PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Mike Litoris (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gabriel Andrew (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Litoris comes to the cage accompanied by Khia - My Neck, my Back. The crowd seem to be enjoying Andrew's choice of entrance music: New Divide. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Litoris
vs
Andrew

187 cm
22
210 lbs
5 - 0 - 0

183 cm
19
200 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Prefers ground

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Tends to cut

Attliction

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the light heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Mike Litoris!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Gabriel Andrew!
The judges for this bout are Donatello Bradman, Eliza Hachem and Winston Howard.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Litoris shoots in for a takedown but Andrew shows good takedown defense.
Litoris shoots for a takedown but Andrew saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Litoris shoots in but no luck this time.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mike Litoris. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Andrew fails to land with a series of punches.
Litoris looks for a takedown but Andrew sprawls well.
Andrew moves in looking to clinch but Litoris pushes him off.
Litoris looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Andrew is fending him off so far but Litoris persists. Nope, Andrew circles away and we're back to standing.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Litoris.

Litoris shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Andrew is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.
Andrew is controlling an arm, preventing Litoris from taking his back. Although keeping him in mount is no better to be honest.

Litoris is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Andrew has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Andrew!
Litoris is breathing heavily.
Litoris has a closed guard, preventing Andrew from standing up.

Litoris has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Andrew is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Litoris.
Litoris is looking for a sweep.

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

Andrew decides to stand up, so the ref orders Litoris to his feet.
A punch lands to the side of Litoris 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Andrew moves in looking to clinch but Litoris pushes him off.
Andrew tries to clinch but Litoris moves out of range.
Andrew keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Litoris shoots in looking for a takedown. Andrew tries to sprawl out of it but Litoris keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Andrew manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Litoris shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Andrew but Andrew pushes him off and we're back to square one.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Litoris closes this distance looking for a takedown but Andrew circles away.
Litoris swats away the attempt to clinch by Andrew.
Litoris shoots for a double leg takedown but Andrew sprawls well. He's pushed Litoris's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Litoris checks a low kick from Andrew.

Litoris looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Andrew!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Andrew stops Litoris from taking his back. Still, being mounted isn't any better.

Litoris swings around for an armbar but it's a sloppy attempt and Andrew is now in Litoris's guard. A big mistake from Litoris there, giving up the dominant position!

Litoris is looking for a triangle here but Andrew uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
Litoris is trying to improve his position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gabriel Andrew dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Litoris thuds his shin into the meat of Andrew's side.
Litoris shoots in but no luck this time.
Andrew throws a head kick that misses.
Litoris shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Andrew pinned against the cage. Andrew gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

Litoris gets a takedown into half guard.
Andrew is looking to escape.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Litoris seems to be working for a kimura but Andrew defends the submission attempt.

Litoris is trying to work for a kimura. He's got his hands clasped together - this could be trouble! No, Andrew has managed to free his arm - good work.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Litoris is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Andrew defends it well.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Litoris seems to be working for a kimura but Andrew defends the submission attempt.
Andrew is trying to stand back up but Litoris is controlling him

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Andrew is using up a lot of energy trying to get back to his feet. Perhaps he should improve his position first.

Litoris wants to work for an arm triangle but Andrew is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Andrew misses with a two punch combination.
A jab lands there for Andrew.
Litoris throws a combination that misses
and Andrew counters with a two punch combo.
Andrew dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Mike Litoris is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Andrew will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Andrew is looking to clinch but Litoris is avoiding it.
Gabriel Andrew is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Andrew wants to clinch up but Litoris keeps it at a distance.
Andrew throws a series of punches but Litoris moves out of range.
Litoris gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Andrew counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mike Litoris. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Andrew is looking to clinch but Litoris is avoiding it.

Litoris gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Litoris fails to pull guard.
Litoris fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Andrew stops a takedown attempt from Litoris.

That's four 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.
Andrew wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Litoris drops down looking for an ankle pick but Andrew pulls his leg out and moves away.
Litoris with a poor takedown
and Andrew counters with a two punch combo.
Andrew tries to clinch up

and Litoris counters with a shoot takedown. Andrew fights it but they end up in guard.
Litoris won't allow Andrew to get back to his feet.
Litoris trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mike Litoris dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Andrew tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Litoris counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Litoris is pushing down on Andrew's leg trying to pass to half guard. Andrew is fighting to maintain full guard but Litoris has managed to sneak the leg through.

Andrew is defending against the submission attempts here by Litoris.

Litoris is looking for a kimura. It's pretty deep but Andrew still has the half guard so he's probably OK. Oh, Andrew has exploded into a beautiful escape there and after a quick scramble, he's ended up in side control on top! Nice work!
Litoris tries to slip a leg under to move to half guard but Andrew presses down on the leg and jumps into full mount!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Andrew tries to stand up but he's trapped just for the moment.
Litoris is working to get back to half guard.
Litoris throwing hammer fists to the chest of Andrew. What's that going to do exactly?
Litoris is looking to get to half guard.

That's two 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.

Andrew get's back to his feet.
Andrew swings away with a body shot that misses

so Litoris counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Litoris pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Andrew is keeping the position for now.
Mike Litoris overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Litoris drops back, looking for a kneebar! Andrew looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Andrew looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Andrew!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Litoris is trying to get back to half guard.
Litoris manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!

Litoris seems to be looking for submissions.

Litoris looking for a submission but Andrew manages to get full guard, putting an end to that submission attempt.
Litorisis looking to pass into half guard but Andrew pushes him away with his feet and jumps on top - now Andrew is in guard.

That's four 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.

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

Litoris looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

Andrew gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.

Andrew instigates a clinch.

Litoris lands a takedown into guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Litoris trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Andrew manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!
Andrew wants to stand but Litoris is controlling his posture from full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mike Litoris clearly takes that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Litoris drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.

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

Litoris swings around for an armbar but Andrew sees it coming a mile off and turns beautifully into Litoris's guard.
Litoris looking to hit a scissor sweep but Andrew is one step ahead there.

Litoris is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Litoris has his foot on Andrew's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Andrew works his way back into a safe position though.
It's got to the stage where if one of these guys blows hard enough, the other might fall over.

Litoris has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Andrew can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

Andrew stands up and waves to Litoris to follow him.
Andrew darts in trying to clinch

and Litoris counters with a takedown into side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Andrew is trying to get back to his feet.
Litoris has knee on belly and moves into mount.

Litoris with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.

Litoris quickly switches position and commits to an armbar! It's a big risk for Litoris but it's paid off an Andrew is forced to tap! Nice work by Litoris.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:49 of round 4, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Mike Litoris!
Mike Litoris retains his light heavyweight title!