PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Howard Li (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rick Grimes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Li
vs
Grimes

174 cm
25
180 lbs
2 - 5 - 0

182 cm
29
185 lbs
3 - 7 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Big right hand

BJJ Brown Belt
Basic striking
Good gas tank

Milwaukee's Best 160

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Howard Li!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Rick Grimes !
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, Timothy Bukovac and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Li tries to bum rush Grimes with a series of wild strikes but Grimes uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Grimes moves out of range of the strikes.
Grimes tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Li paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Li throws a series of punches but Grimes moves out of range.
Li avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Grimes tries to clinch but Li moves out of range.
Li misses with a looping right.
A looping hook to the body misses from Grimes . Li does a little dance to reset his feet.
Grimes throws a right and a left that both miss.
Grimes throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Li throws a nice looking combination but Grimes bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Li throws a series of punches but Grimes moves out of range.
Grimes is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Grimes fails with an attempt to clinch.
A left and a right from Grimes both land. Nice combination.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Li blocks a leg kick.
Li scores with a shot to the body.
Grimes moves away from the strike by Li.
Grimes throws a big shot that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Grimes fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Li, pushing him back against the cage.
Grimes has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Li is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Grimes drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Li gets the underhooks and prevents it.

Li breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Li misses with a hook. Grimes ducked under it nicely.
Li throws out a powerful jab.
Li throws a hook but Grimes avoids it easily.
A jab from Li misses.
Howard Li is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Li tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Grimes was well out of range. Poor timing from Li.
Li throws out a loose jab but Grimes uses good head movement to avoid it.
Li bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Grimes 's head.
Li works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.

Grimes is rocked!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Li misses with an uppercut. Grimes saw that one coming.
Grimes showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Li.
Li lands with a cross.
Grimes is still on wobbly legs! Can Li finish him?

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Grimes shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Li works his way to full guard. Good work.
Grimes seems to have recovered his senses.
Grimes is looking to work some ground and pound but Li has wrist control.
Li is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Grimes trying to control but Li is working from the bottom.
Grimes is fighting to break Li's control of his arms but Li is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Grimes with a flurry of punches that miss.
Grimes trying to control the position from guard on top but Li is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Grimes slips under a jab.
Li falls off balance throwing a combination
and Grimes counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Li thinking.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Grimes tries to clinch there but Li circles away.
Grimes slips a jab and a cross from Li.
Li looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Li misses with a two punch combination.
Grimes shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Li defends it nicely.
Howard Li has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rick Grimes .
Li throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Some wild striking there from Li.
A right-left combo lands from Li.
Good shot there by Li.
Li throws a series of punches but Grimes moves out of range.
Grimes is looking to clinch.
Li misses with a looping left.
Li lands with a straight right. Grimes didn't see that one coming.
Li ducks under a wild hook from Grimes .

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Grimes defending well as Li loads up on a big left hand.
Li ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Grimes moves away.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Grimes tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Li manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Li scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Li ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Grimes moves away.
Grimes wants to clinch.
Li throws a nice looking combination but Grimes bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Grimes avoids the body shot from Li.
Grimes tries to close the distance and clinch but Li swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Li connects with a right hand. Grimes shakes it off.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Grimes on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Li looks to score with a jab to the body but Grimes is just out of range.
Li throws a right hand that misses

and Grimes counters with a nice double leg into side control. Li won't be happy with that.
Grimes is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Li will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.

Grimes is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Li is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Howard Li dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Grimes misses with the combination.

Grimes closes the distance and pushes Li back into the cage.
Li displaying some good clinch control by pressing Grimes up against the cage.
Grimes keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Li's efforts to push away.
Li tries to circle away but Grimes has him pinned against the cage.
Grimes is trying to break the clinch but Li is controlling him.

The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Li escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
A decent looking cross lands there for Li.
A swing and a miss from Grimes .
Li throws a body punch but Grimes moves out of range.
Grimes staying out of range there.
Howard Li is winning the standup battle so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Grimes shoots in for a takedown but Li shows good takedown defense.
Grimes tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Li paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Li looks to land a combination but Grimes avoids it well.
Howard Li seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Li thows a body shot but no joy.
Grimes is looking to clinch.
Li rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Grimes moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Li tries to bum rush Grimes with a series of wild strikes but Grimes uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Li misses with a hook.

