PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Khalifa Khalidh (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Paolo Ramirez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ramirez is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Doo Bidoo - Kamikaze. Khalifa Khalidh has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Khalidh
vs
Ramirez

185 cm
18
140 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

168 cm
21
134 lbs
3 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Basic striking
Knockout power

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 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Khalifa Khalidh!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Paolo Ramirez!
The judges for this bout are Sosuke Kotani, Yukihiro Shimada and Ren Mimura.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ramirez swats away the attempt to clinch by Khalidh.
Ramirez shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Khalidh.
Khalidh misses with an uppercut. Ramirez saw that one coming.
Ramirez walks into a jab.
Khalidh is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Ramirez swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Khalidh fails with a takedown attempt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Khalidh throws a left and a right that both miss
enabling Ramirez to counter with a crisp jab.
Ramirez throws a body kick that misses.

Ramirez closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Ramirez pulls guard.
Ramirez is pulling down on Khalidh's head. It's preventing any offense from Khalidh, at least for the moment.
Khalidh looking to pass the guard.

Ramirez is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.

Ramirez decides to pull guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Khalidh throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Khalidh throwing strikes but missing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Khalidh trying to control the position from guard on top but Ramirez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Khalidh stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Khalidh lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Ramirez backs up against the cage.
Khalidh tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Ramirez lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Khalidh tries to bum rush Ramirez with a series of wild strikes but Ramirez uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Khalidh throws a one two combo.

Ramirez is rocked!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Khalidh tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Ramirez counters with a nice uppercut.
Ramirez is still on wobbly legs! Can Khalidh finish him?
Khalidh scores with a jab. Ramirez acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Khalidh tries to clinch but Ramirez is having none of it.
Ramirez scores with a nice strike.
Ramirez rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Khalidh moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Ramirez seems to have recovered his senses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Khalidh looks for a takedown but Ramirez sprawls well.
Ramirez swats away the attempt to clinch by Khalidh.

Ramirez looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Ramirez controlling the action here.
Ramirez is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Ramirez passes into side control, despite Khalidh's attempt to control the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ramirez in side control, just content to control the action for now.

Ramirez decides to stand back up.

Khalidh tries to keep at a distance but Ramirez has taken the fight into the clinch.

Khalidh breaks the clinch.

Ramirez fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Khalidh to the ground. Ramirez is now in Khalidh's guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Paolo Ramirez dominated that round.
That's time! Khalidh's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Ramirez moves into range and clinches up with Khalidh.
Ramirez lands a shoulder strike.

Ramirez turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Ramirez manages to end up in side control.

Khalidh explodes and escapes back to his feet! Nice escape there!
Khalidh changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Khalidh fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Ramirez looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Khalidh lands a nice shot that snaps Ramirez's head back.
Khalidh throws a series of punches but Ramirez avoids them all with ease.
Ramirez throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Ramirez throws a sloppy head kick
letting Khalidh counter with a right hand.
Khalidh misses with a two punch combination.
Ramirez slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Ramirez looks for the body kick but Khalidh saw that one coming.

Ramirez clinches with his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Khalidh's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Ramirez moves out of range as Khalidh throws a body kick.

Ramirez closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Ramirez is breathing heavily.
Ramirez thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Khalidh's head.
Ramirez controlling the action here.
Khalidh wants to get back to his feet.
Ramirez keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Khalidh is looking to escape.
Khalidh wants to control but Ramirez is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Khalidh really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

Ramirez escapes and gets back to his feet.

Ramirez closes the distance and pushes Khalidh back into the cage.
Khalidh goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Ramirez gets underhooks to prevent Khalidh's takedown attempt.

Ramirez successfully pulls guard.
Khalidh trying to control the position from guard on top but Ramirez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Ramirez really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Khalidh. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Khalidh throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

Ramirez throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Ramirez is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Khalidh defends well.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Khalidh accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

Khalidh stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Khalidh tries to clinch there but Ramirez circles away.

Ramirez drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.

Khalidh throws his opponent off and manages to get back to his feet! Nicely done!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Khalidh throws a head kick but Ramirez moves out of range.
Khalifa Khalidh is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Ramirez keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Khalidh throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

Ramirez moves into the clinch.
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!

Ramirez escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Khalidh misses with a takedown attempt - Ramirez sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Ramirez shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Ramirez was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Ramirez moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Khalifa Khalidh will probably get the nod.
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. This is the final round!

Ramirez clinches with his opponent.

Khalidh escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Khalidh gets tackled into the cage by Ramirez. Ramirez maintains the clinch.

Ramirez successfully pulls guard.
Khalidh trying to control the position from guard on top but Ramirez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Khalidh looking to sit in guard and control but Ramirez gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ramirez makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Khalidh wants to get back to his feet but Ramirez is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Ramirez stands up over his opponent, looking to dive in with a big punch. Here he comes, superman style! Oh, the punch misses and Khalidh has got him in a triangle choke for good measure! Oh no! Ramirez manages to get his head free but now Khalidh has transitioned to an armbar! Ramirez grimaces and is forced to tap! Beautiful Jiu Jitsu from Khalidh! I'd be surprised if that didn't end up as submission of the night!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:24 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Khalifa Khalidh!
An out of breath Khalifa Khalidh thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.