PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Bruce Li (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mike Hobbis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Li
vs
Hobbis

160 cm
20
145 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
18
145 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Basic striking
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Bruce Li!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Mike Hobbis !
The judges for this bout are Daniel Blasius, Saam Ante and Wagner Zegers.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Li clinches up with Hobbis and pushes him back against the cage.
Hobbis tries to break free but Li pushes him back against the cage.

Li gets control of Hobbis 's arms and successfully pulls guard. Li will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Hobbis trying to control the position from guard on top but Li is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Hobbis throwing strikes from guard but Li blocks nicely.
Hobbis thows a big elbow that misses.
Hobbis has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Hobbis postures up in Li's guard and throws a big left but Li blocks it.
Li is looking to stand back up but Hobbis counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Li.
Hobbis throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hobbis sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Li defending well though.
Hobbis sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Li defending well though.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Hobbis swinging wilding here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hobbis misses with a series of wild punches.
Li avoids the body shot from Hobbis .
Li thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Hobbis if he has to take too many more of those.
Hobbis darts in trying to clinch

and Li holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

Li's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Hobbis tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Li counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Li is trying to get back to his feet now but his leg is trapped.
Li looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Li's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Hobbis is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Hobbis is trying to maintain the position but Li is very close to passing his half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hobbis tries to roll over but Li keeps him under control.
Li throws a strike but Hobbis avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Li stays in close to Hobbis 's body and controls the position.
Li postures up.

Li decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Li ducks under a wild hook from Hobbis .

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Li closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Li escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Li pushes Hobbis up against the cage in a clinch.

Li jumps into guard, dragging Hobbis to the mat.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Hobbis missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Hobbis trying to control but Li is working from the bottom.
Hobbis is standing up over Li. Li looks to escape but Hobbis dives into side control.
Li is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Hobbis asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Li avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Hobbis .

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Hobbis tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Li is trying to get back to his feet.
The strikes coming from Hobbis are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
The ground and pound from Hobbis seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.

Hobbis tries for a kimura but Li is defending well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bruce Li dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Hobbis misses the shot to the body.

Li closes the distance and pushes Hobbis back into the cage.

Li breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Hobbis moves out of range as Li strikes.
Hobbis scores with the left hand. Li knows he should have avoided that one.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Li manages to break the clinch.
Hobbis tries to clinch up

and Li counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Hobbis 's guard now.
Hobbis is trying to keep Li in close.
Hobbis is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Li wants to control from the top but Hobbis keeps moving.
Li is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Li tries to free his leg and advance position but Hobbis is retaining full guard.
Li has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Hobbis wants to sweep here but Li controlling him for the moment.
Li controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

That's two 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.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Li displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Hobbis throws out the jab.
Hobbis misses with a takedown

so Li counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Hobbis is breathing heavily.
Hobbis throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Li's corner is telling him to maintain position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Li trying to stand up but can't free himself from Hobbis 's guard.
Hobbis looking to hit a scissor sweep but Li is one step ahead there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Li wants to pass the guard but Hobbis is keeping the position.
Li wanted to stand there but Hobbis had control of the position.
Li pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Hobbis is keeping the position for now.
Li trying to stand up but can't free himself from Hobbis 's guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bruce Li dominated that second round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Hobbis scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Li doesn't seem bothered though.
Hobbis misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Li.
Li goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Bruce Li is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Li looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Hobbis is trying to get back to full guard.
Li is trying to control the action in half guard but Hobbis is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Bruce Li overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Hobbis trying to control here.
Hobbis slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Li stays in close to Hobbis 's body and controls the position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Li postures up.
Li looking to pass the guard.
Hobbis is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Li is controlling him.
Hobbis keeping moving, preventing Li from controlling successfully.
Li is stalling in the full guard.

That's two 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.
Hobbis looking to control.
Li trying to control but Hobbis is working from the bottom.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Li clinches.
Hobbis has had enough of the clinch but Li keeps him there for the moment.

Li breaks the clinch.
Hobbis throws a body punch but Li moves out of range.
Hobbis throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.

Li instigates a clinch.
Hobbis wants to break the clinch but can't.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Li pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Hobbis scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Li doesn't seem bothered though.
Hobbis gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Li finishes the little exchange by landing a big kick to the body.

Li gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Li manages to break the clinch.
Hobbis lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Hobbis tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Li moves into the clinch.
Hobbis tries to break the clinch but Li is controlling the position.
Li connects with a knee to the head.
Hobbis is trying to break free.

Li breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Li lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.
Hobbis looks to score with a jab to the body but Li is just out of range.
Hobbis tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Li was well out of range. Poor timing from Hobbis .

Li shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Hobbis is trying to defend but Li finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Li slows the pace down in half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hobbis wants to get back to full guard.
Hobbis is trying to maintain the position but Li is very close to passing his half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Bruce Li showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Li has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Daniel Blasius scores the fight 30:27
Judge Saam Ante scores the fight 30:27
Judge Wagner Zegers scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Bruce Li!