PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Javier Pena (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Felix Basilan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Pena
vs
Basilan

186 cm
23
165 lbs
6 - 2 - 0

182 cm
22
179 lbs
6 - 2 - 0

Decent wrestler
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Dangerous knees
Good gas tank

Popeye’s Spinach - 159 + 158 Proof Supps
Canadian Fighter Clothing

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Javier Pena!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Felix Basilan!
The judges for this bout are Alyssa Summers, David Schapiro and Franklyn Lucas.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pena lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Basilan circles away quickly and effectively.
Pena lands with a straight right. Basilan didn't see that one coming.

It looks like Felix Basilan has been cut.
Pena swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Pena lands a jab.
Pena cracks Basilan with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Basilan throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Pena looks to land a combination but Basilan avoids it well.
Pena misses with a hook. Basilan ducked under it nicely.
Pena misses with a wild body shot.
Basilan takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Pena takes a swing at Basilan's ribcage but misses.
Pena avoids a kick to the body.
Pena dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
A looping hook to the body misses from Pena. Basilan does a little dance to reset his feet.
Javier Pena is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Basilan takes one to the chin there.
Pena takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
A head kick misses from Basilan.
Pena scores with the left hand. Basilan knows he should have avoided that one.
Javier Pena seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Pena looks to land a left hand but Basilan moved out of range nicely.
Basilan jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Basilan tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Pena throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Basilan stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Pena lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Basilan ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Pena throws a right hand that Basilan ducks under and follows up with a left that Basilan also avoids with ease.
Pena throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Basilan looks for the body kick but Pena saw that one coming.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Basilan throws an overhand right that lands on Pena's shoulder, as Pena tries to avoid the shot.
Basilan is looking to land body kicks.
Pena misses with a body shot.
Basilan throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Basilan throws a wild body kick that Pena sees coming a mile off.

Basilan gets a clinch.
Pena misses with a body punch.
Pena has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Basilan using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Pena has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Basilan misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Pena.
Basilan just leaning against Pena, taking a breather.
Basilan lands an uppercut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Basilan swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Pena blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Basilan.
Basilan taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Basilan swings away with an uppercut that misses.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Basilan tries a knee to the head but Pena blocks it.
Pena tries to break the clinch but Basilan is controlling the position.
Pena wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Basilan leaning his opponent against the cage.
Basilan with an attempt at a knee that misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Basilan creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Basilan lands a right hand.
Basilan trying to land knees to the body.
Basilan misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Pena.
Basilan keeps control of Pena as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Basilan misses with a knee to the head.
Basilan misses with a hook to the ribs.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Basilan misses with a knee strike.
Basilan is leaning against Pena and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Javier Pena will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Felix Basilan's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Basilan throws a leg kick but Pena sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Basilan throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Pena misses with a wild combination.
Pena fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Pena lands with a cross.
Pena cracks Basilan with a good jab.
Basilan pushes Pena away with a front kick.
Pena looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Basilan pivots, looking for a leg kick but Pena is out of range and Basilan settles back down.
Pena looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Basilan cracks Pena with a good jab.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Basilan misses with a straight left.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pena swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Basilan.
Pena punishes Basilan's body with a nice straight punch.
Basilan fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Pena.
Nice uppercut lands for Basilan. That snapped Pena's head back.
Basilan throws a low kick, looking for Pena's leg but Pena calmly moves out of range.
Basilan avoids a punch combination nicely.
Basilan scores with a crisp jab that stopped Pena in his tracks.
Pena lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Pena misses with a hook. Basilan ducked under it nicely.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Basilan throws a lazy uppercut
and Pena counters with a three punch combo that has Basilan backing up. Basilan nods at Pena to acknowledge the strikes.
A looping hook to the body misses from Pena. Basilan does a little dance to reset his feet.
Basilan connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pena lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Pena lands a jab to Basilan's midsection.
Pena has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Basilan.
Basilan throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Basilan, right into the meat.
Basilan tries a head kick but it misses.
Basilan avoids a punch combination nicely.
Pena jabs away that one connects to the head of his opponent.
Pena jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Pena with a jab.
That kick from Basilan tenderised Pena's leg. Pena is trying to keep his angry face on.
Javier Pena is winning the standup battle so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pena falls off balance throwing a combination
and Basilan finishes the little exchange by landing a big kick to the body.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Pena moves forwards but Basilan connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Basilan wants to clinch up but Pena keeps it at a distance.
Pena avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Pena lands with a nice body punch.
Pena tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Basilan was well out of range. Poor timing from Pena.

Basilan takes the fight into the clinch.
A right handed body shot lands from Basilan.

Pena breaks the clinch.
Pena takes a swing at Basilan's ribcage but misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Basilan throws a hook but Pena avoids it easily.
Basilan moves out of range as Pena strikes.
A nice inside leg kick there by Basilan. That's going to slow Pena down.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Pena keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Basilan.
Pena waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Basilan.
Basilan throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Pena thows a body shot but no joy.
Basilan scores with a nice head shot.
Basilan tries to clinch up but Pena circles away and keeps his distance.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Basilan fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Pena swats away the attempt to clinch by Basilan.
Basilan is looking to slow Pena down with leg kicks.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Felix Basilan showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Felix Basilan's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. 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.

Pena avoids a kick to the body.
Pena misses with the combination.
Basilan displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Pena throws out the jab.
Javier Pena is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Pena misses with an uppercut
and Basilan counters with a nice body kick.
Basilan takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Basilan uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Pena.
A good leg kick by Basilan.
Basilan slips a straight right by Pena.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Pena crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Basilan - the referee stops the clock and Pena gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Basilan. Pena manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
Basilan's corner calls for a 1-2. Basilan obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Pena will be looking to protect his midsection after taking some solid kicks to the body.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Basilan turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Basilan lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pena's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Basilan connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Pena scrambles back to his feet.
Pena is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Basilan lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Basilan's jab looks to have found its range, popping Pena under the eye.
Pena showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Basilan.
Pena takes a shot right to the bread basket.

Basilan closes the distance and clinches.
A right hook to the body lands for Basilan.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Come on Basilan - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Basilan lands a nice knee to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Basilan lands a body shot.
Basilan softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Basilan tries a knee to the head but Pena blocks it.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Basilan obliges.
Still in the clinch, Basilan scores with a nice short uppercut.
Basilan keeps control of Pena as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Felix Basilan seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Basilan misses with the head strike.
Basilan tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Pena avoids it.
Basilan tries a knee to the head but Pena blocks it.
Basilan leaning against his opponent.
Basilan tries to land a knee to the head but misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Basilan lands with a right to the head.
Pena blocks a punch to the side of the head.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Basilan takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
A frustrated look appears on Pena's face as he tries to break the clinch.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Basilan lands with a short head shot on the inside.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pena blocks an uppercut.
Pena is looking to break free of the clinch but Basilan has double underhooks.
Pena being controlled against the cage.

Pena escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Pena fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Basilan lands a leg kick that knocks Pena off balance momentarily.
Basilan misses with a body kick.

And that's the end of the fight!
Felix Basilan comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Basilan has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Alyssa Summers scores the fight 28:29
Judge David Schapiro scores the fight 28:30
Judge Franklyn Lucas scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Felix Basilan!