PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Ambrose Patel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Justin Gaethje (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Justin Gaethje has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Patel
vs
Gaethje

161 cm
19
161 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

180 cm
18
160 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Basic striking
Determined

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 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of New York, Ambrose Patel!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Justin Gaethje!
The judges for this bout are Franklyn Lucas, Steve Montenegro and Jorge Garcia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Patel feints and as Gaethje raises his hands in defense, Patel changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Patel controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Gaethje wants to stand up but Patel is controlling him.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Patel's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Patel scoring with punches to the head and body.
Gaethje is looking to stand up but Patel isn't so interested in that idea.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Patel might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gaethje is wriggling around but Patel manages to pass to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Patel winds up and cracks Gaethje with a swinging punch to the side of the head.

Gaethje kicks off Patel and gets to his feet.
Gaethje wants to clinch but Patel slips to the side

and Patel counters with a nice double leg into guard.

Gaethje manages to escape and get back to his feet.
A punch combination from Gaethje misses.
Justin Gaethje seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Gaethje throws a right hand that Patel ducks under and follows up with a left that Patel also avoids with ease.
Patel half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!

Patel scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Gaethje tries to get back to his feet but has found himself mounted instead. Damn, that's gotta suck.
Gaethje trying desperately to get to his feet.
Gaethje looks winded!
Patel scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Gaethje?
Patel controlling his opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Patel landing strikes, looking to finish!
Patel working Gaethje over with strikes here.
Patel has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

Patel is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Gaethje is surviving well by controlling Patel's body position as best he can.
Patel trying to control but Gaethje is having none of it.
Patel could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.

Gaethje bucks up and throws Patel to the side - he's got back to his feet. Great escape!
Gaethje moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Patel shoots for a double leg takedown but Gaethje sprawls well. He's pushed Patel's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Gaethje thinks about the counter body kick.
Gaethje is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gaethje misses with a body shot.
It looked like Patel was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Patel slips a jab and a cross from Gaethje.
Patel fails with the takedown.
Patel darts in looking for a takedown but Gaethje gets double underhooks and turns Patel into the cage.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ambrose Patel. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Gaethje throws a good cross that connects.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Patel.
Patel shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Gaethje as he avoids it easily.
Gaethje is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Gaethje scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!

Gaethje moves into the clinch.

Gaethje pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Gaethje displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Patel.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gaethje lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Gaethje.
This has been an exciting period of action!
A chopping leg kick lands by Gaethje.
Gaethje throws a leg kick that is checked

and Patel counters with a shoot takedown. Gaethje fights it but they end up in guard.
Gaethje wants to get back to his feet but Patel is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Patel trying to control the position from guard on top but Gaethje is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Patel is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Gaethje is looking to stand back up... there's a bit of a scramble and Patel dives into side control.
Gaethje is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Patel asserts his dominance and retains side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Justin Gaethje will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Patel takes a kick to the side of the head.
Gaethje will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Gaethje misses with a double jab.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Gaethje!

It looks like Ambrose Patel has been cut.
Patel dives in and grabs Gaethje's left leg, looking for a takedown. Gaethje pushes down on Patel's head and hops out.
Gaethje throws a combination that misses

and Patel counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Patel.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Patel is trying to push Gaethje away but Gaethje has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Patel tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Gaethje avoids it.
Gaethje has Patel pressed against the cage, preventing Patel from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Patel misses with a knee to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gaethje is trying to push Patel away but Patel has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Nice elbow from Patel.
Gaethje lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Patel pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Gaethje has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

Gaethje pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Gaethje takes the fight into the clinch.
Patel misses with a knee strike.

Gaethje breaks from the clinch.
Gaethje lunges at Patel with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Patel's hand.
Patel doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Gaethje lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gaethje throws a right and a left that Patel avoids nicely.
Gaethje is breathing heavily.
Patel keeps the fight on the outside.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Gaethje tries to bum rush Patel with a series of wild strikes but Patel uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Patel circles away from the clinch attempt.
Gaethje throws a nice looking combination but Patel bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Gaethje rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Patel moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

Patel drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Gaethje wants to get back to his feet but Patel is dominant here and he's now got Gaethje's back!

Patel looking to break Gaethje's wrist control so he can sink in the choke. Gaethje remaining controlled and patient though - he really has to keep calm otherwise Patel will wrap this one up with the rear naked choke!
Ambrose Patel overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Gaethje manages to escape to his feet.
Justin Gaethje is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Patel shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Gaethje misses with a head kick.
Patel tries to counter by clinching up but Gaethje breaks away and moves out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Patel drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Gaethje is looking to get back to his feet here but Patel is keeping cool and he's managed to take Gaethje's back.
Patel gets his hooks in and is throwing strikes.
Will Patel go for the finish here or will he try and keep control of the position?
Patel throwing damaging strikes from the back! Gaethje could be in trouble here!
Gaethje is trying to get back to his feet but he's not managed it yet.

Patel looking for the rear naked choke. And he's got it! Gaethje taps!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:56 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Ambrose Patel!