PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Oscar King (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Folami Zuberi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Zuberi has chosen Mickey Factz - Rocker as his entrance music. Both these guys have solid standup skills and neither is particularly fantastic on the ground, so let's hope for a nice standup war!

King
vs
Zuberi

190 cm
24
225 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

193 cm
26
240 lbs
10 - 6 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
KO power

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, for the heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Oscar King!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Folami Zuberi!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, George Francis and Tiny Johnson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Zuberi misses with a takedown attempt - King sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
King fails to land with a series of punches.

Zuberi shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Zuberi showed some decent athleticism there.

Zuberi is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.

Zuberi is sneakily working for an arm triangle but King sees it coming and defends easily.
King on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if King tries to get out of the position.
King pushes Zuberi off looking to stand but Zuberi dives back in and keeps control.
King is looking to control Zuberi's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can King avoid being mounted?
King avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Zuberi.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zuberi perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

Zuberi is sneakily working for an arm triangle but King sees it coming and defends easily.
Well, if Zuberi is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Zuberi thows a big elbow that misses, also allowing King to regain full guard.
Zuberi works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Zuberi is pressing down on King's thigh, looking to free his foot. King is holding on for now.
King is trying to stand back up but Zuberi is controlling him
King knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Zuberi on the ground.
Zuberi thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
King wants to get back to his feet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

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.
King controlling the position well.
King is staying active underneath Zuberi, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

Zuberi is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Zuberi tries to pass to full mount but King defends it.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Zuberi dodges the punch combination from King.
Zuberi shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
King throws a leg kick but Zuberi moved away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
King swings for the body but Zuberi moves out of range.
King misses with a few strikes there.
King misses with a hook. Zuberi ducked under it nicely.
Zuberi dodges the punch combination from King.

Zuberi shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Zuberi wants to control the pace but King is squirming around nicely.
King wants to control but Zuberi is having none of it.
Zuberi content just to control the position here.
King is trying to stand up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Zuberi goes for an armbar but he's not got it… King turns into him and now he's in Zuberi's guard.
King looking to sit in guard and control but Zuberi gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Zuberi tries to free his leg and advance position but King is retaining full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Folami Zuberi dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

King looks to land a combination but Zuberi avoids it well.
King thows a body shot but no joy.
King misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
King connects with a jab.
Zuberi avoids the body shot from King.
King is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
King tries to close the distance and clinch up but Zuberi swats him away and circles back towards the center.
King throws a series of punches but Zuberi avoids them all with ease.
King tries to clinch but Zuberi is having none of it.
King lands a lovely overhand right.
Zuberi tries to close the distance and clinch up but King swats him away and circles back towards the center.
King looks to land a right hand but Zuberi moved out of range.
King fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

That's one minute gone in the round.
King misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
King throws a head kick but Zuberi moves out of range.
Oscar King is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
King throws a series of punches but Zuberi moves out of range.
King misses with a body kick.
King tries to bum rush Zuberi with a series of wild strikes but Zuberi uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
King swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
No joy there for King, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Nice straight punches there by Zuberi. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Zuberi.
King will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

Zuberi shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. King is trying to defend but Zuberi finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Zuberi looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
King trying to control but Zuberi postures up.

Zuberi is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. King doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Zuberi.
King is trying to stand.
Zuberi trying to mount his opponent but King defends it.
King wants to stand back up but Zuberi manages to pass into side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Zuberi tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
King is not content to let Zuberi control the position.
Zuberi tries to advance to mount but King denies him.

Zuberi tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Zuberi has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Zuberi is breathing heavily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
King is trying to get back to his feet.
Zuberi trying to control the action but King is working from the bottom.

Zuberi wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by King, who protects the arm well.
King wants to get back to his feet.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
King is trying to improve his position.
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 Oscar King will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Zuberi tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
King looks to land a left hand but Zuberi moved out of range nicely.
King wants to clinch but Zuberi slips to the side
and Zuberi counters with a nice uppercut.

Zuberi changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. King looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
A control attempt from King but he's now mounted!
King really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Zuberi controlling the position easily from mount.
King tries to hold on but Zuberi postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Zuberi looking to secure an arm triangle but King defends it well.
King is squirming around, avoiding Zuberi's attempts to control the action.
King can't escape the position.
Zuberi avoids the attempt from King to control.

Zuberi working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Zuberi takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
King is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Zuberi cracks King with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Zuberi trying to control but he's not successful this time.
King can't escape the position.
Zuberi tries to control but King wriggling away.

Zuberi goes for an armbar but King turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from King.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
King would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
King in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
King makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Zuberi keeping full guard, as King tries to pass.
King wants to get up but he can't break Zuberi's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Zuberi uses the cage to get back to his feet.
King closes the distance looking to clinch
and Zuberi connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
King moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
King throws a combination that misses
and Zuberi cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
King tries to clinch but Zuberi moves away

and Zuberi counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Zuberi.
Zuberi keeps control of King as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

And that's the end of the fight!
Folami Zuberi comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Zuberi has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Franklin scores the fight 28:29
Judge George Francis scores the fight 28:30
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Folami Zuberi! Folami Zuberi retains his heavyweight title!