PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Raja Khanna (ranked 1160 p4p, 754 weight class) and Dusty Rhodes (ranked 139 p4p, 86 weight class). Rhodes has chosen Bury My Bones as his entrance music. Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Khanna
vs
Rhodes

190 cm
30
194
18 - 11 - 3

178 cm
27
186
10 - 4 - 1

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Granite chin

Olympic wrestler
World class MT
Granite chin

Shadow Realm Apparel

Shadow Realm Apparel
Ma Balls Is Hot Clothing

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 18 - 11 - 3, fighting out of London, Raja Khanna!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 4 - 1, fighting out of Sydney, Dusty Rhodes!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Jack Bonds and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nice shot lands for Rhodes.
Khanna is looking to land body kicks.
Khanna lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Rhodes misses the shot to the body.
Khanna throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Khanna throws a leg kick that is checked
and Rhodes cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

It looks like Raja Khanna has been cut.
Khanna scores with a jab to the head.
Khanna blocks a jab.
We can't be sure of the tactics at this early stage but we have heard that Rhodes has been working on his takedowns a lot in the buildup to the fight and we can only assume he's going to look to take this to the mat.
Rhodes stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Khanna.
Khanna uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Rhodes.
Rhodes moves out of range as Khanna throws a body kick.
Khanna looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Rhodes throws a body shot but no joy.
Nice body kick from Khanna.
Khanna slips a straight right by Rhodes.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Khanna throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Rhodes misses with an uppercut.
Rhodes throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Khanna sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Khanna ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Khanna throws a head kick but Rhodes moves out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A cross from Rhodes lands.
Khanna takes one to the side of the head.
Rhodes throws out a loose jab but Khanna uses good head movement to avoid it.
Khanna throws a push kick but Rhodes slaps the foot to one side.
Khanna looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Khanna takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.

Khanna gets tackled into the cage by Rhodes. Rhodes maintains the clinch.
Khanna has Rhodes pushed against the cage.
Khanna misses with some punches.
Khanna lands a right hand.
Still in the clinch, Khanna scores with a nice short uppercut.
Rhodes misses with a punch on the inside.
Rhodes misses with the head strike.

Rhodes gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
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!

Khanna working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Rhodes doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Rhodes manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Rhodes not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Khanna is looking for a triangle but Rhodes pushes his legs off easily.

Rhodes avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Rhodes landing with the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rhodes keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Khanna's head.
Khanna tries to land a sweep but no joy.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Khanna is looking to sweep but instead, Rhodes has passed into half guard.
Khanna is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Rhodes scores with a couple of nice shots.
Rhodes wants to control but Khanna is keeping him busy.
Khanna is pressing down on Rhodes's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Khanna looking to hit a scissor sweep but Rhodes is one step ahead there.
Rhodes is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Rhodes has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Khanna tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Khanna throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Khanna is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Rhodes defends well.
Khanna wants to get back to his feet but Rhodes is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

Khanna is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Khanna looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Dusty Rhodes will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Raja Khanna's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Khanna takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
A bone on bone clash there as Rhodes blocks the leg kick.
Rhodes thows a left - swing and a miss!
Khanna takes a swing at Rhodes's ribcage but misses.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Khanna.
Rhodes closes the distance and clinches up with Khanna, looking for a takedown. Rhodes pushes Khanna against the cage but Khanna circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
A decent looking cross lands there for Rhodes.
Rhodes closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Rhodes throws an overhand right that lands on Khanna's shoulder, as Khanna tries to avoid the shot.
Khanna pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Rhodes with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Khanna is looking to land body kicks.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rhodes pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Rhodes tries to close the distance and clinch up but Khanna swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Khanna misses with a wild body shot.
Rhodes tries to move into range but Khanna moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Khanna takes one on the button.
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!
Khanna throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Khanna defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Rhodes.
A shot to the body from Khanna misses
and Rhodes cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
A jab from Rhodes does it's job there.
Khanna lands a nice looking body shot.
Khanna takes a swing at Rhodes's ribcage but misses.
Rhodes throws out a counter right but Khanna avoids it with no problem.
Rhodes scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Rhodes tries to clinch but Khanna moves out of range.
Nice straight punches there by Rhodes. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Rhodes.
Khanna lands a head kick!

