PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Basit Ali (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Michael Campbell (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Buckle up people - heeeeeeeeeere we go!

Ali
vs
Campbell

183 cm
21
196 lbs
2 - 6 - 0

185 cm
18
179 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Solid chin

BioPharm Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Basit Ali!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Michael Campbell!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ali tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Campbell counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.

Campbell is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Ali has managed to free his arm - good work.
Ali won't allow Campbell to pass to mount.

Campbell seems to be looking for submissions.

Campbell is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Ali defends it well.
Campbell not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Campbell thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ali pushes Campbell off looking to stand but Campbell dives back in and keeps control.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Campbell throwing shots but Ali is blocking nicely.
Campbell is keen to just control but Ali is a slippery customer.

Campbell is working for a submission of some sort.
Ali tries to kick Campbell off but Campbell keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Campbell wants to take a breather but Ali is having none of it.

Campbell is trying to work for a kimura but Ali is defending well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Campbell is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Ali defends it well.
Campbell trying to control from Ali's half guard. Ali has other ideas though and has regained full guard.
Campbell trying to control but Ali is working from the bottom.
Campbell looking to sit in guard and control but Ali gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Campbell bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Ali's guard.
Campbell trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Ali keeping moving, preventing Campbell from controlling successfully.
Campbell missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Campbell throwing strikes from guard but Ali blocks nicely.
Campbell trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Ali manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!
Ali has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Campbell is proving hard to escape from.

Campbell working for a triangle but Ali defends it easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Ali avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Campbell wants to sweep but no luck.
Campbell has a closed guard, preventing Ali from standing up.

Ali gets to his feet - Campbell follows without any prompting.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Ali works Campbell's body with a nice hook.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Campbell fails with the takedown.
Basit Ali is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Ali shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Campbell eats them both and turns towards Ali to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Michael Campbell dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Ali lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Campbell backs up against the ropes.
Ali pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Campbell back to the ropes. Ali follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.
Ali tries to grapple but his opponent circles

so Campbell counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Campbell throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Ali works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Campbell looking to pass the guard.
Ali wants to stand and escape but Campbell is having none of it.
Campbell is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Campbell loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Campbell pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Ali is keeping the position for now.
Campbell trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Campbell trying to control the position from guard on top but Ali is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Campbell connects with a couple of short punches.
Ali wants to stand up but Campbell is controlling him.
Campbell tries to free his leg and advance position but Ali is retaining full guard.
Michael Campbell has got the better of the ground game so far.

Ali pushes Campbell off and gets back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Campbell tries for a takedown but Ali sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Campbell shoots for a takedown but Ali saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Ali lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Ali.
Ali wants to clinch but Campbell slips to the side

and Campbell counters with a shoot takedown. Ali fights it but they end up in guard.
The step up in weight doesn't seem to be a problem for Campbell. He's performing admirably here against the bigger man.
Campbell is breathing heavily.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Ali is looking to stand up but Campbell isn't so interested in that idea.
Campbell working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Campbell advances to half guard.

Campbell is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Ali has managed to free his arm - good work.
Campbell tries to pass to full mount but Ali defends it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Campbell is working for a submission of some sort.

Ali kicks Campbell off and gets back to his feet.
Campbell moves out of range as Ali throws a body kick.
Ali fails with an attempt to clinch.
Campbell swats away the attempt to clinch by Ali.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ali scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Ali comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Campbell circles away from the clinch attempt.
Ali misses with a double jab.
Ali looks to land a combination. Campbell sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Ali wants to clinch but Campbell slips to the side

and Campbell counters with a shoot takedown. Ali fights it but they end up in guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Campbell wants to control from the top but Ali keeps moving.
Campbell with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Ali is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Campbell stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Ali swivels though and keeps the full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Michael Campbell showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Campbell shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Ali defends it nicely.
Basit Ali is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Danga de danga de dang - Ali scores with a four punch combination!
Nice takedown defense from Ali. No joy for Campbell on that attempt.
Ali misses with a jab, cross combination.
Campbell fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Basit Ali has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Michael Campbell.

Ali fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Campbell, pushing him back against the ropes.
Ali prevents the takedown attempt.
Campbell takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Ali gets underhooks to prevent Campbell's takedown attempt.

Ali manages to break the clinch.
Ali tries to close the distance and clinch but Campbell swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Ali gets in close and instigates a clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Ali breaks from the clinch.

Ali drives through and clinches with Campbell against the ropes.

Ali pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Ali instigates a clinch.
Campbell goes for a takedown attempt but Ali pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Ali throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Ali darts in trying to clinch

and Campbell counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Ali!
Ali has worked his way to half guard, taking advantage of Campbell's lack of action.

Campbell seems to be working for a kimura but Ali defends the submission attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Campbell stops Ali from getting back to his feet.
Campbell is stalling here. Ali is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Campbell seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Ali has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.

Ali stands up.
Ali lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Ali cracks Campbell with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the ropes.
Ali lands a slapping body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ali's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Ali duly obliges.

Campbell closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Ali quickly recovers to half guard.
Ali is looking to escape.

Campbell seems to be working for a kimura but Ali defends the submission attempt.
Ali is trying to stand up here but Campbell is controlling him well.
Campbell is looking to stall here but Ali recovers full guard.
Campbell wants to control from the top but Ali keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ali keeping full guard, as Campbell tries to pass.

Campbell drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Ali dives on top into guard.

Ali gets to his feet - Campbell follows without any prompting.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Campbell closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Ali did well to prevent Campbell getting side control.
Ali is looking to escape.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Campbell perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Campbell sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Ali defending well though.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Basit Ali.
I think Campbell 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 Andi Peters scores the fight for Michael Campbell!
Judge Gordon Ramsey scores the fight for Michael Campbell!
Judge Frank Skinner scores the fight for Michael Campbell!

Michael Campbell wins by unanimous decision!