PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight kickboxing rules bout between Justin Case (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bill Lib (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). 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.

Case
vs
Lib

160 cm
25
133 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

150 cm
25
132 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

Brawler
Good chin

Brawler
Prefers standup

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Justin Case!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Bill Lib!
The judges for this bout are David Schapiro, Steve Montenegro and Columbo Gatti.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Lib clinches up with Case and pushes him back against the ropes.
Case looking to slow down the pace here.
Lib avoiding damage.
Case is trying to break the clinch but Lib is controlling him.
Case is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the ropes.
Lib wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Case keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Lib's efforts to push away.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Case.
Case is trying to break the clinch but Lib has him pressed against the ropes.
Case is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lib prevents Case from breaking the clinch.
Case is trying to break the clinch but Lib is controlling him.
Lib wants to break the clinch but can't.
Lib tries to land a knee to the head but Case blocks with his arms.

Lib breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Case is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Lib rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Case moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Lib misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Lib throws a sloppy head kick and Case moves out of range easily.
Case keeps the fight on the outside.
Lib circles away from the clinch attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lib looks to land a combination but Case avoids it well.
Case avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Case thows a body kick. Lib tries to catch it but that hurt him.
Lib wants to clinch up but Case keeps it at a distance.
Case misses with the combination.
Lib tries to close the distance and clinch but Case swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Case has taken the fight to the clinch.
Lib throws an elbow that misses.

Lib escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Nice defenses there by Lib.

Lib clinches up with Case and pushes him back against the ropes.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Lib misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Case.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lib is trying to force a seperation but Case has the dominant position.
Case tries to circle away but Lib has him pinned against the ropes.
Case throws a head punch that misses.
Lib is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Case is keeping busy.
Lib is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the ropes.
Lib tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

Case pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Lib looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Lib changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Case throws a sloppy head kick and Lib moves out of range easily.
Lib walks into a stiff left hand from Case.
Lib throws out a powerful jab.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Case tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Lib paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Lib misses with a few strikes there.
Case tries to clinch up.
A bone on bone clash there as Lib blocks the leg kick.
Case tries to clinch up but Lib circles away and keeps his distance.
Lib misses with a combination
and Case counters with a big head kick but Lib shrugs it off.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
A kick lands to the mid section there for Case.

Lib has closed the distance and engaged Case in a clinch.

Case's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Case avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Lib swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Lib misses the shot to the body.
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 Justin Case will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Case tries to clinch but Lib moves out of range.

Case gets a clinch.
Case wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Lib wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
A short uppercut from Lib.
Case wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

Lib pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Case tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Lib is looking to clinch.
Lib misses the jab.
Case ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Lib moves away.
Lib moves in looking to clinch but Case pushes him off.
Case wants to clinch.
Justin Case is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Lib goes for a high kick. It partially lands.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Case is looking to clinch but Lib is avoiding it.
Case falls off balance throwing a combination

and Lib counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Case is trying to push Lib away but Lib has him pressed against the ropes, so he's going nowhere.
A nice right hand lands inside from Lib.
Lib blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

Lib breaks from the clinch.

Case rushes Lib and presses him up against the ropes.
Lib blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Case has Lib pressed against the ropes, preventing Lib from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Case avoiding damage as Lib throws knees to the body.
Case tries to break the clinch but Lib is controlling the position.
Lib wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Case wants to get back to striking at distance but Lib won't allow it.
Lib blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Case is trying to break the clinch but Lib is controlling him.
Case has Lib pressed against the ropes, preventing Lib from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Lib as Case tries to tie him up.
Lib on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Case tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Lib wants to get back to striking at distance but Case won't allow it.
Case blocks the elbow strike.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lib scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Justin Case has scored more points in the clinch so far.

Case breaks the clinch.
Lib throws a series of punches but Case moves out of range.
Lib avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Case gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Lib throws a knee to the head but misses.

Lib breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Case pivots, looking for a leg kick but Lib is out of range and Case settles back down.

Lib clinches with his opponent.
Case is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Lib is keeping busy.
Lib throws an elbow that misses.
Case's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.

Lib manages to break the clinch.
Case clobbers Lib with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Justin Case is winning the standup battle so far.
Case fails to land with a series of punches.
Case looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

Lib moves into the clinch successfully.
Case has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Case wants to stall.
Lib is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the ropes.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Case breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Case throws a nice outside leg kick.
Case misses with a body kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Justin Case will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Case tries to clinch up but Lib circles away and keeps his distance.
Case keeps the fight on the outside.
Case tries to clinch up.
Case closes the distance but Lib moves to the side
and Lib counters with a two punch combo.

Lib has taken the fight to the clinch.
Lib is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the ropes.
Lib takes an elbow to the forehead.
Lib wants to break free but Case has control.
Lib lands a right hand.
Lib is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the ropes.
Case is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the ropes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lib slowing the pace effectively.

Lib breaks from the clinch.

Case gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Case keeps control of Lib as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

Case's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Left hook, right uppercut from Lib.
Case tries to clinch but Lib moves out of range.
Case moves in looking to clinch but Lib pushes him off.
Case throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Case slips a jab and a cross from Lib.
Case with a body punch. A glancing blow.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lib moves out of range of the body kick.
Lib rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Case moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Case tries to clinch up.
Lib tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Case throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Case lands the left hand.
Lib swats away the attempt to clinch by Case.
Lib tries to clinch up but Case circles away and keeps his distance.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Case checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Case lands with a nice body kick.
Case misses with a double jab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lib is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Lib gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Lib keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Case's efforts to push away.
Case tries to circle away but Lib has him pinned against the ropes.
Lib letting Case take a breather here.
Lib trying to land knees to the body.
Lib misses with a punch to the body.
Lib trying to land knees to the body.
Lib wants to break the clinch but can't.
Case is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Lib is defending well for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Case is trying to stall.
Case wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Lib is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the ropes.
Case is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the ropes.
Lib tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Case is looking to break free of the clinch but Lib has double underhooks.
Case wants to break the clinch but can't.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Case lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Lib as Case tries to tie him up.
Bill Lib has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Justin Case is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Lib with an attempt at a knee that misses.

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 Justin Case.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Case, 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 David Schapiro scores the fight 30:29
Judge Steve Montenegro scores the fight 27:30
Judge Columbo Gatti scores the fight 30:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Justin Case!