PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Tiger Khan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rudy Pham (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Khan
vs
Pham

170 cm
22
165 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
20
165 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Improved boxing
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Tiger Khan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Rudy Pham!
The judges for this bout are Cecil Peabody, Tiny Johnson and Stewart Dunkirk.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Khan throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Rudy Pham seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Pham gets a takedown into half guard.
Pham trying to pass the guard but Khan defending well.
Khan trying to control from the bottom.
Pham stops Khan from getting back to his feet.
Pham wants to take a breather but Khan is having none of it.

Pham is trying to work for a kimura. He's got his hands clasped together - this could be trouble! No, Khan has managed to free his arm - good work.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Pham prevents Khan from improving his position.
Khan trying to control but Pham postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Khan throws a series of punches but Pham moves out of range.
Pham fails with the takedown.
Khan misses with a double jab.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Khan tries to bum rush Pham with a series of wild strikes but Pham uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Khan misses with a jab, cross combination.
Khan takes a swing at Pham's ribcage but misses.
Khan misses with a two punch combination.
Khan scores with a body shot.
Pham tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Khan swivels and escapes.
Pham looks gassed!

Pham closes the distance and clinches.
Khan wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Pham has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Khan avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Tiger Khan has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rudy Pham.
Khan wants to break the clinch but can't.
Pham goes for a takedown attempt but Khan pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Pham takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Khan works Pham's body with a nice hook.
A punch combination from Khan misses.
Pham tries to close the distance and clinch but Khan swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Pham shoots in looking for a takedown. Khan tries to sprawl out of it but Pham keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Khan manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Khan throws a body punch but Pham moves out of range.
Pham slips a jab and a cross from Khan.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Pham.
Khan is not content to let Pham control the position.
Pham sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Khan is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Pham sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Khan is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Pham tries to advance to mount but can't.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Pham tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Pham has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
You can see the frustration on Khan's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Pham is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Khan knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Khan is looking for a sweep.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Pham fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

Khan gets caught flat footed, as Pham shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Pham sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Khan's guard.
Pham is looking to stall here but Khan recovers full guard.
Pham prevents Khan from getting back to his feet.
Pham sitting in guard here, content to control.

Khan manages to escape and get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Khan keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Pham walks into a jab.

It looks like Rudy Pham has been cut.
Khan is looking to wear down Pham with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Khan tries to bum rush Pham with a series of wild strikes but Pham uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Pham fails to land the takedown.
Khan misses with a jab, cross combination.
Khan lands a head shot.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Khan tries to bum rush Pham with a series of wild strikes but Pham uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Khan scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Pham doesn't seem bothered though.

Pham gets the takedown into side control.
Pham wants to lay and pray for a moment but Khan keeps working.
Pham throwing strikes but Khan manages to buck up and roll into a nice reversal - now he's on top in side control!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Pham is trying to improve his position.

Khan stands up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tiger Khan dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Rudy Pham's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Pham tries to close the distance and clinch but Khan swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Khan scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Khan throws a shot to the body.
Khan lands a lovely overhand right.
Khan digs a good body shot into Pham's ribs.
Pham tries for a takedown but Khan sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Pham keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Khan.

Pham shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Khan's guard.

Pham has gone for a leg lock! Khan slips out almost immediately though and dives into Pham's guard.
Pham not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Pham working a defensive guard but Khan manages to pass into side control anyway.
You can see the frustration on Pham's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Pham is trying to get back to half guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Khan decides to stand back up.
Tiger Khan is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Pham changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Khan looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Khan sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Pham landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Pham is looking to take a break and control but Khan is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Pham wants to pass the guard but Khan is defending well.
Pham moves into full mount! Khan won't be happy about that!
Khan is trying to reverse the position but instead Pham has taken his back - oops!
Khan trying to get back to his feet but Pham is in full control for now.
Pham tries to keep control of the position but Khan is staying busy.
Khan looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Pham has got his arm under Khan's chin working for the choke… has he got it? It looks pretty tight! Oh! Khan has spun round into Pham's guard beautifully! Well done that man!
Khan is looking to stand up but Pham won't let him.
Pham wants to improve his position but instead Khan has moved into half guard.
Khan slows the pace down in half guard.
Pham flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Pham trying to control here.
Khan seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pham is refusing to be controlled, as Khan sits in half guard.
Rudy Pham has got the better of the ground game so far.
Khan works his way into full mount!
Pham keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Pham can do anything to dispel that myth.

That's four 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.
Pham regains half guard.
Pham has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Khan is working away from the top position though.
Pham is trying to avoid being dragged into an even worse position than he's already in but Khan is staying active.
Pham works his way to full guard. Good work.
Pham tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Pham has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Khan is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Pham.
Pham is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Tiger Khan will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Rudy Pham's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Pham tries to clinch but Khan is having none of it.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Pham.

Pham tries for a kimura but Khan is defending well.
Khan tries to escape but Pham is in control.
You can see the frustration on Khan's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Pham tries to advance to mount but Khan denies him.
Khan can't do much from the bottom here.
Pham in side control lands a decent elbow.
Pham takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Pham goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Khan has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Pham but great work by Khan.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Khan stands up.
Khan tries to bum rush Pham with a series of wild strikes but Pham uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Khan fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
A lazy left from Khan finds it's target.
Khan misses the shot to the body.
Pham shoots in but no luck this time.
Khan stuffs the takedown.
Khan connects with a crisp jab.
Khan throws a series of punches but Pham moves out of range.

Pham has Khan up against the cage in a clinch.
Khan prevents the takedown attempt.
Tiger Khan has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rudy Pham.
Khan is pressed up against the cage. Pham has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Khan down to the mat. Khan avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Khan fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Pham has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Pham there as he acknowledges the shot.
Tiger Khan is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Khan misses with a double jab.
Khan stuffs the takedown.
Khan fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.

Pham closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Pham lands in his opponent's guard.
Pham with a flurry of punches that miss.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pham with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Khan keeping moving, preventing Pham from controlling successfully.
Khan keeping full guard, as Pham tries to pass.
Khan tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Pham drops back looking for a leg! Khan is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Khan manages to kick Pham off! Pham jumps back into Khan's guard.
Pham looking to pass the guard.
Khan trying to control the position here.
Pham must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Khan tries to land a sweep but no joy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pham tries to free his leg and advance position but Khan is retaining full guard.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Left hook, right uppercut from Khan.
Khan lands a nice looking body shot.
Khan swinging wilding here.
Pham shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Pham tries a head kick but it misses.
Pham has a takedown stuffed.

Pham scores with a takedown into Khan's guard.
Pham trying to control but Khan is working from the bottom.

Khan kicks Pham off and gets to his feet.
Pham looks for a takedown but Khan sprawls well.
Pham takes one to the chin there.
Khan throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pham shoots for a takedown but Khan saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Pham tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Pham avoids a punch combination nicely.
Khan is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.

Pham gets the takedown into side control.
Pham cracks Khan with an elbow. That is naaassty.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Pham tries to move into full mount but can't pass Khan's legs.

Khan bucks up and manages to escape back to his feet!
Khan misses with a series of wild punches.
Khan works Pham's body with a nice hook.

Pham drives through with a takedown into guard.
Pham throwing strikes from guard but Khan blocks nicely.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Pham trying to control the position from guard on top but Khan is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Khan looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Rudy Pham.
I think Khan has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Cecil Peabody scores the fight 30:27
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 29:28
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tiger Khan!