PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Koyomuki Yashigawa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Pysiu Reja (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Yashigawa
vs
Reja

177 cm
26
161 lbs
0 - 3 - 0

170 cm
23
155 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter striker
Good in bed

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

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 0 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Koyomuki Yashigawa!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Pysiu Reja!
The judges for this bout are Thiago Cunha, Luis Engracia and Leandro Rodrigues.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Reja closes this distance looking for a takedown but Yashigawa circles away.

Yashigawa scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
The fighters are battling for position here. Reja manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Yashigawa looking to sit in guard and control but Reja gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Yashigawa wants to get back to his feet but Reja is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Reja trying to control the position from guard on top but Yashigawa is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Yashigawa has a closed guard, preventing Reja from standing up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yashigawa keeping moving, preventing Reja from controlling successfully.
Reja stands and throws Yashigawa's legs to the side, diving into side control.

Reja decides to stand back up.
Reja shoots and misses
and Yashigawa counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Reja tries to close the distance and clinch up but Yashigawa swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Reja fails with a takedown attempt.
Koyomuki Yashigawa has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Pysiu Reja.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yashigawa fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Reja shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Yashigawa slaps away a takedown attempt from Reja, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Reja looks gassed!
Reja tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Yashigawa paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Yashigawa moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Reja thows a body kick. Yashigawa tries to catch it but that hurt him.
Reja leaves Yashigawa with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Yashigawa shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Reja walks into a stiff left hand from Yashigawa.
Reja wants to clinch.
Yashigawa slaps away a takedown attempt from Reja, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Yashigawa shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Yashigawa with a poor takedown
and Reja counters with a nice leg kick.
Yashigawa scores with a nice strike.

Reja gets caught napping as Yashigawa dives in and scores a takedown. Reja manages to retain guard.

Reja is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Yashigawa trying to control the position from guard on top but Reja is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yashigawa trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Reja keeping moving, preventing Yashigawa from controlling successfully.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Yashigawa with a flurry of punches that miss.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Yashigawa working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Reja's head.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Yashigawa working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Reja's head.
Yashigawa lands a couple of digs.
Yashigawa with a nice head shot there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Koyomuki Yashigawa will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Yashigawa lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Reja shoots in and drives through. Yashigawa sprawls well.
Reja stuffs the takedown.
Yashigawa works Reja's body with a nice hook.
Nice defenses there by Yashigawa.

Reja moves into the clinch.
Reja with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Reja is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Reja gets underhooks to prevent Yashigawa's takedown attempt.
Reja trying to control the position but instead, Yashigawa has worked for underhooks and has pushed Reja into the cage.
Yashigawa fails to pull guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Koyomuki Yashigawa. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Reja pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Yashigawa gets a takedown into half guard.
Reja is breathing heavily.
Yashigawa landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Yashigawa thows a big elbow that misses, also allowing Reja to regain full guard.

Yashigawa drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Reja manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Yashigawa has Reja in his guard.
Reja is standing up over Yashigawa. Yashigawa looks to escape but Reja dives into side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yashigawa trying to control but Reja flips him over like a cheap hooker and has his back!
Yashigawa wants to escape the position.
Reja is looking to control Yashigawa but Yashigawa is wriggling around and keeping busy.
Yashigawa trying to control but not successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Reja trying to control momentarily.

Reja has his hand under the chin of his opponent looking for the choke. He's nearly got it! This one could be all over! But no, Yashigawa has freed his hand and lives to survive another… well, another couple of seconds at least!
I really don't envy Yashigawa right now.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Reja throwing sloppy strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yashigawa trying to control the hands but Reja breaks the grip.
Yashigawa rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.
Yashigawa is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Yashigawa wants to get back to his feet.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Yashigawa looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Reja is fending him off so far but Yashigawa persists. Nope, Reja circles away and we're back to standing.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Koyomuki Yashigawa will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Reja tries to clinch but Yashigawa moves out of range.
Yashigawa takes a kick to the side of the head.
Reja tries to score a power double leg takedown but Yashigawa sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Reja somewhat.

Reja closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Yashigawa is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Reja gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Yashigawa is trying to drag Reja to the mat but Reja just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.

Reja breaks the clinch.
Yashigawa lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Reja backs up against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Reja lands a head kick. Yashigawa smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
No luck for Reja with that takedown attempt.
Reja takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Yashigawa fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Reja will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Koyomuki Yashigawa has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Pysiu Reja.

Yashigawa is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Reja's half guard.
Yashigawa is just content to waste time from the top position. Reja takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.
Yashigawa trying to control the position from guard on top but Reja is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Reja is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Yashigawa is controlling him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yashigawa working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Reja's head.
Koyomuki Yashigawa overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Reja has momentary wrist control but Yashigawa slips an elbow through the middle.
Yashigawa with a nice head shot there.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Yashigawa with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Yashigawa trying to control the position from guard on top but Reja is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Yashigawa wanted to stand there but Reja had control of the position.
Yashigawa has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Yashigawa is in close to Reja's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Reja looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Yashigawa trying to stand up but can't free himself from Reja's guard.
Yashigawa lands a couple of digs.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yashigawa trying to control but Reja is working from the bottom.
Reja working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Yashigawa.
Yashigawa wants to stand but Reja is controlling his posture from full guard.
Yashigawa trying to control the position from guard on top but Reja is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Yashigawa postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Yashigawa tries to free his leg and advance position but Reja is retaining full guard.
Reja utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yashigawa postures up in Reja's guard and throws a big left but Reja blocks it.
Yashigawa pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Reja is keeping the position for now.
Koyomuki Yashigawa is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Yashigawa trying to control the position from guard on top but Reja is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Yashigawa stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Reja swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Yashigawa wants to control from the top but Reja keeps moving.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Koyomuki Yashigawa wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Yashigawa shoots in but no luck this time.

And that's the end of the fight!
Koyomuki Yashigawa showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Yashigawa, 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 Thiago Cunha scores the fight 28:29
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight 30:27
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Koyomuki Yashigawa!