PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between JP Rizal (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Chris Chelios (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). On his way into the cage it seems that JP Rizal has been attacked by a crazed fan! It looks like it might have been the just bleed guy! Luckily JP Rizal seems to be OK! I thought that lunatic was in prison!?

Rizal
vs
Chelios

175 cm
19
155 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

184 cm
21
165 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Prefers ground

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Solid chin

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, JP Rizal!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Chris Chelios!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Shimada, Shigeki Sano and Yukihiro Yamamoto.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Chelios closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Rizal to the mat! Rizal manages to get full guard.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Chelios trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Chelios accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Chelios connects with a couple of short punches.
Chelios content to stall in guard here.
Chelios being controlled here momentarily.
Chelios tries to free his leg and advance position but Rizal is retaining full guard.
Chelios trying to control the position from guard on top but Rizal is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Chelios is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Rizal is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Rizal has escaped and now he's on top!
Chelios tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Chelios has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Rizal can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rizal is stalling in the full guard.
Rizal has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Rizal would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Rizal trying to move into half guard but instead Chelios has managed to sweep!
Chelios being controlled here momentarily.
Rizal controls Chelios momentarily but Chelios frees himself.
Chelios trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Chelios looks gassed!
Rizal looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Chelios drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Rizal dives on top into guard.
Rizal sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Chelios's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rizal content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Rizal tries to stand but his arm is trapped.
Rizal is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Chelios is not content to let Rizal control the position.
Rizal is thwarting Chelios's attempts to control the position.
Rizal wants to take a breather but Chelios is having none of it.
Chelios is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Rizal's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Rizal's back!
Rizal wants to escape the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Chelios struggling to land strikes to the head as Rizal covers up.

Rizal is in a bad position with Chelios working for a choke. Rizal manages to spin nicely into guard and the danger is over for the moment.
Rizal showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Chelios will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Chelios throwing strikes off his back to little effect.

Chelios has his foot on Rizal's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Rizal works his way back into a safe position though.
Chelios looking for a sweep. Not yet Chelios, not yet.
Chelios is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Chelios striking off his back, scoring a few points.
Chelios wants to sweep here but Rizal controlling him for the moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Chelios manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Rizal manages to get himself to full guard.
Chelios has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Chelios pushes down on Rizal's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Rizal avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Chelios.
Chelios is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Rizal is looking to improve his position.
Chelios missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Chelios tries to pass to full mount but Rizal defends it.

Chelios seems to be looking for submissions.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Chris Chelios dominated that round.
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.

Rizal tries to clinch there but Chelios circles away.
Chelios ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Rizal moves away.

Chelios drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Rizal looking for a sweep. Not yet Rizal, not yet.
Rizal controls Chelios momentarily but Chelios frees himself.
Chelios works over Rizal with some ground and pound from guard.
Rizal has momentary wrist control but Chelios slips an elbow through the middle.
Rizal wants to sweep here but Chelios controlling him for the moment.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Chelios accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Rizal doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Chelios counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Rizal tries to kick Chelios off but Chelios keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Chelios sitting and controlling from the half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rizal wants to improve his position but Chelios is controlling well.
Chelios tries to stand and escape but Rizal is controlling the position.
Rizal blocking the ground and pound attempt from Chelios.
Rizal wants to control but Chelios is keeping busy.
The fighters are battling for position here. Rizal manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Chelios stands up over Rizal, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Chelios pushes down on Rizal's leg and manages to get into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Chelios tries to pass the half guard into mount. Rizal knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Chelios working the head and body with strikes.
Chelios is thwarting Rizal's attempts to control the position.
Chelios sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Rizal defending well though.
Rizal is pressing down on Chelios's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Chelios pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Rizal is keeping the position for now.
Rizal controlling the position.
Rizal is trying to control the position but Chelios postures up.
Chelios wants to control from the top but Rizal keeps moving.
Chelios stops Rizal from standing up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rizal is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Rizal misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Chelios tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Rizal moves into the clinch.

Rizal gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Chelios moves into full guard.
Chelios bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Rizal's guard.

Chelios gets to his feet - Rizal follows without any prompting.
Rizal swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Chelios misses with a takedown
and Rizal counters with a left and a right that stings Chelios.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Chelios shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

so Rizal counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Chris Chelios has got the better of the ground game so far.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Chelios looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Chelios can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Rizal controls the pace.

Chelios had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Rizal is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Chelios Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Rizal's back instead.
Rizal controlling the position well but he knows he's in a bad position.
Rizal just trying to survive but Chelios is wriggling into a better position, looking to finish.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Chelios has his opponent's back and is working for the choke.
Chelios throwing wild punches that miss their target.
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 JP Rizal will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Rizal thows a left - swing and a miss!

Rizal has managed to clinch.
Chelios drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Chelios has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Rizal is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Rizal is working for takedown but Chelios is calmly controlling the position for now.
Chelios drops down looking for an ankle pick but Rizal pulls his leg out and moves away.
JP Rizal has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Chris Chelios.
Chelios misses with a takedown
and Rizal counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
A combination from Chelios does no damage.
Rizal wants to clinch.
Rizal misses with a double jab
and Chelios cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Chelios throws a quick inside leg kick.
Rizal fails with the takedown

and Chelios counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Chelios working some strikes from top position.
Chelios wants to pass the guard but Rizal is keeping the position.
Rizal avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Rizal is trying to keep Chelios in close.
Rizal looking to hit a scissor sweep but Chelios is one step ahead there.
Chelios working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Chelios is looking to work some ground and pound but Rizal has wrist control.
Chelios trying to control the position from guard on top but Rizal is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Chelios shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Rizal as he jumps to the side.
JP Rizal is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Rizal misses with the combination.
Chelios tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Rizal paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Rizal shoots in for a double leg but Chelios sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Nice sprawl there from Rizal as Chelios shoots in.
JP Rizal seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rizal plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!

Chelios is rocked!

Rizal closes the distance looking for a takedown. Rizal picks Chelios up and slams him brutally to the floor. Chelios is out! He's out cold! Wow, you don't see a finish like that every day!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:04 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Slam). JP Rizal!