PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Jaques Armstrong (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mala Ika (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ika has chosen Crazy Train as his entrance music. The atmosphere really building for this one as we go over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Armstrong
vs
Ika

180 cm
23
145 lbs
6 - 2 - 0

173 cm
22
138 lbs
7 - 2 - 1

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

Malicious Intent Fight Gear

Bushido Clothing
Bushido Clothing

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 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Jaques Armstrong!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 2 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Mala Ika!
The judges for this bout are Cecil Peabody, Alan Glass and Stewart Dunkirk.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Armstrong tries to clinch but Ika is having none of it.
Ika steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Armstrong.
Nice sprawl there from Ika as Armstrong shoots in.
Armstrong will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Armstrong shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Ika pinned against the cage. Ika gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jaques Armstrong. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Ika connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Ika looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

Ika has closed the distance and engaged Armstrong in a clinch.

Ika escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
The fight stays on the outside here - Ika looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Ika avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Ika ducks under a wild hook from Armstrong.
A nice leg kick lands there from Armstrong.
Ika closes the distance but Armstrong moves to the side
and Armstrong counters with a nice low kick that buckles Ika's knee momentarily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ika connects with a single shot there.

Ika forces Armstrong back against the cage and clinches.
Armstrong looking for a takedown.
Ika connects with a nasty looking knee right to Armstrong's face.
A short right from Armstrong.
Armstrong managing to block the knees to the body from Ika.
Ika throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Armstrong blocks it with crossed arms.
Ika connects with a nasty looking knee right to Armstrong's face.
Ika blocks an uppercut.
Armstrong is trying to break free.
Ika with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Armstrong takes a knee right on the jaw!

Ika breaks from the clinch.

Armstrong looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Ika is refusing to be controlled, as Armstrong sits in half guard.
Armstrong thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Armstrong throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Armstrong 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.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Armstrong performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Ika gets back to full guard.
Armstrong is breathing heavily.
Armstrong looking to sit in guard and control but Ika gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Ika preventing the sweep.
Ika pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Armstrong is keeping the position for now.
Armstrong working a defensive guard here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Armstrong looking to hit a scissor sweep but Ika is one step ahead there.

Ika gets to his feet. Armstrong looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
The fighters circle momentarily. Ika darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Armstrong tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Ika paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Ika connects with a right hand. Armstrong shakes it off.
Ika is looking to clinch.
Ika lands with a cross.
Armstrong blocks the body kick.
Armstrong fails with the takedown.
Ika throws a good cross that connects.

It looks like Jaques Armstrong has been cut.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ika misses with a combination

and Armstrong counters with a shoot takedown. Ika fights it but they end up in guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Armstrong cracks Ika with a solid left hand.
Ika working a defensive guard here.

Ika is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Ika controls Armstrong momentarily but Armstrong frees himself.
Armstrong wants to pass the guard but Ika is keeping the position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Armstrong lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Ika is trying to control the position from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mala Ika dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Jaques Armstrong's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Ika throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Armstrong looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Ika is fending him off so far but Armstrong persists. Nope, Ika circles away and we're back to standing.

Ika rushes Armstrong and presses him up against the cage.
Ika lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Armstrong drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Ika gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Armstrong 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 Jaques Armstrong. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Armstrong takes a knee right on the jaw!
Ika lands a left hand.

Armstrong drags the fight down to the ground.
Armstrong is striking but Ika is not phased and passes to half guard.
Armstrong really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Ika trying to control the action but Armstrong is working from the bottom.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Ika not landing any meaningful shots this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ika trying to control the pace.
Ika wants to lay and pray for a moment but Armstrong keeps working.
Armstrong wants to control but Ika is keeping busy.
Armstrong is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Ika not doing much here.
Ika wants to stand but Armstrong has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.

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.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Ika looks to clinch

and Armstrong counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Ika!
Armstrong throwing strikes here but Ika is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Armstrong thowing shots but they're missing.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Armstrong looking to finish with strikes here!
Armstrong thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Ika is trying to escape the mount.
Ika tries to hold on but Armstrong pushes him away.
Ika is trying to escape the mount.
Armstrong looking to land elbow strikes but Ika uses the position to regain half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Armstrong is thwarting Ika's attempts to control the position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Armstrong keeps the fight on the outside.
Ika stuffs the takedown.
Ika throws a left and a right that both miss

and Armstrong counters with a single leg into guard. Ika didn't expect that.
Ika keeping full guard, as Armstrong tries to pass.
Armstrong working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Ika looking to hit a scissor sweep but Armstrong is one step ahead there.
Armstrong stands up over Ika, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ika pulls Armstrong in close to prevent any damage.
Armstrong trying to control the position from guard on top but Ika is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Ika looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Jaques Armstrong overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Armstrong throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Ika works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Ika pulls Armstrong in to control the position.
Ika wants to sweep here but Armstrong controlling him for the moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jaques Armstrong dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Jaques Armstrong's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Ika instigates a clinch.
Armstrong pushes Ika back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Armstrong tries to pull guard but Ika won't allow it.
Armstrong goes for a takedown in the clinch but Ika prevents it.

Armstrong manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Ika slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Armstrong keeping full guard, as Ika tries to pass.
Ika trying to control the position from guard on top but Armstrong is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Ika pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Armstrong is keeping the position for now.
Armstrong looking to hit a scissor sweep but Ika is one step ahead there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ika tries to stand but Armstrong is controlling from the bottom.
Armstrong trying to strike off his back.
Ika advances to half guard.
Armstrong is trying to get back to full guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Armstrong shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Ika as he jumps to the side.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jaques Armstrong. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Ika throws a head kick that half lands.
Mala Ika is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Armstrong closes the distance and clinches up with Ika, looking for a takedown. Armstrong pushes Ika against the cage but Ika circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Jaques Armstrong is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A big right from Ika misses.
Armstrong walks into a stiff left hand from Ika.
Ika misses with a few strikes there.
Ika closes the distance but Armstrong moves to the side

and Armstrong counters with a single leg into guard. Ika didn't expect that.
Ika controls Armstrong momentarily but Armstrong frees himself.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Ika holds on and takes a little breather.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Ika looking to hit a scissor sweep but Armstrong is one step ahead there.
Ika tries to strike from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Armstrong has gone for a leg lock! Ika slips out almost immediately though and dives into Armstrong's guard.
Ika must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Ika trying to control the position from guard on top but Armstrong is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Ika slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Ika stands and throws Armstrong's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Ika is looking to take a break and control but Armstrong is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Ika is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Armstrong knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Armstrong is looking for a sweep.

Ika decides to stand back up. Ika steps back and let's Armstrong get back to his feet.
Ika lands an overhand right.
Ika lands with a kick to the temple. Armstrong shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Ika bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Armstrong's head.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mala Ika comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Ika 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 Cecil Peabody scores the fight 28:29
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 28:29
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mala Ika!