PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Josh Kelly (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and John Blanken (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). John Blanken will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Kelly
vs
Blanken

201 cm
18
205 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

225 cm
22
205 lbs
0 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Very strong

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Josh Kelly!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, John Blanken!
The judges for this bout are George Francis, Alan Glass and Stewart Dunkirk.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kelly looks for a takedown but Blanken sprawls well.
Blanken moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Blanken gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Kelly counters with a single leg into guard. Blanken didn't expect that.
Kelly thows a big elbow that misses.
Blanken tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Kelly lands a couple of digs.
Kelly throwing strikes but missing.
Kelly content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Blanken looking to hit a scissor sweep but Kelly is one step ahead there.
Kelly with a flurry of punches that miss.
Kelly throws a big right hand that misses.
Kelly chips away with some ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kelly scoring with punches to the head and body.
Kelly missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

Blanken looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Kelly advances position into side control!
Kelly looks up at the clock and then as Blanken takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Kelly smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Blanken taking a bit of punishment here - Kelly scoring with strikes.
Blanken tries to improve position but can't.
Blanken looks gassed!
Kelly lands some shots froms side control.
The strikes coming from Kelly are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Blanken is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Kelly throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Check out the look on Kelly's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Blanken tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Kelly lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kelly throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Blanken is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Kelly works to advance to full mount. Blanken defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Kelly has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Blanken's face.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A nice elbow there by Kelly.
Kelly avoids the attempt from Blanken to control.
Kelly with good strikes from the mount here!
Kelly landing strikes from the mount and Blanken is in trouble!
Kelly unloading with bombs!
Kelly punishing his opponent with strikes.
Kelly landing strikes from the mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kelly lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Kelly working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Kelly breaks from Blanken's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Kelly putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Blanken is trying to stand up.
A nice elbow there by Kelly.
Kelly scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Blanken?
Kelly raining down shots from the mount!
Kelly fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
The referee warns Blanken that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Blanken tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Kelly cracks Blanken with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Blanken is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Kelly landing strikes, looking to finish!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Blanken is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The referee warns Blanken that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Blanken tries to reverse the position but Kelly maintains control.
Blanken is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Kelly 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.
Kelly with good strikes from the mount here!
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Blanken can do anything to dispel that myth.
Kelly connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Kelly pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Kelly landing strikes from the mount and Blanken is in trouble!
Kelly connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Josh Kelly dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Blanken shoots and misses

and Kelly counters with a single leg into guard. Blanken didn't expect that.
Kelly lands a couple of elbows.
Blanken utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Kelly throws a big right hand that misses.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Kelly accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Kelly throws a big right hand that misses.
Kelly thows a big elbow that misses.
Kelly with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Kelly postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Kelly pushes down on Blanken's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Kelly slips a nice elbow through Blanken's hands, connecting with Blanken's forehead.
Blanken blocking the ground and pound attempt from Kelly.
Kelly thows a huge punch but Blanken dodges it nicely.
Blanken really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Kelly. 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 one minute gone in the round.
Kelly thows a huge punch but Blanken dodges it nicely.
Josh Kelly overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Kelly scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Kelly thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Blanken's head.
Blanken is looking to control Kelly's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Blanken avoid being mounted?
Kelly lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Kelly sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Blanken defending well though.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Blanken tries to clinch

so Kelly counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Blanken throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Blanken working a defensive guard here.
Kelly lands a couple of decent looking shots.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kelly content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Kelly might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Blanken avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Kelly landing some decent shots from guard.
Kelly won't allow Blanken to get back to his feet.
Kelly distracts Blanken with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Kelly is on the wrong end of a couple of strikes there.
Blanken working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Kelly.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Kelly's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Kelly working some strikes from top position.
Blanken working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Kelly.
Kelly scoring with punches to the head and body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Kelly's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Kelly is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Blanken can do to turn this around?
Blanken wants to stand up but Kelly is controlling him.

Blanken escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Kelly gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

Blanken is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Kelly is aware though and is defending well.
Blanken controls Kelly momentarily but Kelly frees himself.
Kelly cracks Blanken with a solid left hand.
Kelly passes into half guard.
Kelly not landing any meaningful shots this time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Kelly working over Blanken with some ground and pound. Blanken looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Blanken is looking to escape.
Blanken tries to get to full guard but Kelly has control of the leg.
Ground and pound from Kelly.
Kelly lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Kelly working over Blanken with some ground and pound. Blanken looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Nice strikes from Kelly there.
Blanken taking some punishment here, with Kelly in his half guard.
Nice strikes from Kelly there.
Kelly drops an elbow to the side of Blanken's head.
Kelly thows a huge punch but Blanken dodges it nicely.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Josh Kelly dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Blanken with a poor takedown

and Kelly counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Blanken wants to improve his position but Kelly is controlling well.
Blanken has hold of Kelly's hands but Kelly slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
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. Kelly connects with a nice short shot to Blanken's temple.
Blanken is trying to maintain the position but Kelly is very close to passing his half guard.
Blanken is trying to get back to full guard.
Kelly scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Kelly drops an elbow to the side of Blanken's head.
Blanken tries to kick Kelly off but Kelly keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Kelly throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Kelly scores with a couple of good hammerfists.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kelly slips a nice elbow through Blanken's hands, connecting with Blanken's forehead.
Kelly not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Kelly is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Blanken avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Kelly.
Kelly looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Blanken blocking the ground and pound attempt from Kelly.
Kelly throwing shots but Blanken is blocking nicely.
Blanken wants to control but Kelly is keeping busy.
Kelly missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Blanken throws a hook to the side of Kelly's head but Kelly sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.

Kelly looking for a takedown here - he's got it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Blanken seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Kelly chips away with some ground and pound.
Kelly loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

Blanken has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Kelly can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Kelly's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Kelly landing some decent shots from guard.
Kelly scoring with punches to the head and body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kelly won't allow Blanken to sweep him here.
Kelly postures up.
Blanken wants to stand but Kelly is controlling the position.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Blanken closes the distance but Kelly moves to the side

and Kelly counters with a single leg into guard. Blanken didn't expect that.
Kelly working some strikes from top position.
Kelly throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Blanken wants to stand but Kelly is controlling the position.
Blanken has momentary wrist control but Kelly slips an elbow through the middle.
Kelly postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Kelly throwing strikes but missing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kelly postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Blanken preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Blanken tries for a takedown but Kelly circles away easily

and Kelly counters with a takedown into side control.
Kelly throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Kelly in side control, throwing shots but Blanken defends.
Blanken is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Kelly lands a nice forearm strike.
Kelly creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
John Blanken has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Kelly in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.

And that's the end of the fight!
Josh Kelly showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Kelly, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 George Francis scores the fight 30:24
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 30:27
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Josh Kelly!