PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Raoul Duke (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and David Arias (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Arias has chosen Don Omar - Conteo as his entrance music. David Arias struggled to make weight for this fight. He only made it down to 147.7lbs at the first attempt and had to take the additional two hours to make the official bout weight. Let's see how much it's taken out of him. Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Duke
vs
Arias

180 cm
20
150 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

173 cm
21
150 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Raoul Duke!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, David Arias!
The judges for this bout are Chris Downing, Tiny Johnson and George Francis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Duke scores with a leg kick.
Arias looks really tired already! That doesn't bode well for a good, competitive fight!
Duke lands a body shot.
A head kick lands from Duke that sends Arias to the canvas. Arias tries to scramble back to his feet but Duke brings him back down into side control.

It looks like David Arias has been cut.

Duke is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Arias has escaped the position, nice work there.
Arias on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Duke working the head with strikes.
Arias takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
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!
Arias wants to control but Duke postures up.

Duke wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Arias, who protects the arm well.
Duke throws an elbow but Arias slips to the side and avoids it well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Arias is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Duke is keen to just control but Arias is a slippery customer.
Duke scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Duke slips a nice elbow through Arias's hands, connecting with Arias's forehead.

Duke is looking for a kimura here.
Duke working Arias over with strikes.
Arias throws a strike from the bottom but Duke passes into side control!

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Duke working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Duke is looking to take a break and control but Arias is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Duke connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Arias some visible discomfort.
Arias takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Duke wants to lay and pray for a moment but Arias keeps working.
Arias is looking to regain half guard here but Duke keeps moving and retains side control.
Duke working away.
Arias regains half guard there - taking advantage of Duke's attempt to lay and pray for a moment.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Arias makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Arias.

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.
Arias wants to stand but Duke is controlling the position.
Duke scoring with punches to the head and body.
Duke loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Arias tries to strike from the bottom.
Arias 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.
Duke landing with the ground and pound.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Raoul Duke dominated that round.
The cut man is working on David Arias's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Duke shoots in and drives through. Arias sprawls well.
Arias moves in looking to clinch but Duke pushes him off.
Both fighters circling a little - Duke finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Duke throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Arias showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Duke.
Raoul Duke seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Duke lands a high kick!
Arias fails with an attempt to clinch.
Arias avoids the head kick by Duke.
Duke tries to clinch up but Arias circles away and keeps his distance.
An inside leg kick lands from Duke.
A head kick from Duke lands but Arias takes it in his stride.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Some bone on bone action there as Duke checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.

Duke clinches up with Arias and pushes him back against the cage.

Arias breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Arias avoids the head kick by Duke.
Duke throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.

Duke closes the distance and clinches.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Arias breaks from the clinch.
Arias takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Duke tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Duke scores with a head kick.
Arias misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Arias takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
A head kick from Duke lands but Arias takes it in his stride.
Duke looks to land a body kick but Arias moved away.
Duke swats away the attempt to clinch by Arias.
Duke lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.
Duke plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Arias fails in his attempt to clinch.
Arias tries to bum rush Duke with a series of wild strikes but Duke uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Duke tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Duke tries a head kick but it misses.
Duke pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Arias misses with a two punch combination.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Duke thuds his shin into the meat of Arias's side.

Arias tries to keep at a distance but Duke has taken the fight into the clinch.
Arias takes a knee right on the jaw!
A right hand to the body from Arias.
Arias on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Duke landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Duke using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Duke lands a knee to the head.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Good body shot from Duke.
Duke lands a knee to the head.
Duke landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Duke crunches a lovely knee into Arias's ribcage.
Nice elbow from Duke.
Duke lands a knee to the body.
Arias stops a takedown attempt from Duke.
Duke lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Duke misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Arias.

Arias breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Arias gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Arias gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Duke regains guard.
Duke manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Arias manages to get himself to full guard.
Arias trying to keep a closed guard but Duke is proving a slippery customer.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Duke won't allow Arias to sweep him here.
Arias doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Duke lands a couple of elbows.
Duke preventing the sweep.
Duke cracks Arias with a solid left hand.
Duke throwing strikes from guard but Arias blocks nicely.
Arias lands some strikes from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Duke stopping the sweep attempt from Arias.
Arias is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Duke pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Arias is keeping the position for now.

Arias is looking for a triangle here but Duke uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Duke thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Raoul Duke dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on David Arias's cut.
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!

Arias with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Duke will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Duke throws a head kick but Arias moves out of range.
Duke lands a with a good body shot.

Duke has managed to clinch.
Arias on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Duke scores a nice knee to the body.
Duke landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Arias misses with some punches.
Duke looking to throw knees to the head but Arias is blocking nicely.
Knees to the body from Duke.
Duke missing with knees to the body.
Duke lands an elbow inside.
Duke throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Duke wants to break free but Arias has control.
Duke connects with a knee to the head.

Duke breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Arias moves in looking to clinch but Duke pushes him off.
Arias takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Arias tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Duke lands with a nice body kick.
Duke tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Arias doesn't manage to clinch there - Duke circles away.
Duke throws a nice outside leg kick.

Duke clinches.
Arias looking to stall.
Duke keeps control of Arias as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

Duke has Arias pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Duke pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Arias tumbling to the mat - Duke dives into Arias's guard.
Duke stands and throws Arias's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Arias is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Duke off and has taken his back!
Arias is trying to stick to Duke's back but Duke is turning into Arias. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Arias's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Duke.

Arias working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Duke doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Duke manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Duke is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Arias lands a good elbow from the bottom.
Arias is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Arias working the head and body with strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Duke is trying to get back to full guard.
Arias drops an elbow to the side of Duke's head.
Arias slips a nice elbow through Duke's hands, connecting with Duke's forehead.
Duke punching from the bottom.
Duke is trying to get back to full guard.
Duke works his way to full guard. Good work.
Duke trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Duke working a defensive guard here.

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.
Duke bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Arias's guard.
Duke pushes down on Arias's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Duke is pressing down on Arias's thigh, looking to free his foot. Arias is holding on for now.
David Arias has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Duke moves nicely into side control.
Raoul Duke overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Duke tries to move into full mount but can't pass Arias's legs.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Arias is trying to work for a sweep but Duke has mounted him!

And that's the end of the fight!
Raoul Duke showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Duke has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Chris Downing scores the fight 30:27
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 30:27
Judge George Francis scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Raoul Duke!