PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Kotetsu Yama (ranked 1737 p4p, 3199 weight class) and Jay Leaf (ranked 152 p4p, 240 weight class). Jay Leaf has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Yama
vs
Leaf

168 cm
26
159
9 - 6 - 0

177 cm
23
156
4 - 6 - 1

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Excellent grappler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

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 9 - 6 - 0, fighting out of New York, Kotetsu Yama!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 6 - 1, fighting out of Montreal, Jay Leaf!
The judges for this bout are Dillan Fox, Ian Loll and Elvis Blanc.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Leaf takes a shot to the body in his stride.

Leaf closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Yama to the mat! Yama manages to get full guard.
Leaf content to stall in guard here.
Yama looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Leaf trying to control the position from guard on top but Yama is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Leaf drops back looking for a leg! Yama is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Yama manages to kick Leaf off! Leaf jumps back into Yama's guard.
Yama keeping moving, preventing Leaf from controlling successfully.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Leaf is in close to Yama's body, working some short punches and elbows.

Yama looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Leaf passes into side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Leaf connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Yama some visible discomfort.
Yama is looking for a sweep.
Yama is not content to let Leaf control the position.
Leaf scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Yama to see if he's OK.
Leaf has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Yama tries to bench press Leaf off him but Leaf keeps the position.
Leaf looks up at the clock and then as Yama takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Leaf smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Leaf working the head with strikes.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Leaf trying to control the action but Yama is working from the bottom.
Leaf cracks Yama with a big elbow.
Yama is looking for a sweep.
Yama is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Leaf off and has taken his back!

Yama is looking for the choke from the back position but Leaf is controlling his hands well.
Even with his hooks in, Yama manages to miss with strikes from the back.

Yama is working hard for the rear naked choke here.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Leaf wants to control his opponent's hands but Yama gets his hands free.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Leaf is trying to break free.
Leaf trying to control the hands but Yama won't let him.
Leaf felt the need to train up his defensive grappling in the buildup to the fight. Presumably he was expecting to be in a difficult position like this, so let's see if he can get out of it.

Yama working for a choke but Leaf is defending well.

Leaf defending nicely against the rear naked choke attempt.
Yama is trying to stick to Leaf's back but Leaf is turning into Yama. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Yama's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Leaf.

Yama is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Leaf defends well.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Yama keeping full guard, as Leaf tries to pass.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Leaf is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.

Yama throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Yama has improved his flexibility recently so we will have to see if he can use that to his advantage.

Yama throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Yama has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Leaf is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Yama.

Leaf is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Yama is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.

That's five minutes gone in the round.
Yama is looking for a sweep.
Leaf working the head and body with strikes.
Leaf is putting a hurting on Yama here, landing some big shots from side control.
Yama is trying to work for a sweep but Leaf has mounted him!
Leaf avoids the attempt from Yama to control.
Leaf looking to control but Yama is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's six minutes gone in the round.
Yama is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Leaf fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Yama really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Leaf lands a big elbow.
Yama is working to get back to half guard.
Yama regains half guard.
Yama is trying to maintain the position but Leaf is very close to passing his half guard.
Yama trying to keep hold of his opponent's head but Leaf manages to pass to mount!

That's seven minutes gone in the round.
Yama keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Yama slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Leaf seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Yama does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Yama wants to control but Leaf is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Leaf is pressing down on Yama's thigh, looking to free his foot. Yama is holding on for now.

Yama is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Leaf pulls his head out easily.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Yama tries to get to full guard but Leaf has control of the leg.
Leaf controlling the action here.

That's eight minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Yama is not content to let Leaf control the position.
Yama tries to roll over but Leaf keeps him under control.
Leaf looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Yama with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Leaf controlling the action here.
Leaf working over Yama with some ground and pound. Yama looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Leaf in particular looking to stall.

That's nine minutes gone in the round.
Yama is looking to control Leaf's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Yama avoid being mounted?
Yama makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Yama.
Yama looking to control.
Yama looking for a sweep. Not yet Yama, not yet.
Leaf stays in close to Yama's body and controls the position.
Yama wants to hit a sweep here but Leaf passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for Yama there!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Leaf landing strikes from the mount and Yama is in trouble!
Leaf looking to finish Yama with some ground and pound. This is bad for Yama!
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Jay Leaf dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Yama stuffs the takedown.
Leaf bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Yama misses the jab.
Leaf drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Yama defends it well.
Yama throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Leaf.
Yama throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
It seemed like Leaf was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Leaf looks to score with a jab to the body but Yama is just out of range.
Leaf connects with a jab.
Leaf tries to close the distance and clinch up but Yama swats him away and circles back towards the center.
The crowd cheers as Leaf lands an impressive looking overhand right. Yama doesn't seem phased though.

Yama is rocked!
Leaf circles and sees the opportunity to plant his feet and throw a really nice straight left hand that drops Yama to the canvas! Yama doesn't know where he is but he's trying to survive - Leaf keeps piling on the pressure and forces the referee to step in! This one is aaaaaall over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:47 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Jay Leaf!
Our winner, Jay Leaf, 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.