PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Hershel Cox (ranked 9699 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mai Pai (ranked 6420 p4p, 0 weight class). Hershel Cox has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Cox
vs
Pai

179 cm
21
140 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

172 cm
18
145 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Counter fighter
Determined

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 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Hershel Cox!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Mai Pai!
The judges for this bout are Yuuki Gou, Taro Takaoka and Kenichi Hosakawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pai swinging wildly here.
Cox shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Pai sprawls well. Pai wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Cox gets slowly back to his feet.
Pai throws out a counter right but Cox avoids it with no problem.
Pai throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Pai misses with a wild body shot.
Cox tries to counter with a takedown but Pai is quick to defend against it.
Cox misses with a takedown attempt - Pai sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Pai looks like he wants to counter punch here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Pai instigates a clinch.
Pai throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Pai lands with a light punch inside.
Pai tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Cox avoids it.
Cox blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Pai lands a nice knee to the body.
Pai throws a knee to the head but misses.
Cox really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Pai is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Pai with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pai tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Cox's elbow.
Cox blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Pai looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Pai misses with a punch to the body.
Cox dodges an elbow strike from Pai.
Pai misses with a knee strike.
Pai tries to land a knee to the head but Cox blocks with his arms.
Pai misses with an elbow strike.
Pai lands a hook to the side of the head.
Pai swings wildly with an uppercut but Cox uses good head movement to avoid it.
Pai is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pai stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Pai tries a body shot but Cox blocks it.
Pai misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Pai throws an elbow but it misses.
A body shot lands from Pai.
Pai tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Cox avoids it.
Pai looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Pai misses with an elbow over the top.
Pai throws an elbow that misses.
Pai looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Pai misses with a body punch.
Cox on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Cox managing to block the knees to the body from Pai.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pai throws an elbow but it misses.
Pai throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Pai misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Cox.
Pai avoids the elbow strike from Cox, against the cage.
Pai pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Cox tries to land knees in the clinch but Pai avoids the damage to the body.
A bit of stalling here from Pai.
Pai lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Cox blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Pai tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Cox avoids it.
Cox dodges an elbow strike from Pai.
Cox blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Cox managing to block the knees to the body from Pai.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mai Pai dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Cox takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Cox dives in and grabs Pai's left leg, looking for a takedown. Pai pushes down on Cox's head and hops out.
Pai swings for the body but Cox moves out of range.
Pai looks to score with a jab to the body but Cox is just out of range.
Pai takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Pai throws a lazy right hand but Cox sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Cox shoots in for a takedown but Pai shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Pai is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Hershel Cox is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Pai has closed the distance and engaged Cox in a clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pai blocks the elbow strike.
A head punch on the inside from Cox fails to land.
Pai with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Pai stalling in the clinch but Cox improves position.
Pai pushes Cox back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Knees to the body from Pai.
Cox blocks the elbow strike.
Cox avoids a wild elbow strike from Pai.
Cox blocks the elbow strike.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Pai.
Pai looking to throw knees to the head but Cox is blocking nicely.
Pai has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Cox managing to block the knees to the body from Pai.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Pai escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Both fighters are looking to counter, which isn't making for the most exciting fight in the world.
Pai misses with a two punch combination.
Cox misses with a combination
letting Pai counter with a right hand.
Pai feints a jab promting Cox to slip. Pai then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Cox slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.
Pai looks to land a left hand but Cox moved out of range nicely.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
A right-left combo lands from Pai.
Pai throws a right hand that Cox ducks under and follows up with a left that Cox also avoids with ease.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cox fails with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Hershel Cox. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Cox shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Pai swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.

Pai gets a clinch.
Pai using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Pai creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Cox takes a shot to the head.
Pai misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Cox.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pai with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Pai lands a left hand that snaps the head of Cox backwards.
Cox pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Pai is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Cox is defending well for now.
Cox tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Pai's elbow.
Pai tries to land knees in the clinch but Cox avoids the damage to the body.
Cox digs a right hand underneath Pai's ribcage. Pai let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Cox using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Pai misses with a short punch on the inside.
With the fighters up against the cage, Pai throws an elbow but misses.
Cox blocks a punch to the side of the head.
This has been an exciting period of action!
With the fighters up against the cage, Cox throws an elbow but misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mai Pai showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Cox throws a jab but it's blocked by Pai.
Pai connects with a good right hand that stumbles Cox. Cox circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Pai throws a hook to the side of Cox's head but Cox sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Cox tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Pai manages to circle out of the way.

Cox instigates a clinch.
A head punch on the inside from Pai fails to land.
Cox takes an elbow to the forehead.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Pai swings wildly with an uppercut but Cox uses good head movement to avoid it.
Pai controlling the action here for a moment.
Pai using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Cox has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pai misses with an elbow over the top.
Pai throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Cox blocks it with crossed arms.
Pai lands a damaging elbow.
Pai goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Pai throws an elbow that misses.
Pai effectively controlling the action here.
Cox dodges an elbow strike from Pai.
A right hand to the body from Cox.
Cox managing to block the knees to the body from Pai.
Pai pushes off an throws an elbow but Cox leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pai tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Cox's elbow.
Pai creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Pai controlling the action here for a moment.
Pai managing to block the knees to the body from Cox.
Cox avoiding damage as Pai throws knees to the body.
Cox blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Pai lands an elbow inside.
Pai throws an elbow that misses.
Pai doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Pai's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Cox takes a knee right on the jaw!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cox managing to block the knees to the body from Pai.
Pai creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Cox on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Pai misses with a punch to the body.
Pai misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Pai lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Cox is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Pai is defending well for now.
Pai missing with knees to the body.
Cox managing to block the knees to the body from Pai.
Pai trying to control the position but instead, Cox has worked for underhooks and has pushed Pai into the cage.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Cox.
Mai Pai 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.
Cox on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Cox works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Pai trying to land knees to the body.
Pai swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Cox throws an elbow but it misses.
Pai misses with an elbow strike.
Pai tries to land knees in the clinch but Cox avoids the damage to the body.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Cox struggles to land a body shot inside as Pai controls his hands.
Pai missing with knees to the body.
Hershel Cox has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Cox can't find room to land a body shot as Pai controls the action.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mai Pai comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Pai has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Yuuki Gou scores the fight 26:30
Judge Taro Takaoka scores the fight 26:30
Judge Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mai Pai!