PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Jake Swagger (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Thia Li (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Swagger might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Jumpdafuckup by Soulfly. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Swagger
vs
Li

200 cm
20
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

187 cm
22
150 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Inexperienced

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Intelligent

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 Sydney, Jake Swagger!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Thia Li!
The judges for this bout are Donatello Bradman, Eliza Hachem and Summer Carpenter.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Swagger gets the takedown into side control.
Li is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Swagger asserts his dominance and retains side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Swagger is trying to ground and pound but Li uses the momentary lack of control by Swagger to regain half guard.
Swagger prevents Li from standing back up.
Swagger is looking to take a break and control but Li is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Li looks like he's trying to stand up.
Li keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Swagger is trying to get back to his feet now but his leg is trapped.
Swagger trying to control from half guard but Li is working away.

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

Swagger closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Li to the mat! Li manages to get full guard.
Swagger pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Li is keeping the position for now.
Li keeping moving, preventing Swagger from controlling successfully.
Swagger looking to sit in guard and control but Li gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Swagger is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Li is looking to escape.

Swagger is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Swagger is breathing heavily.
Li is trying to stand up here but Swagger is controlling him well.

Swagger is looking for a kimura here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Li is looking to escape.
Swagger wants to pass the guard but Li is defending well.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Li is looking to clinch.

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

The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Swagger lands a takedown into guard.
Swagger really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Swagger trying to control but Li is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Li pushes Swagger off and scrambles back to his feet.

Li closes the distance and clinches.
Li has Swagger pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Swagger manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Swagger misses with an elbow strike.

Li drags the fight down to the ground.
Swagger throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Li keeping full guard, as Swagger tries to pass.
Li is looking to stand up but Swagger isn't so interested in that idea.

Swagger drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Li manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Swagger has Li in his guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jake Swagger dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Li wants to clinch.
Li doesn't manage to clinch there - Swagger circles away.
Li tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Swagger swinging wilding here.

Li drives through and clinches with Swagger against the cage.

Swagger tightens his grip and picks Li up, before dumping him to the ground. Li manages to land in guard.
Swagger postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

Li pushes Swagger off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Swagger tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Li paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Li pulls out of a head kick attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Swagger closes this distance looking for a takedown but Li circles away.
Li fails in his attempt to clinch.
Li stuffs the takedown.
Li wants to clinch

and Swagger counters with a shoot takedown. Li fights it but they end up in guard.
Swagger pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Li is keeping the position for now.

Li kicks Swagger off and gets to his feet.
Thia Li seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Li doesn't manage to clinch there - Swagger circles away.

Li gets a clinch.

Li successfully pulls guard.
Li is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Swagger trying to control the position from guard on top but Li is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Li wants to get back to his feet but Swagger is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Swagger throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Li utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

Li scrambles and gets back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Li moves in looking to clinch but Swagger pushes him off.
No luck for Swagger with that takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jake Swagger. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Li clinches with his opponent.
Li connects with a nasty looking knee right to Swagger's face.
Li scores with a nice hook to the head.

Swagger has Li pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Swagger pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Li tumbling to the mat - Swagger dives into Li's guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Swagger won't allow Li to get back to his feet.
Swagger tries to free his leg and advance position but Li is retaining full guard.
Swagger trying to control but Li is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Swagger drops back, looking for a kneebar! Li looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Li looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Li!

Li stands up.
Li rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Swagger moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Swagger shoots for a takedown but Li saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Li is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Jake Swagger will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Li has managed to clinch.

Li pulls guard.
Swagger throws and elbow that misses. Li uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Swagger's guard. Nice move by Li!
Li must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Li postures up in Swagger's guard and throws a big left but Swagger blocks it.
Jake Swagger overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Li throws and elbow that misses. Swagger uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Li's guard. Nice move by Swagger!
Li is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Li really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Swagger. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Swagger looking to pass the guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Li uses the cage to get back to his feet.

Li closes the distance and clinches.
Li can't get the takedown.
Li has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Swagger avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Swagger goes for a takedown attempt but Li pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

Li moves into the clinch successfully.

Li gets control of Swagger's arms and successfully pulls guard. Li will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.

Li has his feet on Swagger's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.
Swagger will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Li moves in looking to clinch but Swagger pushes him off.
Li tries to clinch there but Swagger circles away.
Li tries to clinch up.
The fight stays on the outside here - Li looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
The fight stays on the outside here - Li looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Li lands a really nice looking cross but Swagger seems unphased.
Swagger keeps the fight on the outside.
Li stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Li wants it to stay on the feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jake Swagger. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Li throws a right and a left that both miss.
Li lands a body shot.

Li forces Swagger back against the cage and clinches.
Li with a knee to the head.
A knee to the head by Li.
Nice elbow from Li.
Li pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Li prevents a takedown attempt there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Li connects with a nasty looking knee right to Swagger's face.
Swagger fails to pull guard.
Li lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Li tries a knee to the head but Swagger blocks it.
Li is pushing Swagger up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Swagger tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

Li pulls guard successfully.
Li is looking to stand up but Swagger isn't so interested in that idea.
Swagger throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Swagger is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Li keeping full guard, as Swagger tries to pass.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Swagger wants to control from the top but Li keeps moving.
Li wants to get back to his feet but Swagger is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Jake Swagger is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Li manages to escape and get back to his feet.

And that's the end of the fight!
Thia Li comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Swagger 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 Donatello Bradman scores the fight 29:29
Judge Eliza Hachem scores the fight 29:29
Judge Summer Carpenter scores the fight 28:29

The fight is ruled a majority draw!