PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Isaiah Monteiro (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Anpu Sawalha (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Monteiro
vs
Sawalha

200 cm
18
200 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

200 cm
20
210 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Granite 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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Isaiah Monteiro!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Anpu Sawalha!
The judges for this bout are Russell Pearce, Jorge Garcia and Jonathan Paton.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The fight stays on the outside here - Sawalha looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Sawalha pushes Monteiro up against the cage in a clinch.
Sawalha gets underhooks to prevent Monteiro's takedown attempt.

Sawalha's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Sawalha shoots in for a takedown but Monteiro shows good takedown defense.
Sawalha dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Monteiro shoots in for a double leg but Sawalha sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Monteiro with a poor takedown
and Sawalha counters with a solid body kick.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Isaiah Monteiro. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sawalha thumps Monteiro with a low kick.
Monteiro is breathing heavily.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Sawalha has Monteiro up against the cage in a clinch.
Sawalha lands a nice knee to the body.
Sawalha is pressed up against the cage. Monteiro has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Sawalha down to the mat. Sawalha avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

Sawalha moves into the clinch successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Sawalha pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Sawalha tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Sawalha connects with a solid leg kick.

Sawalha closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Monteiro's guard.
Sawalha trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Sawalha showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Sawalha trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Anpu Sawalha has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Sawalha is looking to clinch but Monteiro is avoiding it.

Sawalha clinches up against the cage.
Monteiro takes an elbow to the temple.

It looks like Isaiah Monteiro has been cut.

Sawalha escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Sawalha rushes Monteiro and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Monteiro is trying to drag Sawalha to the mat but Sawalha just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.

Sawalha manages to break the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sawalha shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Monteiro eats them both and turns towards Sawalha to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.

Sawalha has closed the distance and engaged Monteiro in a clinch.

Sawalha escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Monteiro takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Monteiro fails with the takedown
and Sawalha makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
A slapping body kick lands there for Sawalha.
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!
Sawalha shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Monteiro eats them both and turns towards Sawalha to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Sawalha displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Sawalha buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.

Monteiro gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Sawalha drops back looking for a leg! Monteiro is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Monteiro manages to kick Sawalha off! Sawalha jumps back into Monteiro's guard.
Sawalha is looking to stand up but Monteiro won't let him.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Sawalha trying to control the position from guard on top but Monteiro is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Anpu Sawalha dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Isaiah Monteiro's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Sawalha tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Monteiro paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Sawalha changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Monteiro looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Sawalha trying to control the action but Monteiro is working from the bottom.

Sawalha has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
Sawalha wants to clinch up but Monteiro keeps it at a distance.
Monteiro closes this distance looking for a takedown but Sawalha circles away.
Anpu Sawalha seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Sawalha is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Monteiro tries for a takedown but Sawalha circles away easily

and Sawalha counters with a single leg into guard. Monteiro didn't expect that.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Sawalha sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Sawalha has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Monteiro is proving hard to escape from.
Monteiro utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Sawalha sitting in guard, not really doing much.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Anpu Sawalha was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Monteiro fails with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Isaiah Monteiro. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Sawalha moves into the clinch successfully.

Sawalha pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Sawalha misses with a jab, cross combination.

Sawalha gets a clinch.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Monteiro on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Sawalha manages to break the clinch.
Monteiro fails with the takedown.

Monteiro gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Sawalha to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Sawalha is looking to stand up but Monteiro won't let him.
Sawalha sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Sawalha has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.

Sawalha decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Monteiro, up you get!
Sawalha tries to clinch there but Monteiro circles away.
Monteiro tries for a takedown but Sawalha circles away easily
and Sawalha counters with a left and a right that stings Monteiro.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Sawalha has taken the fight to the clinch.

Sawalha breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Anpu Sawalha showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Isaiah Monteiro's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Sawalha wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.

Sawalha rushes Monteiro and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Sawalha prevents a takedown attempt there.
Sawalha is pressed up against the cage. Monteiro has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Sawalha down to the mat. Sawalha avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Monteiro circles away from the clinch attempt.
Sawalha wants to clinch.
Sawalha tries to clinch but Monteiro moves out of range.
Isaiah Monteiro is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
A chopping leg kick lands by Sawalha.
Sawalha fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Monteiro has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Monteiro dodges the punch combination from Sawalha.
Monteiro with a poor takedown
and Sawalha finishes the little exchange by landing a big kick to the body.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Isaiah Monteiro. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sawalha scores with a jab to the head.

Monteiro gets tackled into the cage by Sawalha. Sawalha maintains the clinch.
A knee to the head by Sawalha.
Sawalha lands a damaging elbow.
This is turning into a torrid day at the office for Monteiro. He's trying desperately to land a takedown but he's failing miserably and getting slapped silly on the feet to compound his misery.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Monteiro avoiding damage as Sawalha throws knees to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sawalha stalls.
Sawalha with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Monteiro prevents the takedown attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sawalha misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Monteiro.
Sawalha is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Monteiro is defending well for now.

Sawalha's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Nice takedown defense from Sawalha. No joy for Monteiro on that attempt.
Monteiro looks for a takedown but Sawalha sprawls well.
Sawalha lands a head kick!

Sawalha has Monteiro up against the cage in a clinch.
Monteiro tries to score a body lock takedown but Sawalha shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Isaiah Monteiro has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Anpu Sawalha is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Sawalha has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Monteiro is trying to keep an underhook but Sawalha manages to get the takedown into half guard.
Sawalha controlling the pace.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Sawalha trying to control from half guard but Monteiro is working away.

And that's the end of the fight!
Anpu Sawalha comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Sawalha 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 Russell Pearce scores the fight 26:30
Judge Jorge Garcia scores the fight 26:30
Judge Jonathan Paton scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Anpu Sawalha!