PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Colby Ortiz (ranked 954 p4p, 2102 weight class) and James Kirk (ranked 130 p4p, 274 weight class). James Kirk will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Ortiz
vs
Kirk

189 cm
29
185
9 - 3 - 1

185 cm
21
190
3 - 0 - 1

Good wrestling
Counter fighter
Very quick

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Brooklyn Apothecary

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 9 - 3 - 1, fighting out of Los Angeles, Colby Ortiz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, James Kirk!
The judges for this bout are Yuuki Gou, Tatsuya Matsuyama and Kenichi Hosakawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kirk misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Ortiz.
Ortiz tries to counter by clinching up but Kirk breaks away and moves out of range.
Ortiz seems to be moving with more speed, compared to his last bout. He must have been working on that in the gym.
Kirk ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Ortiz moves away.
Kirk throws a jab but it's blocked by Ortiz.
It looked like Ortiz was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Kirk.
Kirk misses with a straight left.
Ortiz tries to counter with a takedown but Kirk is quick to defend against it.
Ortiz takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Kirk misses with the combination.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kirk scores with a body shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kirk swings for the body but Ortiz moves out of range.
Ortiz throws a counter high kick but Kirk was just alert enough to avoid it.
Ortiz blocks a jab.
Ortiz changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Kirk misses with an uppercut

and Ortiz decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Kirk's guard.
Ortiz sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Kirk utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ortiz in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Ortiz won't allow Kirk to get back to his feet.
Kirk can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Ortiz controls the pace.
Ortiz keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Kirk's head.
Ortiz not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Ortiz stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Kirk swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Kirk can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Ortiz controls the pace.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kirk throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Ortiz keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Kirk.
Kirk connects with a body shot that sends Ortiz's belly button to the back.
Kirk misses with a wild combination.
Kirk scores with a sloppy right hand. Ortiz should have avoided that one.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kirk uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Ortiz has time to react.
Ortiz avoids a punch combination nicely.
Kirk jabbing away but nothing is landing.
A little feinted left hand from Ortiz on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
The fighters circling - Kirk throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Kirk misses with a leg kick

and Ortiz counters with a takedown into side control.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Ortiz taking a breather here.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

James Kirk dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

A nice leg kick lands there from Kirk.
Ortiz staying out of range there.
Ortiz was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Kirk throws out a loose jab but Ortiz uses good head movement to avoid it.
Ortiz walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Kirk works the jab nicely.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kirk lands a nice hook to Ortiz's body. Ortiz takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
A punch lands to the side of Ortiz 's head but he takes it in his stride.
James Kirk seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Kirk misses with a low kick.
Ortiz throws a quick counter kick to the body but Kirk avoids it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ortiz takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
James Kirk is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Kirk cracks Ortiz with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Kirk throws a hook but Ortiz blocks it.
Ortiz throwing a counter right hand but Kirk manages to avoid it.
Ortiz takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Ortiz slips a straight right by Kirk.
Kirk tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Ortiz was well out of range. Poor timing from Kirk.
Ortiz wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.
Kirk delivers a nice body kick.
James Kirk seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ortiz steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Kirk.
Ortiz fires out a quick counter leg kick but Kirk just manages to avoid it.
Ortiz keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Ortiz is looking to counter with head kicks.
Kirk takes a swing at Ortiz's ribcage but misses.
Good leg kick by Kirk.
Kirk ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Kirk misses with a body shot.
Ortiz appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Kirk throws a nice looking combination but Ortiz bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Ortiz wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kirk rushes in with a sloppy looking punch

and Ortiz counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

Ortiz turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Ortiz manages to end up in side control.
Ortiz controls the position.
Ortiz working away.
Ortiz throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Kirk is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Ortiz trying to control the position but Kirk is working away.
You can see the frustration on Kirk's face as Ortiz controls the position.
Ortiz sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Kirk is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Kirk has found himself in a tricky position here. He's been working his transitions in training so let's see if he can work his way out of it.
Ortiz looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Kirk is avoiding damage well.
Ortiz trying to control the action but Kirk is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kirk tries to improve position but can't.
Ortiz 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.
Ortiz controls the position from side control.
Ortiz wants to control but Kirk is keeping him busy.
Ortiz has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for Kirk!
Ortiz is stalling here but it's allowed Kirk to get half guard.
Ortiz is controlling the pace.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Kirk is staying active underneath Ortiz, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

James Kirk showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. 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.

Ortiz drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Kirk throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Ortiz was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Kirk throws a leg kick that is checked

and Ortiz counters with a takedown into side control.
Kirk avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Ortiz.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.
Kirk is not content to let Ortiz control the position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kirk wants to control but Ortiz postures up.
Kirk defending against the ground and pound.
Kirk is not content to let Ortiz control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ortiz looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Kirk is avoiding damage well.
Kirk takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Ortiz controlling the position.
Colby Ortiz overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

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.
The strikes coming from Ortiz are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Ortiz looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Kirk is avoiding damage well.
Kirk is being controlled here.
Ortiz postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Kirk has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Kirk regains half guard there - taking advantage of Ortiz's attempt to lay and pray for a moment.
Ortiz not doing much here.
Ortiz sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Kirk defending well though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ortiz missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Ortiz not doing much here.
Ortiz throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Kirk is staying active underneath Ortiz, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Ortiz missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
James Kirk is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Ortiz tries to pass the half guard into mount. Kirk knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Ortiz wants to take a breather but Kirk is having none of it.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Ortiz working the head and body with strikes.
Ortiz thows a huge punch but Kirk dodges it nicely.
Ortiz is looking to advance position but Kirk won't allow it.
Ortiz sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Kirk defending well though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ortiz takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Ortiz drops an elbow to the side of Kirk's head.
Ortiz is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Ortiz thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Ortiz sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Kirk defending well though.
Ortiz thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Kirk's head.
Ortiz is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Ortiz is trying to control. Kirk wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Ortiz perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Kirk keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

And that's the end of the fight!
Colby Ortiz showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Kirk 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 Yuuki Gou scores the fight 28:29
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 28:29
Judge Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... James Kirk!
A very excited looking James Kirk rambled incoherently for about 5 minutes post fight about how awesome he is. It was kinda funny for a while but then everyone got annoyed.