PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between James Bailey (ranked 1932 p4p, 232 weight class) and Xi Li (ranked 3674 p4p, 393 weight class). Li has chosen HYFR by Drake featuring Lil Wayne as his entrance music. James Bailey has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Bailey
vs
Li

185 cm
20
198 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

197 cm
25
190 lbs
6 - 3 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, James Bailey!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Xi Li!
The judges for this bout are Russell Pearce, Jorge Garcia and Steve Montenegro.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Li fails with an attempt to clinch.
Bailey circles away from the clinch attempt.
A jab lands there for Bailey.
Bailey throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Bailey feints a jab promting Li to slip. Bailey then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Li slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.
We've been told by Bailey's head coaches at Evolution Fitness Center that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.
Li is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Bailey was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Li tries to clinch
and Bailey connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Li wants to clinch

and Bailey counters with a nice right hand that sends Li toppling to the canvas! Li scrambles and gets back to his feet - can Bailey finish him?!

Li is rocked!
Li is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bailey avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Bailey is looking to counter the offense by Li and move into the clinch.
Li moves to clinch but Bailey breaks away
and Bailey cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Li tries to clinch but Bailey is having none of it.
Bailey lands a nice shot to the body.
Li avoids the body shot from Bailey.
Despite the aggression on Li's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Li tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Bailey appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.

Li moves into the clinch.
Li told us before the fight that he's been working on his elbows. An under utilised technique these days - let's see if it can sway the outcome of the fight.
Bailey blocks an uppercut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Li fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Bailey blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Bailey managing to block the knees to the body from Li.
Li tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Bailey avoids it.
Bailey digs a right hand underneath Li's ribcage. Li let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Li tries to land knees in the clinch but Bailey avoids the damage to the body.
Bailey managing to block the knees to the body from Li.
Bailey scores with a nice hook to the head.
Still in the clinch, Bailey scores with a nice short uppercut.
Good body shot from Bailey.
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!
Bailey lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Li looking to throw knees to the head but Bailey is blocking nicely.
Li misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Bailey.
Bailey is working Li over against the cage.
Li tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Bailey avoids it.
Li swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Li missing with knees to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bailey lands a body shot in the clinch.
Li looks winded!
Bailey managing to block the knees to the body from Li.
A right hook to the body lands for Bailey.
Li scores with a shot to the side of Bailey's head.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Bailey.
Li missing with knees to the body.
Bailey lands a body shot in the clinch.
Li tries to land knees in the clinch but Bailey avoids the damage to the body.
Li trying to land knees to the body.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Bailey.
Li tries to land knees in the clinch but Bailey avoids the damage to the body.
A short body shot lands from Bailey as the two fighters clinch.
Bailey gets through Li's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Bailey is working Li over against the cage.
Bailey stalling.
Li has a couple of punches blocked by Bailey.
Bailey lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Bailey lands a shoulder strike.
Li is still on wobbly legs! Can Bailey finish him?

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Come on Bailey - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
The crowd are getting pretty annoyed with Bailey for his constant stalling in the clinch and are voicing their displeasure.
Li seems to have recovered his senses.
Bailey lands with a left to the head.
Li misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Bailey.
A shot in the inside from Bailey.
Bailey is leaning against Li and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
A head punch on the inside from Li fails to land.
Bailey lands a right hand.
Li tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Bailey avoids it.
Li letting Bailey take a breather here.
Nice body punch from Bailey - that landed with a thud.
Li trying to land knees to the body.
Bailey lands a body shot.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James Bailey dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Oooooh!!! Bailey has knocked Li down with a huge combo! Bailey steps away and waves a wobbly Li back to his feet! This one might not go much longer!

Li clinches.
Li throws a punch but it's blocked by Bailey.
Li has a couple of punches blocked by Bailey.
Bailey lands a hook that snaps the head of Li backwards.
Bailey lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Li.
Li misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Bailey.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Bailey blocking some punches.
Bailey blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Bailey blocks an uppercut.

Bailey pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Bailey misses with a wild body shot.

Bailey forces Li back against the cage and clinches.
Li is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Bailey is defending well for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bailey lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Bailey blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Bailey cracks Li with a nice body shot.
The referee is keeping an eye on Bailey - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
A short right from Bailey.
Li misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Bailey.
Bailey digs a right hand into Li's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Li's gas tank.
Bailey is leaning against Li and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Li is breathing heavily.
Stalling in the clinch from Bailey.
Li trying to land knees to the body.

Bailey manages to break the clinch.
Li moves to clinch but Bailey breaks away
and Bailey counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Bailey uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Li has time to react.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bailey avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
As Li tries to get set, Bailey tries to push him back and clinch up but Li manages to avoid the attempt.
Bailey misses with a two punch combination.
Li is looking to clinch.
Li is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Li pushes Bailey up against the cage in a clinch.
Still in the clinch, Bailey scores with a nice short uppercut.
Li misses with some punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Li trying to land knees to the body.
Li missing with knees to the body.
Li with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Li misses with the head strike.

Bailey drops Li onto one knee with a big uppercut from the clinch! Li is propped up by the cage and works his way back to his feet!
Bailey throws a big uppercut that drops Li! More strikes from Bailey and the referee jumps in to stop the fight! Li lies dazed against the cage as Bailey celebrates with his cornermen!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:28 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). James Bailey!
Xi Li was interviewed post fight and said 'I'm young , I'll be back. '.