PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Kennith Cannon (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Steven Joseph (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Steven Joseph has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Kennith Cannon's chin.

Cannon
vs
Joseph

210 cm
24
194 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

185 cm
23
190 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Kennith Cannon!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Steven Joseph!
The judges for this bout are Dmitry Maklakov, Konstantin Menshow and Illya Tyunina.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Cannon gets the takedown into side control.
Cannon wants to control for a moment but Joseph uses the opportunity to move back to half guard.
Joseph is trying to stand back up but Cannon is controlling him
Cannon stalling.
Joseph is trying to stand back up but Cannon is controlling him
Cannon with the ground and pound but Joseph uses the opportunity to regain guard.

Cannon decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Joseph, up you get!
Joseph throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Cannon.
Joseph throws a series of punches but Cannon moves out of range.
A looping hook to the body misses from Joseph. Cannon does a little dance to reset his feet.
Joseph fails to land the takedown.
Joseph throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
enabling Cannon to counter with a crisp jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cannon lands with a kick to the temple. Joseph shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Cannon really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

Joseph closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Cannon trying to land knees to the body.
Joseph managing to block the knees to the body from Cannon.
Joseph wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Cannon has him pressed against the cage.
Cannon is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Joseph avoids a wild elbow strike from Cannon.
Joseph is trying to maintain a safe position but Cannon gets an underhook and turns Joseph into the cage.
Cannon is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Joseph to keep the fight standing.
Joseph managing to block the knees to the body from Cannon.
Cannon taking a breather.
Joseph can't break the clinch.
Joseph is trying to break the clinch but Cannon is controlling him.

Cannon ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Cannon no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Joseph throws an elbow that misses. Cannon uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Joseph's guard. Nice move by Cannon!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Joseph wants to stand up but Cannon is controlling him.
Cannon loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Cannon working some strikes from top position.
Cannon is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Cannon postures up and lands a big shot to Joseph's brow.
Cannon throwing strikes from guard but Joseph blocks nicely.
Cannon postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Cannon accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Cannon will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cannon landing with the ground and pound.
Cannon has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Cannon is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Cannon makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Cannon gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Cannon tries to score a power double leg takedown but Joseph sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Cannon somewhat.
Joseph goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Cannon takes one to the chin there.
Cannon moves away from the strike by Joseph.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Joseph clinches.
Cannon content to slow the pace in the clinch.

Cannon lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Joseph looks like he's trying to stand up.

Cannon decides to stand and escape the position.
Cannon avoids a punch combination nicely.
Joseph looks winded!
Joseph shoots in but Cannon avoids the takedown attempt easily.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Cannon tries to sprawl but Joseph drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Joseph tries to pass the half guard into mount. Cannon knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Cannon blocks a low kick nicely.

Joseph closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Joseph can't get the takedown.
Cannon tries a knee to the head but Joseph blocks it.

Cannon manages to pull guard.
Cannon pulls Joseph in close to his closed guard and prevents Joseph from doing any damage or advancing position.
Cannon keeping moving, preventing Joseph from controlling successfully.
Joseph has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Cannon is proving hard to escape from.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Joseph wants to pass the guard but Cannon is keeping the position.
Kennith Cannon overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Cannon is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Kennith Cannon just wasn't active enough.

Cannon forces Joseph back against the cage and clinches.

Joseph manages to break the clinch.

Joseph has taken the fight to the clinch.
Joseph can't break the clinch.

Cannon pulls Joseph into guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Joseph looking to sit in guard and control but Cannon gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Joseph keeping moving, preventing Cannon from controlling successfully.
Cannon prevents Joseph from getting back to his feet.
Cannon landing some decent shots from guard.
Cannon is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Cannon stops Joseph from standing up.
Cannon postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Joseph wants to get back to his feet but Cannon passes into half guard.
Joseph is breathing heavily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Still in half guard, Cannon seems content to control.

Cannon is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Joseph defends it well.

Cannon seems to be working for a kimura but Joseph defends the submission attempt.

Cannon seems to be looking for submissions.

Cannon is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.

Cannon is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Joseph sees it coming and defends easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cannon is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Cannon controlling the action here.

Cannon is looking for a kimura here.
Joseph wants to get back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kennith Cannon dominated that second round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Joseph closes the distance and clinches.

Joseph breaks the clinch.
Cannon tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Joseph swivels and escapes.
Cannon fails with the takedown.
Joseph misses with a hook. Cannon ducked under it nicely.
Cannon tries to bum rush Joseph with a series of wild strikes but Joseph uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Joseph throws a left and a right that both miss

and Cannon counters with a takedown into side control.

Cannon is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Joseph has escaped the position, nice work there.

Cannon wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Joseph, who protects the arm well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Joseph is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Cannon is controlling him well.
Joseph takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Cannon scores with punches from side control.

Cannon is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Joseph has escaped the position, nice work there.

Cannon is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Joseph knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Cannon throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Cannon tries for a kimura but Joseph is defending well.
Joseph is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Cannon has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Cannon is looking to take a break and control but Joseph is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Cannon scores with punches from side control.
Joseph really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Cannon. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

Cannon decides to stand back up. Cannon steps back and let's Joseph get back to his feet.

Joseph rushes Cannon and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Cannon successfully pulls guard.
Cannon is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Cannon is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

Cannon escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Joseph gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Joseph wants to stand and escape but instead Cannon has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Joseph can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Cannon controls the pace.
Joseph wants to stand but Cannon is controlling the position.
Cannon throws a big elbow that misses.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Cannon accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Cannon scoring with some ground and pound.
Steven Joseph has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Kennith Cannon is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Cannon sitting in guard here, content to control.

And that's the end of the fight!
Kennith Cannon showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Cannon, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Dmitry Maklakov scores the fight 30:27
Judge Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 30:27
Judge Illya Tyunina scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kennith Cannon!