PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Kody Harbrant (ranked 3130 p4p, 2918 weight class) and Rice Flair (ranked 352 p4p, 332 weight class). Rice Flair has the eye of the tiger tonight.

Harbrant
vs
Flair

175 cm
27
155
8 - 9 - 0

167 cm
25
155
6 - 5 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Good kicks
Heavy handed

Brooklyn Apothecary
Brooklyn Threads

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 9 - 0, fighting out of New York, Kody Harbrant!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Rice Flair!
The judges for this bout are Chris Downing, Frank Dennis and Gwen Towbar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Flair moves into the clinch.
Flair misses with some punches.
Flair throws a punch but it's blocked by Harbrant.
Flair misses with a short punch on the inside.
Harbrant tries to break the clinch but Flair is controlling the position.

Harbrant breaks the clinch.

Harbrant fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Flair, pushing him back against the cage.

Harbrant manages to break the clinch.

Flair gets a clinch.
Harbrant blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

Harbrant breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Harbrant has been working on his boxing with his coaches at New York Public Gym in the buildup to the fight.

Flair darts in and clinches Harbrant up against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Flair tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Harbrant's elbow.
Flair lands a left hand.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Harbrant.

Harbrant breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Harbrant throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Flair.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Harbrant clinches up against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Flair lands a body punch in the clinch.
Flair tries to work over Harbrant's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Flair fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
A right hand to the body from Flair.
Flair has a couple of punches blocked by Harbrant.
Flair throws a punch but it's blocked by Harbrant.
Flair working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Flair misses with some punches.
Flair misses with a punch on the inside.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Flair.
Flair misses with a shot to the kidneys.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Harbrant.
A shot in the inside from Flair.
Still in the clinch, Flair scores with a nice short uppercut.
Flair misses with a body punch.

Harbrant manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Flair missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Harbrant manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Flair manages to get himself to full guard.

We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Harbrant trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Flair has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Flair looking for a sweep. Not yet Flair, not yet.

Flair had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Harbrant defends it easily.

Flair working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Harbrant doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Harbrant manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

Flair had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Harbrant defends it easily.

Flair is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Flair is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Flair manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Harbrant manages to get himself to full guard.

Flair looking to sit in guard and control but Harbrant gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Harbrant looking to pass the guard.

Flair is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Harbrant defends well.

Flair is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Harbrant wants to control from the top but Flair keeps moving.
Harbrant throwing strikes from guard but Flair blocks nicely.
Harbrant advances position into side control!
Flair manages to get back to half guard.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

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

Flair slaps away a takedown attempt from Harbrant, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Harbrant sets himself, and Flair steps forward looking for the clinch! Harbrant avoids it this time.

Flair clinches.
Harbrant fails to pull guard.
Flair softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Flair keeps control of Harbrant as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Flair throws a punch but it's blocked by Harbrant.
Flair lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Harbrant backwards.
Flair lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.

Harbrant escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Kody Harbrant is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Flair throws a body punch but Harbrant moves out of range.

Flair takes the fight into the clinch.
Flair has a couple of punches blocked by Harbrant.
We are yet to see a takedown attempt from Flair in the fight. On paper you would think he is the more dominant ground fighter so let's see if these unusual tactics pay off.
Flair doesn't land with the attempted body shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Flair lands an uppercut.
Flair prevents Harbrant from breaking the clinch.
Flair lands a hook to the side of the head.
Flair misses with the head strike.
A short body shot lands from Flair as the two fighters clinch.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Flair.
Harbrant throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Flair.
Flair swings wildly with an uppercut but Harbrant uses good head movement to avoid it.
Flair lands a body punch in the clinch.
Harbrant blocks a body shot from Flair.
Harbrant prevents a body shot from Flair.
Flair misses with a hook to the ribs.
Flair lands with a short shot to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Flair can't find room to land a body shot as Harbrant controls the action.
Flair goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Harbrant.
Harbrant blocking some punches.
Rice Flair seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Flair fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

Harbrant breaks from the clinch.

Harbrant has taken the fight to the clinch.
Flair is working Harbrant over against the cage.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Flair misses with a short punch on the inside.
Flair tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Harbrant's elbow.
Flair misses with the head strike.
Flair lands with a short punch from the clinch.

Harbrant escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Flair pushes Harbrant up against the cage in a clinch.
Flair lands a left hand that snaps the head of Harbrant backwards.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Flair misses with the head strike.
Harbrant's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Flair lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Flair lands a body punch in the clinch.
Harbrant's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Harbrant blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Flair has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Harbrant blocks a body shot from Flair.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Flair creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Flair misses with a hook from the clinch.
Flair works on Harbrant's body with a couple of short punches.
Harbrant blocking some punches.
Flair throws a head punch that misses.
Harbrant blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Flair.
A shot in the inside from Flair.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Still in the clinch, Flair scores with a nice short uppercut.
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!
Flair lands a hook that snaps the head of Harbrant backwards.
Flair misses with a hook from the clinch.
Harbrant blocks a punch to the side of the head.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Flair.
Harbrant blocks a punch to the side of the head.
A short right from Flair.
Harbrant jumps guard but Flair stands there with Harbrant around his waist. Harbrant gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Kody Harbrant. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Flair swings wildly with an uppercut but Harbrant uses good head movement to avoid it.
Flair lands a left hand.
Flair lands with a right to the head.
Flair can't find room to land a body shot as Harbrant controls the action.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Rice Flair showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Flair closes the distance and clinches.
Flair tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Harbrant's elbow.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Flair.
Flair throws a head punch that misses.
Flair working some nice short punches in the clinch.

Harbrant gets control of Flair's arms and successfully pulls guard. Harbrant will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Harbrant is trying to keep Flair in close.
Flair trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Flair accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Harbrant keeping full guard, as Flair tries to pass.
Flair working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Flair with a flurry of punches that miss.
Flair with a flurry of punches that miss.
Flair postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.

Harbrant has his foot on Flair's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Flair works his way back into a safe position though.
Flair is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Harbrant bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Flair's guard.

Flair keeping moving, preventing Harbrant from controlling successfully.
Flair looking to hit a scissor sweep but Harbrant is one step ahead there.

Flair looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Rice Flair is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Flair utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Flair looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Harbrant tries to free his leg and advance position but Flair is retaining full guard.
Kody Harbrant has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Harbrant wants to control from the top but Flair keeps moving.
Flair pulls Harbrant in close to prevent any damage.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harbrant trying to control but Flair is working from the bottom.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

Harbrant rushes Flair and presses him up against the cage.
Flair doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Harbrant blocking some punches.
Harbrant jumps guard but Flair turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Harbrant wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Harbrant has had enough of the clinch but Flair keeps him there for the moment.
Harbrant prevents a body shot from Flair.
Harbrant wants to break the clinch but can't.
Harbrant looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Harbrant wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Flair has him pressed against the cage.
Harbrant tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Flair's elbow.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rice Flair comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Flair winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Chris Downing scores the fight 26:30
Judge Frank Dennis scores the fight 26:30
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rice Flair!