PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Alex Steel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kyle Yikes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Steel
vs
Yikes

183 cm
20
177 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

180 cm
18
177 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Alex Steel!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Kyle Yikes!
The judges for this bout are William Peck, Elvis Blanc and Gregory Folan.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Steel showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Yikes.
Yikes throws a jab when Steel was well out of range.
Yikes misses with a wild body shot.
A punch combination from Yikes misses.
Steel throws a right and a left that Yikes avoids nicely.
Yikes throws a nice looking combination but Steel bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Steel jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Yikes misses with a series of wild punches.
Yikes takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Yikes slips under a jab from Steel.
Yikes misses with a double jab.
Nice sprawl there from Yikes as Steel shoots in.
Steel misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Yikes takes a swing at Steel's ribcage but misses.
Steel misses with the combination.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Yikes scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Yikes scores with a jab to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Yikes gets tackled into the cage by Steel. Steel maintains the clinch.

Steel successfully pulls guard.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.

Steel is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Yikes defends well.
Yikes tries to stand but Steel is controlling from the bottom.
Yikes must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Yikes wants to stand and escape but instead Steel has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yikes is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Steel is controlling him.

Steel stands up and waves to Yikes to follow him.

Steel closes the distance and clinches.

Steel successfully pulls guard.

Steel is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Yikes trying to control but Steel is working from the bottom.
Yikes is looking to work some ground and pound but Steel has wrist control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Steel controlling the position.
Yikes would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Steel is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Steel trying to work for an americana but Yikes has managed to regain full guard.
Steel loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Steel controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Yikes trying to control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Steel throwing strikes from guard but Yikes blocks nicely.
Yikes looking to control.
Steel throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Yikes works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Steel throws a big right hand that misses.
Steel trying to control the position from guard on top but Yikes is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Steel controls from within his opponent's guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
A punch combination from Yikes misses.
Steel shoots in for a takedown but Yikes shows good takedown defense.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Alex Steel. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Yikes throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Steel.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alex Steel dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Yikes cracks Steel with a good jab.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Steel enables Yikes to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Steel manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Yikes pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Steel is keeping the position for now.
Yikes wants to stand and escape but instead Steel has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Steel is stalling in the full guard.
Yikes utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Yikes wants to improve his position but instead Steel has moved into half guard.
Steel missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Steel missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Steel throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Yikes tries to kick Steel off in order to stand up. Steel Avoids the leg push though and dives into side control.
Steel throws a strike aimed at the side of Yikes's head but Yikes avoids it well.
Steel looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Yikes is avoiding damage well.
Steel working the ground and pound but Yikes is defending the strikes.

Steel is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Yikes knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Steel misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Steel throws an elbow but Yikes slips to the side and avoids it well.
A lull in the action here as Steel stalls from top position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Steel wants to control but Yikes is keeping him busy.
Steel misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.
Steel looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Yikes is avoiding damage well.
Yikes is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Steel is controlling him well.
Steel throws a strike aimed at the side of Yikes's head but Yikes avoids it well.
Steel throws an elbow but Yikes slips to the side and avoids it well.
Steel works to advance to full mount. Yikes defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Steel misses with a head shot.
Steel with shots to the head and body - Yikes looks very uncomfortable down there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Steel throwing strikes here but Yikes is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Steel has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Poor strikes thrown by Steel there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!
Steel working Yikes over with strikes here.
Yikes really wants to buck Steel off and get back to his feet.
Poor strikes thrown by Steel there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!
Steel misses with a head shot.
Steel looking to finish with strikes here!
Steel throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Steel prevents Yikes from getting the reversal.
Steel thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Steel cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Steel throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Steel controlling his opponent.
Yikes taking shots to the head.
Steel controlling the pace for now.
Yikes really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Steel thowing shots but they're missing.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Steel throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Yikes because Steel loaded up on that one.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alex Steel dominated that second round.
That's time! Steel's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Yikes dips to his left and cracks Steel with an uppercut!
Steel misses with a wild combination.
Yikes just misses with a punch to the body.
No joy there for Yikes, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Yikes comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Yikes jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Yikes throws a hook but Steel avoids it easily.

Yikes instigates a clinch.

Steel drags the fight down to the ground.
Yikes really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Steel. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Yikes wants to get up but he can't break Steel's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

Steel looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

Steel has his foot on Yikes's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Yikes works his way back into a safe position though.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Steel is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Steel keeping moving, preventing Yikes from controlling successfully.
Yikes wants to stand and escape but instead Steel has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Yikes avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Yikes looking to control but Steel passes into half guard.
Alex Steel overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Steel wants to take a breather but Yikes is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yikes avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Steel.
Yikes tries to push off, looking to stand up, but Steel manages to move to mount!
Steel controlling the position easily from mount.
Yikes is trying to get back to his feet but can't.
Steel throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Steel throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.

Steel working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.

Steel goes for an armbar but he's not got it… Yikes turns into him and now he's in Steel's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Steel is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

Steel working for a triangle but Yikes defends it easily.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Steel is on top in guard.
Kyle Yikes has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Steel loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Yikes looking to control.
Steel forces his way into half guard.
Steel sitting and controlling from the half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Yikes slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

And that's the end of the fight!
Alex Steel showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Steel, 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 William Peck scores the fight 30:27
Judge Elvis Blanc scores the fight 30:27
Judge Gregory Folan scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Alex Steel!
A very excited looking Alex Steel rambled incoherently for about 5 minutes post fight about how awesome he is. It was kinda funny for a while but then everyone got annoyed.