PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Abhidi Shaanti (ranked 4797 p4p, 7333 weight class) and Adam Shephard (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Shaanti
vs
Shephard

175 cm
25
155
0 - 0 - 0

172 cm
21
147
1 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter fighter
Self confident

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter fighter
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Abhidi Shaanti!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, Adam Shephard!
The judges for this bout are Phil Schofield, Chris Edwards and Paul Tew.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Shaanti clinches with his opponent.
Shephard jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Shaanti walks away with a smile on his face. Shephard gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Shephard dives in for a single leg takedown but Shaanti sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Shephard shoots for a takedown but Shaanti saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Shaanti wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.
Abhidi Shaanti has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Adam Shephard.
Shephard closes this distance looking for a takedown but Shaanti circles away.
Shephard has a takedown stuffed.
Shaanti wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.

Shaanti fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Shephard, pushing him back against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Come on Shaanti - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shephard wants to break the clinch but can't.

Shaanti pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Shaanti has taken the fight to the clinch.
The referee is keeping an eye on Shaanti - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Shaanti taking a break, stalling in the clinch.

Shaanti escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Shaanti fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Shephard, pushing him back against the cage.
Shaanti pressing his opponent against the cage.

Shaanti breaks the clinch.

Shaanti closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The referee is keeping an eye on Shaanti - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Shephard tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Shaanti smiles and moves away.
Shephard is trying hard to land a takedown here. Shaanti sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.

Shaanti pushes Shephard up against the cage in a clinch.
Shaanti controlling the action here for a moment.

Shaanti breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Shephard fails with the takedown.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shaanti stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.

Shaanti manages to break the clinch.

Shaanti moves into range and clinches up with Shephard.
We've been informed that Shephard has been working hard on his conditioning in the buildup to the fight.
Shaanti taking a breather.
Shephard is trying to pull guard but Shaanti has him pressed against the cage.
Shephard is trying to break the clinch but Shaanti has him pressed against the cage.
Shephard tries to circle away but Shaanti has him pinned against the cage.
Shaanti manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.

Shaanti pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Shaanti darts in and clinches Shephard up against the cage.

Shaanti escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Shephard goes for a double leg but Shaanti avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Shaanti continues to drive forward.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Shephard is defended easily by Shaanti.

Shaanti takes the fight into the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Abhidi Shaanti dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Shaanti closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Shaanti leaning his opponent against the cage.
Shaanti stalling in the clinch.

Shaanti breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Shephard tries to keep at a distance but Shaanti has taken the fight into the clinch.

Shaanti pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Shaanti takes the fight into the clinch.
Shaanti stalling against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shephard tries to pull guard but Shaanti forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Shaanti leaning his opponent against the cage.
Shaanti holding his opponent close, against the cage.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Abhidi Shaanti.
Shephard gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Shaanti holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Shephard is trying to pull guard but Shaanti has him pressed against the cage.
Abhidi Shaanti has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Adam Shephard.
Shaanti is struggling to control the position.
Shaanti content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Shaanti gets a warning from the ref for wasting time.
Shephard is trying to maintain a safe position but Shaanti gets an underhook and turns Shephard into the cage.

Shaanti breaks the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Shephard tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Shaanti manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Shaanti drives through and clinches with Shephard against the cage.
Shaanti manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Shephard misses with a hook from the clinch.
Shephard tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Shaanti smiles and moves away.

Shaanti has closed the distance and engaged Shephard in a clinch.
Shaanti stalls.
Shephard tries to pull guard but Shaanti won't allow it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shephard jumps guard but Shaanti turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Shaanti is struggling to control the position.
Shaanti stalling against the cage.
Shaanti effectively controlling the action here.

Shaanti escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Shaanti has taken the fight to the clinch.

Shaanti breaks the clinch.
Abhidi Shaanti is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Shephard fails to land the takedown.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Shaanti clinches with his opponent.
Shaanti holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Shaanti content to slow the pace in the clinch.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Abhidi Shaanti.

Shaanti clinches.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Shaanti takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Shaanti has Shephard pushed against the cage.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Shaanti pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Shaanti rushes Shephard and presses him up against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Abhidi Shaanti dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Shaanti stuffs the takedown attempt from Shephard. Shephard gets slowly back to his feet.
Shephard shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Shaanti sprawls well. Shaanti wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Shephard gets slowly back to his feet.

Shaanti rushes Shephard and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Shaanti will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Shephard up against the cage.
The referee is keeping an eye on Shaanti - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shephard letting Shaanti take a breather here.
Shaanti is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Shephard can do to turn this around?
Shephard being controlled against the cage.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Abhidi Shaanti.

Shaanti rushes Shephard and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Shephard tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Shaanti smiles and moves away.
Abhidi Shaanti has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Adam Shephard.
Shephard fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Shaanti avoids it really well and circles away.
Abhidi Shaanti is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
No luck for Shephard with that takedown attempt.
Adam Shephard seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Shaanti clinches up with Shephard and pushes him back against the cage.
Shaanti stalls.
Shephard tries to pull guard but Shaanti won't allow it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shaanti is stalling here.
Shephard tries to pull guard but Shaanti holds him up against the cage and eventually Shephard drops back down to his feet.
Shaanti avoiding damage.
Shephard tries to pull guard but Shaanti won't allow it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Shephard jumps guard but Shaanti stands there with Shephard around his waist. Shephard gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Shephard tries to pull guard but Shaanti forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Abhidi Shaanti has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Shephard is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Shaanti is defending well.
Shaanti holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
Abhidi Shaanti showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Shaanti 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 Phil Schofield scores the fight 30:24
Judge Chris Edwards scores the fight 30:24
Judge Paul Tew scores the fight 30:24

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Abhidi Shaanti!
A very excited looking Abhidi Shaanti made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.