PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Alex Orion (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sonny Bill (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Orion comes to the cage accompanied by indestructable . Sonny Bill has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Orion
vs
Bill

181 cm
20
210 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

187 cm
22
200 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Intelligent

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Alex Orion!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Sonny Bill!
The judges for this bout are John Mangel, Donatello Bradman and Steve Erwin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Orion closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Orion lands in his opponent's guard.
Orion stopping the sweep attempt from Bill.
Orion wants to stand but Bill is controlling his posture from full guard.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Bill can do anything to dispel that myth.
Orion sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Bill keeping moving, preventing Orion from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bill can't keep his opponent in guard - Orion advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Bill really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Orion. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Orion passes the guard and advances to mount!
Bill taking shots to the head.
Bill can't escape the position.
Bill looks gassed!
Orion lands a big elbow.
Bill wants to control but Orion is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bill tries to reverse the position but Orion maintains control.
Orion lands with some strikes.
Orion trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Bill in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Orion lands a big elbow.
Orion lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Bill hang on?
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Orion looking for a guillotine from mount but Bill is having none of it.

Orion is going olschool here, as he tries to force Bill to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Bill shrugs it off.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Orion with shots to the head and body - Bill looks very uncomfortable down there.
Orion tries to control but Bill wriggling away.
Orion putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Orion landing strikes from the mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Bill is looking to get to half guard.
Orion avoids the attempt from Bill to control.
Orion lands a heavy elbow.
Orion punishing his opponent with strikes.
Orion can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Bill is looking to escape.
Orion putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alex Orion dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Orion is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Orion is looking to clinch but Bill is avoiding it.

Orion closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Bill to the mat! Bill manages to get full guard.
Bill looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Orion wants to control from the top but Bill keeps moving.
Orion is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Bill looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Orion puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Orion is trying to control the action in half guard but Bill is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Orion is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Orion wants to control but Bill is keeping him busy.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Alex Orion just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Bill stuffs the takedown.

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.
Bill tries to close the distance and clinch up but Orion swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Orion is looking to clinch.
Orion throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Bill.
Orion shoots in for a takedown but Bill shows good takedown defense.
Sonny Bill seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A head kick misses from Bill.
Bill looks for the body kick but Orion saw that one coming.
Orion shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Bill as he jumps to the side.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Alex Orion. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Bill fails in his attempt to clinch.
Orion could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Orion shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Bill sprawls well. Bill wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Orion gets slowly back to his feet.
Orion misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Bill tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Bill keeps the fight on the outside.
Bill misses with a few strikes there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Orion looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Bill is fending him off so far but Orion persists. Nope, Bill circles away and we're back to standing.

Bill forces Orion back against the cage and clinches.
Bill wants a takedown.
Orion drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Orion wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Bill scores with a shot to the side of Orion's head.
Orion has Bill pressed against the cage, preventing Bill from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Orion wants a takedown.
Orion tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Bill just stands there and leans against the cage.

Bill manages to break the clinch.
Orion changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Bill tries to avoid it but Orion manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Bill to the ground. Bill escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Orion fails with the takedown.

Bill gets caught flat footed, as Orion shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Orion is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Orion wants to control from the top but Bill keeps moving.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Bill is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Orion landing some decent shots from guard.
Bill looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Bill has a closed guard, preventing Orion from standing up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alex Orion dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Orion looks for a takedown but Bill sprawls well.
Bill tries to clinch there but Orion circles away.
Orion tries to clinch there but Bill circles away.
Orion on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Bill. Bill obviously looking to wear him down.
Bill misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Orion looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Orion lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Bill backs up against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Orion has a takedown stuffed.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Alex Orion. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Bill bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Orion wants to control but Bill postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Bill is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Orion has escaped the position, nice work there.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Bill trying to control the position but Orion is working away.
Bill controlling the position from side mount.
Bill tries to stand but Orion is controlling his head.
Bill trying to control the position but Orion is working away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Orion is trying to control Bill's posture but Bill avoids it.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Orion shoots in looking for a takedown. Bill tries to sprawl out of it but Orion keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Bill manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

Bill pushes Orion up against the cage in a clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Orion breaks from the clinch.
Orion moves out of range of the body kick.
Orion displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Bill.
Orion shoots in but no luck this time.
Bill tries to clinch up but Orion circles away and keeps his distance.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Orion.
Orion shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Orion will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Bill fails in his attempt to clinch.
Bill slaps away a takedown attempt from Orion, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Orion throws a sloppy head kick and Bill moves out of range easily.
Bill slaps away a takedown attempt from Orion, before circling back to the center of the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bill shoots for a takedown but Orion saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Bill misses with the combination.
Bill tries to close the distance and clinch but Orion swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Orion misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Bill tries to clinch there but Orion circles away.

Bill pushes Orion up against the cage in a clinch.
Bill avoiding damage as Orion throws knees to the body.
Orion is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Bill pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Orion jumps guard but Bill stands there with Orion around his waist. Orion gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Bill's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Orion shoots in for a takedown but Bill shows good takedown defense.
Sonny Bill has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Alex Orion is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Orion thumps Bill with a low kick.

And that's the end of the fight!
Sonny Bill comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Orion has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 John Mangel scores the fight 29:27
Judge Donatello Bradman scores the fight 29:27
Judge Steve Erwin scores the fight 29:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Alex Orion!