PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Bill Unagi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Robert Handel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Robert Handel is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Unagi
vs
Handel

170 cm
25
145 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

179 cm
25
138 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Big heart

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Bill Unagi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Robert Handel!
The judges for this bout are William Gold, Richard Clark and Steven Brown.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Unagi avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Handel fails with an attempt to clinch.
Unagi tries to clinch up but Handel circles away and keeps his distance.
Unagi shoots for a takedown but Handel saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Unagi misses with a takedown attempt - Handel sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Handel fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Unagi, pushing him back against the cage.
Handel with a knee to the head.
Handel is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Unagi lands a right hand that snaps the head of Handel backwards.
Handel looking to slow down the pace here.
Unagi has Handel pressed against the cage.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Unagi's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Unagi is trying to break free.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Handel lands a shot to the body.
Unagi takes a knee to the side of the body.
Handel lands a knee to the body.
Handel with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Handel tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Handel taking a breather.
Handel connects with a nasty looking knee right to Unagi's face.
Handel prevents Unagi from breaking the clinch.
Handel landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Unagi is working for takedown but Handel is calmly controlling the position for now.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bill Unagi. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Unagi is breathing heavily.
Unagi fails to pull guard.
Handel misses with the head strike.
Unagi jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Handel walks away with a smile on his face. Unagi gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Nice sprawl there from Handel as Unagi shoots in.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
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!

Handel has taken the fight to the clinch.
A knee to the head by Handel.
Handel with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Unagi tries to break the clinch but Handel is controlling the position.
Unagi fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Handel lands a knee to the body.
Handel lands a knee to the head.
Handel with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Unagi misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Handel.
Handel unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Unagi tries to pull guard but Handel won't allow it.
Handel working Unagi over with knees to the body.
Handel tries to throw a body punch but Unagi avoids it by throwing Handel back against the cage.
Handel stalling the fight.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Unagi avoiding damage as Handel throws knees to the body.
Unagi is looking to break free of the clinch but Handel has double underhooks.
Handel putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Unagi in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Unagi wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Handel gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Unagi.
Handel controlling the action here for a moment.
Handel tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Unagi's elbow.
Unagi wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Unagi looking for a takedown.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Handel with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Unagi has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Unagi is trying to stall.
A frustrated look appears on Unagi's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Unagi tries for a takedown. No joy.
Knees in the clinch landing for Handel.
Handel lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Unagi has Handel pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Handel manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Handel tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Handel will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Unagi up against the cage.
Handel is pressed up against the cage. Unagi has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Handel down to the mat. Handel avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Robert Handel dominated that round.
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.

Unagi misses with a takedown attempt - Handel sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Handel tries to close the distance and clinch up but Unagi swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Unagi misses with a takedown attempt - Handel sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Handel drives through and clinches with Unagi against the cage.
Unagi tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bill Unagi. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Handel tries to land knees in the clinch but Unagi avoids the damage to the body.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Handel utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Handel tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Unagi avoids it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Handel connects with a knee to the head.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Unagi can't break the clinch.
Unagi is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Handel pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Unagi goes for a takedown attempt but Handel pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

Handel closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Unagi has Handel pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Handel manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Handel pressing his opponent against the cage.
Unagi fails to pull guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Handel connects with a nasty looking knee right to Unagi's face.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Handel unloads a knee to the mid-section. Unagi lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Handel tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Handel is looking to control Unagi's arms but Unagi gets an underhook and turns him. Now Handel has his back to the cage.
Handel slows down the pace here.
Unagi is trying to break the clinch but Handel is controlling him.
Handel tries to land knees in the clinch but Unagi avoids the damage to the body.
A nice left hand lands by Unagi.
Unagi wants to break free but Handel has control.
Handel missing with knees to the body.
Unagi wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Handel putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Unagi in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Unagi is trying to break the clinch but Handel has him pressed against the cage.

Unagi jumps guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Unagi striking off his back but it's not causing Handel any problems.
Unagi has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Handel thows a big elbow that misses.
Unagi is controlling Handel's posture.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Bill Unagi just wasn't active enough.
Unagi tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Handel was well out of range. Poor timing from Unagi.
Handel stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Handel wants it to stay on the feet.
Nice takedown defense from Handel. No joy for Unagi on that attempt.
Handel tries to close the distance and clinch but Unagi swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Unagi misses with a takedown attempt - Handel sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Bill Unagi is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Unagi is trying hard to land a takedown here. Handel sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Robert Handel will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Handel tries to clinch but Unagi moves out of range.
Handel moves in looking to clinch but Unagi pushes him off.
Nice sprawl there from Handel as Unagi shoots in.
Unagi has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Handel.
Unagi shoots in and drives through. Handel sprawls well.
Unagi does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Handel throws a nice inside leg kick.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Handel throws a knee to the head but misses.
Handel misses with a knee to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Unagi being controlled against the cage.
Unagi is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Handel tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Handel putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Unagi in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Handel lands a nice knee to the body.
Unagi is trying to break the clinch but Handel has him pressed against the cage.
Handel unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Handel tries a knee to the head but Unagi blocks it.

Unagi gets control of Handel's arms and successfully pulls guard. Unagi will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Unagi pulls Handel in close to prevent any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Handel trying to control but Unagi is working from the bottom.

Unagi escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Handel gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Handel looking to pass the guard.
Unagi wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Unagi swats away the attempt to clinch by Handel.
Handel stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Handel wants it to stay on the feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bill Unagi. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Unagi shoots in and drives through. Handel sprawls well.
Unagi looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Handel tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Handel tries to close the distance and clinch up but Unagi swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Handel gets tackled into the cage by Unagi. Unagi maintains the clinch.
Robert Handel seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Unagi tries to break free but Handel pushes him back against the cage.
Unagi on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Handel keeps control of Unagi as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Unagi goes for a takedown attempt but Handel pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Unagi circles away from the clinch attempt

and Unagi counters by moving into the clinch.
Handel tries to work over Unagi's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Bill Unagi has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Robert Handel is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Unagi is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Handel is defending well for now.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Robert Handel.
I've got Handel winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 William Gold scores the fight 27:30
Judge Richard Clark scores the fight 27:30
Judge Steven Brown scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Robert Handel!