PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Johnny Henderson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Saleel Qaasim (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). 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.

Henderson
vs
Qaasim

182 cm
21
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

188 cm
22
196 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Self confident

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Johnny Henderson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Saleel Qaasim!
The judges for this bout are Winston Howard, Hugh Johnson and Eliza Hachem.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Henderson tries to clinch up.
Qaasim walks into a stiff left hand from Henderson.

It looks like Saleel Qaasim has been cut.
Qaasim shoots in but Henderson avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Henderson lands a big uppercut and Qaasim crumbles to the floor! The ref thinks about stopping the fight but Qaasim looks OK.

Qaasim is rocked!

Henderson is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Henderson prevents Qaasim from standing back up.
Henderson content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Qaasim is trying to control but Henderson manages to pass to mount!
Qaasim looks gassed!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Qaasim is wriggling around trying to escape.
Qaasim wants to hold on but Henderson pushes him away.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Henderson controlling the pace for now.
Henderson wants to control the pace but Qaasim is squirming around nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Henderson avoids the attempt from Qaasim to control.

Henderson stands up from mount. Strange move.

Henderson shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Qaasim trying to control the position.

Qaasim looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Henderson passes into side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Henderson content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Henderson's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.

That's four 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.
Qaasim tries to slip a leg under to move to half guard but Henderson presses down on the leg and jumps into full mount!
Qaasim tries to reverse the position but Henderson maintains control.
Qaasim wants to control but Henderson is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Johnny Henderson dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Saleel Qaasim's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

Henderson tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Qaasim paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Johnny Henderson seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Henderson is looking to clinch but Qaasim is avoiding it.
Henderson fails with an attempt to clinch.
Qaasim fails to land the takedown.

Henderson takes the fight into the clinch.
Henderson unloads a knee to the mid-section. Qaasim lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Qaasim tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Henderson connects with a knee to the head.

Henderson escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Henderson misses with a wild combination.
Qaasim avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Henderson swats away the attempt to clinch by Qaasim.
Henderson clinches but Qaasim breaks the clinch

and Qaasim counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Henderson!

Henderson bucks up and throws Qaasim to the side - he's got back to his feet. Great escape!
Henderson circles away from the clinch attempt
and Henderson counters with a series of strikes. Qaasim will be more careful next time no doubt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Henderson shoots in but no luck this time.
Henderson closes the distance but Qaasim moves to the side

and Qaasim counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Qaasim wants to control from the top but Henderson keeps moving.
Qaasim postures up and lands a big shot to Henderson's brow.
Qaasim postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Qaasim wants to control from the top but Henderson keeps moving.
Qaasim with a flurry of punches that miss.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Qaasim trying to control the position from guard on top but Henderson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Qaasim throws a head kick but Henderson moves out of range.
A head kick misses from Qaasim.
Henderson tries to clinch but Qaasim moves out of range.
Qaasim moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Henderson looks to land a left hand but Qaasim moved out of range nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Henderson misses with a double jab.
Qaasim tries to close the distance and clinch but Henderson swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Qaasim falls off balance throwing a combination
and Henderson counters with a straight right hand.
Henderson tries to clinch up

and Qaasim counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Henderson's guard now.

Qaasim stands and steps away. Henderson gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Johnny Henderson is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Henderson has his takedown stuffed
and Qaasim counters with a left and a right that stings Henderson.
Henderson throws a front kick aimed at Qaasim's knee but Qaasim avoids it well.
Henderson darts in trying to clinch

and Qaasim moves into the clinch.
Qaasim takes a knee right on the jaw!

That has opened up Saleel Qaasim's cut even more.
Henderson jumps guard but Qaasim stands there with Henderson around his waist. Henderson gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Johnny Henderson. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Henderson using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Henderson breaks from the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Henderson tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Qaasim counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Qaasim has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Henderson is proving hard to escape from.
Qaasim works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Qaasim wants to control but Henderson is keeping him busy.
Henderson trying to control from the bottom.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Henderson keeping control of the position.
Qaasim throws a strike but Henderson avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Saleel Qaasim showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Saleel Qaasim's cut.
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. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Henderson tries to clinch but Qaasim moves out of range.
Henderson closes the distance but Qaasim moves to the side
and Qaasim counters with a two punch combo.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Henderson.
Henderson wants to clinch

and Qaasim counters with a single leg into guard. Henderson didn't expect that.
Henderson is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Henderson wants to sweep but no luck.
Qaasim showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Henderson is on top in guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Qaasim throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Qaasim has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Henderson has passed into side control.

Henderson stands up and beckons Qaasim to his feet.
Qaasim swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
The fight stays on the outside here - Henderson looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Henderson gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Qaasim gets to his feet - Henderson follows without any prompting.
Qaasim moves in looking to clinch but Henderson pushes him off.

Qaasim has taken the fight to the clinch.
Henderson using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Qaasim has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
With the fighters up against the cage, Qaasim throws an elbow but misses.

Henderson manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Qaasim pushes down on Henderson's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Henderson keeping control of the position.
Henderson is looking to improve his position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Henderson is holding on to half guard well.

Henderson looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Qaasim trying to control the action but Henderson is working from the bottom.
Qaasim controlling the pace.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Qaasim is stalling here. Henderson is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Qaasim seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Henderson has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.
Henderson throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Qaasim seems a little lost for a moment, as Henderson dominates the positioning.

Qaasim wants to control the position but that's not easy when your opponent is in side control! Henderson seems to be going for some sort of submission here. Hard to say what - oh, it's a Brabo choke! He's got it! Qaasim is tapping! Wow, great finish!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:58 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Brabo Choke). Johnny Henderson!