PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Ivica Andric (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Connor Kelly (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Andric kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is The Crowning of Atlantis. Kelly is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: (When) Your Middle Name Is Danger. Connor Kelly has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Ivica Andric's chin.

Andric
vs
Kelly

219 cm
26
140 lbs
10 - 2 - 0

183 cm
24
145 lbs
11 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 2 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 10 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Ivica Andric!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Connor Kelly!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Fujiwara, Tatsuya Matsuyama and Shigeki Sano.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kelly misses the shot to the body.
Kelly throws a right hand that misses
and Andric counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Andric lands a body shot.
Andric lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Andric misses with a leg kick
and Kelly counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Andric misses with a lunging right hand

and Kelly counters with a nice double leg into side control. Andric won't be happy with that.

Kelly looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Andric gets back to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Andric is trying to maintain the position but Kelly is very close to passing his half guard.
Kelly is trying to control the action in half guard but Andric is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Andric trying to control here.
Andric is trying to stand.
Kelly trying to control the action but Andric is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Andric tries a low kick but Kelly avoids it.
Andric throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Andric misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Kelly.
Andric shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Kelly on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kelly throws a poor cross that misses
and Andric counters with a nice body shot.
Kelly swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
enabling Andric to counter with a crisp jab.
Andric throws a low kick but Kelly moves out of range easily.
Andric wants to clinch.
Kelly shoots in but no luck this time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Kelly throws out a leg kick but Andric moves out of range and Kelly only half commits.
Nice takedown defense from Andric. No joy for Kelly on that attempt.
Kelly walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Andric checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.

That's five minutes gone in the round.
Kelly misses with a looping right.
Andric uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Kelly.
Kelly on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Andric moves out of range as Kelly strikes.
Andric misses with a body punch
and Kelly counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Kelly takes one to the side of the head.

That's six 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.
Andric tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Andric tries to close the distance and clinch up but Kelly swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Andric misses with a body shot.
Both fighters are looking to counter, which isn't making for the most exciting fight in the world.
Andric throws an overhand right that lands on Kelly's shoulder, as Kelly tries to avoid the shot.
The fight stays on the outside here - Andric looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Andric is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.
Kelly uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Andric.
Andric feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Kelly's calf.
Ivica Andric is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Kelly throws an off balance right hand
and Andric counters with a stiff right hand.
Andric fails in his attempt to clinch.

That's eight 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.
Andric tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Kelly was well out of range. Poor timing from Andric.
Andric looks to throw the jab but Kelly is out of range.
Kelly swings widly with a right hand
and Andric counters with a nice uppercut.
Andric is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Andric wants to clinch up but Kelly keeps it at a distance.

That's nine minutes gone in the round.
Andric lands with a hook. Kelly tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Andric misses with a right hand
and Kelly counters with a stiff right hand.
Andric really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Andric is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Kelly slips a straight right by Andric.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ivica Andric 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. This is the final round!

Andric wants to clinch but Kelly slips to the side
and Kelly counters with a nice uppercut.
Kelly shoots in for a takedown but Andric shows good takedown defense.
A telegraphed right hand from Andric misses the target.
An inside leg kick from Kelly misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Andric wants to clinch up but Kelly keeps it at a distance.
Andric pushing out the jab but it's not landing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Andric looks to score with a jab to the body but Kelly is just out of range.
Kelly is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Andric.
Kelly uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Andric.
Andric throws a hook but Kelly blocks it.
Kelly swats away the attempt to clinch by Andric.

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.
Andric bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Kelly's head.
Kelly connects with a crisp jab.
A low kick from Kelly is predictable there
and Andric counters with a left to the body.
Andric connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Kelly momentarily.
A jab from Andric does it's job there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Good shot there by Kelly.
Kelly misses with a hook. Andric ducked under it nicely.
Andric throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Kelly sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Kelly misses with a hook
and Andric counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
A left lands for Andric.

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.
Andric thows a body shot but no joy.
Kelly throws an off balance right hand
and Andric counters with a left to the body.
Andric fails with an attempt to clinch.
Andric walks into a jab.
Andric throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

That's five minutes gone in the round.
Andric misses with a hook
and Kelly counters with a right hand to the body.
Andric throws a left and a right that both miss
and Kelly counters with a stiff right hand.
Kelly defending well as Andric loads up on a big left hand.
Kelly lands with an overhand left.
Ivica Andric is winning the standup battle so far.
Kelly tries to score with a low kick but Andric moves his leg out of the way.

That's six minutes gone in the round.
Andric throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Kelly sees it coming and avoids it easily.

Kelly throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Andric was covering up waiting for the punch and Kelly finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Kelly pushing down on Andric's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Kelly is pressing down on Andric's thigh, looking to free his foot. Andric is holding on for now.
Kelly seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Kelly is looking to advance position but Andric won't allow it.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.
Andric tries to get to full guard but Kelly has control of the leg.
Andric is looking to control Kelly's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Andric avoid being mounted?
Andric won't allow Kelly to pass to mount.

That's eight minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Andric holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.

Ivica Andric has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Andric throws a right hand that misses

and Kelly counters with a nice double leg into side control. Andric won't be happy with that.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Andric is trying to get back to his feet.
You can see the frustration on Andric's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

Kelly goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Andric rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Kelly's guard! Nice work there by Andric!
Andric is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.

That's nine minutes gone in the round.
Kelly tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Kelly seems keen to control Andric's posture.
Andric looking to pass the guard.
Kelly looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Andric wants to stand but Kelly has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Ivica Andric wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Kelly throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Andric counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Kelly misses with a lunging right hand
and Andric makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.

And that's the end of the fight!
Connor Kelly comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I have no idea who won that fight. Let's wait and see whether the judges are as confused as me! Time for a split decision perhaps?!. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.

Judge Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight for Connor Kelly!
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight for Connor Kelly!
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight for Connor Kelly!

Connor Kelly wins by unanimous decision!