PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Siduri Rafter (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tony Jaa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Jaa has chosen Search and Destroy as his entrance music. Both these fighters are unbeaten, so somebody's 0 has got to go!Siduri Rafter has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Rafter
vs
Jaa

168 cm
25
158 lbs
5 - 0 - 0

174 cm
22
152 lbs
7 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Good low kicks
Powerful

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 5 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Siduri Rafter!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Tony Jaa!
The judges for this bout are John Mangel, Hugh Johnson and Damien Edna.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rafter lands a lovely overhand right.
Rafter misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Jaa.
Jaa looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Jaa throws a body kick that misses.
Rafter keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
An inside leg kick lands from Jaa.

Rafter scores with a takedown into Jaa's guard.
Jaa controls Rafter momentarily but Rafter frees himself.
Rafter postures up in Jaa's guard and throws a big left but Jaa blocks it.
Jaa controls Rafter momentarily but Rafter frees himself.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Jaa has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rafter has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

Jaa throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Rafter trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Rafter throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Jaa works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Jaa trying to control the position.
Rafter stays in close to Jaa's body and controls the position.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Rafter's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Jaa working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Rafter.

Jaa working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Rafter doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Rafter manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Rafter throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Rafter stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Jaa swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Jaa looking to control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rafter sitting in guard here, content to control.
Jaa can't keep his opponent in guard - Rafter advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Jaa works his way to full guard. Good work.
Jaa working a defensive guard here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jaa is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.

Despite being in the dominant position, Tony Jaa just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Jaa lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.
Jaa throws a leg kick which misses Rafter's front leg but catches the back leg as Rafter tries to avoid it.
Rafter is breathing heavily.
Rafter looks to score with a jab to the body but Jaa is just out of range.
Jaa pushes Rafter away with a front kick.
Jaa pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Rafter blocks the body kick.
Jaa throws a front kick that sends Rafter stumbling back into the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Jaa lands with a thumping leg kick.
Jaa goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Jaa throws a nice outside leg kick.
Jaa connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
A solid leg kick lands there for Jaa.
Jaa throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Jaa looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Jaa pulls out of a head kick attempt.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Jaa misses with an attempted mid kick.
Jaa throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Jaa moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tony Jaa dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Jaa connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Rafter waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Jaa.
Jaa throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Jaa throws a push kick but Rafter slaps the foot to one side.
Jaa throws a low kick, looking for Rafter's leg but Rafter calmly moves out of range.
Rafter avoids a kick to the body.
Rafter slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Jaa looks to land a body kick but Rafter moved away.

Rafter scores a takedown into full mount!
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Jaa can't escape the position.
Jaa is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jaa tries to lock up and control but Rafter gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Jaa is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Rafter avoids the attempt from Jaa to control.
Rafter with shots to the head and body - Jaa looks very uncomfortable down there.

It looks like Tony Jaa has been cut.
Jaa is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Jaa is bucking up trying to escape but Rafter cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Jaa tries to reverse the position but Rafter maintains control.
Jaa is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rafter scoring with strikes but Jaa is staying in there.
Rafter raining down shots from the mount!
Rafter tries to control but Jaa wriggling away.
Jaa working to try and regain half guard.
Jaa tries to hold on but Rafter postures up.
Jaa is looking to get to half guard.
Jaa is squirming around, avoiding Rafter's attempts to control the action.
Jaa is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Rafter cracks Jaa with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jaa wants to control but Rafter is having none of it.
Jaa regains half guard.
Jaa trying to control here.
Rafter missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Jaa trying to control here.

Despite being in the dominant position, Tony Jaa just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Jaa throws a nice outside leg kick.
A head kick misses from Jaa.
Jaa misses with a body kick.
Nice uppercut lands for Rafter. That snapped Jaa's head back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rafter avoids the head kick by Jaa.
Rafter lands a nice looking body shot.
Rafter closes the distance and clinches up with Jaa, looking for a takedown. Rafter pushes Jaa against the cage but Jaa circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Tony Jaa seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rafter throws a lazy right hand but Jaa sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Rafter takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Rafter swings for the body but Jaa moves out of range.
Jaa displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Rafter.
Rafter is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Jaa.
Rafter walks forward, straight into a front kick from Jaa.
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 Siduri Rafter will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Tony Jaa's cut.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Jaa misses with an attempted mid kick.
Rafter moves out of range as Jaa throws a body kick.
Jaa throws a wild body kick that Rafter sees coming a mile off.
Jaa throws a head kick that misses.
Rafter tries to bum rush Jaa with a series of wild strikes but Jaa uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Jaa throws the kick towards the body but Rafter avoids it.
Jaa uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Rafter.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rafter lands with a cross.
Rafter throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Jaa sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Rafter thows a body shot but no joy.
Jaa misses with a hook. Rafter ducked under it nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rafter lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Jaa looks for the body kick but Rafter saw that one coming.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Jaa.
Rafter blocks the body kick.
Jaa throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
A big left from Rafter misses.
Jaa misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Rafter dips to his left and cracks Jaa with an uppercut!
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Jaa.
Jaa tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Jaa takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Rafter avoids a kick to the body.
Jaa misses with a low kick.
Jaa throws a wild body kick that Rafter sees coming a mile off.

Rafter looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Rafter sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Jaa's guard.
Jaa wants to control but Rafter is keeping busy.
Jaa tries to get to full guard but Rafter has control of the leg.
Jaa trying to control from the bottom.
Rafter stalling.
Jaa desperately trying to maintain half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rafter with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Rafter wants to lay and pray for a moment but Jaa keeps working.
Jaa is positioning himself well to prevent Rafter advancing to mount.
Rafter wants to pass to mount but Jaa is defending the position.

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.
Jaa is staying active underneath Rafter, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Jaa is doing well to control the position and prevent Rafter from advancing to side control.
Rafter is thwarting Jaa's attempts to control the position.
Rafter drops an elbow to the side of Jaa's head.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Rafter throws a shot from downtown. Jaa moves away and avoids it.
Jaa throws a nice inside leg kick.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Rafter just misses with a punch to the body.
Rafter takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Siduri Rafter.
I think Rafter 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 29:28
Judge Hugh Johnson scores the fight 29:28
Judge Damien Edna scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Siduri Rafter!