PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between DJ Cannonier (ranked 5066 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ryan Kelly (ranked 3842 p4p, 0 weight class). Ryan Kelly is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Cannonier
vs
Kelly

170 cm
25
147 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

172 cm
25
147 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Good in bed

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, DJ Cannonier!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Ryan Kelly!
The judges for this bout are William Gold, Sam Margolis and Paul Tew.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Kelly fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Cannonier sprawls well initially but Kelly persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Cannonier has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Kelly is working away from the top position though.
Kelly missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Kelly is just content to waste time from the top position. Cannonier takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.
Kelly wants to control from the top but Cannonier keeps moving.
Kelly controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Cannonier on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Cannonier tries to get out of the position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cannonier trying to control the position here.
Cannonier keeping moving, preventing Kelly from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kelly stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Cannonier swivels though and keeps the full guard.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Cannonier fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

Cannonier shoots in and gets a takedown into Kelly's guard.

Kelly had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Cannonier defends it easily.

Cannonier decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Kelly, up you get!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kelly stuffs the takedown.

Kelly rushes Cannonier and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Kelly stalling.
Cannonier blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.

Kelly breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Kelly tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Kelly throws a right and a left that both miss.

Cannonier rushes Kelly and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Kelly manages to break the clinch.
Kelly dives in for a single leg takedown but Cannonier sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Cannonier seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Cannonier fails in his attempt to clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A head kick misses from Cannonier.
Kelly pulls out of a head kick attempt.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Cannonier is defended easily by Kelly.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for DJ Cannonier. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Kelly has taken the fight to the clinch.

Kelly breaks from the clinch.
Kelly slaps away a takedown attempt from Cannonier, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Cannonier tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Kelly defends well and Cannonier ends up having to push Kelly into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A head kick by Cannonier misses
and Kelly counters with a body kick.
Cannonier is breathing heavily.

Kelly gets a double leg takedown into Cannonier's guard.

Kelly gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Cannonier shoots and misses

and Kelly counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Kelly.
Kelly wants a takedown but no success here.
Kelly tries to land knees in the clinch but Cannonier avoids the damage to the body.
Cannonier tries to pull guard but Kelly holds him up against the cage and eventually Cannonier drops back down to his feet.

Kelly gets control of Cannonier's arms and successfully pulls guard. Kelly will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Kelly wants to sweep here but Cannonier controlling him for the moment.
Kelly is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ryan Kelly dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Cannonier tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Kelly uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Cannonier.
Cannonier tries for a takedown but Kelly circles away easily

and Kelly counters by clinching up.

Kelly has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Cannonier is trying to keep an underhook but Kelly manages to get the takedown into half guard.

Cannonier has managed to escape just enough to sneak back to his feet but Kelly is on him like a limpet, forcing Cannonier back against the cage.
Kelly gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Cannonier.
Kelly misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Cannonier.

Kelly breaks from the clinch.
Kelly misses with a takedown attempt - Cannonier sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cannonier will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for DJ Cannonier. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Cannonier fails to land with a series of punches.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Kelly takes the fight into the clinch.
Kelly misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Cannonier.
Cannonier gets underhooks to prevent Kelly's takedown attempt.
Cannonier wants to break free but Kelly has control.
Cannonier has had enough of the clinch but Kelly keeps him there for the moment.
Cannonier gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Kelly.
Cannonier has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Kelly after a bit of a struggle.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kelly is trying to pull guard but Cannonier turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.

Kelly pulls guard successfully.
Kelly not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Cannonier preventing the sweep.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Cannonier is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Kelly tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Kelly looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Cannonier passes into side control.

Cannonier stands up and beckons Kelly to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kelly shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Cannonier sprawls well. Cannonier wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Kelly gets slowly back to his feet.
Kelly swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Cannonier cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Cannonier fails with a takedown attempt.

Kelly throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Cannonier was covering up waiting for the punch and Kelly finishes the takedown easily into guard.

Cannonier manages to escape and get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cannonier looks to clinch

and Kelly counters with a shoot takedown. Cannonier fights it but they end up in guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Cannonier throws his legs up looking for a submission but Kelly uses it to pass to side control.
Cannonier manages to work his way to half guard, despite Kelly's best efforts.
Kelly lands with a punch from half guard.
Cannonier is staying active underneath Kelly, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Cannonier trying to control here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that DJ Cannonier will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Kelly gets a clinch.
Cannonier letting Kelly take a breather here.

Kelly gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Kelly wants to take a breather but Cannonier is having none of it.

Kelly is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cannonier is not content to let Kelly control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cannonier moves into full guard.
Cannonier keeping moving, preventing Kelly from controlling successfully.
Cannonier is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Kelly tries to get to full guard but Cannonier has control of the leg.
Cannonier seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cannonier tries to pass the half guard into mount. Kelly knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Kelly is not content to let Cannonier control the position.
Kelly keeping control of the position.
Kelly moves into full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cannonier sitting in guard, not really doing much.

Kelly working for a triangle but Cannonier defends it easily.
Kelly is trying to control the position from the bottom.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Ryan Kelly seems to be getting the better of the standup.

Cannonier has managed to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Kelly managing to block the knees to the body from Cannonier.
Kelly drops down looking for an ankle pick but Cannonier pulls his leg out and moves away.
Cannonier fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
As Cannonier backs off Kelly throws a huge counter combo but Cannonier manages to avoid it all.
Cannonier leaves Kelly with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Cannonier is looking to counter the offense by Kelly and move into the clinch.
Cannonier tries for a takedown but Kelly sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Kelly shoots and misses

and Cannonier counters by clinching up.
DJ Cannonier has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ryan Kelly.
Kelly swings wildly with an uppercut but Cannonier uses good head movement to avoid it.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Cannonier tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Kelly just stands there and leans against the cage.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to DJ Cannonier.
I think Cannonier 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 William Gold scores the fight 29:28
Judge Sam Margolis scores the fight 29:28
Judge Paul Tew scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... DJ Cannonier!