PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ruben Kirby (ranked 5748 p4p, 194 weight class) and En Esch (ranked 5185 p4p, 108 weight class). Esch is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Imperial March (L.O.D. Rage Mix). En Esch acknowledges the crowd's support as he enters the cage.

Kirby
vs
Esch

194 cm
20
265 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

192 cm
21
238 lbs
6 - 11 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent knees
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, Ruben Kirby!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 11 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, En Esch!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, Frank Antenori and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kirby takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Esch fails in his attempt to clinch.
Kirby throwing a counter right hand but Esch manages to avoid it.
Some wild striking there from Esch.
Kirby shoots in for a takedown but Esch shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Esch is looking to clinch but Kirby is avoiding it.
Kirby swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Esch tries to clinch up but Kirby circles away and keeps his distance.
Esch wants to clinch.
Esch tries to close the distance and clinch up but Kirby swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Esch closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Esch just misses with a elbow thrown towards Kirby's brow.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Esch misses with a hook from the clinch.
Kirby blocks an elbow strike from Esch.
Kirby on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Kirby blocks the elbow strike.
Esch tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Kirby avoids it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kirby is trying to break the clinch but Esch is controlling him.
Esch misses with a knee strike.
A knee to the head by Esch.
Esch looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Kirby can't break the clinch.
Kirby blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Esch has a couple of punches blocked by Kirby.
Esch putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Kirby in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Esch missing with knees to the body.
Esch pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Esch has been looking to improve his clinch game in recent weeks. Kirby seems to have the measure of him in the clinch so far, so let's see if Esch can turn it around.
Kirby blocking some punches.
Esch using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Kirby has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Kirby wants to break the clinch but can't.
Esch throws a knee to the head but misses.
Esch throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Kirby blocks it with crossed arms.
Esch utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Esch lands a good knee to the midsection. Kirby won't want to take too many of those.
We've been hearing reports that Kirby has been drilling takedowns in recent sessions so let's see if that has an impact on the result of this fight.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kirby on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Esch with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Esch tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Kirby avoids it.
Kirby blocks a body shot from Esch.
Esch throws a knee to the head but misses.
Kirby blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Esch lands a knee to the body.
Kirby is trying to push Esch away but Esch has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Kirby takes a knee right on the jaw!

It looks like Ruben Kirby has been cut.
Kirby looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Esch looking to throw knees to the head but Kirby is blocking nicely.
Esch lands a nice knee to the body.
Esch throws a knee to the head but misses.
Esch tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Esch misses with a body punch.
Kirby looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Esch using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Kirby has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Kirby wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Esch has Kirby pressed against the cage, preventing Kirby from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Kirby wants to break the clinch but can't.
Esch tries to throw a body punch but Kirby avoids it by throwing Esch back against the cage.
Esch throws a knee to the head but misses.
Kirby looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Esch keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Kirby's efforts to push away.
Kirby wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Esch has him pressed against the cage.
Kirby tries to break the clinch but Esch is controlling the position.
Kirby on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Kirby wants to break free but Esch has control.
Esch misses with a knee to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Kirby tries to circle away but Esch has him pinned against the cage.
Esch lands an elbow just above Kirby 's eye.
Kirby tries to circle away but Esch has him pinned against the cage.
Kirby avoiding damage as Esch throws knees to the body.
A frustrated look appears on Kirby's face as he tries to break the clinch.

Kirby escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Esch looks to clinch
and Kirby counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Kirby cracks Esch with an open hand slap.
A looping hook to the body misses from Esch. Kirby does a little dance to reset his feet.
Esch throws a right and a left that Kirby avoids nicely.
Kirby seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.
Esch fails in his attempt to clinch.
Esch moves in looking to clinch but Kirby pushes him off.
Kirby circles away from the clinch attempt.

Esch clinches up with Kirby and pushes him back against the cage.
Esch with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

En Esch dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Ruben Kirby's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Kirby misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Esch.
Nice uppercut lands for Kirby. That snapped Esch's head back.
Kirby lands with a cross.

Esch instigates a clinch.
Esch is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Kirby is defending well for now.
En Esch seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Esch pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Esch misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Esch misses with a knee to the head.
Esch throws a knee to the head but misses.
Esch throws a head punch that misses.
Kirby is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Esch tries to throw a body punch but Kirby avoids it by throwing Esch back against the cage.
Esch tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Esch misses with a short punch on the inside.
Esch swings wildly with an uppercut but Kirby uses good head movement to avoid it.
Esch scores a nice knee to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Esch with an attempt at a knee that misses.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Esch.
Kirby is trying to break the clinch but Esch has him pressed against the cage.
Esch with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Esch trying to land knees to the body.
Esch misses with a hook from the clinch.
Esch prevents Kirby from breaking the clinch.
Esch missing with knees to the body.
Esch trying to land knees to the body.