Grimes feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Li is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Grimes looking to pass the guard.
Grimes throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Li works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Li wants to sweep here but Grimes controlling him for the moment.
Li working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Grimes .

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Li wants to sweep but no luck.
Grimes has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Li keeping full guard, as Grimes tries to pass.

Grimes drops back, looking for a kneebar! Li looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Li looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Li!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Grimes is not content to let Li control the position.
Grimes is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Li wants to stand up but Grimes is controlling the position.
Li wants to free his trapped foot but Grimes is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Grimes blocking the ground and pound attempt from Li.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Grimes manages to get to full guard.
Grimes controls Li momentarily but Li frees himself.
Grimes tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Li wants to get up but he can't break Grimes 's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Li trying to control but Grimes is working from the bottom.
Grimes 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.
Grimes trying to strike off his back.
Rick Grimes has got the better of the ground game so far.

Grimes has his foot on Li's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Li works his way back into a safe position though.
Grimes looking to hit a scissor sweep but Li is one step ahead there.
Li wants to pass the guard but Grimes is keeping the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Grimes is looking for a triangle but Li pushes his legs off easily.
Grimes has a closed guard, preventing Li from standing up.
Li is stalling in the full guard.
Grimes keeping moving, preventing Li from controlling successfully.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Grimes not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Li won't allow Grimes to sweep him here.
Li trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Rick Grimes will probably get the nod - 10:9.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

The fight stays on the outside here - Grimes looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Li throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Li misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Grimes .
Grimes tests Li's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Grimes misses with a double jab.
Li rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Grimes moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Li misses with a two punch combination.
Grimes throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
A left lands for Grimes .
Grimes fails to land with a series of punches.
Li misses with a wild combination.
Grimes fails with an attempt to clinch.
Li swats away the attempt to clinch by Grimes .

That's one minute gone in the round.
Grimes loads up on a big right hand but Li slips the punch.
Grimes swinging wildly here.
Grimes slips a straight right by Li.
Grimes looks to land a combination but Li avoids it well.
Li misses with a two punch combination.
Li throws a lazy uppercut
and Grimes cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Grimes is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Li.
Grimes shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Li defends it nicely.
Howard Li is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Grimes walks into a left hand.
Grimes scores with a punch to the head.
A punch lands to the side of Grimes 's head but he takes it in his stride.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
A combination from Grimes does no damage.
Li throws a hook but Grimes avoids it easily.
Li throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Grimes uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Li.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Grimes wants to clinch up but Li keeps it at a distance.
Grimes cracks Li with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Li throws a big shot that misses.
Grimes tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Li defends well and Grimes ends up having to push Li into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Li has had enough of the clinch but Grimes keeps him there for the moment.

Li breaks the clinch.
Grimes fails with an attempt to clinch.
Grimes has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.

Grimes looking to score a takedown here. Li is defending well but Grimes drives through and ends up in Li's guard.
Grimes working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Li's head.
Grimes loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Li wants to stand up but Grimes is controlling him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Li controls Grimes momentarily but Grimes frees himself.
Grimes tries to free his leg and advance position but Li is retaining full guard.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Grimes accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Grimes wants to pass the guard but Li is keeping the position.
Li keeping moving, preventing Grimes from controlling successfully.
Grimes with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Grimes trying to control but Li is working from the bottom.
Grimes working some strikes from top position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Li is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Li wants to sweep here but Grimes controlling him for the moment.
Li wants to get back to his feet but Grimes is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Grimes wants to pass the guard but Li is keeping the position.
Grimes sitting in guard, not really doing much.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Li slips under a jab.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Li throws a right and a left that Grimes avoids nicely.

Grimes shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rick Grimes comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Grimes has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Jack Bonds scores the fight 28:29
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 28:29
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rick Grimes !