PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Nines Rodriguez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ken Yoshida (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Rodriguez might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Black Label Society - Overlord. I don't know about you partner, but I'm pumped for this one!

Rodriguez
vs
Yoshida

175 cm
28
165 lbs
18 - 11 - 0

177 cm
33
161 lbs
16 - 22 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
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 18 - 11 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Nines Rodriguez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 16 - 22 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Ken Yoshida!
The judges for this bout are Paulo Santos, Mauricio Rocha and Daniel Cesar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rodriguez throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Yoshida sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Yoshida will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Rodriguez scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Rodriguez checks a leg kick.

Rodriguez shoots in and bounces Yoshida off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Rodriguez has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.

Yoshida looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Rodriguez stopping the sweep attempt from Yoshida.
Rodriguez missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rodriguez controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Yoshida throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Rodriguez trying to control but Yoshida is working from the bottom.
Yoshida lands a good elbow from the bottom.
Rodriguez slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.

Yoshida had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Rodriguez defends it easily.

Rodriguez got a little sloppy there for a moment and Yoshida has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Rodriguez has managed to get both his arms back between Yoshida's legs - danger averted.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rodriguez looking to sit in guard and control but Yoshida gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Yoshida looking to sit in guard and control but Rodriguez gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Rodriguez wants to control from the top but Yoshida keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rodriguez looking to sit in guard and control but Yoshida gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Yoshida trying to control but Rodriguez is working from the bottom.
Yoshida in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Rodriguez pulls Yoshida in close to his closed guard and prevents Yoshida from doing any damage or advancing position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Yoshida pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Rodriguez is keeping the position for now.
Yoshida stops Rodriguez from standing up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yoshida tries to free his leg and advance position but Rodriguez is retaining full guard.
Rodriguez keeping moving, preventing Yoshida from controlling successfully.
Rodriguez is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Yoshida looking to pass the guard.
Yoshida trying to control the position from guard on top but Rodriguez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Ken Yoshida was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Rodriguez turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Rodriguez throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
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 Nines Rodriguez will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Yoshida swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Rodriguez counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Yoshida on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Rodriguez tries to clinch there but Yoshida circles away.
Rodriguez fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Yoshida has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Rodriguez cracks a nice hook into Yoshida's ribs.
Rodriguez misses with a hook
and Yoshida counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Rodriguez lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Ken Yoshida is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Yoshida throws a body punch but Rodriguez moves out of range.
Rodriguez misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Rodriguez swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Yoshida swinging wildly here.
Rodriguez throws a leg kick that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rodriguez throws a jab but it's blocked by Yoshida.
A nice inside leg kick there by Rodriguez. That's going to slow Yoshida down.
Rodriguez takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Rodriguez takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Rodriguez throws out a powerful jab.
Yoshida throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Rodriguez stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Rodriguez feints and then cracks Yoshida's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Yoshida down.
We are yet to see a takedown attempt from Yoshida in the fight. On paper you would think he is the more dominant ground fighter so let's see if these unusual tactics pay off.
Yoshida takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Yoshida swinging wildly here.
Rodriguez fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Yoshida.
Ken Yoshida is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Yoshida throws a low kick, looking for Rodriguez's leg but Rodriguez calmly moves out of range.
Yoshida tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Rodriguez was well out of range. Poor timing from Yoshida.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rodriguez throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Yoshida throws a right hand that Rodriguez ducks under and follows up with a left that Rodriguez also avoids with ease.
Yoshida tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Yoshida drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.

It looks like Ken Yoshida has been cut.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Yoshida misses the shot to the body.
Rodriguez lands with a nice body punch.
Yoshida throws a body kick, spinning off balance
and Rodriguez counters with a straight right hand.
A nice leg kick lands there from Rodriguez.
Yoshida throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Rodriguez connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.

Rodriguez closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Yoshida quickly recovers to half guard.
Nines Rodriguez overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Rodriguez wants to pass the guard but Yoshida is defending well.
Rodriguez is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rodriguez trying to control but Yoshida is having none of it.
Rodriguez punishing his opponent with strikes.
Rodriguez trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Rodriguez sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rodriguez unloading with bombs!
Yoshida is squirming around, avoiding Rodriguez's attempts to control the action.
Rodriguez takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Yoshida really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nines Rodriguez dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Ken Yoshida's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Yoshida tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Rodriguez was well out of range. Poor timing from Yoshida.

Rodriguez looking to score a takedown here. Yoshida is defending well but Rodriguez drives through and ends up in Yoshida's guard.

Yoshida isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Rodriguez stacks Yoshida on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Rodriguez!
A lull in the action here.
Rodriguez wants to control but Yoshida is keeping him busy.
Yoshida sneaks back into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yoshida is staying active underneath Rodriguez, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Rodriguez stalling away here and it's allowed Yoshida to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Yoshida tries to strike from the bottom.
Yoshida is pulling down on Rodriguez's head to control his posture.

Yoshida is looking for a triangle here but Rodriguez uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rodriguez tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Yoshida sneaks back into half guard.
Rodriguez seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Yoshida does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

Yoshida looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Yoshida regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Rodriguez.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rodriguez looking to pass the guard.
Ken Yoshida has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Rodriguez decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Nines Rodriguez seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rodriguez scores with a nice strike.
Yoshida takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Yoshida slips under a jab from Rodriguez.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yoshida misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Rodriguez.
A nice inside leg kick there by Rodriguez. That's going to slow Yoshida down.
Rodriguez fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Rodriguez pushes Yoshida away with a front kick.
Rodriguez thuds his right hand into Yoshida's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Yoshida tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Rodriguez catches Yoshida with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Rodriguez scores with a punch to the head.
Rodriguez lands with a shot to the body.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Yoshida throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Rodriguez.
Yoshida takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Rodriguez feints and then cracks Yoshida's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Yoshida down.
Nice shot lands for Rodriguez.

And that's the end of the fight!
Nines Rodriguez showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Rodriguez has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Paulo Santos scores the fight 29:28
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 30:27
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Nines Rodriguez!