PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Javier Esposito (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Yuuto Yoshida (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Yoshida has chosen Blue Oyster Cult Godzilla as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Esposito
vs
Yoshida

186 cm
22
205 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

184 cm
22
210 lbs
10 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Very quick

Good wrestler
Lethal high kicks
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Javier Esposito!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 5 - 0, fighting out of London, Yuuto Yoshida!
The judges for this bout are Radbod Blank, Albert Achterberg and Nard Betker.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Good work by Esposito as he checks the leg kick.
Yoshida tries to clinch there but Esposito circles away.
Esposito displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Yoshida throws out the jab.
Esposito uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Yoshida has time to react.
Yoshida takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
Yoshida tries to clinch
and Esposito counters with a nice body shot.
Good leg kick by Esposito there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Esposito circles away from the clinch attempt
letting Esposito counter with a right hand.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Esposito lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Yoshida tries to clinch up but Esposito circles away and keeps his distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yoshida looks for the body kick but Esposito saw that one coming.
Yoshida has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.
Yoshida goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
A slow jab from Esposito misses its intended target.
Esposito takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Esposito throws a wild body kick that Yoshida sees coming a mile off.
Esposito misses with a lunging right hand
and Yoshida counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Esposito thinking.
Esposito throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Yoshida connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Nice uppercut lands for Esposito. That snapped Yoshida's head back.
A punch lands to the side of Yoshida 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Yoshida uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Esposito.
Yoshida wants to clinch up but Esposito keeps it at a distance.
A counter left hand to the body from Esposito misses its target.
Esposito has been working on his boxing with his coaches at Hunter MMA in the buildup to the fight.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Esposito throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.

Yoshida has managed to clinch.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Esposito blocks an uppercut.
Yoshida misses with the head strike.
Yoshida pushes Esposito back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Yoshida tries to throw a body punch but Esposito avoids it by throwing Yoshida back against the cage.
A short right from Yoshida.
Yoshida struggles to land a body shot inside as Esposito controls his hands.
Nice body punch from Esposito.
Yoshida misses with some punches.
Esposito prevents a body shot from Yoshida.
A right hand to the body from Yoshida.
Esposito blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Esposito looking to slow down the pace here.
Yoshida working aggressively here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yoshida misses with a punch on the inside.
Yoshida lands a shot to the body.
Esposito is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Yoshida gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Esposito tries to score a body lock takedown but Yoshida shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
A body shot lands from Yoshida.
Yoshida lands with a light punch inside.
Yoshida keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Esposito's efforts to push away.
Yoshida throws a head punch that misses.
Yoshida misses with a punch on the inside.
Yoshida working aggressively here.

Esposito escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Yoshida swings for the body but Esposito moves out of range.
Esposito takes one to the side of the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Esposito moves out of range as Yoshida strikes.
Esposito fails to land with a series of punches.
Yoshida drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Esposito defends it well.
Esposito missing with a left hand there. Yoshida was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Esposito throws a hook but Yoshida blocks it.
Yoshida keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
A swing and a miss from Esposito.
Esposito misses with a lunging right hand
and Yoshida counters with a straight right hand.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A head kick by Yoshida misses
and Esposito cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Esposito fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Yoshida manages to avoid it.
Yoshida misses with a wild body shot.
Esposito misses the shot to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Yuuto Yoshida will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Esposito is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Yoshida.
A swing and a miss from Esposito.
A telegraphed right hand from Esposito misses the target.
Esposito looks to throw the jab but Yoshida is out of range.
Yoshida tests Esposito's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Yoshida connects with a good right hand that stumbles Esposito. Esposito circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Esposito thows a left - swing and a miss!
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Esposito jabs at Yoshida's body.
Esposito scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Esposito throws a hook but Yoshida blocks it.
Yoshida changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yoshida ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Yoshida throws a shot to the body.

