PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between James Crane (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Malaki Isafoa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Isafoa has chosen The Offspring - Come Out And Play (Keep Em' Seperated) as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Crane
vs
Isafoa

184 cm
18
147 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

160 cm
18
150 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ Brown Belt
Brawler
Very confident

CAGED GEAR

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 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, James Crane!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Malaki Isafoa!
The judges for this bout are Frank Dennis, Tiny Johnson and Daniel Franklin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Crane closes the distance and clinches.
Isafoa jumps guard but Crane stands there with Isafoa around his waist. Isafoa gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Isafoa tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Crane smiles and moves away.
Crane will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Isafoa has his takedown stuffed

and Crane counters by moving into the clinch.
James Crane has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Malaki Isafoa.
Isafoa jumps guard but Crane stands there with Isafoa around his waist. Isafoa gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Crane drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Isafoa gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Crane lands a nice shot to the body.

Crane manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Isafoa passes Crane's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Crane is looking for a sweep. Isafoa is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

Isafoa wants to work for an arm triangle but Crane is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Crane is trying to control but can't.
Crane tries to get to full guard but Isafoa has control of the leg.
The fighters are battling for position here. Crane manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Crane is pulling down on Isafoa's head. It's preventing any offense from Isafoa, at least for the moment.
Crane'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.
Isafoa looking to pass the guard.
Isafoa stands and throws Crane's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Isafoa throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Crane is looking to regain half guard here but Isafoa keeps moving and retains side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Isafoa looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Crane is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Isafoa off and has taken his back!
Crane is breathing heavily.
A lull in the action here.
I really don't envy Isafoa right now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Isafoa is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Isafoa is being controlled on the ground here - he must escape this position otherwise surely the end is near.
Crane controlling well, preventing Isafoa from escaping the position.
Isafoa turns into Crane and is now in his guard.
Crane working a defensive guard here.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Isafoa fails with the takedown

and Crane counters by moving into the clinch.
Isafoa wants a takedown but no success here.
Isafoa tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Crane just stands there and leans against the cage.

Crane pulls guard effortlessly.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Isafoa looking to pass the guard.
Isafoa sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Crane's guard.
Crane tries to roll over but Isafoa keeps him under control.
Crane has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Isafoa is working away from the top position though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Crane moves into full guard.
Crane bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Isafoa's guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Crane slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Crane trying to control but Isafoa is working from the bottom.
Crane really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Crane slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Crane is pushing down on Isafoa's leg trying to pass to half guard. Isafoa is fighting to maintain full guard but Crane has managed to sneak the leg through.
Still in half guard, Crane seems content to control.

Isafoa looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Isafoa won't allow Crane to pass to mount.
Crane controlling the pace.
Isafoa regains full guard. Nicely done.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Crane looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

Isafoa throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Isafoa keeping moving, preventing Crane from controlling successfully.
Isafoa is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Isafoa is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Isafoa looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
The fighters are battling for position here. Crane manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Crane tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Isafoa sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Crane's guard.
Isafoa tries to pass to full mount but Crane defends it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James Crane dominated that 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.

A head kick by Isafoa misses

and Crane counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Isafoa manages to get to full guard.

Isafoa is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Crane not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Crane looking to pass the guard.
Isafoa keeping moving, preventing Crane from controlling successfully.

Isafoa looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

Isafoa is looking for a triangle but Crane pushes his legs off easily.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Isafoa looking for a guillotine here but Crane defends easily.

Isafoa has his foot on Crane's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Crane works his way back into a safe position though.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Isafoa throws his legs up looking for a submission but Crane uses it to pass to side control.
Isafoa is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Crane's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Isafoa is pressing down on Crane's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.

Isafoa looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Crane sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Malaki Isafoa has got the better of the ground game so far.

Isafoa had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Crane is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Isafoa Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Crane's back instead.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Isafoa looking for the choke but no joy.
Crane trying to control the hands but Isafoa won't let him.
Crane rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.
Crane keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.

The referee stands the fighters back up. James Crane just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Isafoa tries to clinch but Crane moves away

and Crane counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

Crane successfully pulls guard.
Isafoa trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

Isafoa avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Isafoa passes into half guard.
Crane wants to get back to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Isafoa is looking for a kimura here.
Crane is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.
Crane wants to get back to full guard.
Isafoa thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Crane's head.
Crane is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Isafoa is thwarting Crane's attempts to control the position.
Crane makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Crane.
Crane wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Crane will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Crane trying to control the position.

Isafoa is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.

Crane working for a triangle but Isafoa defends it easily.

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.
Isafoa pushing down on Crane's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Crane won't allow Isafoa to pass to mount.

Isafoa is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Crane doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Isafoa.
Crane is looking to control Isafoa's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Crane avoid being mounted?
Crane won't allow Isafoa to pass to mount.
Isafoa frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Isafoa is working close to his opponent, looking to work a submission by the looks of things. Oh, he's managed to get a guillotine from mount as his opponent reached up! That looks tiiiiight! Will he tap? YES, he's tapped! Impressive submission by Isafoa!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:57 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Guillotine). Malaki Isafoa!