PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Fong Li (ranked 5039 p4p, 0 weight class) and Keaton Baldwin (ranked 5262 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.

Li
vs
Baldwin

175 cm
25
194 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

183 cm
18
200 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

Altitude Clothing
Crack Time Fitness Tycoon

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Fong Li!
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, Keaton Baldwin!
The judges for this bout are Anthony Taglia, David Schapiro and Joseph Jones.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Baldwin throws a chopping leg kick but Li manages to avoid taking any serious damage.

Li looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Baldwin wants to improve his position but Li is controlling well.
Li seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Li is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Li looking to finish with strikes here!
Li takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Li is in the full mount, landing strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Li is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Li content just to control the position here.
Li 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.
Li seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Baldwin for as long as he can get away with.
Li lands a nice shot to the head.
Li takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Li landing punches.
The referee warns Baldwin that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Li controlling from mount.
Li's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Li in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Li takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Li in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Baldwin wants to hold on but Li pushes him away.
Li takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Further stalling from Li.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Li avoids the attempt from Baldwin to control.
Li fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Fong Li 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.

Baldwin looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Li seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.
Baldwin throws a leg kick but Li sees it coming and checks it nicely.
A quick step to the side and Li tries to counter with a shot to the body but it doesn't connect.
Li could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Li looks to land a body kick but Baldwin moved away.
Li with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Baldwin wants to slow Li down by chopping away at his legs.
It looked like Li wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Li walks into a stiff left hand from Baldwin.
Baldwin misses with a left hand
and Li counters with an inside leg kick.
Li throws a sloppy head kick and Baldwin moves out of range easily.
Li doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Baldwin lands a nice shot that snaps Li's head back.
Baldwin lunges at Li with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Li's hand.
Baldwin fails in his attempt to clinch.

Baldwin forces Li back against the cage and clinches.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Baldwin blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Baldwin lands on the inside with an uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Baldwin stalling against the cage.
Li tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

Li breaks the clinch.
Baldwin lands a slapping body shot.
Baldwin fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Li is out of range.
Li shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Baldwin as he avoids it easily.
Li takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Keaton Baldwin is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Baldwin swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Li.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Baldwin throws a combination that misses
and Li counters with a straight right hand.
Li throws a series of punches but Baldwin avoids them all with ease.
Li bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Li throws a counter high kick but Baldwin was just alert enough to avoid it.
Li throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
Keaton Baldwin seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Baldwin scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Baldwin throws a low kick, looking for Li's leg but Li calmly moves out of range.
Li thinks about countering with a head kick.
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!
A looping hook to the body misses from Baldwin. Li does a little dance to reset his feet.
Li thinks about countering with a head kick.
Baldwin scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Li gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Li is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
A jab from Baldwin finds it's way through Li's defenses.
Baldwin tries to clinch but Li is having none of it.
Baldwin throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A jab from Baldwin does it's job there.
A solid leg kick lands there for Baldwin.
Baldwin throws an off balance right hand
and Li counters with a right hand to the body.
Baldwin swings for the body but Li moves out of range.
Li moves out of range of the strikes.
Baldwin with a hook.
Li checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Baldwin throws a body kick despite being completely out of range

and Li counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Li is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Li stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Baldwin swivels though and keeps the full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Li is pushing down on Baldwin's leg trying to pass to half guard. Baldwin is fighting to maintain full guard but Li has managed to sneak the leg through.
Baldwin really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Li. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Li not doing much here.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Li throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Baldwin wants to control but Li is keeping busy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Keaton Baldwin showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Li waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Baldwin.
Keaton Baldwin seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Li takes a jab right on the kisser.
Baldwin misses with a leg kick

and Li counters with a single leg into guard. Baldwin didn't expect that.
Li stands up over Baldwin, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Li controls from within his opponent's guard.
Fong Li overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Li pushing down on Baldwin's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Li stalling.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
If it seems like I'm not saying a lot, it's just because Li is stinking the place up with his stalling.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Li uses his free foot to push down on Baldwin's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Baldwin.
Li controlling the position easily from mount.

That's two 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.
Li in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Li looking to control and managing it successfully.
Li raining down shots from the mount!
Li controlling from mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Li has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
This is a sustained period of stalling by Li.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Li continues to hold on tight.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

And that's the end of the fight!
Fong Li showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Li has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Anthony Taglia scores the fight 29:27
Judge David Schapiro scores the fight 29:27
Judge Joseph Jones scores the fight 29:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Fong Li!