PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Joe Saunders (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Haji Muakbar (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Saunders's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Avenged Sevenfold - Hail to the King. The crowd seem to be enjoying Muakbar's choice of entrance music: That Punjabi Jay-Z song. 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.

Saunders
vs
Muakbar

178 cm
26
165 lbs
14 - 11 - 0

171 cm
31
169 lbs
20 - 13 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Very quick

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

KO Clothing

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 14 - 11 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Joe Saunders!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 20 - 13 - 0, fighting out of New York, Haji Muakbar!
The judges for this bout are John Roberts, Bruno Lombardi and Alyssa Summers.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Saunders keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Muakbar tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Saunders was well out of range. Poor timing from Muakbar.
Muakbar connects with a nice looking jab.
Saunders throws a body kick that misses.
Saunders has been working on his boxing with his coaches at DJs Locker in the buildup to the fight.
Muakbar takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Saunders shoots for a takedown but Muakbar saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Saunders moves out of range of the strikes.
Muakbar has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.
A looping hook to the body misses from Muakbar. Saunders does a little dance to reset his feet.
Muakbar smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Saunders staying out of range there.
Saunders is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Muakbar.
Muakbar misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Saunders.
Saunders throws a push kick but Muakbar slaps the foot to one side.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Muakbar fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Saunders manages to avoid it.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Saunders.
Saunders throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A decent looking cross lands there for Muakbar.
Haji Muakbar seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Saunders misses with a few strikes there.
Saunders tries a low kick but Muakbar avoids it.
Muakbar with a hook.
Muakbar moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Muakbar lands a glancing blow to the side of Saunders's head.

Saunders is rocked!

Muakbar changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Saunders looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Oh Saunders is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Saunders struggling a bit here.
Muakbar is trying to move to mount but Saunders reverses beautifully and ends up in Muakbar's guard.
Saunders seems to have got his legs back now.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Saunders being controlled here momentarily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Muakbar is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Saunders throws a big elbow that misses.
Saunders trying to control the position from guard on top but Muakbar is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Saunders preventing the sweep.
Muakbar preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Muakbar has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Saunders trying to control the position from guard on top but Muakbar is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Nice uppercut lands for Muakbar. That snapped Saunders's head back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Muakbar connects with the punch.
Muakbar connects with a crisp jab.
Muakbar throws a looping overhand right but Saunders ducks down to avoid it.
Muakbar is landing a lot of head punches in this opening round! Saunders had better start moving his head a bit unless he wants his face to turn into pâté.
Muakbar throws a series of punches but Saunders moves out of range.
Saunders throws a sloppy head kick and Muakbar moves out of range easily.
Saunders throws a half hearted mid kick.
Muakbar fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Muakbar tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Saunders defends well and Muakbar ends up having to push Saunders into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Saunders blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Saunders scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Muakbar throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Saunders blocks it with crossed arms.
Muakbar fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Saunders.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A short body shot lands from Saunders as the two fighters clinch.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Saunders breaks from the clinch.
Muakbar connects with a body shot that sends Saunders's belly button to the back.
Muakbar takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Saunders walks into a straight right hand from Muakbar.
Muakbar misses with an uppercut
enabling Saunders to counter with a crisp jab.
Muakbar scores with a shot to the body.
Saunders shoots in for a takedown but Muakbar shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Joe Saunders. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Muakbar fails to land with a series of punches.
Muakbar tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Saunders misses with a looping right.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Muakbar fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Saunders manages to avoid it.
Muakbar shoots in but no luck this time.
Saunders scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Haji Muakbar dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Saunders needs to keep his hands up - Muakbar had a free shot at his head there.
Saunders throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Muakbar is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Saunders.
Saunders throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Saunders throws a wild body kick that Muakbar sees coming a mile off.
Saunders blocks a jab.
Saunders on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Saunders misses with a takedown
and Muakbar counters with a stiff right hand.
Muakbar clobbers Saunders with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Saunders misses with a wild combination.
Muakbar blocks the body kick.
Muakbar steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Saunders.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Muakbar misses with a two punch combination.
Muakbar lands with a good body shot.
Saunders misses with a wild combination.
Muakbar looks to throw the jab but Saunders is out of range.
Good work by Saunders as he checks the leg kick.
Muakbar throws a lazy uppercut
letting Saunders counter with a right hand.
Joe Saunders is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Muakbar fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Saunders moves out of range of the strikes.

Muakbar drives through with a takedown into guard.
Muakbar throwing strikes but missing.
Muakbar throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Saunders works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Muakbar has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Muakbar trying to control the position from guard on top but Saunders is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Saunders preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Saunders looking for a sweep. Not yet Saunders, not yet.
Muakbar trying to control the position from guard on top but Saunders is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Muakbar slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Haji Muakbar hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Muakbar wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Muakbar throws an overhand right that lands on Saunders's shoulder, as Saunders tries to avoid the shot.
Left hook, right uppercut from Muakbar.

It looks like Joe Saunders has been cut.
Muakbar throws a solid leg kick but Saunders takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Muakbar.
Saunders misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Saunders throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Muakbar jabs Saunders right on the nose. Saunders blinks but takes it well.
Saunders keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Saunders just misses with a punch to the body.
Muakbar tries to land a leg kick but Saunders saw it coming and moves away.
Muakbar throws a left jab followed by a right to the body, Oh Saunders colapses and takes a barrage of punches from Muakbar as he moves to mount! the ref stops the fight and Saunders is left battered and dazed whilst Muakbar and his camp cheer!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:05 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Haji Muakbar!
Haji Muakbar was full of energy after the big win and talked about how he thinks he can do big things in this sport. The crowd were appreciative of his determination to succeed.