PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Selko Asap (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Josh Mir (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Josh Mir acknowledges the crowd's support as he enters the cage.

Asap
vs
Mir

180 cm
25
178 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

168 cm
25
167 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

Good takedowns
Basic striking
Very quick

Good takedowns
Basic striking
Intelligent

Vikai Gear Island

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 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Selko Asap!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Josh Mir!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, David Hoff and Bart Greer.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Asap shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Mir is trying to defend but Asap finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Mir tries to get to full guard but Asap has control of the leg.
Asap content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Asap is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Mir doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Asap.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Asap seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mir makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Mir.
Asap has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Asap sitting in guard here, content to control.
Asap wants to control from the top but Mir keeps moving.
Mir controls Asap momentarily but Asap frees himself.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Asap's corner is telling him to maintain position.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

Asap drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Mir pulls Asap in close to prevent any damage.
Mir looking for a sweep. Not yet Mir, not yet.
Mir being controlled here, momentarily.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Asap has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Mir is proving hard to escape from.
Mir not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Mir looking for a sweep. Not yet Mir, not yet.
Asap is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Mir misses with a takedown attempt - Asap sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Mir gets caught flat footed, as Asap shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Asap stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Mir swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Asap sitting in guard, not really doing much.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mir manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Asap manages to get himself to full guard.

Asap is trying to keep Mir in close.
Mir throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Asap works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Asap pulls Mir in to control the position.
Asap will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Mir wants to control from the top but Asap keeps moving.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Mir throws an elbow that misses. Asap uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Mir's guard. Nice move by Asap!

Mir throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Selko Asap dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Mir gets caught flat footed, as Asap shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Mir trying to strike off his back.
Asap won't allow Mir to sweep him here.
Asap not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Selko Asap overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Asap preventing the sweep.
Asap showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Asap is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Mir is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Mir has escaped and now he's on top!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mir throws a big right hand that misses.
Asap trying to control the position.
Asap seems keen to control Mir's posture.
Mir throwing strikes but missing.
Mir trying to control the position from guard on top but Asap is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Mir passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Asap is trying to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Mir is looking to take a break and control but Asap is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
The strikes coming from Mir are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Asap keeps Mir under control for a moment.
Asap is pushing Mir's head away, looking to escape. Mir manages to hold on to the position though.
Asap is trying to control Mir's posture but Mir avoids it.
Mir in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Mir trying to control the position but Asap is working away.
Who's going to make the next move?
Asap'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 three minutes gone in the round.
Asap wants to control but Mir postures up.
Asap is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Mir asserts his dominance and retains side control.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Asap stuffs the takedown.
Selko Asap seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Mir looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Asap is fending him off so far but Mir persists. Nope, Asap circles away and we're back to standing.
Mir misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Asap will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Asap shoots in for a double leg but Mir sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Asap darts in looking for a takedown but Mir gets double underhooks and turns Asap into the cage.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Selko Asap. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Mir fails with a takedown attempt.

Asap gets a takedown into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Asap controlling the pace.
Asap is looking to take a break and control but Mir is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Mir has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Asap is working away from the top position though.
Well, if Asap 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.
Asap is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Mir can do to turn this around?
Asap is thwarting Mir's attempts to control the position.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Asap is keen to just control but Mir is a slippery customer.
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 Selko Asap will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Asap shoots in for a takedown but Mir shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Mir shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Asap but Asap pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Mir throws a body punch but Asap moves out of range.
Mir goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Asap enables Mir to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Asap manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Asap seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Mir tries to free his leg and advance position but Asap is retaining full guard.
Mir in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

Asap is looking for a triangle but Mir pushes his legs off easily.
Asap seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Mir trying to control but Asap is working from the bottom.
Asap bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Mir's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mir is trying to keep Asap in close.
Mir keeping moving, preventing Asap from controlling successfully.
Mir can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Asap controls the pace.
Further stalling from Asap.
Asap seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Mir for as long as he can get away with.
Mir looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Asap sitting in guard here, content to control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Mir bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Asap's guard.

Asap has his hands on Mir's head, controlling the position.

Asap working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Mir doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Mir manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Mir trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Asap controlling the position.

Asap is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Mir postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mir throws a big elbow that misses.
Asap looking to hit a scissor sweep but Mir is one step ahead there.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Asap holds on and takes a little breather.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
A looping hook to the body misses from Mir. Asap does a little dance to reset his feet.
Asap tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Mir defends well and Asap ends up having to push Mir into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Asap darts in looking for a takedown but Mir gets double underhooks and turns Asap into the cage.
Mir drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Asap defends it well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Selko Asap. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Mir gets the takedown into side control.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Asap wants to control but Mir postures up.
Asap is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Mir is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Mir advances nicely into full mount.
Mir looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Asap tries to hold on but Mir pushes him away.
Mir trying to control but Asap is having none of it.
Mir throwing strikes but Asap recovers to half guard. A much better position.
Mir is keen to just control but Asap is a slippery customer.
Asap is trying to control but can't.
Asap wants to improve his position but Mir is controlling well.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Asap keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Asap blocking the ground and pound attempt from Mir.
Josh Mir has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Mir throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Josh Mir comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Asap 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 Daniel Franklin scores the fight 29:28
Judge David Hoff scores the fight 29:28
Judge Bart Greer scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Selko Asap!
A victorious Selko Asap thanked his army of followers in his post fight interview, telling people to make sure they follow him on Twitter.