Yoshida moves into the clinch.
Yoshida's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
A frustrated look appears on Esposito's face as he tries to break the clinch.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Yoshida leaning his opponent against the cage.
Yoshida blocks a body shot from Esposito.
Esposito will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Yoshida up against the cage.
Yoshida fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
A short body shot lands from Esposito as the two fighters clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yoshida misses with the head strike.
Yoshida misses with a hook to the ribs.
Yoshida working aggressively here.
Yoshida throws a punch but it's blocked by Esposito.
Yuuto Yoshida seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Yoshida lands on the inside with an uppercut.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Yoshida creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Yoshida misses with a hook from the clinch.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Esposito creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Yoshida lands a left hand that snaps the head of Esposito backwards.
Esposito lands a hook that snaps the head of Yoshida backwards.
Yoshida tries to throw a body punch but Esposito avoids it by throwing Yoshida back against the cage.
Esposito blocks a body shot from Yoshida.
Yoshida has a couple of punches blocked by Esposito.
Esposito blocking some punches.
Esposito trying to control the position but instead, Yoshida has worked for underhooks and has pushed Esposito into the cage.
Yoshida lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yoshida swings wildly with an uppercut but Esposito uses good head movement to avoid it.
Yoshida misses with a punch on the inside.
Yoshida throws a head punch that misses.
Yoshida stops a takedown attempt from Esposito.
A head punch on the inside from Yoshida fails to land.
Esposito tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Yoshida misses with the head strike.
Yoshida struggles to land a body shot inside as Esposito controls his hands.
Yoshida tries to throw a body punch but Esposito avoids it by throwing Yoshida back against the cage.
Yoshida lands with a short shot to the head.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Esposito.
Yoshida lands with a left to the head.
Yoshida throws a punch but it's blocked by Esposito.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Esposito escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Esposito throws a hook to the side of Yoshida's head but Yoshida sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Yoshida with the counter takedown but Esposito avoids it easily.
The fighters circling - Esposito throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
A punch lands to the side of Yoshida 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Javier Esposito seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Yoshida tries to clinch but Esposito moves out of range.
Esposito lands a nice hook to Yoshida's body. Yoshida takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
A swing and a miss from Yoshida.
A good leg kick by Yoshida.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Esposito throws a lazy right hand but Yoshida sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Esposito avoids a punch combination nicely.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yuuto Yoshida showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Esposito throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Yoshida takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Yoshida tries to clinch up.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Yoshida, right into the meat.
Yoshida checks a leg kick nicely.
Yoshida motions for Esposito to come forward. Yoshida throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Esposito throws out a powerful jab.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Yoshida takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Esposito scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Yoshida doesn't seem bothered though.
Esposito just misses with a punch to the body.
Esposito staying out of range there.
Esposito was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Yuuto Yoshida is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yoshida doesn't manage to clinch there - Esposito circles away.
Esposito throws a body punch but Yoshida moves out of range.
Yoshida defending well as Esposito loads up on a big left hand.
Yoshida moves out of range as Esposito strikes.
A jab from Yoshida finds it's way through Esposito's defenses.
Yoshida tries to clinch but Esposito is having none of it.
Sloppy strikes from Yoshida. Those never looked like landing.
Yoshida with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Esposito dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
A swing and a miss from Yoshida.
Javier Esposito has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yoshida uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Esposito.
Yoshida defending well as Esposito loads up on a big left hand.
Yoshida misses with a wild combination.
Esposito misses with a series of wild punches.
Jab from Yoshida.
Esposito scores with a sloppy right hand. Yoshida should have avoided that one.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
A good leg kick by Yoshida.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Esposito keeps the fight on the outside.
Yoshida avoids the body shot from Esposito.
A looping hook to the body misses from Esposito. Yoshida does a little dance to reset his feet.
Yoshida uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Esposito.
Esposito avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Yoshida tries to clinch up.
Yuuto Yoshida is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Esposito keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Esposito with a jab.
Esposito throws a body kick that misses
and Yoshida counters with a lovely straight right hand!
The crowd cheers as Yoshida lands an impressive looking overhand right. Esposito doesn't seem phased though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Esposito blocks a jab.
Yoshida avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Yoshida dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Esposito. That did some damage!
Yoshida uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Esposito.
Yoshida steps in looking to counter with the mid kick but it doesn't connect.
Yoshida lets loose with a powerful body kick. Esposito will feel that in the morning.
Yoshida cracks Esposito with a right hand to the side of the head.
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!
Yoshida takes one on the button.
Esposito throws a body punch but Yoshida moves out of range.
Yoshida throws a front kick that sends Esposito stumbling back into the cage.
Yoshida works the jab nicely.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Javier Esposito.
I think Yoshida has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Radbod Blank scores the fight 28:29
Judge Albert Achterberg scores the fight 27:30
Judge Nard Betker scores the fight 28:30

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