PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Christian King (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and LeRoy Barkley (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

King
vs
Barkley

170 cm
23
179 lbs
5 - 0 - 0

185 cm
20
166 lbs
5 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Self confident

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the welterweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Christian King!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of New York, LeRoy Barkley!
The judges for this bout are Lou da Vinci, Bruno Lombardi and John Kavanagh.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
King moves in looking to clinch but Barkley pushes him off.
Barkley throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Barkley dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Barkley will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
King shoots in for a double leg but Barkley sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
King tries to clinch up.
Barkley misses with a jab, cross combination.

King closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - King lands in his opponent's guard.
King wants to control from the top but Barkley keeps moving.
Barkley wants to sweep here but King controlling him for the moment.

Barkley throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

King drops back looking for a leg! Barkley is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Barkley manages to kick King off! King jumps back into Barkley's guard.
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.
King passes Barkley's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Barkley moves into full guard.
Barkley throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Barkley looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
King might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Barkley is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Barkley wants to sweep but no luck.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Barkley throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
King pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Barkley is keeping the position for now.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
King moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
King doesn't manage to clinch there - Barkley circles away.
King tries to close the distance and clinch but Barkley swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
King is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Barkley throws a right and a left that King avoids nicely.
A telegraphed right hand from Barkley misses the target.
King avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
King shoots in for a takedown but Barkley shows good takedown defense.
Barkley digs a good hook to King's body.
Barkley misses with a body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
King drops his hands momentarily and Barkley takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
King shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Barkley but Barkley pushes him off and we're back to square one.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Christian King. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Barkley looks to score with a jab to the body but King is just out of range.
King walks into a straight right hand from Barkley.
Barkley misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from King.
Barkley tries to bum rush King with a series of wild strikes but King uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
King tries to close the distance and clinch but Barkley swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
King slips a jab and a cross from Barkley.
King uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Barkley.
King fails with an attempt to clinch.
King ducks under a wild hook from Barkley.
Barkley with a poor takedown

and King counters by moving into the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A right hook to the body lands for King.
Barkley looks gassed!

King jumps guard.
King is trying to control the position from the bottom.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now King is on top in guard.
King trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
King trying to move into half guard but instead Barkley has managed to sweep!
Barkley lands a couple of decent looking shots.

King is looking for a triangle but Barkley pushes his legs off easily.
King not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

King is working an open guard so Barkley takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but LeRoy Barkley will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Barkley looks to score with a jab to the body but King is just out of range.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
King stalling in the clinch but Barkley improves position.

Barkley jumps guard.
Barkley doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
King trying to control the position from guard on top but Barkley is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

King thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
King stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Barkley swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
King won't allow Barkley to sweep him here.
King trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Barkley is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barkley not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Barkley lands strikes from half guard.
King wants to get back to full guard.
King misses with some strikes from the bottom.
King trying to control but Barkley postures up.
King is refusing to be controlled, as Barkley sits in half guard.

Barkley escapes and gets back to his feet.
Barkley misses with a shot to the body

and King moves into the clinch.
King misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Barkley.
Barkley jumps guard but King stands there with Barkley around his waist. Barkley gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
King lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Barkley or not.
Barkley tries to pull guard but King won't allow it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Barkley letting King take a breather here.

King breaks the clinch.
Barkley swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and King counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Barkley throws a lazy right hand but King sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Barkley misses with a combination

and King moves into the clinch.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
King stops a takedown attempt from Barkley.
Christian King has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of LeRoy Barkley.
King lands a hook to the side of the head.

King has moved round to his opponent's back and is looking for a suplex! Oh snap! He's tossed Barkley clear over his head and slammed him to the mat!

King looking for the RNC.
You can see the frustration on Barkley's face… He knows he is in trouble unless he improves his position sooner rather than later.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Barkley showing good submission defense here.
King not allowing Barkley to control his hands.
Barkley has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

King is working really hard to secure the rear naked choke. Barkley defends successfully for a significant amount of time. Both fighters are looking very determined.
Barkley manages to reverse the position and now he's in King's guard. Nice work there by Barkley.
Barkley stands and throws King's legs to the side, diving into side control.
King parries the strikes from Barkley easily there. Barkley is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable King to escape.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Barkley tries to move to full mount but King actually manages to regain half guard.
The fighters are battling for position here. King manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

King working for a triangle but Barkley defends it easily.
Barkley wants to control from the top but King keeps moving.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
King looking for a sweep. Not yet King, not yet.
Barkley is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Barkley looking to pass the guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Christian King dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

King fails in his attempt to clinch.
King dodges the punch combination from Barkley.
King misses with a hook.
King keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Barkley.
Barkley misses with a body punch
and King counters with a body kick.
King fails with an attempt to clinch.
Barkley avoids a punch combination nicely.
Barkley swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Barkley takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
King misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Barkley swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and King counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by King.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
King pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Barkley is keeping the position for now.
King postures up.
Barkley looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but King puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
King looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
King trying to pass the guard but Barkley defending well.
Ground and pound from King.

King is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Barkley moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Barkley is trying to control the position but King postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Barkley trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Barkley wants to hit a switch here but King passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for Barkley there!

King looking to secure an arm triangle but Barkley defends it well.
King can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Barkley is looking to escape.
Barkley is looking to improve his position but King isn't that keen on the idea.

King has control of Barkley's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Barkley regains control of the situation pretty easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
King prevents Barkley from getting the reversal.
Barkley gets back to half guard.
Barkley misses with some strikes from the bottom.

King is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Barkley is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of King's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take King's back!
Barkley lands strikes to the head.
King rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.
King wants to get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Barkley winds up and cracks King with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Barkley tries to pass the half guard into mount. King knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
King is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Barkley's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Barkley's back!
Barkley is really stuck here.

King has the rear naked choke here! This is very bad for Barkley! Can he survive? No! He's out! King gets to his feet and celebrates with his cornermen. He looks absolutely delighted. In the post fight interviews he takes time to thank his parents and everyone who has believed in him from the start. How sweet.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:55 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Christian King!
Christian King retains his welterweight title!