PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Killian Connolly (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Pat Foley (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.

Connolly
vs
Foley

175 cm
23
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

170 cm
23
153 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Self confident

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Killian Connolly!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Pat Foley!
The judges for this bout are Thiago Cunha, Leandro Rodrigues and Emerson Jorge.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Connolly fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Foley avoids it really well and circles away.
Foley looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Connolly is fending him off so far but Foley persists. Nope, Connolly circles away and we're back to standing.
Foley uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Connolly.
Foley tries to close the distance and clinch but Connolly swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Connolly avoids a punch combination nicely.
Foley throws a nice looking combination but Connolly bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Connolly is looking to clinch.
Foley misses with a takedown

and Connolly counters with a takedown into side control! That could mean trouble for Foley!

Connolly stands up and we're back to a striking position.
Connolly buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Connolly fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Connolly dodges the punch combination from Foley.
Foley throws a solid leg kick but Connolly takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Foley.
Connolly lands a high kick!

Connolly changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Foley looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Connolly moves into full mount!
Foley is squirming around, avoiding Connolly's attempts to control the action.
Foley holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Connolly tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Connolly looking to control but Foley is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Foley wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
Foley holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Connolly tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
Connolly controlling the position easily from mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Connolly trying to control but Foley is having none of it.
Foley is trying to escape the mount.

Connolly is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Foley has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Foley!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Connolly is looking to stand up but Foley isn't so interested in that idea.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Killian Connolly just wasn't active enough.
Connolly stuffs the takedown.
Killian Connolly has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Pat Foley.
Foley looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Foley throws a right hand that Connolly ducks under and follows up with a left that Connolly also avoids with ease.
Foley fails with a takedown attempt.
Foley shoots in but Connolly avoids the takedown attempt easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Killian Connolly dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Connolly dodges the punch combination from Foley.
Connolly looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Foley is fending him off so far but Connolly persists. Nope, Foley circles away and we're back to standing.

Connolly moves into the clinch.
Foley swings wildly with an uppercut but Connolly uses good head movement to avoid it.

Connolly escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Foley looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Connolly is fending him off so far but Foley persists. Nope, Connolly circles away and we're back to standing.
Connolly tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Connolly looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Connolly will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Connolly pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Foley tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Connolly manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
A combination from Foley does no damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Connolly showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Foley.
Foley fails with a takedown attempt.
Foley throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Connolly.
Foley is breathing heavily.
Foley looks to land a combination but Connolly avoids it well.
Connolly is looking to clinch.
Foley looks to clinch

and Connolly counters by moving into the clinch.
Connolly drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Killian Connolly. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Connolly fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Foley keeps control of Connolly as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

Connolly has Foley pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Connolly pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Foley tumbling to the mat - Connolly dives into Foley's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Foley looking to control.
Connolly is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Foley avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Foley looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Killian Connolly.
Connolly swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Foley swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Connolly lands a leg kick that knocks Foley off balance momentarily.
Connolly has his takedown stuffed
and Foley cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Foley swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Connolly makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Killian Connolly is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Foley fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Connolly moves in looking to clinch but Foley pushes him off.
Connolly goes for a double leg but Foley avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Foley continues to drive forward.

Connolly pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Foley tries for a takedown but Connolly circles away easily
and Connolly counters with a good, hard body kick but Foley shrugs it off.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Connolly tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Foley swivels and escapes.
Some wild striking there from Foley.

Foley gets caught napping as Connolly dives in and scores a takedown. Foley manages to retain guard.
Connolly trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
This has been an exciting period of action!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Connolly trying to control the position from guard on top but Foley is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Killian Connolly dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Foley bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Connolly's head.
Connolly looks for a takedown but Foley sprawls well.
Connolly fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Connolly fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Killian Connolly. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Connolly dives in and grabs Foley's left leg, looking for a takedown. Foley pushes down on Connolly's head and hops out.
Foley tries for a takedown but Connolly sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Foley looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Foley wants to land a leg kick but Connolly is out of range.
Foley misses with a few strikes there.
Connolly tries to clinch but Foley is having none of it.
Connolly showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Foley.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Connolly wants to clinch up but Foley keeps it at a distance.
Connolly shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Foley sprawls well. Foley wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Connolly gets slowly back to his feet.
Foley tries to clinch but Connolly is having none of it.
Foley lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Connolly circles away quickly and effectively.
Foley throws a front kick aimed at Connolly's knee but Connolly avoids it well.
An inside leg kick from Foley misses.
Connolly dives in and grabs Foley's left leg, looking for a takedown. Foley pushes down on Connolly's head and hops out.
Foley misses with a series of wild punches.
Foley throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A punch combination from Foley misses.
Foley throws a nice looking combination but Connolly bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Foley throws a combination that misses

and Connolly counters by moving into the clinch.

Connolly gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Foley regains guard.
Connolly trying to control the position from guard on top but Foley is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Killian Connolly wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Connolly fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Connolly avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Foley shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Connolly eats them both and turns towards Foley to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Foley's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Foley duly obliges.
Horrible takedown by Connolly or perhaps it was just good defense by Foley which made him look bad.
Foley stuffs the takedown attempt from Connolly. Connolly gets slowly back to his feet.
Foley keeps the fight on the outside.
Foley keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Foley shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Connolly changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Foley looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Connolly throws a strike aimed at the side of Foley's head but Foley avoids it well.
Pat Foley has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Connolly taking a break here but Foley is having none of it and regains half guard.
Connolly tries to stand and escape but Foley is controlling the position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Foley wants to improve his position but Connolly is controlling well.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Ground and pound from Connolly.

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 Killian Connolly.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Connolly, 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 Thiago Cunha scores the fight for Killian Connolly!
Judge Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight for Killian Connolly!
Judge Emerson Jorge scores the fight for Killian Connolly!

Killian Connolly wins by unanimous decision!
Killian Connolly made sure to give a little speech post fight, saying 'I BELONG TO JESUS'.