PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Sofian El Keurti (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mike Honcho (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Mike Honcho has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

El Keurti
vs
Honcho

180 cm
22
205 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

188 cm
21
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Sofian El Keurti!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Mike Honcho!
The judges for this bout are Trevor Gratis, Steve Smith and Robert Douchet.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
El Keurti tries to close the distance and clinch up but Honcho swats him away and circles back towards the center.
El Keurti looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!
El Keurti shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Honcho pinned against the cage. Honcho gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
El Keurti stuffs the takedown attempt from Honcho. Honcho gets slowly back to his feet.

El Keurti shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Honcho's guard.
El Keurti could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Honcho is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Honcho is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Honcho is looking to stand back up but El Keurti counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Honcho.
Honcho is looking to regain half guard here but El Keurti keeps moving and retains side control.
Honcho is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
El Keurti prevents Honcho from escaping the position.
Honcho regains half guard.
Honcho manages to get to full guard.
Honcho looking to hit a scissor sweep but El Keurti is one step ahead there.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

El Keurti drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and El Keurti jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

Honcho kicks El Keurti off and gets to his feet.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from El Keurti.

Honcho scores a takedown into full mount!
A nice elbow there by Honcho.
El Keurti wants to control but Honcho is having none of it.
El Keurti is bucking up trying to escape but Honcho cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
El Keurti regains half guard.
Honcho is tying to control. El Keurti wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Honcho looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Honcho seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but El Keurti does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Honcho working El Keurti over with strikes.
Honcho trying to control the action but El Keurti is working from the bottom.
El Keurti wants to get back to his feet.
Ground and pound from Honcho.
Honcho looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Honcho scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Honcho is tying to control. El Keurti wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Honcho lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Honcho wants to get back to his feet.
Honcho throwing shots but El Keurti is blocking nicely.
El Keurti is pressing down on Honcho's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Honcho is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Honcho trying to control the position from guard on top but El Keurti is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
El Keurti throwing rabbit punches from the bottom - showing the judges that he's keeping busy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mike Honcho dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Honcho gets the takedown into side control.
Honcho is looking to take a break and control but El Keurti is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
El Keurti prevents Honcho from moving into mount.

Honcho stands up and beckons El Keurti to his feet.

Honcho has taken the fight to the clinch.
Honcho is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.

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

Honcho scores with a takedown into El Keurti's guard.
Honcho controls from within his opponent's guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
El Keurti lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Honcho!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Honcho throwing hammer fists to the chest of El Keurti. What's that going to do exactly?
Honcho is desperately trying to improve his position but El Keurti has a good base and remains in mount.
Honcho tries to hold on but El Keurti pushes him away.
Honcho is desperately trying to improve his position but El Keurti has a good base and remains in mount.
El Keurti can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Honcho is looking to escape.
Honcho is in all sorts of trouble here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Honcho throwing hammer fists to the chest of El Keurti. What's that going to do exactly?
Honcho can't escape the position.
Honcho wants to hold on but El Keurti pushes him away.
Honcho regains half guard.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. El Keurti connects with a nice short shot to Honcho's temple.
Honcho tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
El Keurti stops Honcho from getting back to his feet.
Honcho is refusing to be controlled, as El Keurti sits in half guard.

Honcho pushes El Keurti off and gets back to his feet.

El Keurti looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
El Keurti stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Honcho swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
El Keurti trying to control but Honcho is working from the bottom.
El Keurti stopping the sweep attempt from Honcho.
Honcho trying to control the position.
El Keurti advances position into side control!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
El Keurti in side control, throwing shots but Honcho defends.

Honcho throws his opponent off and manages to get back to his feet! Nicely done!
El Keurti changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Honcho tries to avoid it but El Keurti manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Honcho to the ground. Honcho escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Honcho closes the distance looking to clinch
and El Keurti counters with an inside leg kick.

Honcho moves into range and clinches up with El Keurti.
Honcho tries for a takedown. No joy.
with the fighters clinched against the cage, El Keurti creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Honcho shoots in for a double leg but El Keurti sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
El Keurti feints and then cracks Honcho's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Honcho down.
Honcho misses with a takedown attempt

and El Keurti counters by moving into the clinch.
Sofian El Keurti has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mike Honcho.

Honcho breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Honcho tries to close the distance and clinch up but El Keurti swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Honcho forces El Keurti back against the cage and clinches.
Honcho is trying to work for a single leg takedown but El Keurti pulls him back up using the underhooks.

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

Honcho fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. El Keurti sprawls well initially but Honcho persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mike Honcho 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!

Honcho looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for El Keurti!
Honcho tries to control but El Keurti wriggling away.
Honcho cracks El Keurti with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Honcho raining down shots from the mount!
Honcho landing strikes, looking to finish!

It looks like Sofian El Keurti has been cut.
Honcho tries to control but El Keurti wriggling away.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
El Keurti taking shots to the head.
Honcho lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Honcho cracks El Keurti with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Honcho landing strikes from the mount and El Keurti is in trouble!
Honcho working the ground and pound effectively.
El Keurti tries to hold on but Honcho postures up.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
El Keurti regains half guard.
El Keurti wants to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Honcho is looking to take a break and control but El Keurti is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Honcho is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Honcho is keen to just control but El Keurti is a slippery customer.
El Keurti gets full guard.
Honcho slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Honcho wants to lay and pray for a moment but El Keurti keeps working.
Honcho working away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Honcho scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at El Keurti to see if he's OK.
Honcho lands a nice forearm strike.
El Keurti prevents Honcho from improving position.
Honcho landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
El Keurti is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Honcho lands a few punches from side control.
Honcho wants to lay and pray for a moment but El Keurti keeps working.
El Keurti is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Honcho off and has taken his back!
Mike Honcho has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Honcho is trying to roll into a better position but El Keurti has get a rear naked choke and Honcho is forced to tap out! This one is allllll over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:24 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Sofian El Keurti!