PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Xavier Knight (ranked 1985 p4p, 2563 weight class) and Luke Ridley (ranked 208 p4p, 256 weight class). This should be a great matchup!

Knight
vs
Ridley

180 cm
25
165
4 - 0 - 0

175 cm
25
165
2 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

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 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Xavier Knight!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Luke Ridley!
The judges for this bout are Peter Branson, Bart Greer and Daniel Franklin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Knight is looking to clinch but Ridley is avoiding it.

Knight drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Ridley is looking for a sweep.
Knight cracks Ridley with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Ridley is looking for a sweep.
Ridley is trying to control Knight's posture but Knight avoids it.
Knight cracks Ridley with a big right hand but Ridley just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Knight working the body and head with strikes.
Ridley parries the strikes from Knight easily there. Knight is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Ridley to escape.
Ridley is trying to get back to half guard.
An elbow from Knight crashes against the mat.
Ridley defending against the ground and pound.
Ridley is looking to reverse the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ridley is trying to control Knight's posture but Knight avoids it.
Knight lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Ridley avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Knight.
Knight working the head with strikes.
Ridley tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Knight cracks Ridley with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Ridley is not content to let Knight control the position.
Knight throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Knight in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
The strikes coming from Knight are missing the target in this wave of attacks.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Check out the look on Knight's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Knight scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Ridley to see if he's OK.
Ridley gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.

Ridley is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Knight pulls his head out easily.
Ridley is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Knight's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Knight's back!
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!

Ridley looking to break Knight's wrist control so he can sink in the choke. Knight remaining controlled and patient though - he really has to keep calm otherwise Ridley will wrap this one up with the rear naked choke!
Ridley lands shots from the back.
Knight definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Knight covering up well and avoiding damage.
Knight trying to control the hands but Ridley breaks the grip.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ridley struggling to land strikes to the head as Knight covers up.
Ridley connects with a series of strikes and the referee is calling for Knight to escape the position.
Ridley has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Knight has his hands over his head blocking the strikes from Ridley.
Knight trying to control but he's just got himself in more trouble.

Knight defends a rear naked choke attempt by controlling one of Ridley's arms.

Ridley is remaining active here, looking for the choke. The more discerning members of the crowd will appreciate his efforts.
Ridley looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Ridley punches Knight on the ear.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ridley is trying to control but Knight is trying to escape here - he's now mounted.
Knight is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Knight wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Ridley.
Ridley tries to control but Knight wriggling away.
Ridley punching from mount but Knight doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Ridley is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Knight is trying desperately to improve position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Ridley landing shots from mount.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Xavier Knight will probably get the nod.
That's time! Knight's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

A big right from Knight misses.
Knight tries to score a power double leg takedown but Ridley sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Knight somewhat.

Knight shoots in and bounces Ridley off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Ridley looking to hit a scissor sweep but Knight is one step ahead there.
Ridley bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Knight's guard.

We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ridley tries to free his leg and advance position but Knight is retaining full guard.
Knight seems keen to control Ridley's posture.
Ridley postures up in Knight's guard and throws a big left but Knight blocks it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ridley postures up in Knight's guard and throws a big left but Knight blocks it.
Ridley trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

Ridley drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Knight dives on top into guard.

Ridley lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Ridley pushes down on Knight's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Xavier Knight overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Knight trying to control from the bottom.
Ridley wants to take a breather but Knight is having none of it.
Ridley is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Ridley connects with a nice short shot to Knight's temple.
Knight avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Ridley.
Knight on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Knight tries to get out of the position.
Knight has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Ridley is working away from the top position though.
Ridley trying to control from half guard but Knight is working away.
Knight is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Ridley's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Ridley's back!
Ridley tries to escape the position.
Even with his hooks in, Knight manages to miss with strikes from the back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Knight avoiding Ridley 's attempts to control his hands.
Knight scores with strikes from the back.
Ridley can't escape the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Ridley manages to reverse the position and now he's in Knight's guard. Nice work there by Ridley.
Ridley wants to control from the top but Knight keeps moving.
Ridley pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Knight is keeping the position for now.
Knight keeping moving, preventing Ridley from controlling successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ridley looking to pass the guard.
Ridley throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Ridley missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Knight preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Knight controlling the position.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Knight working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Ridley.
Knight looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Ridley loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Luke Ridley will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Knight misses with an uppercut.
Ridley lands an overhand right.
Ridley bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Ridley! But no joy.
Ridley cracks a nice hook into Knight's ribs.
Knight tries for a takedown but Ridley circles away easily
and Ridley counters with a nice body shot.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Knight.
Knight looks for a takedown but Ridley sprawls well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Xavier Knight. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Ridley bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Knight's head backwards.
Knight misses with a low kick.
Nice body punch from Ridley.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Knight shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Ridley as he avoids it easily.
Ridley ducks down and throws a hook to the body.

Ridley gets a double leg takedown into Knight's guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Ridley wants to control from the top but Knight keeps moving.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Ridley throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ridley trying to control the position from guard on top but Knight is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Ridley throws a big elbow that misses.
Ridley won't allow Knight to sweep him here.
Knight working a defensive guard here.
Ridley throws a strike but Knight rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Ridley is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Ridley manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Knight manages to get himself to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Ridley postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Knight is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Ridley, into his guard.

A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Ridley holds on and takes a little breather.
Knight trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Ridley throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Ridley is trying to control the position but Knight postures up.
Knight throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Knight scoring with punches to the head and body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Knight avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Knight trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Knight missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Knight throws a big right hand that misses.
Knight cracks Ridley with a solid left hand.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Ridley is on top in guard.

Ridley wants to control from the top but Knight keeps moving.
Ridley postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ridley throws a big elbow that misses.
Ridley working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Ridley trying to control the position from guard on top but Knight is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Ridley slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Ridley misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Ridley landing strikes.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Knight is not content to let Ridley control the position.

Ridley tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

And that's the end of the fight!
Luke Ridley comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Ridley has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Peter Branson scores the fight 28:30
Judge Bart Greer scores the fight 29:28
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Luke Ridley!
During a confident post fight interview, Luke Ridley thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.