PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Zhelin Li (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mark Stepp (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Li
vs
Stepp

171 cm
26
160 lbs
0 - 2 - 1

174 cm
21
164 lbs
3 - 3 - 1

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter fighter
Very strong

Decent wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

Milwaukee's Best 160 SALE $140

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 - 2 - 1, fighting out of Los Angeles, Zhelin Li!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 3 - 1, fighting out of Los Angeles, Mark Stepp!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, Jack Bonds and Don Winkell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Li goes for a double leg but Stepp avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Stepp continues to drive forward.
Li is trying to pull guard but Stepp has him pressed against the cage.

Stepp breaks the clinch.
Li walks into a straight right hand from Stepp.
Stepp looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Stepp throws a series of punches but Li avoids them all with ease.
Stepp misses with a two punch combination.
Stepp lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Stepp looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Stepp displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Li throws out the jab.
A cross from Stepp lands.
Stepp with a hook.
Stepp scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Li fails with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Zhelin Li. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Stepp throws a right and a left that both miss.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Stepp tries to bum rush Li with a series of wild strikes but Li uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Stepp's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Stepp duly obliges.
Li avoids a punch combination nicely.
The fight stays on the outside here - Li looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Stepp falls off balance throwing a combination
and Li counters with a nice body shot.
Li avoids a punch combination nicely.

Li drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.

Li goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Stepp rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Li's guard! Nice work there by Stepp!
Li has improved his flexibility recently so we will have to see if he can use that to his advantage.
Li is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Li has a closed guard, preventing Stepp from standing up.
Li is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Li is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Stepp slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Li has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.

Li fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Stepp, pushing him back against the cage.
Li is trying to pull guard but Stepp turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Stepp prevents a takedown attempt there.
Li is trying to pull guard but Stepp turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Li is trying to pull guard but Stepp turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Li tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Stepp just stands there and leans against the cage.
Li is trying to pull guard but Stepp has him pressed against the cage.
Li is trying to pull guard but Stepp has him pressed against the cage.
Li changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Stepp fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Stepp misses with a double jab.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Stepp dips to his left and cracks Li with an uppercut!
Li showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Stepp.
Li fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Li dodges the punch combination from Stepp.
Stepp misses with the combination.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Stepp throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mark Stepp dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Li takes one to the side of the head.
Stepp slaps away a takedown attempt from Li, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Li shoots in and drives through. Stepp sprawls well.
Nice body punch from Stepp.
Stepp rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Li moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Nice takedown defense from Stepp. No joy for Li on that attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Zhelin Li. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Stepp throws a right and a left that Li avoids nicely.
Li gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Stepp.
Nice jab there from Stepp.
Stepp throws a right and a left that both miss.
Stepp lands a two punch combo.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Li goes for a double leg but Stepp avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Stepp continues to drive forward.

Stepp's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Mark Stepp seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Stepp misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Stepp misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Stepp throws a right hand that Li ducks under and follows up with a left that Li also avoids with ease.
Stepp misses with a few strikes there.
Stepp throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Li drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Li misses with a double jab
and Stepp counters with a left and a right that stings Li.
Li throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Stepp is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Li.
Stepp circles away from the clinch attempt
and Stepp counters with a left to the body.
Stepp lands a jab-cross combination.
Li closes the distance looking to clinch
and Stepp counters with a left and a right that stings Li.
A cross from Stepp lands.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Li tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Stepp misses with a hook to the body
and Li counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Stepp misses with a two punch combination.
Stepp swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Li counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Sloppy strikes from Li. Those never looked like landing.
Stepp tries to bum rush Li with a series of wild strikes but Li uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Stepp getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Mark Stepp seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Li fails with an attempt to clinch.
Stepp misses with the combination.
Stepp throws a lazy right hand but Li sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Stepp lands a jab to the head.
Stepp sizes up Li with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Stepp throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Li.
Stepp sizes up Li with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Li gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Stepp tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Li was well out of range. Poor timing from Stepp.
Stepp with a jab.
Stepp misses with a double jab.
A looping hook to the body misses from Stepp. Li does a little dance to reset his feet.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Stepp rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Li moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Stepp throws a series of punches but Li moves out of range.
Stepp fails to land with a series of punches.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mark Stepp showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Stepp lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Stepp.
Stepp throws a right hand that Li ducks under and follows up with a left that Li also avoids with ease.
Stepp throws a hook but Li avoids it easily.
Stepp misses with a two punch combination.
Stepp misses with a wild combination.

Li closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Stepp did well to prevent Li getting side control.

Li wants to work for an arm triangle but Stepp is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Li looks to land a strike but Stepp avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
Li tries to free his leg and advance position but Stepp is retaining full guard.

Li drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Stepp manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Li has Stepp in his guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Li escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Stepp gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Li is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Li looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Li is looking to sweep but instead, Stepp has passed into half guard.
Li is looking to improve his position.
Stepp is looking to advance position but Li won't allow it.
Stepp really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Li. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Stepp seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.
Stepp is looking to advance position but Li won't allow it.
Li tries to roll over but Stepp keeps him under control.
Li moves into full guard.
Stepp won't allow Li to sweep him here.
Stepp is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Zhelin Li overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Stepp avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

Stepp is trying to tuck his arms in to keep them safe but Li has managed to isolate one of them and has got a loose triangle. Stepp is looking to defend but Li has done well to lock his legs together - this could be big trouble for Stepp! Li pulls down on the head and a little smile comes across his face - he knows he's got it. Yep, Stepp taps out and this one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:57 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle). Zhelin Li!