
Yao avoids a punch combination nicely.
Yao tries to clinch but Mate is having none of it.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Yao.
Mate fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Yao is looking for a counter combo.
Yao misses with a double jab.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
A good leg kick by Yao.
Yao tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Mate defends well and Yao ends up having to push Mate into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.

Mate escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Yao shoots in for a takedown but Mate shows good takedown defense.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mate swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Yao shoots in but no luck this time.
Yao tries to clinch up.
Mate pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Yao tries to close the distance and clinch up but Mate swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Yao has a takedown stuffed.
Mate throws a sloppy head kick and Yao moves out of range easily.
Mate dodges the punch combination from Yao.
Yao throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Mate's head.
No luck for Yao with that takedown attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yao tries to close the distance and clinch but Mate swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Yao tries to close the distance and clinch but Mate swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Yao lands a jab to Mate's midsection.
Yao throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Yao fails to land the takedown.
Mate stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Mate wants it to stay on the feet.
Yao slips a straight right by Mate.
Yao is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Davo Mate is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Mate misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
A leg kick checked by Mate.
Tsuki Yao has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Mate tries to land a front kick but Yao steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Yao tries to counter with a takedown but Mate is quick to defend against it.

And that's the end of the fight!
Davo Mate comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Mate winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Don Winkell scores the fight 27:30
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 27:30
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Davo Mate!