It looks like Dusty Rhodes has been cut.
Rhodes ducks right into an uppercut from Khanna.
Rhodes tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Khanna manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Rhodes lands a slapping body shot.
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!
Khanna swinging wildly here.
Dusty Rhodes seems to be getting the better of the standup.

Rhodes clinches.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rhodes is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Khanna is defending well.
Raja Khanna has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Dusty Rhodes.
Rhodes tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Rhodes fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

Rhodes has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Khanna is trying to keep an underhook but Rhodes manages to get the takedown into half guard.
Rhodes wants to take a breather but Khanna is having none of it.
Rhodes landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Khanna is trying to control but can't.
Rhodes is looking to take a break and control but Khanna is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Rhodes winds up and cracks Khanna with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Dusty Rhodes has got the better of the ground game so far.
Rhodes looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Khanna with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Rhodes looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Rhodes trying to control from half guard but Khanna is working away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ground and pound from Rhodes.
Rhodes trying to control from half guard but Khanna is working away.
Khanna is trying to stand.
Rhodes thows a huge punch but Khanna dodges it nicely.
Rhodes trying to control from half guard but Khanna is working away.

Khanna is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Rhodes pulls his head out easily.
Khanna manages to get to full guard.

That's four 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.
Rhodes with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Khanna wants to sweep but no luck.
Rhodes lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Rhodes trying to control the position from guard on top but Khanna is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Khanna is trying to control the position but Rhodes postures up.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Khanna throws a head kick that misses.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Dusty Rhodes showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Rhodes works Khanna's body with a nice hook.
Raja Khanna has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Rhodes forces Khanna back against the cage and clinches.
Nice body punch from Rhodes.
Rhodes scores with a nice hook to the head.
Rhodes has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Rhodes lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Khanna lands with a left to the head.
Khanna misses with a hook from the clinch.
Khanna lands a hook that snaps the head of Rhodes backwards.
Rhodes scores with a shoulder strike.
Rhodes drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Rhodes lands a hook to the side of the head.
Khanna misses with a punch to the body.
Khanna is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Rhodes drops down looking for an ankle pick but Khanna pulls his leg out and moves away.
Khanna misses with a straight left.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Rhodes lands a body shot.
Rhodes is looking to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rhodes dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Rhodes connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Khanna's hands.
Khanna misses with a looping left.
Rhodes is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Khanna with a body shot.
Khanna circles away from the clinch attempt.

Rhodes gets the takedown into side control.
Khanna tries to buck Rhodes off but Rhodes is having none of it.
Rhodes trying to control the position but Khanna is working away.
Rhodes scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Khanna to see if he's OK.
Khanna can't do much from the bottom here.
Rhodes trying to control the position but Khanna is working away.
Khanna is in a tricky position but he's been working on his transitions down at Stormcrow Centre, so we'll see if he gets out of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rhodes landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Khanna taking punishment in the form of punches.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Khanna tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Rhodes wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Rhodes trying to control the action but Khanna is working from the bottom.
Dusty Rhodes is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Khanna is looking to slip a leg under and get half guard but Rhodes is one step ahead and moves to full mount!
Rhodes looking to control and managing it successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Let's hope that Rhodes has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Khanna can't escape the position.
Rhodes controlling his opponent.
Khanna tries to reverse the position but Rhodes maintains control.
Rhodes sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
We're seeing a lot of stalling here from Rhodes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Yet more stalling tactics from Rhodes.

And that's the end of the fight!
Dusty Rhodes comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Rhodes has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Don Winkell scores the fight 28:30
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 27:30
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Dusty Rhodes!
Dusty Rhodes opened up his post fight interview with a scream to camera that he wants a title shot! Whether he deserves the shot will be up to the management of the organization, so I guess he'll have to wait and see.