PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Kim Hoo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Chong Li (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Hoo
vs
Li

195 cm
22
240 lbs
3 - 3 - 0

190 cm
22
275 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

Demonic Drugs
Hellbent, Inc.

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Kim Hoo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Chong Li!
The judges for this bout are Shirou Masuda, Yukihiro Yamamoto and Sosuke Kotani.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Hoo throws a right hand that Li ducks under and follows up with a left that Li also avoids with ease.
Nice takedown defense from Li. No joy for Hoo on that attempt.
Li throws a sloppy head kick and Hoo moves out of range easily.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!

Hoo forces Li back against the cage and clinches.
Hoo managing to block the knees to the body from Li.
Li tries a knee to the head but Hoo blocks it.
Li lands a knee to the head.

Hoo jumps into guard, dragging Li to the mat.
Li controlling from the top position.
Li wants to get up but he can't break Hoo's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Hoo 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.
Hoo controls Li momentarily but Li frees himself.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hoo wants to sweep here but Li controlling him for the moment.
Hoo has momentary wrist control but Li slips an elbow through the middle.
Hoo will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Hoo looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Hoo tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Hoo closes this distance looking for a takedown but Li circles away.
Li tries to close the distance and clinch but Hoo swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Li tries to clinch but Hoo is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Hoo throws a series of punches but Li avoids them all with ease.
The fight stays on the outside here - Li looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Hoo rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Li moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Hoo is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Li scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Hoo is breathing heavily.
Li lands a nice forearm strike.
Li wants to control but Hoo is keeping him busy.

Li stands up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Li clinches.
Li tries to land a knee to the head but Hoo blocks with his arms.
Li tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Hoo scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Li tries for a takedown but Hoo manages to get underhooks.
Li with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Li tries for a takedown. No joy.

Hoo has hold of one of Li's legs. Li is fighting the takedown attempt but Hoo gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.

Hoo gets to his feet - Li follows without any prompting.
Hoo circles away from the clinch attempt.
A choreographed right hand from Hoo misses the target.

Li pushes Hoo up against the cage in a clinch.
Li stalls.
Nice body punch from Hoo - that landed with a thud.
Li looking to throw knees to the head but Hoo is blocking nicely.

Hoo escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Li is looking to clinch but Hoo is avoiding it.
Li tries to clinch up.
Li tries to clinch up but Hoo circles away and keeps his distance.
Hoo tries to bum rush Li with a series of wild strikes but Li uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Li moves in looking to clinch but Hoo pushes him off.
Hoo fails to land the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Kim Hoo. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Hoo misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Some wild striking there from Hoo.
Hoo shoots for a takedown but Li saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

Li fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Hoo sprawls well initially but Li persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Hoo trying to control from the bottom.
Hoo pushes Li off looking to stand but Li dives back in and keeps control.
Li wants to lay and pray for a moment but Hoo keeps working.
Well, if Li is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Chong Li dominated that round.
That's time! Hoo's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Li tries to clinch up but Hoo circles away and keeps his distance.
Hoo throws a series of punches but Li avoids them all with ease.
Hoo throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Li's waist but Li gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Hoo off to one side.
Hoo fails to land with a series of punches.
Hoo throws a right and a left that both miss.

Li drives through and clinches with Hoo against the cage.
Hoo wants to get back to striking at distance but Li won't allow it.
Li tries a knee to the head but Hoo blocks it.
Li tries a knee to the head but Hoo blocks it.
Hoo jumps guard but Li stands there with Hoo around his waist. Hoo gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Hoo tries for a takedown. No joy.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Kim Hoo. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Hoo wants to get back to striking at distance but Li won't allow it.
Hoo looking to stall.
Li is working for takedown but Hoo is calmly controlling the position for now.
Li lands a nice elbow.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nice elbow from Li.
Li with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Li lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Li throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Hoo blocks it with crossed arms.

Hoo breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Hoo forces Li back against the cage and clinches.
Hoo goes for a takedown attempt but Li pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Hoo shoots for a double leg takedown but Li sprawls well. He's pushed Hoo's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hoo looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Li is fending him off so far but Hoo persists. Nope, Li circles away and we're back to standing.
Hoo shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Li pinned against the cage. Li gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Li stuffs the takedown.
Li dodges the punch combination from Hoo.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Hoo tries to clinch up.
Li throws a series of strikes that have Hoo backpedaling.

Hoo is rocked!
Li is looking to clinch.
Oh Hoo is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Hoo swats away the attempt to clinch by Li.
Hoo seems to have got his legs back now.
Li looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Hoo is fending him off so far but Li persists. Nope, Hoo circles away and we're back to standing.
Hoo misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Li fails in his attempt to clinch.
Li tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Hoo lands a jab-cross combination.
Hoo looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Hoo.
Some wild striking there from Hoo.

Hoo decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Li is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Hoo scores with a couple of nice shots.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Li gets full guard.
Li wants to stand up but Hoo is controlling him.
Hoo wants to stand but Li has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Li looking for a sweep. Not yet Li, not yet.
Hoo wants to get up but he can't break Li's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Li keeping moving, preventing Hoo from controlling successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hoo prevents Li from getting back to his feet.
Hoo postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Li checks a leg kick nicely.
Hoo shoots for a double leg takedown but Li sprawls well. He's pushed Hoo's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Li tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Hoo paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Hoo throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Li's waist but Li gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Hoo off to one side.
Li is looking to clinch but Hoo is avoiding it.
Hoo circles away from the clinch attempt.

Li closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Li using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Hoo has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Li landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Li with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Hoo jumps guard but Li stands there with Hoo around his waist. Hoo gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.

Hoo pulls Li into guard.
Hoo doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Hoo looking for a guillotine here but Li defends easily.
Li prevents Hoo from getting back to his feet.
Li must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Li preventing the sweep.
Hoo trying to keep a closed guard but Li is proving a slippery customer.
Li is fighting to break Hoo's control of his arms but Hoo is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Chong Li will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's time! Hoo's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Hoo fails with a takedown attempt.
Hoo shoots in for a double leg but Li sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Hoo fails with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Kim Hoo. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Hoo closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Hoo lands in his opponent's guard.

Li pushes Hoo off and gets back to his feet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Li tries to clinch up but Hoo circles away and keeps his distance.
Li tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Hoo tries a head kick but it misses.

Hoo changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Li looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Li is not content to let Hoo control the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Li is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Li parries the strikes from Hoo easily there. Hoo is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Li to escape.
Li prevents Hoo from moving into mount.

Hoo stands up and beckons Li to his feet.
Hoo misses with a wild combination.

Hoo scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Hoo lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hoo working away.
Hoo fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Li manages to work his way to half guard, despite Hoo's best efforts.
Hoo tries to pass to full mount but Li defends it.
Hoo throws a strike but Li avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Li is on top in guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Li is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

Li decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Hoo showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Li.
Li scores with a head kick.

Li closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Li lands in his opponent's guard.
Li sitting in guard here, content to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Hoo has his foot on Li's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Li works his way back into a safe position though.
Hoo wants to stand and escape but Li is having none of it.
Hoo is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Hoo looking to hit a scissor sweep but Li is one step ahead there.
Kim Hoo has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

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

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 Kim Hoo.
I think Li has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Shirou Masuda scores the fight 28:29
Judge Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 28:29
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Chong Li!