PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Mike Chicken (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Eric Cantona (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chicken kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Killing in the name of. The atmosphere really building for this one as we go over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Chicken
vs
Cantona

170 cm
24
165 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

196 cm
23
162 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Good chin

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Solid chin

Hell's Balls Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, Mike Chicken!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, Eric Cantona!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Bishop, Steven Brown and Chris Edwards.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Chicken feints and then cracks Cantona's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Cantona down.
Chicken pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Cantona avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Chicken fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Cantona sprawls well initially but Chicken persists and gets the takedown into half guard.

Cantona is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Chicken pulls his head out easily.
Chicken tries to stand and escape but Cantona is controlling the position.

Cantona is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Chicken pulls his head out easily.
Cantona gets full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Cantona looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

Cantona is looking for a triangle but Chicken pushes his legs off easily.

Chicken gets to his feet. Cantona looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Cantona shoots and misses

so Chicken counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Chicken thows a big elbow that misses.

Cantona had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Chicken is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Cantona Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Chicken's back instead.
Cantona looks gassed!
Chicken controlling the position well but he knows he's in a bad position.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Chicken is displaying good submission defense - not really looking in danger of submitting to the rear naked choke at the moment. That could change in an instant of course if Cantona gets his way!
Chicken is trying to get back to his feet but he's not managed it yet.

Chicken defending nicely against the rear naked choke attempt.
Cantona doesn't have the hooks in and Chicken manages to turn into his guard.
Cantona working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Chicken.
Chicken is stalling in the full guard.
Chicken loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Cantona wants to sweep here but Chicken controlling him for the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Cantona keeping full guard, as Chicken tries to pass.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Chicken decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Cantona walks forward, straight into a front kick from Chicken.
Chicken misses with the combination.
Cantona gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Chicken counters by moving into the clinch.

Chicken breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Chicken shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Chicken wants to control the pace but Cantona is squirming around nicely.
Chicken content just to control the position here.
Cantona regains half guard.
Chicken knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Cantona on the ground.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Chicken decides to stand and escape the position.
Chicken tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Chicken misses with a head kick.
Cantona doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Chicken counters with a body kick that brings a smile to the face of both fighters.
Mike Chicken has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Eric Cantona.
Chicken throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

Chicken closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Chicken lands a damaging elbow.

Chicken lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Chicken working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Cantona tries to get to full guard but Chicken has control of the leg.
Chicken seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Cantona does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cantona wants to get back to full guard.
Chicken wants to stand but Cantona has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.
Cantona is staying active underneath Chicken, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

Cantona actively working from the bottom here.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Chicken shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Chicken postures up and lands a big shot to Cantona's brow.
Chicken tries to stand but Cantona is controlling from the bottom.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Cantona had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Chicken is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Cantona Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Chicken's back instead.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Cantona is looking to finish the fight by rear naked choke. Chicken knows exactly what he's got planned though, so he's defending well. Maybe a few strikes would soften Chicken for a finish.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mike Chicken dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Chicken fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Chicken rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Cantona moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

Cantona looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Chicken wants to get back to his feet.

Cantona is trying to work for a kimura. He's got his hands clasped together - this could be trouble! No, Chicken has managed to free his arm - good work.
Chicken wants to get back to his feet.
Chicken wants to get back to full guard.
Cantona is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Cantona is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Chicken wants to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Cantona looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Chicken won't allow Cantona to pass to mount.

Cantona seems to be working for a kimura but Chicken defends the submission attempt.
Chicken is trying to stand up here but Cantona is controlling him well.

Chicken has one foot on Cantona's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
No joy there for Chicken, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Chicken throws a nice looking combination but Cantona bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.

Chicken takes the fight into the clinch.

Chicken manages to break the clinch.
Chicken misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Ooooh, nice body kick lands from Chicken. Cantona shrugs it off though.
Cantona moves out of range of the body kick.
Cantona keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Chicken.
Chicken throws a series of strikes that have Cantona backpedaling.

Chicken clinches with his opponent.
Cantona tries for a takedown but Chicken manages to get underhooks.

Chicken breaks from the clinch.
Chicken throws a right hand that Cantona ducks under and follows up with a left that Cantona also avoids with ease.
Chicken will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Chicken has managed to clinch.

Chicken's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Chicken jabs Cantona right on the nose. Cantona blinks but takes it well.
Chicken throws a right and a left that both miss.
Chicken tries to bum rush Cantona with a series of wild strikes but Cantona uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Chicken will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Cantona fails with the takedown

and Chicken counters with a single leg into guard. Cantona didn't expect that.
Cantona has a closed guard, preventing Chicken from standing up.

Cantona working for a triangle but Chicken defends it easily.

Cantona is looking for a triangle but Chicken pushes his legs off easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Cantona working for submissions but it's allowed Chicken to get to half guard.

Chicken decides to stand up.
Chicken misses with the combination.
Chicken misses with the combination.
Chicken connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Cantona slips a jab and a cross from Chicken.
Cantona moves out of range of the body kick from Chicken.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mike Chicken dominated that second round.
That's time! Chicken's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. 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.

Chicken throws a head kick but Cantona moves out of range.
Cantona moves out of range of the body kick.
A combination from Chicken does no damage.
Cantona shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Chicken counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Cantona's guard now.

Cantona is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Chicken wants to stand but Cantona is controlling his posture from full guard.

Cantona is looking for a triangle but Chicken pushes his legs off easily.
Chicken wants to get up but he can't break Cantona's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Chicken stands up from Cantona's guard - Chicken perhaps looking for a knockout.
Chicken misses with a series of wild punches.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Chicken darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.

Chicken decides to return to a standing position.
Cantona with a poor takedown
and Chicken counters with a nice leg kick.
Chicken buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Chicken throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Chicken shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Cantona's guard.

Cantona had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Chicken is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Cantona Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Chicken's back instead.
Chicken controlling the position well but he knows he's in a bad position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Chicken is displaying good submission defense - not really looking in danger of submitting to the rear naked choke at the moment. That could change in an instant of course if Cantona gets his way!

Chicken defending nicely against the rear naked choke attempt.
Chicken wants to get back to his feet.

Cantona looking for the RNC.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Chicken is trying to get back to his feet but Cantona has full control of the position and if anything, Chicken has just worked his way into a worse spot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Cantona working for a RNC but it's not happening just yet.
Chicken has the hand control, trying to stop the rear naked choke.

Cantona is working for a rear naked choke. Chicken is not defending it well and Cantona has tightened it up quickly! This could be all over! Chicken refuses to tap and goes to sleep, forcing the referee to intervene. A little trickle of blood came out of Chicken's nose as his head slumped to the floor. That is naaaasty!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:45 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Eric Cantona!