PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between John Shiba (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Doc Rivers (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Shiba
vs
Rivers

225 cm
25
300 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

220 cm
25
270 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 1 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, John Shiba!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Doc Rivers!
The judges for this bout are Phil Schofield, Richard Clark and James Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Shiba tries to clinch up
enabling Rivers to counter with a crisp jab.
Rivers thows a left - swing and a miss!
Shiba looks to clinch
and Rivers counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Shiba wants to clinch
and Rivers counters with a low kick, right behind Shiba 's knee.
Shiba tries to close the distance and clinch up but Rivers swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Shiba tries to clinch but Rivers moves away
and Rivers counters with a lovely straight right hand!
A jab from Rivers misses.
Rivers scores with a push kick.
Shiba tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Rivers counters with a good low kick that Shiba was not able to check.
Rivers circles away from the clinch attempt
and Rivers counters with an outside leg kick.
Rivers throws an overhand right that lands on Shiba's shoulder, as Shiba tries to avoid the shot.
Rivers circles away from the clinch attempt
and Rivers cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shiba closes the distance looking to clinch
and Rivers counters with a good low kick that Shiba was not able to check.
Shiba closes the distance but Rivers moves to the side
and Rivers counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Rivers thumps Shiba with a low kick.

Shiba instigates a clinch.
Shiba tries a knee to the head but Rivers blocks it.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Shiba as Rivers tries to tie him up.
Rivers dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Rivers misses with some punches.
Shiba misses with an elbow strike.
Shiba tries to land knees in the clinch but Rivers avoids the damage to the body.
Rivers throws a punch but it's blocked by Shiba.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Shiba is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Rivers is defending well for now.
Rivers blocks the elbow strike.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Shiba just misses with a elbow thrown towards Rivers's brow.
Shiba using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Rivers has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
A battle for position here, against the cage.

Rivers breaks from the clinch.
Shiba tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Rivers connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

Shiba clinches.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Rivers blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Shiba keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Rivers's efforts to push away.
Shiba tries to land knees in the clinch but Rivers avoids the damage to the body.
Rivers dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Shiba tries a knee to the head but Rivers blocks it.
Shiba creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rivers taking a breather.
Shiba lands a nice elbow.

It looks like Doc Rivers has been cut.
Shiba missing with knees to the body.
Rivers wants to break the clinch but can't.
Shiba tries to land a knee to the head but Rivers blocks with his arms.
Rivers blocks an elbow strike from Shiba.
Shiba tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Rivers avoids it.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Rivers.
Shiba utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Rivers looks winded!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Shiba creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Rivers lands with a left to the head.
Rivers blocks the elbow strike.
Rivers tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Shiba trying to land knees to the body.
Rivers scores with a shoulder strike.
Shiba creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Rivers's defenses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Shiba is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Rivers is defending well for now.
Shiba trying to land knees to the body.
Rivers avoids a wild elbow strike from Shiba.
Shiba is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Rivers is defending well for now.
Shiba tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Rivers swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Shiba tries a knee to the head but Rivers blocks it.
Shiba creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Rivers tries a body shot but Shiba blocks it.
Rivers slowing the pace effectively.
Shiba throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Rivers blocks it with crossed arms.
Shiba missing with knees to the body.
Rivers blocks the elbow strike.
Rivers avoids a wild elbow strike from Shiba.
Rivers dodges an elbow strike from Shiba.
Shiba misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Rivers.
Rivers misses with a body punch.

That's five minutes gone in the round.
Rivers on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Shiba misses with a knee strike.
Rivers avoids a wild elbow strike from Shiba.
Shiba using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Rivers has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Rivers misses with the head strike.
Rivers has had enough of the clinch but Shiba keeps him there for the moment.
Shiba tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Rivers avoids it.
Rivers scores with a shoulder strike.
Shiba prevents Rivers from breaking the clinch.
Shiba is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Rivers is defending well for now.
Shiba blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Rivers misses with a hook to the ribs.
Rivers tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Shiba tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Rivers avoids it.

Rivers breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Rivers lands a front kick.
Shiba is looking to clinch but Rivers is avoiding it.

That's six minutes gone in the round.
Shiba tries to clinch
and Rivers connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Good shot there by Rivers.
Shiba moves to clinch but Rivers breaks away
and Rivers cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Shiba tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Rivers manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Rivers getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Rivers throws out a leg kick but Shiba moves out of range and Rivers only half commits.
Rivers is landing a lot of head punches in this opening round! Shiba had better start moving his head a bit unless he wants his face to turn into pâté.
Rivers misses with a looping left.
Shiba tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Rivers makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Shiba tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Rivers manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Rivers misses with a head kick.
Shiba moves out of range of the strikes.
Rivers throws a looping overhand right but Shiba ducks down to avoid it.
Shiba tries to close the distance and clinch but Rivers swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.
Shiba tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Rivers paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Rivers looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
The fight stays on the outside here - Shiba looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Shiba tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Rivers counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Shiba tries to clinch up
and Rivers counters with a right hand to the body.
Shiba is looking to clinch.
Shiba on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Rivers. Rivers obviously looking to wear him down.
Shiba is looking to clinch.
Shiba moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Shiba tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Rivers manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Rivers pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Shiba moves to clinch but Rivers breaks away
and Rivers makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.

That's eight minutes gone in the round.
Rivers circles away from the clinch attempt
and Rivers counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Shiba moves to clinch but Rivers breaks away
and Shiba takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Rivers throws a nice inside leg kick.
Rivers scores with a jab to the jaw.
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!
Rivers misses with a lunging right hand
and Shiba counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Rivers keeps the fight on the outside.
Rivers circles away from the clinch attempt
and Rivers counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Rivers throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Shiba.
Shiba darts in trying to clinch
letting Rivers counter with a right hand.

That's nine minutes gone in the round.
Shiba is looking to clinch.
Shiba tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Rivers swats away the attempt to clinch by Shiba.
Shiba tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Rivers counters with a nice leg kick.
Shiba closes the distance looking to clinch
and Rivers counters with a stiff right hand.
Shiba darts in trying to clinch
and Rivers counters with a one-two to the body.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Shiba on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Rivers lands a nice looking body shot.
Shiba tries to clinch
and Rivers counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Shiba tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Rivers makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. Shiba really felt that one!

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to John Shiba.
I think Shiba has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Phil Schofield scores the fight for John Shiba!
Judge Richard Clark scores the fight as a draw!
Judge James Glass scores the fight as a draw!

The fight ends as a draw!