PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Hannibal Butrovic (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kon Sai (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Sai has chosen Made In Thailand as his entrance music. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Butrovic
vs
Sai

180 cm
24
168 lbs
10 - 1 - 0

176 cm
23
162 lbs
4 - 4 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

BJJ Brown Belt
Good elbows
Granite chin

Ultra Fight Gear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 10 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Hannibal Butrovic!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 4 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Kon Sai!
The judges for this bout are Vladimir Khabensky, Valeri Chadov and Aleksei Zolotukhin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Butrovic connects with a looping right hand.
Butrovic scores with a hook to the body. Sai takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.

Sai has closed the distance and engaged Butrovic in a clinch.
Butrovic blocks an elbow strike from Sai.
Sai wants to stall.
Butrovic is looking to take this one to the mat.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Sai just misses with a elbow thrown towards Butrovic's brow.
Sai looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Butrovic is trying to break the clinch but Sai has him pressed against the cage.
Sai throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Butrovic blocks it with crossed arms.
Butrovic avoids the elbow strike from Sai, against the cage.
Sai misses with a knee strike.
Sai keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Butrovic's efforts to push away.
Sai misses with an elbow strike.
Butrovic blocks an elbow strike from Sai.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Butrovic avoids a wild elbow strike from Sai.
Butrovic blocks the elbow strike.
Butrovic makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.

Sai escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Butrovic drives through with a takedown into Sai's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Butrovic looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Butrovic throws a big elbow that misses.
Butrovic is looking to work some ground and pound but Sai has wrist control.
Butrovic with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Butrovic throwing strikes but missing.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Butrovic working some strikes from top position.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Butrovic trying to control the position from guard on top but Sai is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Butrovic working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Butrovic postures up.
Butrovic with a flurry of punches that miss.
Butrovic throws a big elbow that misses.
Butrovic wants to control from the top but Sai keeps moving.
Butrovic throws a big right hand that misses.
Butrovic has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sai looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sai managing to control the position.
Butrovic seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Butrovic thuds his right hand into Sai's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.

Butrovic closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Butrovic missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Butrovic thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Sai's head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Butrovic with the ground and pound but Sai uses the opportunity to regain guard.
Butrovic controls from within his opponent's guard.
Sai is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Butrovic pushes down on Sai's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Butrovic is looking to take a break and control but Sai is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Butrovic takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hannibal Butrovic dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Sai drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Butrovic looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Butrovic has his hands on Sai's head, controlling the position.
Butrovic throws some sloppy strikes off his back.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Butrovic lands a nice hook to Sai's body. Sai takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Sai tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Butrovic paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Sai fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sai ducks under a wild hook from Butrovic.

Butrovic scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Butrovic working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Butrovic controls the position.

Butrovic is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Sai knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
An elbow from Butrovic crashes against the mat.
Butrovic connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Sai some visible discomfort.
Sai is looking to regain half guard here but Butrovic keeps moving and retains side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Butrovic looks up at the clock and then as Sai takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Butrovic smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Sai on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Sai being controlled for a moment.
Butrovic is looking to take a break and control but Sai is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Sai is trying to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sai is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.
Butrovic looks up at the clock and then as Sai takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Butrovic smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Sai tries to wriggle free to get back to his feet but he's given up his back! Oops.
Butrovic is throwing strikes from the back here. Oh that last one was to the back of the head. Butrovic gets a warning from the referee. He throws another strike to the back of the head straight away though and the referee has seen enough. He breaks up the two fighters and stands them back up. Butrovic gets a real talking to here and is lucky not to get a point deducted. Butrovic apologises and we restart here on the feet.
Butrovic misses the shot to the body.
Butrovic thuds his right hand into Sai's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Kon Sai is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Sai.
A jab from Butrovic does it's job there.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Butrovic connects with the punch.
Sai tries to clinch up but Butrovic circles away and keeps his distance.
Nice uppercut there from Butrovic.
Sai fails with the takedown
and Butrovic counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Butrovic.
Butrovic working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Sai wants to get back to his feet but Butrovic drags him back down.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hannibal Butrovic dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Sai wants to clinch up but Butrovic keeps it at a distance.
Butrovic throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Butrovic avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Sai tries to clinch there but Butrovic circles away.

Sai scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Butrovic is looking to escape.
Butrovic is looking for a sweep. Sai is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Butrovic has his hands clasped together around Sai's back. He's all about the action.
Butrovic is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Sai's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Sai's back!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Butrovic has Sai flattened out and is raining down punches.
Sai is being controlled on the ground here - he must escape this position otherwise surely the end is near.

Butrovic working for the rear naked choke here. He's got one arm under but Sai is defending well. A couple of punches soften him up though and Butrovic has tightened the hold! This one could be all over! It is! Sai taps out!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:41 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Hannibal Butrovic!
Hannibal Butrovic managed to slip a mention for his sponsors, Amsterdam in London 95% Laundry, into his post fight interview.