PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between James Doakes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ray Louis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Doakes might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Jack Sparrow (feat. Michael Bolton) . Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Doakes
vs
Louis

185 cm
19
215 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

185 cm
19
215 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Very strong

Good wrestler
Brawler
Granite chin

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, James Doakes!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Ray Louis!
The judges for this bout are Steve Smith, Gregory Folan and Elvis Blanc.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Doakes gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Louis to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Louis lands a couple of digs.

Louis drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Louis jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Louis postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Doakes avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

Louis drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Louis jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Louis throws and elbow that misses. Doakes uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Louis's guard. Nice move by Doakes!
Doakes wants to stand but Louis has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Louis not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Doakes wants to stand but Louis has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Louis working a defensive guard here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Doakes wants to control from the top but Louis keeps moving.

Doakes avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Doakes trying to stand up but can't free himself from Louis's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Louis tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Louis thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Doakes is looking to stand up but Louis won't let him.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Doakes pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Louis is keeping the position for now.

Louis looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Doakes passes into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Louis is trying to get back to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Doakes tries to stand but his arm is trapped.

Louis is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Doakes pulls his head out easily.

Louis is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Doakes pulls his head out easily.
Louis trying to control but Doakes postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Doakes passes to side control.
Doakes tries to stand but Louis controls the position and pulls Doakes into his guard.

Louis has his foot on Doakes's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Doakes works his way back into a safe position though.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Doakes tries to stand but Louis is controlling from the bottom.
Doakes stands and throws Louis's legs to the side, diving into side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ray Louis 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.

Louis closes the distance and clinches up with Doakes, looking for a takedown. Louis pushes Doakes against the cage but Doakes circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

Louis shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Louis keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Doakes's head.
Louis throws and elbow that misses. Doakes uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Louis's guard. Nice move by Doakes!
Louis has a closed guard, preventing Doakes from standing up.
Louis tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Doakes trying to control the position from guard on top but Louis is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Doakes decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Louis, up you get!
Louis tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Doakes swivels and escapes.

Louis shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Louis showed some decent athleticism there.
Louis is looking to advance position but Doakes won't allow it.
Louis is trying to advance to mount but he's lost his balance and Doakes reverses the position - he's now on top in Louis's guard.
Doakes wants to pass the guard but Louis is keeping the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Doakes wants to stand and escape but instead Louis has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Doakes keeping full guard, as Louis tries to pass.
Doakes 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.
Louis with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Louis is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Louis stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Doakes swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Louis working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Louis lands a couple of digs.
Louis throws and elbow that misses. Doakes uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Louis's guard. Nice move by Doakes!
Louis is trying to hold Doakes in close to prevent damage but Doakes has managed to pass into half guard.
Louis wants to get back to his feet.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Louis can do anything to dispel that myth.
Louis is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Louis on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Doakes seems to be working for a kimura but Louis defends the submission attempt.
Doakes is keen to just control but Louis is a slippery customer.

Doakes stands up from half guard.
Doakes will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Doakes fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Louis manages to avoid it.
Louis closes this distance looking for a takedown but Doakes circles away.
James Doakes has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ray Louis.
Doakes ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Ray Louis will probably get the nod - 10:9.
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. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Some wild striking there from Doakes.

Doakes gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Louis to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Louis landing with the ground and pound.
Louis trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Louis scoring with punches to the head and body.
Doakes has momentary wrist control but Louis slips an elbow through the middle.
Louis trying to control the position from guard on top but Doakes is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Doakes is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Doakes has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Louis escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Doakes circles away from the clinch attempt.

Louis is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Doakes's half guard.
Louis wants to lay and pray for a moment but Doakes keeps working.
Nice strikes from Louis there.
Doakes is not content to let Louis control the position.
Louis passes to side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Louis working the ground and pound.
Ray Louis has got the better of the ground game so far.
Louis landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Louis wants to lay and pray for a moment but Doakes keeps working.
Louis scoring with punches and elbows.
Louis has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Louis working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Louis cracks Doakes with a big right hand but Doakes just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Doakes is trying to get back to half guard.
Louis landing a few strikes.
Louis is chipping away with strikes.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Louis thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Louis with the ground and pound but Doakes regains half guard under the barage of strikes.
Louis winds up and cracks Doakes with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Louis throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

Louis is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Louis seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Doakes does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Louis working over Doakes with some ground and pound. Doakes looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Louis lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Doakes keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

Louis is trying to work for a kimura but Doakes is defending well.
Doakes is looking for a sweep. Louis is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Doakes is trying to stand up here but Louis is controlling him well.
Doakes taking some punishment here, with Louis in his half guard.
Louis wants to take a breather but Doakes is having none of it.
Louis lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Louis is trying to control the action in half guard but Doakes is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Louis lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Doakes is staying active underneath Louis, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
James Doakes has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Ray Louis is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Louis is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ray Louis comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Louis winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Steve Smith scores the fight 27:30
Judge Gregory Folan scores the fight 27:30
Judge Elvis Blanc scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ray Louis!