PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Mark McGonagle (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kekoa Kawai (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Kawai comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Ace of Spades kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

McGonagle
vs
Kawai

155 cm
18
138 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

170 cm
18
141 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Counter striker
KO power

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Mark McGonagle!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Kekoa Kawai!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kawai staying out of range there.
McGonagle takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Kawai misses with a two punch combination.
Kawai misses with a jab, cross combination.
Kawai throws a series of punches but McGonagle moves out of range.
McGonagle swings for the body but Kawai moves out of range.
Kawai throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Kawai throws a series of punches but McGonagle avoids them all with ease.
Kawai misses with a two punch combination.
Kawai lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but McGonagle circles away quickly and effectively.
Kawai misses with a wild combination.
Kawai throws a series of punches but McGonagle moves out of range.
Kawai rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but McGonagle moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kawai throws a nice looking combination but McGonagle bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Kawai tests McGonagle's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Kawai slips a straight right by McGonagle.
Kekoa Kawai seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
McGonagle fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Kawai manages to avoid it.
Kawai moves out of range as McGonagle strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
McGonagle throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Kawai misses with a jab, cross combination.
McGonagle throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Kawai fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Kawai fails to land with a series of punches.
Kawai throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Kawai lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but McGonagle circles away quickly and effectively.
Kawai throws a series of punches but McGonagle moves out of range.
Kawai looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Kawai looks gassed!
Kawai will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
McGonagle slips a jab and a cross from Kawai.
McGonagle throws a body punch but Kawai moves out of range.
McGonagle cracks a nice hook into Kawai's ribs.
Kawai looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
McGonagle is looking to wear down Kawai with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.

McGonagle shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Kawai manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Kawai wants to stand but McGonagle is controlling the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

McGonagle is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
McGonagle stands and throws Kawai's legs to the side, diving into side control.
McGonagle wants to control but Kawai is keeping him busy.
McGonagle working away.

McGonagle working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.

McGonagle is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Kawai is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kawai tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but McGonagle wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Kawai wants to control but McGonagle postures up.

Kawai throws his opponent off and manages to get back to his feet! Nicely done!
Nice jab there from Kawai.
Kawai misses with a wild combination.
Kawai lands a jab.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kawai throws a series of punches but McGonagle avoids them all with ease.
Kawai misses with a wild combination.
Kawai throws a combination but it was largely blocked by McGonagle.
McGonagle lands a body shot.
Kawai misses with a few strikes there.
McGonagle lands with a cross.
McGonagle fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Kawai looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Kawai slaps away a takedown attempt from McGonagle, before circling back to the center of the mat.
McGonagle throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Kawai ducks under a wild hook from McGonagle.
Kawai avoids the body shot from McGonagle.

McGonagle shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. McGonagle showed some decent athleticism there.
Kawai preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mark McGonagle dominated that round.
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.

McGonagle dodges the punch combination from Kawai.
Kawai swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Kawai throws a right and a left that McGonagle avoids nicely.
Kawai misses with a series of wild punches.
Kawai throws a right and a left that McGonagle avoids nicely.
A combination from Kawai does no damage.
Kawai fails to land with a series of punches.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kawai swinging wildly here.
McGonagle dodges the punch combination from Kawai.
Kawai fails to land with a series of punches.
Kawai is breathing heavily.
McGonagle cracks a nice hook into Kawai's ribs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
McGonagle just misses with a punch to the body.
Kekoa Kawai is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
McGonagle misses with a wild body shot.

McGonagle shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Kawai's guard.
McGonagle slips nicely into half guard.
McGonagle moves nicely into side control.

McGonagle is trying to get an arm triangle but Kawai is defending well.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

McGonagle working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
McGonagle wants to control but Kawai is keeping him busy.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kawai tries to improve position but can't.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Kawai can do anything to dispel that myth.
McGonagle trying to control the position but Kawai is working away.
Kawai tries to get back to half guard but can't.

McGonagle tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no McGonagle has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
McGonagle just content to control the position.
Kawai can't do much from the bottom here.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Kawai tries to bum rush McGonagle with a series of wild strikes but McGonagle uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
McGonagle tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Kawai was well out of range. Poor timing from McGonagle.
Kawai swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
A right-left combo lands from Kawai.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kawai looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
No joy there for Kawai, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
A combination from Kawai does no damage.
Kawai swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Kawai throws a jab but it's blocked by McGonagle.
Kawai lands a head shot.
Kawai throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
McGonagle avoids a punch combination nicely.
Kawai misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Kawai misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
McGonagle just misses with a punch to the body.
Kawai on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
McGonagle misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Kawai.
McGonagle swings and misses with a hook to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mark McGonagle dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! And we move into the final round!

McGonagle throws a body punch but Kawai moves out of range.

McGonagle shoots in and bounces Kawai off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Kawai is pulling down on McGonagle's head. It's preventing any offense from McGonagle, at least for the moment.

McGonagle thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Kawai seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
McGonagle wants to pass the guard but Kawai is keeping the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
McGonagle is working hard here to advance position.
Kawai managing to control the position.
McGonagle loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Kawai is on top in guard.
Kawai has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of McGonagle is proving hard to escape from.
Kawai takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's two 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.

McGonagle is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Kawai defends well.
McGonagle has a closed guard, preventing Kawai from standing up.
McGonagle seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
McGonagle is trying to keep Kawai in close.
Kawai is looking to stand up but McGonagle won't let him.
Mark McGonagle is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Kawai throws a right and a left that both miss.
McGonagle misses with a straight left.

McGonagle scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
McGonagle trying to control the pace.
McGonagle tries to pass the half guard into mount. Kawai knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Kekoa Kawai has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Kawai is looking to escape.
McGonagle looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Kawai works his way to full guard. Good work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kawai wants to sweep here but McGonagle controlling him for the moment.
McGonagle wants to control from the top but Kawai keeps moving.
Kawai keeping full guard, as McGonagle tries to pass.
Kawai keeping moving, preventing McGonagle from controlling successfully.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Kawai is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mark McGonagle showed his dominance in that final round.
Well McGonagle 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 Andi Peters scores the fight 30:27
Judge Gordon Ramsey scores the fight 30:27
Judge Frank Skinner scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mark McGonagle!