Kirby escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Esch takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Kirby throws a series of punches but Esch avoids them all with ease.
Esch is looking to clinch.
Esch throws a right hand that Kirby ducks under and follows up with a left that Kirby also avoids with ease.
A counter left hand to the body from Kirby misses its target.
Kirby takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Esch tries to close the distance and clinch up but Kirby swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Kirby throws a right and a left that Esch avoids nicely.
Esch tries to clinch there but Kirby circles away.
Ruben Kirby is winning the standup battle so far.
Esch closes the distance looking to clinch
letting Kirby counter with a right hand.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Good shot there by Kirby.
Esch dodges the punch combination from Kirby.
En Esch is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Kirby avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Esch wants to clinch.
Kirby fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Esch on the side of the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Esch moves to clinch but Kirby breaks away
and Kirby counters with a right hand to the body.
Esch is looking to clinch.
Kirby tries to bum rush Esch with a series of wild strikes but Esch uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Esch has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Kirby lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Esch circles away quickly and effectively.
Esch is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
A counter left hand to the body from Kirby misses its target.
Kirby keeps the fight on the outside.
Esch avoids a lazy jab quite easily.

Esch takes the fight into the clinch.
Kirby has had enough of the clinch but Esch keeps him there for the moment.
Kirby wants to break free but Esch has control.

Kirby breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kirby throws a right and a left that Esch avoids nicely.
Kirby works Esch's body with a nice hook.
Esch tries to clinch but Kirby moves out of range.
Kirby is looking for a counter combo.
Esch tries to clinch up.
Esch fails with an attempt to clinch.
Decent striking displayed by Kirby there.
Kirby lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Esch moves to clinch but Kirby breaks away
and Kirby counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Esch thinking.
A jab from Kirby misses.
Kirby avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Kirby is looking to counter punch.
Esch doesn't manage to clinch there - Kirby circles away.
Esch tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Kirby manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Esch clinches.
Kirby tries to circle away but Esch has him pinned against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ruben Kirby dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Ruben Kirby's cut.
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. This is the final round!

Kirby circles away from the clinch attempt.
As Esch looks to move away, Kirby throws a big counter combo but Esch just gets out of the way.

Esch gets a clinch.
Esch misses with a knee strike.
Kirby is trying to break the clinch but Esch has him pressed against the cage.
Esch tries to work over Kirby's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Esch misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Kirby.
Esch unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Esch pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
A frustrated look appears on Kirby's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Kirby looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Esch with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kirby can't break the clinch.
Esch misses with some punches.
A head punch on the inside from Esch fails to land.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Esch.
Kirby on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Esch misses with an elbow over the top.
Esch prevents Kirby from breaking the clinch.
Kirby can't break the clinch.
Kirby is looking to break free of the clinch but Esch has double underhooks.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Esch.
Esch tries to land a knee to the head but Kirby blocks with his arms.
Kirby avoiding damage as Esch throws knees to the body.
Esch using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Kirby has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Esch throws a knee to the head but misses.
Esch struggles to land a body shot inside as Kirby controls his hands.
Kirby is trying to break the clinch but Esch has him pressed against the cage.
Esch throws an elbow but it misses.
Kirby has had enough of the clinch but Esch keeps him there for the moment.
Esch keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Kirby's efforts to push away.
Esch tries to land knees in the clinch but Kirby avoids the damage to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Esch scores with a knee to the head.
Kirby wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Esch unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Esch prevents Kirby from breaking the clinch.
Kirby managing to block the knees to the body from Esch.
Esch tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Kirby is trying to break the clinch but Esch is controlling him.
Kirby prevents a body shot from Esch.
Kirby wants to break free but Esch has control.
Kirby blocks an elbow strike.
Esch tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Esch tries to land knees in the clinch but Kirby avoids the damage to the body.
Kirby on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Esch throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Kirbys head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Esch tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Kirby is looking to break free of the clinch but Esch has double underhooks.
Esch is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Kirby is defending well for now.
Esch pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Kirby is trying to break the clinch but Esch is controlling him.
Esch tries to work over Kirby's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Kirby takes an elbow to the temple.
Kirby is trying to break the clinch but Esch has him pressed against the cage.
Kirby is trying to break free.
Esch is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Kirby takes an elbow to the temple.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Esch missing with knees to the body.
Esch tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Kirby avoids it.
Esch with a knee to the head.
Kirby has had enough of the clinch but Esch keeps him there for the moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Esch keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Kirby's efforts to push away.
Esch keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Kirby's efforts to push away.
Esch tries to throw a body punch but Kirby avoids it by throwing Esch back against the cage.
Esch tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Esch tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Kirby avoids it.
Esch keeps control of Kirby as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Kirby blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Esch landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Esch is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Kirby is defending well for now.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Esch is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Kirby is defending well for now.
Esch tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Esch tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Kirby avoids it.

And that's the end of the fight!
En Esch comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Esch has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Jack Bonds scores the fight 27:29
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 27:29
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 27:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... En Esch!
En Esch was full of energy after the big win and talked about how he thinks he can do big things in this sport. The crowd were appreciative of his determination to succeed.