PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Jie Liu (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Yin Tao (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Liu might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to The Cinematic Orchestra ft. Roots Manuva - All Things To All Men. Tao has chosen Philip Bailey - Walking on the Chinese Wall as his entrance music. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Liu
vs
Tao

173 cm
32
162 lbs
30 - 12 - 1

175 cm
34
160 lbs
33 - 12 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

KAISER
Australian Xtreme Elite Supplements 160Q

Hellbent

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 30 - 12 - 1, fighting out of New York, Jie Liu!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 33 - 12 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Yin Tao!
The judges for this bout are Chris Edwards, Phil Schofield and William Gold.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Liu fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Tao manages to avoid it.
Tao avoids a kick to the body.
Tao tries to clinch up but Liu circles away and keeps his distance.
Tao connects with the punch.
A jab from Tao finds it's way through Liu's defenses.
Liu ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Tao moves away.
Tao throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Liu counters with a shoot takedown. Tao fights it but they end up in guard.
Tao wants to sweep here but Liu controlling him for the moment.

Tao scrambles and gets back to his feet.
Yin Tao seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Liu connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Tao keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Tao blocks the body kick.
A leg kick checked by Liu.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Liu scores with a leg kick.
Tao misses with a head kick.
Liu misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Tao.
A leg kick checked by Liu.
Tao blocks a head kick by Liu.
Liu misses with a straight right.
Tao connects with a solid leg kick.
Liu throws out a leg kick but Tao moves out of range and Liu only half commits.
Liu walks into a straight right hand from Tao.
Tao ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Liu looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.

Tao has Liu up against the cage in a clinch.
Liu misses with a punch to the body.
A head punch on the inside from Liu fails to land.
Liu tries a body shot but Tao blocks it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Liu.

Liu breaks from the clinch.
Tao throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Liu throws a sloppy head kick and Tao moves out of range easily.
Liu tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Liu swinging wildly here.
Tao scores with a kick to the midsection.
Tao uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Liu.
A low kick from Liu is predictable there
and Tao counters with a straight right hand.
Tao swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Tao swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Liu scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Tao blocks a head kick by Liu.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A nice inside leg kick there by Liu. That's going to slow Tao down.
Tao scores with a jab to the head.
Tao checks a low kick from Liu.
Tao misses with a series of wild punches.

Tao closes the distance and pushes Liu back into the cage.
Liu swings wildly with an uppercut but Tao uses good head movement to avoid it.
Liu fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Liu has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Tao is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Tao works on Liu's body with a couple of short punches.
Tao keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Liu's efforts to push away.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Tao lands a nice shot to the body.
Liu swings wildly with an uppercut but Tao uses good head movement to avoid it.
Tao lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tao keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Liu's efforts to push away.
Liu misses with a hook from the clinch.
Liu swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Liu misses with a punch on the inside.
A short left from Tao.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A right handed body shot lands from Tao.
Tao lands with a left to the head.
Tao blocks an uppercut.
Liu looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
A left hand lands to the body for Tao.
Liu misses with the head strike.
Tao lands a shoulder strike.
Tao lands a shoulder strike.
Liu swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Liu working aggressively here.
Tao blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Liu throws a head punch that misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Yin Tao will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Liu moves out of range of the body kick.
An inside leg kick from Liu misses.
Tao fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Liu manages to avoid it.
Danga de danga de dang - Tao scores with a four punch combination!
Tao explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.
Liu uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Tao.
A jab lands there for Tao.
Tao lands with an uppercut that bounces Liu off the cage and back into range.
Liu pivots, looking for a leg kick but Tao is out of range and Liu settles back down.
Tao swinging wildly here.
Liu lands with a kick to the temple. Tao shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Tao steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Liu.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Liu steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Tao.
Tao has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tao lands with a nice body kick.
Tao swinging wildly here.
Tao tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Tao connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Liu momentarily.
Tao throws a body shot but no joy.
Yin Tao seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Tao buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Liu fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Tao manages to avoid it.
Liu tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Tao was well out of range. Poor timing from Liu.
Liu throws a leg kick but Tao sees it coming and moves out of range.
Tao blocks a low kick nicely.
Tao fails with an attempt to clinch.
Tao uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Liu.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tao tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Liu manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Tao scores with a hook to the body. Liu takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Tao darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
A jab from Liu misses.

