PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Devon Walker (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Aaron Rai (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Walker kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Requiem for a dream. Aaron Rai is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Walker
vs
Rai

186 cm
20
210 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

189 cm
25
210 lbs
8 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Very quick

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Devon Walker!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Aaron Rai!
The judges for this bout are Ian Loll, Robert Douchet and Dillan Fox.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Good exchange - Rai coming out on top.
Walker misses with a takedown
and Rai counters with a nice uppercut.
Walker shoots and misses
and Rai counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Walker with a poor takedown

and Rai counters by moving into the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Devon Walker. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rai goes for a takedown in the clinch but Walker prevents it.
A hook to the body from Rai.

Rai is trying to trip Walker. He has hold of a leg but Walker is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Rai persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Rai passes Walker's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Rai throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Rai wants to lay and pray for a moment but Walker keeps working.
Rai missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Rai is keen to just control but Walker is a slippery customer.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Rai working the head and body with strikes.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Walker is looking for a sweep. Rai is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rai trying to control from half guard but Walker is working away.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rai throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Rai thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Walker's head.
Rai tries to pass to full mount but Walker defends it.
Rai controlling the pace.
Walker avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Rai.
Rai prevents Walker from improving his position.
Rai is stalling here. Walker is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Rai seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Walker has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
Walker postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Rai is trying to improve his position.
You can see the frustration on Rai's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

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.
Walker tries to advance to mount but can't.
Walker advances nicely into full mount.
Rai tries to lock up and control but Walker gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Rai tries to reverse the position but Walker maintains control.

Walker looking to secure an arm triangle but Rai defends it well.
Walker working Rai over with strikes here.
Rai is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Walker lands with some strikes.
Walker controlling from mount.
Rai bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Walker is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Rai is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Walker looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Rai trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Rai stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Walker swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Walker tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Walker keeping moving, preventing Rai from controlling successfully.
Rai throwing strikes from guard but Walker blocks nicely.
Walker tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Walker manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Rai manages to get himself to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Walker looking to sit in guard and control but Rai gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Walker tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Rai postures up in Walker's guard and throws a big left but Walker blocks it.
Walker is trying to control the position but Rai postures up.
Rai tries to free his leg and advance position but Walker is retaining full guard.
Walker is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Rai manages to get to full guard.
Rai trying to control the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rai manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Aaron Rai dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Walker looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Rai lands a couple of shots from the bottom.
Rai is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Walker works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Walker sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Rai defending well though.
Devon Walker overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Rai keeps control of the position for the meantime.
Walker wants to lay and pray for a moment but Rai keeps working.
Walker is stalling here. Rai is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Walker seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Rai has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Walker is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.
Rai tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Rai creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Rai tries to score with some ground and pound. Walker controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Walker takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
An elbow from Rai crashes against the mat.
Walker takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Rai lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Walker down.
An elbow from Rai crashes against the mat.
Walker is trying to control Rai's posture but Rai avoids it.
Walker is trying to escape the position but Rai is controlling the position.
Rai misses with an attempted head punch from side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rai working the ground and pound.
Rai misses with the ground and pound.
Walker is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Rai's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Walker regains full guard. Nicely done.
Rai trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Walker tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Rai distracts Walker with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Rai preventing the sweep.
Walker wants to stand up but Rai is controlling him.
Rai wants to pass the guard but Walker is keeping the position.
Rai trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Rai stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Walker swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Walker bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Rai's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Walker postures up.
Rai looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Walker's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Rai 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.
Walker looking to pass the guard.
Walker is looking to work some ground and pound but Rai has wrist control.
Walker with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Walker postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Rai tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Walker wants to control from the top but Rai keeps moving.
Rai trying to control the position.
Walker looking to pass the guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Rai 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.
Rai tries to strike from the bottom.
Rai is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Walker is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Rai lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Walker!
Walker is looking to get to half guard.
Walker bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Walker slips nicely into half guard.
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 Devon Walker will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Walker scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Walker trying to control the position but Rai is working away.
Rai tries to improve position but can't.
You can see the frustration on Rai's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Rai tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Walker working the head with strikes.
Walker landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.

Walker looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Rai is looking to reverse the position.
Rai is trying to control Walker's posture but Walker avoids it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rai tries to bench press Walker off him but Walker keeps the position.
Walker wants to lay and pray for a moment but Rai keeps working.
Walker working the ground and pound.
Walker landing a few strikes.
Walker working the body and head with strikes.
Walker 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.
Rai wants to get back to his feet but Walker is dominant here and he's now got Rai's back!
Rai takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Walker lands strikes to the head.
Rai rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.
Rai regains full guard. Nicely done.
Walker connects with a couple of short punches.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Walker's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

Rai is rocked!

Walker thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Rai is still in real trouble! Can Walker finish him?
Walker content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Walker drops back looking for a leg! Rai is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Rai manages to kick Walker off! Walker jumps back into Rai's guard.
Rai seems to have recovered his senses.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Rai is on top in guard.
Walker bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Rai's guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Walker works over Rai with some ground and pound from guard.
Walker trying to control the position from guard on top but Rai is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Walker trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Rai lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Walker!
Walker is working to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rai in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Rai putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Walker is looking to get to half guard.
Rai with good strikes from the mount here!
Rai with good strikes from the mount here!
Walker is in all sorts of trouble here.
Rai landing strikes from the mount and Walker is in trouble!
Walker is in all sorts of trouble here.
Walker takes a big shot to the dome and his eyes have rolled back in his head! Rai's killer instinct has kicked in as he finishes the fight with more strikes. Impressive finish.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:04 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Aaron Rai!