PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Dirty Sanchez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and John Kelly (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Sanchez
vs
Kelly

165 cm
22
135 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

170 cm
22
145 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter striker
Self confident

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Dirty Sanchez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, John Kelly!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Sano, Sosuke Kotani and Hirohito Nitta.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kelly throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Sanchez.
Some wild striking there from Kelly.
Sanchez misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Kelly misses with a few strikes there.
Sanchez fails with the takedown.
Sanchez fails with the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Dirty Sanchez. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Kelly's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Kelly duly obliges.
Kelly misses with the combination.

Sanchez closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Kelly to the mat! Kelly manages to get full guard.
Sanchez wants to pass the guard but Kelly is keeping the position.
Sanchez content to stall in guard here.
Sanchez has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sanchez loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

Kelly has his foot on Sanchez's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Sanchez works his way back into a safe position though.

Kelly looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

Kelly escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Sanchez gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

Kelly is looking for a triangle but Sanchez pushes his legs off easily.
Kelly looks gassed!

Kelly throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Sanchez controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

Sanchez thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Sanchez trying to control but Kelly is working from the bottom.

Kelly had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Sanchez is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Kelly Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Sanchez's back instead.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Sanchez is really stuck here.
Sanchez manages to reverse the position and now he's in Kelly's guard. Nice work there by Sanchez.
Sanchez thows a big elbow that misses.
Sanchez trying to control but Kelly is working from the bottom.
Sanchez works a leg free and moves into half guard.

Kelly actively working from the bottom here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sanchez wants to pass to mount but Kelly is defending the position.
Sanchez is looking to take a break and control but Kelly is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Sanchez keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Sanchez trying to control the action but Kelly is working from the bottom.

Kelly looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Sanchez decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Sanchez trying to control the action but Kelly is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kelly regains full guard. Nicely done.

Kelly has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Sanchez can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

Sanchez stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Sanchez showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Kelly.

Sanchez feints and as Kelly raises his hands in defense, Sanchez changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.

Kelly escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Sanchez gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

Kelly has his foot on Sanchez's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Sanchez works his way back into a safe position though.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dirty Sanchez dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Sanchez shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Kelly keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Sanchez wants to control the pace but Kelly is squirming around nicely.
Kelly is in all sorts of trouble here.
Sanchez can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Kelly is looking to escape.
Kelly really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Kelly is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
A nice elbow there by Sanchez.
Sanchez knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Kelly on the ground.

Kelly defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Sanchez.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Sanchez is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Kelly is surviving well by controlling Sanchez's body position as best he can.

Sanchez jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Kelly manages to avoid the submission attempt.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Kelly!
Some wild striking there from Kelly.
Kelly throws a series of punches but Sanchez avoids them all with ease.
Kelly throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Sanchez.
Kelly tries to bum rush Sanchez with a series of wild strikes but Sanchez uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Kelly misses with a wild combination.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Sanchez fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

Sanchez gets the takedown into side control.
Sanchez trying to control the action but Kelly is working from the bottom.
Kelly is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Sanchez wants to control but Kelly is keeping him busy.
Kelly sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.

Kelly looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

Kelly looking for submissions off his back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez wants to take a breather but Kelly is having none of it.

Kelly looking for submissions off his back.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Kelly avoids the body shot from Sanchez.

Kelly gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Sanchez trying to stand up but can't free himself from Kelly's guard.

Kelly working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Sanchez doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Sanchez manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

Kelly is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Kelly is looking for a triangle but Sanchez pushes his legs off easily.
Sanchez would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

Sanchez avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Sanchez trying to control the position from guard on top but Kelly is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Sanchez avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but John Kelly will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! 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.

Kelly throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Some wild striking there from Kelly.
Sanchez fails to land the takedown.
Kelly fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

Sanchez drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Kelly keeping moving, preventing Sanchez from controlling successfully.

Kelly throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Kelly throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sanchez wants to control from the top but Kelly keeps moving.
Sanchez stays in close to Kelly's body and controls the position.

Kelly looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Sanchez postures up in Kelly's guard and throws a big left but Kelly blocks it.
Sanchez stopping the sweep attempt from Kelly.
Sanchez works over Kelly with some ground and pound from guard.
Sanchez is stalling in the full guard.
Sanchez wants to pass the guard but Kelly is keeping the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.

Kelly has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Sanchez can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

Kelly has his foot on Sanchez's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Sanchez works his way back into a safe position though.

Kelly is looking for a triangle but Sanchez pushes his legs off easily.
Dirty Sanchez overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Sanchez avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Sanchez has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Kelly working for a triangle but Sanchez defends it easily.
Sanchez trying to control but Kelly is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sanchez stopping the sweep attempt from Kelly.
Sanchez is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Sanchez missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

Kelly looking to try and escape his hips here, looking for a submission. It looks like he's going for a triangle but Sanchez is defending well. Kelly quickly switches to an armbar and extends the arm! Sanchez has no choice but to tap, to a very quick submission! Wow, that was lightning fast! Kelly celebrates on the cage, with the crowd.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:04 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). John Kelly!