PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Nicky Youseph (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Aris Lithoxoidis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the ring.

Youseph
vs
Lithoxoidis

189 cm
23
135 lbs
6 - 1 - 0

182 cm
23
135 lbs
6 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Solid chin

[MMABR]: TechNutri - Ensuring the quality
[MMABR]: TechNutri - Ensuring the quality

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the bantamweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nicky Youseph!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Aris Lithoxoidis !
The judges for this bout are Gwen Towbar, Daniel Franklin and Frank Dennis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The fight stays on the outside here - Youseph looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Youseph doesn't manage to clinch there - Lithoxoidis circles away.
The fight stays on the outside here - Youseph looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Youseph wants to clinch up but Lithoxoidis keeps it at a distance.
Youseph tries to close the distance and clinch but Lithoxoidis swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
The fight stays on the outside here - Youseph looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Lithoxoidis scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Lithoxoidis looks to land a combination but Youseph avoids it well.
Lithoxoidis avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Lithoxoidis throws a body punch but Youseph moves out of range.

Youseph clinches up against the ropes.
Youseph swings away with an uppercut that misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lithoxoidis tries for a takedown. No joy.

Youseph's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Lithoxoidis scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Nice body punch from Youseph.
Youseph uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Lithoxoidis .
Lithoxoidis swinging wilding here.
Youseph is looking to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lithoxoidis lands a jab to the nose.
Lithoxoidis connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Youseph momentarily.
Youseph tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Lithoxoidis paws at him with a jab and circles away.
The fight stays on the outside here - Youseph looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Youseph walks into a straight right hand from Lithoxoidis .
Nice shot lands for Lithoxoidis .
Lithoxoidis lands with a right hand.
The fight stays on the outside here - Youseph looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Youseph fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Lithoxoidis avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Lithoxoidis swats away the attempt to clinch by Youseph.
Youseph tries to clinch but Lithoxoidis is having none of it.
Youseph misses with a double jab.
A jab lands there for Lithoxoidis .

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Lithoxoidis shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Youseph napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Lithoxoidis trying to control the position but Youseph is working away.
You can see the frustration on Youseph's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

Lithoxoidis is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Youseph has escaped the position, nice work there.
Youseph sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Youseph is looking to improve his position.
Lithoxoidis with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Youseph really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lithoxoidis tries to pass the half guard into mount. Youseph knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Youseph moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Lithoxoidis tries to free his leg and advance position but Youseph is retaining full guard.
Youseph wants to sweep but no luck.
Lithoxoidis must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Lithoxoidis would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Lithoxoidis stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Youseph swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Youseph working a defensive guard here.
Lithoxoidis trying to control the position from guard on top but Youseph is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Lithoxoidis avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Lithoxoidis scores with a jab. Youseph acknowledges it with a nod of the head.

Lithoxoidis shoots in and bounces Youseph off the ropes to secure the takedown into guard.

Youseph is looking for a triangle but Lithoxoidis pushes his legs off easily.
Lithoxoidis is stalling in the full guard.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Youseph striking from his own guard.
Lithoxoidis 's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Youseph is trying to control the position from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Aris Lithoxoidis dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Youseph clinches up against the ropes.
Youseph throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Lithoxoidis blocks it with crossed arms.
Youseph tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Lithoxoidis blocks an elbow strike from Youseph.
Youseph landing knees to the body.
Youseph unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Lithoxoidis blocks an uppercut.
Youseph swings wildly with an uppercut but Lithoxoidis uses good head movement to avoid it.
Youseph scores with a knee to the head.
A short right from Youseph on the inside.
Youseph trying to land knees to the body.
Lithoxoidis can't get the takedown.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Youseph lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the ropes.
Youseph missing with knees to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Youseph tries to land knees in the clinch but Lithoxoidis avoids the damage to the body.
Youseph creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Lithoxoidis 's defenses.
Lithoxoidis prevents a body shot from Youseph.
Lithoxoidis managing to block the knees to the body from Youseph.
Youseph lands an elbow inside.
Youseph lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the ropes.
Youseph can't find room to land a body shot as Lithoxoidis controls the action.
Youseph lands a body punch in the clinch.
Lithoxoidis managing to block the knees to the body from Youseph.
Lithoxoidis blocks a body shot from Youseph.
Youseph unloads a knee to the mid-section. Lithoxoidis lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Knees to the body from Youseph.
Youseph doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Lithoxoidis fails to pull guard.
Youseph prevents a takedown attempt there.
Nicky Youseph has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Aris Lithoxoidis .
Youseph using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Youseph is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Lithoxoidis is defending well for now.
Youseph digs a right hand underneath Lithoxoidis 's ribcage. Lithoxoidis let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Youseph is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Lithoxoidis is defending well for now.
Youseph lands a nice elbow.
Youseph scores with a knee to the head.
Lithoxoidis drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Lithoxoidis is breathing heavily.
Youseph throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
A hook to the body from Youseph.

Youseph jumps into guard, dragging Lithoxoidis to the mat.

Youseph looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Youseph wants to sweep but no luck.

Youseph has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Lithoxoidis can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Youseph is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Lithoxoidis is aware though and is defending well.
Lithoxoidis slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Lithoxoidis 's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.

Youseph is looking to sinch up a triangle. Lithoxoidis throws the leg off to one side though and gets in tight to Youseph's body to avoid the submission. Youseph has instead reached around Lithoxoidis 's neck and now has a guillotine! Oh, this is biiiig trouble! Youseph arches his back and squeezes and forces the tap from his hapless opponent.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:01 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Guillotine). Nicky Youseph!
Nicky Youseph retains his bantamweight title!