PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Finnian Liam (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Aaron Rai (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Liam's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Check to Check. Both fighter's entrance songs getting the crowd jumping here.

Liam
vs
Rai

185 cm
27
196 lbs
15 - 3 - 0

189 cm
26
210 lbs
10 - 5 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Very strong

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the light heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 15 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Finnian Liam!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Aaron Rai!
The judges for this bout are William Peck, Yves DeLean and Gregory Folan.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Liam has managed to clinch.
Liam's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Liam pushes Rai back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Liam lands a hook to the side of the head.
Rai wants a takedown.
Rai can't get the takedown.
Liam displaying some good clinch control by pressing Rai up against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rai slowing the pace effectively.
Rai drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Finnian Liam has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Aaron Rai.
Liam misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Rai.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Liam's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Rai blocks an elbow strike.
Liam stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Liam with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Liam tries to land knees in the clinch but Rai avoids the damage to the body.
Liam gets underhooks to prevent Rai's takedown attempt.
Liam looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Liam stops a takedown attempt from Rai.

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.
Rai is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Liam gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Liam trying to stall but Rai improves his position.
Liam lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Liam tries a knee to the head but Rai blocks it.
Rai managing to block the knees to the body from Liam.
Liam content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Liam scores with a shoulder strike.
Liam will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Rai up against the cage.
Liam throws a knee to the head but misses.
A hook to the body from Liam.
Liam tries to land knees in the clinch but Rai avoids the damage to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Liam is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Rai is defending well for now.
Rai drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Liam gets the underhooks and prevents it.
The referee is keeping an eye on Liam - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Liam tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Rai avoids it.
Liam throws an elbow but it's blocked.
With the fighters up against the cage, Liam throws an elbow but misses.
Liam controlling the action here for a moment.
Rai on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Liam tries to land a knee to the head but Rai blocks with his arms.
Rai avoiding damage as Liam throws knees to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Liam misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Rai.
Rai wants a takedown but no success here.
Liam pressing his opponent against the cage.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Liam misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Rai.
Rai goes for a takedown in the clinch but Liam prevents it.
Liam tries to land knees in the clinch but Rai avoids the damage to the body.
Rai is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Liam is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Liam misses with a hook to the ribs.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Finnian Liam dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Liam throws a right and a left that Rai avoids nicely.
Liam tries to clinch up.
Rai avoids the head kick by Liam.
It really doesn't seem like the step up in weight is hurting Liam here at all. He's more than holding his own against the bigger man.
Sloppy strikes from Rai. Those never looked like landing.
Rai avoids a punch combination nicely.
Liam misses with a combination
and Rai cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Finnian Liam seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Liam fails in his attempt to clinch.
Liam pulls out of a head kick attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A swing and a miss from Rai.
Liam throws a hook but Rai blocks it.
A left lands for Rai.
Rai uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Rai tries to clinch but Liam is having none of it.
Liam throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Rai counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Some wild striking there from Rai.
Liam lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Liam lands with a nice combination. Rai backs away looking to recover.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rai thows a left - swing and a miss!
A big left from Rai misses.
Rai misses with a left hand
enabling Liam to counter with a crisp jab.
Liam scores with a kick to the midsection.
Liam throws a combination that misses

and Rai counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Rai.
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Liam working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Rai.
Rai throwing strikes but missing.
Rai passes easily into side control. Nice work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sloppy strikes there by Rai.
Liam is looking for a sweep.
Rai working the head and body with strikes.
Rai working the head and body with strikes.
Rai scores with punches from side control.
Rai misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Liam defending against the ground and pound.
Liam takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Rai cracks Liam with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Rai in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Rai looks up at the clock and then as Liam takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Rai smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rai works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Rai in side control, throwing shots but Liam defends.
Rai landing a few strikes.
Rai is working Liam over with some ground and pound from side control.
Rai works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Liam parries the strikes from Rai easily there. Rai is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Liam to escape.
Liam knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Rai on the ground.
Rai working the ground and pound but Liam is defending the strikes.
Rai with the ground and pound but Liam regains half guard under the barage of strikes.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Rai working the head and body with strikes.
Rai scoring with strikes to the body and head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Aaron Rai showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Rai throws a right hand that misses
and Liam counters with a body kick that stops Rai in his tracks momentarily.
Rai misses with a hook
and Liam counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Liam rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Rai moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

Rai closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Rai looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Rai works his way into side control.
Rai tries to move to full mount but Liam actually manages to regain half guard.
Liam trying to control here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rai throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Liam keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Liam is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Rai scores with a couple of nice shots.
Rai landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Rai stalling away here and it's allowed Liam to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Rai throws and elbow that misses. Liam uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Rai's guard. Nice move by Liam!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Rai bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Liam's guard.
Liam preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rai passes Liam's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Rai is controlling the pace.
Rai has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Rai looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Liam is looking to improve his position.
Rai moves nicely into side control.
Liam wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rai landing a few strikes.
Rai tries to advance to mount but Liam denies him.
Rai with the ground and pound but Liam regains half guard under the barage of strikes.
Rai not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Rai passes to full mount!
Rai with the ground and pound from mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The referee warns Liam that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Aaron Rai has got the better of the ground game so far.
Liam is in a horrible position here. Rai smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Rai lands a big elbow - Liam is in trouble! More strikes from the mount and Liam is forced to tap out!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:30 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Strikes). Aaron Rai!
Aaron Rai is the new light heavyweight champion!