PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Xiao Hua (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ian Phillips (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). There are an array of beautiful celebrities at ringside tonight! I wonder if any of them paid for their tickets.

Hua
vs
Phillips

176 cm
30
155 lbs
12 - 3 - 1

180 cm
30
156 lbs
21 - 10 - 0

Good wrestling
World class MT
Insanely flexible

Olympic wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Mango Nutrition (90% Laundry)
Brute

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the featherweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 3 - 1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Xiao Hua!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 21 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Ian Phillips!
The judges for this bout are Felipe Paraventi, Leandro Rodrigues and Seu Braga.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Hua!

It looks like Ian Phillips has been cut.
Hua connects with a nice looking jab.
Hua scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Hua tries to close the distance and clinch but Phillips swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Phillips throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Hua sees it coming and avoids it easily.

Phillips shoots in and bounces Hua off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Phillips postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Phillips trying to control but Hua is working from the bottom.
Hua wants to stand and escape but Phillips is having none of it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Phillips tries to free his leg and advance position but Hua is retaining full guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Phillips is looking to work some ground and pound but Hua has wrist control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Hua manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Phillips manages to get himself to full guard.

Phillips looking for a guillotine here but Hua defends easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Phillips is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Hua defends well.
Phillips looking to control.

Phillips is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Hua defends well.
Phillips is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Phillips is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Hua defends well.
Phillips wants to hit a switch here but Hua passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for Phillips there!
Phillips keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Hua sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Phillips is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hua looking to control but Phillips is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Phillips wants to control but Hua is having none of it.
Phillips regains half guard.
Hua tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Phillips.
Phillips makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Phillips.
Hua stopping the sweep attempt from Phillips.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hua content to stall in guard here.
Phillips lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Hua!
Phillips raining down shots from the mount!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Hua tries to hold on but Phillips postures up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ian Phillips dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Ian Phillips's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Phillips misses with a hook
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.

Phillips gets a takedown into half guard.
Phillips not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Hua trying to hold on to Phillips's head to control him but Phillips postures up.
Phillips looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Phillips looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Hua slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

Hua has his feet on Phillips's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Phillips closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Phillips lands in his opponent's guard.
Hua is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Phillips wants to control from the top but Hua keeps moving.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Phillips accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Hua controlling the position.
Phillips postures up.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

We're going to have a standup here because Xiao Hua wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Hua tries to score with a low kick but Phillips moves his leg out of the way.
Hua slips under a jab.
Hua ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Phillips just misses with a punch to the body.
Hua ducks under a wild hook from Phillips.
Hua connects with a solid leg kick.
Hua lets loose with a powerful body kick. Phillips will feel that in the morning.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Phillips swings for the body but Hua moves out of range.
Hua doesn't manage to clinch there - Phillips circles away.
Phillips ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Phillips misses with a wild body shot.
Phillips scores with a decent looking hook.
Phillips missing with a left hand there. Hua was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Hua tries to clinch but Phillips is having none of it.
Hua fails in his attempt to clinch.
Phillips looks to land a left hand but Hua moved out of range nicely.
Phillips misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Hua.
Phillips thows a body shot but no joy.

Phillips tries to keep at a distance but Hua has taken the fight into the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hua lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Phillips throws a head punch that misses.
Phillips on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Phillips lands with a light punch inside.
Hua's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Phillips creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Phillips has a couple of punches blocked by Hua.
Phillips doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Hua gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Phillips takes an elbow to the forehead.
Hua using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Phillips tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Hua lands an elbow just above Phillips 's eye.
Phillips misses with a body punch.
Hua tries to land knees in the clinch but Phillips avoids the damage to the body.
Hua creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Phillips's defenses.

Phillips has clasped his hands together around Hua's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
Phillips is breathing heavily.
Phillips fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Hua wants to get back to his feet.
Hua is looking to regain half guard here but Phillips keeps moving and retains side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hua is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Phillips has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Phillips happy to just control the position for now.
Hua taking a bit of punishment here - Phillips scoring with strikes.
Phillips is putting a hurting on Hua here, landing some big shots from side control.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Hua is pushing Phillips's head away, looking to escape. Phillips manages to hold on to the position though.
Hua takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Phillips has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Phillips misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ian Phillips showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Ian Phillips's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

A telegraphed right hand from Phillips misses the target.
Hua displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Phillips.
Phillips throws a right hand that misses
and Hua counters with a nice leg kick.
Hua does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Hua tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Nice shot lands for Hua.
Xiao Hua is winning the standup battle so far.
Hua walks into a straight right hand from Phillips.
Hua does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Hua tries to clinch there but Phillips circles away.
Hua goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.

Hua gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Phillips breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Hua doesn't manage to clinch there - Phillips circles away.
Hua throws a shot from downtown. Phillips moves away and avoids it.
Phillips misses with an uppercut. Hua saw that one coming.
Phillips circles away from the clinch attempt.
A slow jab from Phillips misses its intended target.
Xiao Hua is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hua throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Good exchange - Phillips coming out on top.
Phillips looks to land a right hand but Hua moved out of range.
Hua throws a head kick but Phillips moves out of range.
Phillips throws a lazy right hand but Hua sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Hua misses with a straight left.
Hua tries to clinch but Phillips moves out of range.
Hua fails in his attempt to clinch.
A jab lands there for Hua.
Hua defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Phillips.
Phillips shoots in for a double leg but Hua sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Xiao Hua has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ian Phillips.
Phillips with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Phillips swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Hua avoids the body shot from Phillips.
Jab by Hua.
The fighters circling - Phillips throws out the jab but it was never going to land.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Phillips comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Phillips walks into a straight right hand from Hua.
Hua throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Hua throws a nice outside leg kick.
Phillips throws a jab when Hua was well out of range.
Phillips fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Hua manages to avoid it.
Nice cross by Phillips.
Hua connects with a leg kick. Phillips looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Hua lands with a nice body punch.
Hua looks to land a combination. Phillips sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.

Phillips is rocked!
Hua moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Phillips is still on wobbly legs! Can Hua finish him?
Phillips takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Hua lands with a big left! Phillips is wobbled badly! Hua comes in with a flurry of punches and drops Phillips to the floor. The ref jumps in to save him from unneccessary punishment.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:46 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Punches). Xiao Hua!
Xiao Hua retains his featherweight title!
Xiao Hua tried to hype himself up post fight but didn't word it too well and it ended up with him sounding like a bit of a tool.