PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Verney Lapierre (ranked 1847 p4p, 5027 weight class) and Charles Sobhraj (ranked 102 p4p, 236 weight class). Lapierre's entrance music is Sugar. A fine choice. Sobhraj has chosen hurragutt as his entrance music. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Lapierre
vs
Sobhraj

156 cm
23
142
7 - 2 - 0

171 cm
31
135
8 - 13 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter fighter
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Powerful

AVALON

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 7 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Verney Lapierre!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 13 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Charles Sobhraj!
The judges for this bout are Valeri Chadov, Sergei Dronov and Aleksandr Martynov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sobhraj misses with a body shot.
Lapierre on the wrong end of a nice hook.
A jab from Lapierre misses.
A big right from Lapierre misses.

Sobhraj clinches with his opponent.
Sobhraj lands an elbow inside that Lapierre shrugs off.
Sobhraj is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Lapierre is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Sobhraj pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Lapierre is looking for a takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Verney Lapierre. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sobhraj lands a left hand.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Lapierre gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Sobhraj regains guard.

Sobhraj is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Lapierre is aware though and is defending well.

Sobhraj is looking for a triangle but Lapierre pushes his legs off easily.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Sobhraj had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Lapierre defends it easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lapierre looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

Sobhraj escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Lapierre gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

Sobhraj working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Lapierre doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Lapierre manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Lapierre controlling from the top position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Lapierre postures up.
Lapierre slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Lapierre might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

Lapierre thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Lapierre slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

Sobhraj looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lapierre controlling from the top position.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.

Sobhraj throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Lapierre controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Decent striking displayed by Sobhraj there.
Sobhraj throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sobhraj tries to close the distance and clinch but Lapierre swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Sobhraj looks to score with a jab to the body but Lapierre is just out of range.
Lapierre lands a head shot.
Sobhraj takes one on the button.
Lapierre throws a shot from downtown. Sobhraj moves away and avoids it.
Sobhraj misses with a hook. Lapierre ducked under it nicely.
Lapierre throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Lapierre misses with a hook.
Sobhraj throws an overhand right that lands on Lapierre's shoulder, as Lapierre tries to avoid the shot.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Lapierre's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Sobhraj connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Lapierre scrambles back to his feet.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Sobhraj drives through and clinches with Lapierre against the cage.
Sobhraj prevents a takedown attempt there.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Charles Sobhraj dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare each other down, ready to get back to the action.

Sobhraj misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Sobhraj scores with a shot to the body.
Sobhraj dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Lapierre misses with an uppercut
and Sobhraj counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Sobhraj comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Sobhraj defending well as Lapierre loads up on a big left hand.
Lapierre misses with a straight right.
Charles Sobhraj seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Sobhraj throws out a powerful jab.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sobhraj swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Lapierre is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Sobhraj.
Sobhraj is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.
Sobhraj waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Lapierre.
Lapierre is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Lapierre avoids the body shot from Sobhraj.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sobhraj just misses with a punch to the body.
Sobhraj misses the shot to the body.
Lapierre uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Sobhraj.
A looping hook to the body misses from Sobhraj. Lapierre does a little dance to reset his feet.
Lapierre throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Lapierre moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Sobhraj throws the left hand but Lapierre avoids the punch easily.
Lapierre swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Sobhraj defending well as Lapierre loads up on a big left hand.
We've been told by Lapierre's head coaches at ubergym that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.

Sobhraj gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Sobhraj breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Lapierre misses with a hook
enabling Sobhraj to counter with a crisp jab.
Sobhraj has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sobhraj tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Lapierre manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Lapierre throwing a counter right hand but Sobhraj manages to avoid it.
Sobhraj slips under a jab from Lapierre.
Sobhraj scores with a nice head shot.
Lapierre misses with a hook
and Sobhraj counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Sobhraj connects with a right that clearly hurt Lapierre. He's backed up against the cage with nowhere to go as Sobhraj proceeds to tee off with vicious combinations till Lapierre collapses and taps out under the pressure!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:30 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Charles Sobhraj!
A very excited looking Charles Sobhraj made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.