PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Matt Black (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Soul Jah (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Black might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Jackson 5 - I Want You Back. Jah is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Bob Marley - Buffalo Soldier. The atmosphere really building for this one as we go over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Black
vs
Jah

192 cm
29
277 lbs
16 - 4 - 1

196 cm
31
250 lbs
17 - 3 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class MT
Granite chin

THE END 32

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 16 - 4 - 1, fighting out of Montreal, Matt Black!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 17 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Soul Jah!
The judges for this bout are William Peck, Alec Ball and Steve Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Black fails with a takedown attempt.
Jah throws a nice looking combination but Black bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Black loads up on a big right hand but Jah slips the punch.
Jah moves forwards but Black connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Black waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Jah.
Jah uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Black.
Black throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Black is defended easily by Jah.
As Black backs off Jah throws a huge counter combo but Black manages to avoid it all.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Black takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Black misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Jah.
Jah misses with a jab, cross combination.
Black throws out a loose jab but Jah uses good head movement to avoid it.
Jah tries a quick counter leg kick but Black is wise to it.
Black misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Jah.
A jab from Black misses.
Black throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Jah follows through with a counter body kick but it doesn't land.
Jah fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Black.
Black throws a sloppy body shot
and Jah connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
We've been hearing reports that Black has been drilling takedowns in recent sessions so let's see if that has an impact on the result of this fight.
Black fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Matt Black. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Black misses with an uppercut.

Black scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Black slips a nice elbow through Jah's hands, connecting with Jah's forehead.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Jah slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Black is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Black distracts Jah with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Both fighters have adopted an aggressive gameplan on the ground!
Black postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Black keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Jah's head.
Jah looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Black working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Jah's head.
Black with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Jah pulls Black in close to prevent any damage.
Black preventing the sweep.
Jah is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Black wants to improve his position but Jah is controlling well.
Jah stalling.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Black actively working from the bottom here.

Black looking for submissions off his back.
Black wants to get back to full guard.
Black wants to sweep but Jah has passed to side control!
Black being controlled for a moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

Jah decides to stand back up.
Jah tries to close the distance and clinch but Black swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Black swings for the body but Jah moves out of range.
Jah keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Black.
Black sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Jah uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Black.
Black chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Jah can pounce on him.
Black lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Jah's jab looks to have found its range, popping Black under the eye.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Matt Black 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.

Jah throws a head kick that looked like it stung.

It looks like Matt Black has been cut.
Black stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Jah.
Jah uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Black.
A low kick from Jah is predictable there
and Black counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Black throws a big shot that misses.
A solid body kick from Jah.
Black stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Black avoids a kick to the body.
No joy there for Black, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Jah thinks about the counter body kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Black waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Jah.
Jah throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
A jab from Black misses.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Black crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Jah - the referee stops the clock and Black gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Jah. Black manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Donk. Jah catches Black right on the button with a cross.
Black throws a body shot but no joy.
Jah cracks the inside of Black's front leg.
Soul Jah seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Black blocks a head kick by Jah.
Jah misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Soul Jah is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Jah fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Jah misses with a hook.
Black seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.
Black misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Jah.
Jah with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Black takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Black lunges at Jah with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Jah's hand.
Jah slips under a jab.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Black blocks a leg kick.
Black swung with a counter punch to the body but it didn't connect.
Black takes a kick to the side of the head.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Good standup being displayed there by Black as he connects with a hook.

Jah closes the distance and clinches.
Jah lands a shoulder strike.

Matt Black's cut is getting worse.

Black escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Jah walks into a straight right hand from Black.
Jah looks to land a body kick but Black moved away.
Black throws a lazy right hand but Jah sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Black keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Jah.
Black throws a big shot that misses.
Jah avoids the body shot from Black.
Jah with a hook.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Black is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Jah.
Jah dodges the punch combination from Black.
Jah misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Jah throws a head kick but Black moves out of range.
Black was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Black walks into a straight right hand from Jah.
Jah slips under a jab from Black.
Black looks to throw the jab but Jah is out of range.
Black sets himself, and Jah steps forward looking for the clinch! Black avoids it this time.

Jah closes the distance and clinches.
Jah lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Black tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Jah lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Jah tries to work over Black's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Black gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.

Jah is scooting his butt against the cage and has managed to get back to his feet. Black presses him back against the cage, presumably looking to take the fight back to the mat.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A frustrated look appears on Black's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Jah unloads a knee to the mid-section. Black lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Jah lands a knee to the head.

Black breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Black misses with a hook to the body
and Jah counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Jah throws a quick inside leg kick.
Black walks forward, straight into a front kick from Jah.
Jah lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Black backs up against the cage.
Jah throws a front kick that sends Black stumbling back into the cage.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Sloppy strikes from Jah. Those never looked like landing.

Jah instigates a clinch.

Jah breaks the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Soul Jah showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Matt Black's cut.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Black throws a body shot but no joy.
Jah misses with a low kick as Black jumps back.
Jah slips a jab and a cross from Black.
Jah scores with a nice head shot.
Jah scores with a spinning back kick!
Black lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Black drops his hands momentarily and Jah takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
A good leg kick by Jah.
Jah lands a big head kick that sends Black to the canvas! Jah follows up with strikes from the mount that forces the ref to step in and stop the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:45 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Soul Jah!
A relieved looking Soul Jah thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.