Tao rushes Liu and presses him up against the cage.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Tao tries to work over Liu's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Tao blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Tao working aggressively here.
Liu fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Liu tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Tao's elbow.
Liu misses with a short punch on the inside.
Liu misses with a hook from the clinch.
Tao throws a head punch that misses.
Liu is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Tao is defending well.
Liu lands with a short shot to the head.
Tao misses with a hook to the ribs.
Liu misses with a body punch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A head punch on the inside from Tao fails to land.
Liu has a couple of punches blocked by Tao.
Tao working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Tao lands a hook that snaps the head of Liu backwards.
Tao throws a punch but it's blocked by Liu.
Liu blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Tao fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Tao.
A short uppercut from Tao.
Liu tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Nice body punch from Tao - that landed with a thud.
Liu tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.

Liu pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Liu throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Tao avoids the body shot from Liu.
Tao moves out of range of the body kick.
Tao connects with a good right hand that stumbles Liu. Liu circles away out of range and recomposes himself.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Liu connects with a solid leg kick.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Liu throws a body kick despite being completely out of range
and Tao counters with a leg kick.
Liu throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Liu misses with a double jab.
Liu is looking to wear down Tao with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Tao scores with a shot to the body.
Liu throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Liu uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Tao.
Tao ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Liu moves away.
Liu misses with a wild body shot.

Tao moves into the clinch.
Liu scores with a shot to the side of Tao's head.
Tao takes a shot to the head.
A short right from Tao.
Tao lands a body shot in the clinch.
Tao scores with a nice hook to the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yin Tao showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Tao turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Tao scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Tao scores with a body shot.
Tao ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Liu moves away.
Tao looks for the body kick but Liu saw that one coming.
Tao lands a nice shot to the body.
Tao misses with a body kick.
Tao tries to work over Liu's front leg with a kick but Liu checks it.
Tao misses with a body shot.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Liu avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Liu throws a low kick but Tao avoids it.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Liu crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Tao - the referee stops the clock and Liu gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Tao. Liu manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
Tao thumps Liu with a low kick.
Liu connects with a body shot that sends Tao's belly button to the back.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Liu doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Tao scores with a kick to the midsection.
Liu has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Tao finds it's way round the side to connect with Liu's head.
Tao looks to land a body kick but Liu moved away.
Liu dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Liu throws a half hearted mid kick.
Liu tries to land a front kick but Tao steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Tao throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Tao getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Tao moves into range and lands a nice body kick.
Tao cracks Liu with a right hand to the side of the head.
Tao lands a nice leg kick that just misses Liu's sensitive parts.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Liu lands a nice shot to the body.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Liu looks to throw the jab but Tao is out of range.
Liu ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Tao moves away.
Tao swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Liu will be looking to protect his midsection after taking some solid kicks to the body.
Liu gets off balance looking for a body kick
and Liu takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Tao connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Tao lands a head kick. Liu smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Jie Liu has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Tao checks a low kick from Liu.
Tao scores with the left hand. Liu knows he should have avoided that one.
Tao loads up on a big right hand but Liu slips the punch.
Liu throws a body kick that misses.
Liu throws a push kick but Tao slaps the foot to one side.
Tao lands with a good body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Liu slips under a jab.
Tao throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Liu counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Liu wants to pass the guard but Tao is keeping the position.
Tao is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Liu throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Tao works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Tao keeping moving, preventing Liu from controlling successfully.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Liu passes into half guard.

Liu is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Tao is just riding it out for now. Liu eventually gives up the hold.

Liu is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Tao sees it coming and defends easily.
Liu prevents Tao from standing back up.

And that's the end of the fight!
Yin Tao comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Tao 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 Chris Edwards scores the fight 27:30
Judge Phil Schofield scores the fight 27:30
Judge William Gold scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Yin Tao!
Yin Tao thanked the fans post fight for their support.