PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Rob Hogan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Chris Li (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chris Li is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Hogan
vs
Li

178 cm
19
170 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

188 cm
19
175 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Rob Hogan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Chris Li!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Jack Bonds and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Li wants to clinch up but Hogan keeps it at a distance.
Li changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Hogan tries to avoid it but Li manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Hogan to the ground. Hogan escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Hogan takes a head kick and keeps coming.

It looks like Rob Hogan has been cut.

Hogan throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Li tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Hogan is in Li's guard.
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.
Hogan wants to control from the top but Li keeps moving.

Hogan decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Hogan closes this distance looking for a takedown but Li circles away.
Li shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Hogan sprawls well. Hogan wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Li gets slowly back to his feet.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Hogan tries to break free but Li pushes him back against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hogan fails to pull guard.
Hogan is looking to break free of the clinch but Li has double underhooks.

Li breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Hogan wants to clinch up but Li keeps it at a distance.
Li fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Hogan avoids it really well and circles away.
Rob Hogan has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Chris Li.

Hogan closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Li's guard.
Li will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Li has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

Hogan stands up from Li's guard - Hogan perhaps looking for a knockout.
Hogan fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Li drives through with a takedown into Hogan's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Li trying to control but Hogan is working from the bottom.

Li stands up and waves to Hogan to follow him.
Hogan is breathing heavily.
Li wants to clinch up but Hogan keeps it at a distance.
Hogan shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Li as he jumps to the side.
No joy there for Li, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Li shoots for a double leg takedown but Hogan sprawls well. He's pushed Li's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Hogan shoots in looking for a takedown. Li tries to sprawl out of it but Hogan keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Li manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

Li tries to sprawl but Hogan drives through with a takedown into half guard.

Li makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!
Li closes the distance and clinches up with Hogan, looking for a takedown. Li pushes Hogan against the cage but Hogan circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Li takes a swing at Hogan's ribcage but misses.
Li shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Hogan defends it nicely.
Li fails to land the takedown.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Hogan throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Li tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Hogan is in Li's guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Li lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Hogan!
Li thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
Hogan is working to get back to half guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Li controlling from the full mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Rob Hogan will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Rob Hogan's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Li moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Hogan tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Li paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Hogan goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Li fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Rob Hogan is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Hogan throws a nice head kick!
Li misses with a series of wild punches.
Hogan fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Hogan misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hogan is looking to clinch but Li is avoiding it.
Hogan takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Hogan looks for the body kick but Li saw that one coming.

Hogan gets tackled into the cage by Li. Li maintains the clinch.
Hogan tries to pull guard but Li forces him back to his feet, against the cage.

Li pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Hogan displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Li.
Hogan looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rob Hogan. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Li shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Hogan but Hogan pushes him off and we're back to square one.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hogan falls off balance throwing a combination
and Li counters with a big head kick but Hogan shrugs it off.
Li thumps Hogan with a low kick.
Li throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Li works over Hogan's head and body with a nice combination.
Li shoots in but no luck this time.

Li moves into the clinch.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Li breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Hogan fails to land the takedown.
Li shoots for a double leg takedown but Hogan sprawls well. He's pushed Li's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Chris Li seems to be getting the better of the standup.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hogan tries to clinch there but Li circles away.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Hogan is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Li taking a break, stalling in the clinch.

Li breaks from the clinch.
Li slaps away a takedown attempt from Hogan, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Li shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Hogan pinned against the cage. Hogan gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Li closes this distance looking for a takedown but Hogan circles away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hogan throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Li lands a jab to Hogan's midsection.
Li connects with a body shot.
Li will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Hogan listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Li closes the distance and clinches up with Hogan, looking for a takedown. Li pushes Hogan against the cage but Hogan circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Hogan avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Hogan fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Li, pushing him back against the cage.
Li has Hogan pressed against the cage, preventing Hogan from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Chris Li showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Rob Hogan's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Li closes the distance but Hogan moves to the side
and Hogan counters with a head kick. That will keep Li thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
Li shoots in but Hogan avoids the takedown attempt easily.

Li rushes Hogan and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Hogan is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Li gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.

Li jumps guard.
Li is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Li keeping full guard, as Hogan tries to pass.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Hogan preventing the sweep.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hogan trying to control but Li is working from the bottom.
Hogan postures up in Li's guard and throws a big left but Li blocks it.
Hogan trying to control the position from guard on top but Li is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Rob Hogan has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Li checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Li scores with a jab. Hogan acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Hogan looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Li is fending him off so far but Hogan persists. Nope, Li circles away and we're back to standing.
Li fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Li shoots in but Hogan avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Rob Hogan has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Chris Li.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Hogan will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Hogan tries to clinch but Li is having none of it.

Hogan gets tackled into the cage by Li. Li maintains the clinch.
Li avoiding damage.
Hogan misses with a short punch on the inside.

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

Li takes the fight into the clinch.
Li prevents Hogan from breaking the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A frustrated look appears on Hogan's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Li is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.

Li has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Hogan uses from the top position.
Li wants to sweep here but Hogan controlling him for the moment.
Li has control of Hogan's left arm, preventing Hogan from doing any damage.
Hogan stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Li swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Hogan has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hogan trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Hogan with a flurry of punches that miss.
Li looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Hogan wants to stand but Li has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Li is pulling down on Hogan's head to control his posture.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Li takes the fight into the clinch.
Hogan tries to pull guard but Li forces him back to his feet, against the cage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Chris Li comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Li 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 Don Winkell scores the fight 28:30
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 28:29
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 28:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Chris Li!