PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Van Kelly (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and William Joseph (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Joseph has chosen TEARS FOR FEARS - SHOUT as his entrance music. On his way into the cage it seems that Van Kelly has been attacked by a crazed fan! It looks like it might have been the just bleed guy! Luckily Van Kelly seems to be OK! I thought that lunatic was in prison!?

Kelly
vs
Joseph

181 cm
38
168 lbs
16 - 6 - 0

175 cm
36
169 lbs
27 - 14 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Excellent grappler
Dangerous knees
Granite chin

Affordable Quality + Reliable Laundry

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 16 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Van Kelly!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 27 - 14 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, William Joseph!
The judges for this bout are Paul Gruel, Ryoma Takatsuka and Colin Fray.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Joseph wants to clinch up but Kelly keeps it at a distance.
William Joseph seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Joseph shoots and misses
and Kelly counters with a stiff right hand.
Joseph fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Kelly avoids it really well and circles away.
Joseph misses with a few strikes there.
Joseph shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Kelly sprawls well. Kelly wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Joseph gets slowly back to his feet.
Van Kelly has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of William Joseph.

Kelly darts in and clinches Joseph up against the cage.
Kelly fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Joseph is trying to drag Kelly to the mat but Kelly just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Kelly can't break the clinch.
Kelly missing with knees to the body.

Joseph has Kelly pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Joseph pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Kelly tumbling to the mat - Joseph dives into Kelly's guard.
Kelly keeping moving, preventing Joseph from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Joseph throwing strikes but missing.
Kelly will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Kelly keeping moving, preventing Joseph from controlling successfully.
Joseph looking to sit in guard and control but Kelly gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Joseph wants to sweep but no luck.
Kelly looking to pass the guard.
Joseph looking for a sweep. Not yet Joseph, not yet.
Kelly wants to pass the guard but Joseph is keeping the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kelly has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Joseph is proving hard to escape from.
Kelly tries to free his leg and advance position but Joseph is retaining full guard.
Kelly has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Joseph is proving hard to escape from.
Kelly stopping the sweep attempt from Joseph.
Kelly trying to control the position from guard on top but Joseph is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Van Kelly just wasn't active enough.
Kelly throws the kick towards the body but Joseph avoids it.
Kelly shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Joseph defends it nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kelly tries to clinch up.

Joseph fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Kelly, pushing him back against the cage.
Kelly is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Kelly as Joseph tries to tie him up.
Kelly has had enough of the clinch but Joseph keeps him there for the moment.
Joseph blocks a body shot from Kelly.
Joseph fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

Joseph has Kelly pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Joseph pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Kelly tumbling to the mat - Joseph dives into Kelly's guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Joseph drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Kelly dives on top into guard.
Joseph wants to control but Kelly passes easily into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kelly seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Joseph trying to control here.
Well, if Kelly is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Joseph is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Joseph regains full guard. Nicely done.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Joseph keeping moving, preventing Kelly from controlling successfully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but William Joseph will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Joseph has a takedown stuffed.
Joseph tries for a takedown but Kelly sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Joseph looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Kelly is fending him off so far but Joseph persists. Nope, Kelly circles away and we're back to standing.
Van Kelly has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of William Joseph.
Kelly lands a glancing blow to the side of Joseph's head.
Joseph tries to clinch there but Kelly circles away.
Joseph is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Joseph shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Joseph was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Joseph throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Kelly manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Joseph trying to control here.
Joseph is trying to get back to full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Joseph wants to control but Kelly is keeping busy.
Kelly prevents Joseph from improving his position.
Joseph trying to control from the bottom.
Kelly missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Joseph tries to get to full guard but Kelly has control of the leg.
Joseph trying to hold on to Kelly's head to control him but Kelly postures up.
Kelly tries to stand and escape but Joseph is controlling the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Kelly tries to close the distance and clinch but Joseph swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Kelly slips a jab and a cross from Joseph.

Joseph gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Kelly is looking to stand up but Joseph won't let him.
Kelly trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Joseph is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Kelly trying to control the position from guard on top but Joseph is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Kelly tries to free his leg and advance position but Joseph is retaining full guard.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Joseph controls Kelly momentarily but Kelly frees himself.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Joseph.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kelly is trying hard to land a takedown here. Joseph sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Joseph scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Joseph dives in and grabs Kelly's left leg, looking for a takedown. Kelly pushes down on Joseph's head and hops out.
Kelly is looking to clinch.
Kelly tries for a takedown but Joseph sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Joseph swats away the attempt to clinch by Kelly.
Joseph shoots for a double leg takedown but Kelly sprawls well. He's pushed Joseph's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Kelly misses with a head kick.
Kelly throws the kick towards the body but Joseph avoids it.
A combination from Kelly does no damage.

Joseph moves into the clinch.
Kelly changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Joseph fights it off and pushes away nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kelly throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Joseph's waist but Joseph gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Kelly off to one side.
Joseph tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Kelly defends well and Joseph ends up having to push Kelly into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.

Joseph has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Kelly regains guard immediately.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Joseph is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Joseph throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Kelly is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Kelly punching from the bottom - just letting Joseph know he's still in a fight.
Kelly manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Joseph manages to get himself to full guard.
Joseph looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but William Joseph will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Kelly misses with a takedown attempt - Joseph sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Joseph with a lazy takedown attempt
and Kelly counters with a left and a right that stings Joseph.

Joseph has closed the distance and engaged Kelly in a clinch.
Kelly slows down the pace here.
Kelly tries to score a body lock takedown but Joseph shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Kelly tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Van Kelly. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Kelly is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Joseph pushes off an throws an elbow but Kelly leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.

Kelly manages to break the clinch.
Kelly shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Joseph throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Kelly.
Kelly tries to bum rush Joseph with a series of wild strikes but Joseph uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Kelly gets a double leg takedown into Joseph's guard.
Joseph is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Kelly preventing the sweep.
Joseph trying to control the position here.
Kelly preventing the sweep.
Joseph is pulling down on Kelly's head. It's preventing any offense from Kelly, at least for the moment.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Joseph fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

Joseph closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Joseph lands in his opponent's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Kelly looking for a guillotine here but Joseph defends easily.
Joseph trying to control the position from guard on top but Kelly is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Joseph postures up.
Joseph is looking to work some ground and pound but Kelly has wrist control.
Kelly working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Joseph.
Kelly working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Joseph.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Kelly keeping full guard, as Joseph tries to pass.
Joseph trying to control the position from guard on top but Kelly is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Joseph scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Joseph slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Joseph postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Kelly controls Joseph momentarily but Joseph frees himself.
Joseph looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Kelly wants to clinch up but Joseph keeps it at a distance.

Joseph drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
William Joseph is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Joseph slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Kelly gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Joseph is looking to pass Kelly's guard but actually Kelly recovers to full guard.
Kelly keeping moving, preventing Joseph from controlling successfully.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Joseph stops Kelly from standing up.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Kelly trying to keep a closed guard but Joseph is proving a slippery customer.

Joseph has gone for a leg lock! Kelly slips out almost immediately though and dives into Joseph's guard.
Van Kelly has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Joseph has his hands on Kelly's head, controlling the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
William Joseph comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Joseph winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Paul Gruel scores the fight 27:30
Judge Ryoma Takatsuka scores the fight 27:30
Judge Colin Fray scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... William Joseph!
Our winner, William Joseph, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.