PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Rick James (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Johnny LaRusso (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). LaRusso has chosen You're The Best! as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

James
vs
LaRusso

179 cm
23
183 lbs
5 - 0 - 0

182 cm
25
182 lbs
10 - 7 - 0

Good wrestling
World class MT
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

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Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Rick James!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 7 - 0, fighting out of New York, Johnny LaRusso!
The judges for this bout are David Schapiro, John Kavanagh and Dean Styles.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

LaRusso gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
James misses with some punches.
LaRusso is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
LaRusso leaning against his opponent.
James is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
LaRusso tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

LaRusso breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
James throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
LaRusso throws a push kick but James slaps the foot to one side.
A nice leg kick lands there from LaRusso.
James takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
James tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
James looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.

That's one minute gone in the round.

LaRusso closes the distance and clinches.
James looking to throw knees to the head but LaRusso is blocking nicely.
James utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
LaRusso takes a knee to the side of the body.
LaRusso looks gassed!
James throws a knee to the head but misses.
LaRusso trying to control the position but instead, James has worked for underhooks and has pushed LaRusso into the cage.
James is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
James throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but LaRusso blocks it with crossed arms.
James with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
James lands a shot to the body.
James tries to throw a body punch but LaRusso avoids it by throwing James back against the cage.
James with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
LaRusso is trying to break the clinch but James has him pressed against the cage.
James creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through LaRusso's defenses.
LaRusso takes a knee right on the jaw!
James misses with a knee to the head.
James connects with a nasty looking knee right to LaRusso's face.
James tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
James throws an elbow but it misses.
James pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
With the fighters up against the cage, James throws an elbow but misses.
James prevents a body shot from LaRusso.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, James creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
James tries to land knees in the clinch but LaRusso avoids the damage to the body.
James is struggling to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
James looks to throw an elbow but misses.
James lands a shoulder strike.
LaRusso blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
LaRusso being controlled against the cage.
LaRusso effectively controlling the action here.
James tries a knee to the head but LaRusso blocks it.
James can't find room to land a body shot as LaRusso controls the action.
LaRusso tries a body shot but James blocks it.
A hook to the body from LaRusso.
LaRusso wants to stall.
James lands a knee to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
LaRusso tries to work over James's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
LaRusso goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
LaRusso taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
LaRusso pushes James back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
James looking to throw knees to the head but LaRusso is blocking nicely.
LaRusso is working James over against the cage.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
James seems a little flustered. He's come in with the intention of controlling the clinch but LaRusso is preventing him from doing so, at least for the moment.
James tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
LaRusso blocking some punches.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rick James dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

LaRusso tries a head kick but it misses.

LaRusso has taken the fight to the clinch.
James lands a damaging elbow.

It looks like Johnny LaRusso has been cut.
James looking to throw knees to the head but LaRusso is blocking nicely.
James misses with a hook from the clinch.
LaRusso has James pushed against the cage.
James prevents a body shot from LaRusso.
James missing with knees to the body.
LaRusso tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
LaRusso on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
James with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
James misses with a knee strike.
LaRusso misses with a punch to the body.
James tries to land a knee to the head but misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
James misses with a knee to the head.
James with a knee to the head.
LaRusso managing to block the knees to the body from James.
A quick uppercut on the inside from James.
James tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
James lands a nice shot to the body.
LaRusso dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
We are yet to see a takedown attempt from LaRusso in the fight. On paper you would think he is the more dominant ground fighter so let's see if these unusual tactics pay off.
LaRusso taking a breather.
James utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
LaRusso dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Johnny LaRusso.
LaRusso lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
James thows a body shot but no joy.
James tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
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!
LaRusso throws a poor cross that misses
and James counters with a good low kick that LaRusso was not able to check.

LaRusso rushes James and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Stalling in the clinch from LaRusso.

LaRusso escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
James throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and LaRusso counters with a stiff right hand.
James darts in trying to clinch
and LaRusso counters with a straight right hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
LaRusso misses with a body shot.

LaRusso moves into range and clinches up with James.
James tries a body shot but LaRusso blocks it.
A knee to the head by James.
LaRusso misses with a shot to the kidneys.
James throws a knee to the head but misses.
LaRusso is looking to break free of the clinch but James has double underhooks.
LaRusso tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
James taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
James lands an elbow that stopped LaRusso in his tracks for a moment.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by James as LaRusso tries to tie him up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
LaRusso takes a knee to the side of the body.
LaRusso is breathing heavily.
This has been an exciting period of action!
James misses with some punches.
LaRusso is trying to break free.
A head punch blocked on the inside by LaRusso.
James using the Thai plumb to throw knees but LaRusso has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
James misses with a knee strike.
LaRusso misses with a hook to the ribs.
James tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
LaRusso controlling the action here for a moment.
LaRusso takes a knee right on the jaw!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
LaRusso trying to control the position but instead, James has worked for underhooks and has pushed LaRusso into the cage.
James with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rick James dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Johnny LaRusso's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

LaRusso moves into range and clinches up with James.
LaRusso takes an elbow to the temple.
James misses with a knee to the head.
James tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
LaRusso tries to break the clinch but James is controlling the position.
LaRusso tries to throw a body punch but James avoids it by throwing LaRusso back against the cage.
LaRusso doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
A knee to the head by James.
James creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through LaRusso's defenses.

LaRusso manages to break the clinch.
LaRusso thows a body shot but no joy.
James keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
A big right from James misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.

LaRusso rushes James and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
James lands a body punch in the clinch.
James lands a good knee to the midsection. LaRusso won't want to take too many of those.
James misses with a punch on the inside.
A quick uppercut on the inside from James.
LaRusso blocks a punch to the side of the head.
James tries to land knees in the clinch but LaRusso avoids the damage to the body.
James unloads a knee to the mid-section. LaRusso lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
James slowing the pace effectively.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
James connects with a knee to the head.
LaRusso takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

LaRusso's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

LaRusso gets in close and instigates a clinch.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
James misses with a body punch.
James connects with a knee to the head.
James cracks LaRusso with a nice body shot.
LaRusso has James pushed against the cage.
The referee calls for James to work.
James misses with a body punch.
Come on LaRusso - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
James lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!

LaRusso is rocked!
Rick James has scored more points in the clinch so far.
James misses with a knee strike.
LaRusso is still on wobbly legs! Can James finish him?
James scores with a hook to the body.
James lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of LaRusso backwards.
James is pushing LaRusso up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
LaRusso can't find room to land a body shot as James controls the action.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
James taking a breather.
James tries a knee to the head but LaRusso blocks it.
James lands with a right to the head.
James has LaRusso pressed up against the cage in a tight Thai clinch. LaRusso is arching his back, trying to avoid the knees but a big one sneaks through from James - that's hurt LaRusso badly! Oh, another knee lands and LaRusso is covering up! The referee steps in to save him - possibly a bit early but LaRusso doesn't seem to be complaining.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:19 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Knees). Rick James!
After the fight, Rick James was humble in paying tribute to his opponent but made it clear he wants to go on to bigger and better things. It seemed to go down well with the crowd who cheered him loudly.