PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Francois Faber (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Xin Zhao (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Zhao has chosen Heart Of Courage as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Faber
vs
Zhao

182 cm
25
215 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

190 cm
23
204 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Enjoys gardening

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Francois Faber!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Xin Zhao!
The judges for this bout are Ren Mimura, Shigeki Sano and Kenichi Hosakawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A punch combination from Zhao misses.
Faber throws a leg kick that is checked
and Zhao counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Faber looks to clinch
and Zhao counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Faber is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Faber stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Faber wants it to stay on the feet.
Faber doesn't manage to clinch there - Zhao circles away.
Zhao fails to land the takedown.
Faber connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Zhao looks to clinch
and Faber counters with a big head kick but Zhao shrugs it off.
Faber scores with a head kick.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Faber shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zhao takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Francois Faber is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Faber throws a leg kick which misses Zhao's front leg but catches the back leg as Zhao tries to avoid it.
Zhao throws a lazy head kick
and Faber counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
A head kick misses from Faber.
Faber scores with a head kick.
A good leg kick by Faber.

Faber rushes Zhao and presses him up against the cage.
Zhao goes for a takedown attempt but Faber pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Francois Faber has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Xin Zhao.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Faber throws a sloppy head kick and Zhao moves out of range easily.

Zhao closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Faber prevents Zhao from breaking the clinch.
Faber misses with an elbow over the top.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Faber working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Zhao blocking some punches.
Zhao avoids the elbow strike from Faber, against the cage.
Zhao wants to get back to striking at distance but Faber won't allow it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Faber creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Faber lands with a short shot to the head.
Faber misses with an elbow strike.
Zhao avoiding damage as Faber throws knees to the body.
Faber tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Zhao avoids it.
Zhao blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Still in the clinch, Faber scores with a nice short uppercut.
Faber throws an elbow but it misses.
Faber lands a damaging elbow.

It looks like Xin Zhao has been cut.
Faber misses with an elbow strike.
Faber misses with an elbow over the top.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Faber creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Zhao dodges an elbow strike from Faber.
Faber lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Zhao.
Zhao avoids the elbow strike from Faber, against the cage.
Faber is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Zhao is defending well for now.
Zhao wants to break free but Faber has control.
Zhao tries to circle away but Faber has him pinned against the cage.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Faber throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Faber lands an elbow inside.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Francois Faber dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Xin Zhao's cut.
That's time! Faber's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Zhao keeps the fight on the outside.
Faber dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Zhao. That did some damage!
Zhao moves into range and connects with a jab.
Zhao blocks a head kick by Faber.
Faber is looking to clinch but Zhao is avoiding it.
Zhao has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Faber.
A head kick misses from Zhao.
Faber scores with a kick to the body.
Faber throws out a leg kick but Zhao moves out of range and Faber only half commits.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A looping hook to the body misses from Zhao. Faber does a little dance to reset his feet.
Zhao tries a head kick but it misses.
Faber fails in his attempt to clinch.
Faber scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Zhao throws a sloppy head kick
and Faber makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Faber is looking to slow Zhao down with leg kicks.
Zhao's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Zhao takes a swing at Faber's ribcage but misses.
Faber tries to close the distance and clinch up but Zhao swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Faber thumps Zhao with a low kick.
Zhao is breathing heavily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Faber scores with a spinning back kick!
Francois Faber is winning the standup battle so far.
Faber lands a head kick. Zhao smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
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!
Faber fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Zhao has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.

Faber moves into range and clinches up with Zhao.
Faber throws an elbow but it misses.
A nice right hand lands inside from Faber.
Faber throws an elbow that misses.
Zhao landing knees to the head.
Faber throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Faber lands a left hand.
Faber trying to land knees to the body.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Faber just misses with a elbow thrown towards Zhao's brow.
Faber throws a punch but it's blocked by Zhao.
Zhao dodges an elbow strike from Faber.
Zhao jumps guard but Faber stands there with Zhao around his waist. Zhao gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Faber pushes off an throws an elbow but Zhao leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Faber lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Zhao backwards.
Faber throws an elbow but it misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zhao on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Faber has a couple of punches blocked by Zhao.
Faber missing with knees to the body.
With the fighters up against the cage, Faber throws an elbow but misses.
Faber swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Zhao has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Faber looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Zhao is trying to break the clinch but Faber is controlling him.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Faber lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Faber keeps control of Zhao as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Zhao blocks the elbow strike.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Francois Faber dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Xin Zhao's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Faber darts in and clinches Zhao up against the cage.
Zhao avoids the elbow strike from Faber, against the cage.

Zhao has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Faber uses from the top position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Faber showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

Francois Faber has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Zhao throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Zhao on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Faber. Faber obviously looking to wear him down.
Zhao misses with a head kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Faber tries to clinch there but Zhao circles away.
A lazy body kick from Zhao
and Faber cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Faber swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Faber misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Zhao throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Zhao blocks a head kick by Faber.
Zhao throws a hook to the side of Faber's head but Faber sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Zhao throws out a leg kick but Faber moves out of range and Zhao only half commits.
Faber connects with an inside leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Faber slaps away a takedown attempt from Zhao, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Zhao takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Zhao tries to keep at a distance but Faber has taken the fight into the clinch.
Faber throws an elbow but it misses.
Faber gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Faber throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Zhao blocks the elbow strike.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Faber just misses with a elbow thrown towards Zhao's brow.
Francois Faber has scored more points in the clinch so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Faber pushes off an throws an elbow but Zhao leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Zhao blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Faber lands a hook to the side of the head.
Zhao blocks an elbow strike.
Faber is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Zhao can do to turn this around?
Zhao blocks the elbow strike.
Faber pushes off an throws an elbow but Zhao leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Faber fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

Zhao has picked Faber up - he's going for a ride! Zhao dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Zhao wants to free his trapped foot but Faber is holding on for dear life with his legs.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zhao not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Zhao wants to take a breather but Faber is having none of it.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Xin Zhao wasn't active enough on the ground.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Faber, right into the meat.
Zhao closes the distance but Faber moves to the side
and Faber counters with a stiff right hand.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Zhao ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Xin Zhao has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Francois Faber is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Faber darts in and clinches Zhao up against the cage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Francois Faber showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Faber, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Ren Mimura scores the fight 30:27
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight 30:27
Judge Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Francois Faber!