PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Hitoshi Yoshida (ranked 254 p4p, 32 weight class) and Vadim Golovkin (ranked 181 p4p, 21 weight class). Yoshida's entrance music is Yoshida Brothers - Rising. A fine choice. 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.

Yoshida
vs
Golovkin

170 cm
23
155 lbs
7 - 0 - 1

172 cm
23
155 lbs
9 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Granite chin

Bee Krazy

Groove Gear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, for the featherweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 0 - 1, fighting out of London, Hitoshi Yoshida!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Vadim Golovkin!
The judges for this bout are Hirohito Nitta, Yukihiro Yamamoto and Taro Takaoka.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Yoshida waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Golovkin.
Golovkin throws a big shot that misses.
Golovkin misses with the combination.
A looping hook to the body misses from Yoshida. Golovkin does a little dance to reset his feet.
Yoshida is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Yoshida seems to be moving with more speed, compared to his last bout. He must have been working on that in the gym.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Yoshida takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Golovkin looks to score with a jab to the body but Yoshida is just out of range.
Golovkin's coach down at Blake Phoenix's Champion Factory was telling us pre-fight that they have been working on Golovkin's balance. Obviously they view that as a key factor in the outcome of this fight.

Golovkin gets tackled into the ropes by Yoshida. Yoshida maintains the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yoshida tries to work over Golovkin's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.

Golovkin pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Nice defenses there by Yoshida.
Yoshida is pinned up against the ropes taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Yoshida misses with a wild body shot.
Golovkin throws out a loose jab but Yoshida uses good head movement to avoid it.
Golovkin uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Yoshida.
Golovkin looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Golovkin smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Yoshida misses with a takedown attempt
and Golovkin connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Yoshida getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Golovkin throws a lazy uppercut

and Yoshida counters with a takedown into side control! That could mean trouble for Golovkin!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Golovkin regains half guard there - taking advantage of Yoshida's attempt to lay and pray for a moment.
Yoshida stalling away here and it's allowed Golovkin to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Yoshida wants to control from the top but Golovkin keeps moving.
Golovkin is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Golovkin keeping moving, preventing Yoshida from controlling successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Yoshida is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Golovkin is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Golovkin will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Yoshida wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.
Yoshida misses the body punch
and Yoshida takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Golovkin throws a jab when Yoshida was well out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A jab from Golovkin misses.
Sloppy strikes from Golovkin. Those never looked like landing.
Yoshida is looking to counter the offense by Golovkin and move into the clinch.
Golovkin cracks Yoshida with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Yoshida blocks a jab.
Yoshida seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.

Yoshida darts in and clinches Golovkin up against the ropes.
Yoshida tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Golovkin's elbow.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Yoshida.
Yoshida blocking some punches.
Golovkin lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Yoshida blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Yoshida lands an uppercut.
Yoshida lands a shoulder strike.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Golovkin lands with a short shot to the head.
Golovkin misses with a punch to the body.
Golovkin cracks Yoshida with a nice body shot.

That's five minutes gone in the round.
Golovkin gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Yoshida.
Yoshida is trying to stall.
Golovkin swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Yoshida misses with a hook to the ribs.
Yoshida doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Golovkin is working Yoshida over against the ropes.
A short left from Golovkin.
Yoshida misses with a short punch on the inside.
Golovkin lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Golovkin as Yoshida tries to tie him up.
Golovkin misses with a punch to the body.
Golovkin misses with the head strike.
Yoshida blocking some punches.
Golovkin lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Yoshida lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Golovkin or not.
Yoshida has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Golovkin after a bit of a struggle.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Hitoshi Yoshida. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Yoshida lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Yoshida trying to control the position but instead, Golovkin has worked for underhooks and has pushed Yoshida into the ropes.

That's six minutes gone in the round.
Golovkin misses with the head strike.
Golovkin works on Yoshida's body with a couple of short punches.
Golovkin scores with a shoulder strike.
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!
Golovkin scores with an uppercut up the middle.
A nice right hand lands inside from Golovkin.
With the fighters clinched against the ropes, Golovkin creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.

Yoshida is rocked!
Golovkin working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Oh Yoshida is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!

Golovkin breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Golovkin closes the distance and lands a vicious right hand that drops Yoshida! Golovkin dives in looking to finish! Yoshida is still trying to defend himself but he's taking too many shots and the referee has no choice but to stop the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 6:33 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Vadim Golovkin!
Vadim Golovkin is the new featherweight champion!
Vadim Golovkin thanked the fans post fight for their support.