PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Vern Moses (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Apio Okafor (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Okafor has chosen zulu war theme as his entrance music. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Moses
vs
Okafor

168 cm
20
177 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

195 cm
21
180 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Solid chin

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Vern Moses!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Apio Okafor!
The judges for this bout are Eliza Hachem, Topper Green and Damien Edna.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Okafor lands a head kick. Moses smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Okafor misses with a head kick.
Okafor is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Moses fails with the takedown.
Okafor looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Okafor fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Moses checks it well.
Okafor misses with a body kick.
Moses blocks a head kick by Okafor.
Moses misses with a takedown attempt - Okafor sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Moses could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Moses is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Okafor misses with a body shot.
Okafor misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Moses closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Moses tries to stand but Okafor is controlling his head.
Moses working the ground and pound.

Moses decides to stand up, so the ref orders Okafor to his feet.
Okafor swings and misses with a hook to the body.
A bone on bone clash there as Moses blocks the leg kick.
Okafor throws a head kick that misses
and Moses counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Apio Okafor is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Okafor throws a leg kick but Moses moved away.
A chopping leg kick lands by Okafor.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Moses lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Okafor misses with a head kick.
Okafor shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Moses eats them both and turns towards Okafor to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Jab by Okafor.
Okafor throws a head kick but Moses moves out of range.
Okafor looks winded!
Okafor looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Moses takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Okafor misses with a head kick.
Moses on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Okafor slips a jab and a cross from Moses.
Apio Okafor seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Moses tries to clinch up but Okafor circles away and keeps his distance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Okafor misses with a body shot.
Moses shoots in but Okafor avoids the takedown attempt easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Vern Moses. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Okafor throws an overhand right that lands on Moses's shoulder, as Moses tries to avoid the shot.
Moses closes the distance and clinches up with Okafor, looking for a takedown. Moses pushes Okafor against the cage but Okafor circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Moses fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Moses will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Okafor connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Moses momentarily.
Moses checks a low kick from Okafor.
Moses doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Okafor scores with a head kick. Moses tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.
Okafor tries a head kick but it misses.

Moses shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Okafor manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Moses has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Moses stands up from guard. Let's bang!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Okafor circles away from the clinch attempt.
Okafor cracks Moses with a good jab.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Okafor swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Okafor swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.

Moses gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Vern Moses will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Moses fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Moses takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Vern Moses is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Okafor tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Moses was well out of range. Poor timing from Okafor.
We are yet to see a takedown attempt from Okafor in the fight. On paper you would think he is the more dominant ground fighter so let's see if these unusual tactics pay off.
A head kick by Okafor misses
and Moses counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Okafor lands with a nice combination. Moses backs away looking to recover.
Moses closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Okafor uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Moses has time to react.
Okafor scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Okafor is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Okafor throws a push kick but Moses slaps the foot to one side.
Okafor throws a leg kick that is checked
and Moses counters with a left and a right that stings Okafor.
Okafor is breathing heavily.
Moses darts in trying to clinch
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Moses.
Okafor throws a low kick, looking for Moses's leg but Moses calmly moves out of range.
Okafor with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Moses avoids the head kick by Okafor.
Okafor thows a body shot but no joy.
Okafor lands with a right hand.
Okafor misses with an attempted mid kick.
Moses shoots in but Okafor avoids the takedown attempt easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Vern Moses. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Okafor buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Moses shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Okafor delivers a nice body kick.
Okafor misses with a hook. Moses ducked under it nicely.
Okafor throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Okafor scores with a kick to the body.
Okafor has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Okafor lands the left hand.
Okafor bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Moses's head.
Moses tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Okafor defends well and Moses ends up having to push Okafor into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A nice left hand lands by Okafor.
Moses connects with a nasty looking knee right to Okafor's face.
Okafor misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Moses.
Okafor misses with some punches.

Moses pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Moses showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Okafor.
Okafor keeps the fight on the outside.
Moses shoots for a double leg takedown but Okafor sprawls well. He's pushed Moses's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Apio Okafor seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Okafor throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Okafor misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Moses.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Moses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A combination from Okafor does no damage.
Okafor just misses with a punch to the body.
Okafor throws a leg kick that is checked

and Moses counters with a nice double leg into side control. Okafor won't be happy with that.
Moses looks up at the clock and then as Okafor takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Moses smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Okafor looking for a sweep but Moses has passed into full mount! Oh no!
Moses landing strikes from the mount.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Moses with good strikes from the mount here!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Apio Okafor will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Moses shoots for a takedown but Okafor saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Okafor throws a leg kick which misses Moses's front leg but catches the back leg as Moses tries to avoid it.
Okafor explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.
Donk. Okafor catches Moses right on the button with a cross.
Okafor keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Okafor looks to land a body kick but Moses moved away.
Okafor swings and misses with a shot to the body

and Moses holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Okafor using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Moses has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Moses lands an elbow just above Okafor 's eye.
Okafor takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Okafor using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Moses has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Moses blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Okafor throws a knee to the head but misses.

Moses jumps guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Moses has Okafor pulled in close to control his posture.
Okafor prevents Moses from getting back to his feet.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Okafor stuffs the takedown attempt from Moses. Moses gets slowly back to his feet.
A chopping leg kick lands by Okafor.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Okafor lands with a slapping head kick.
Okafor throws a looping overhand right but Moses ducks down to avoid it.
Okafor lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Moses circles away quickly and effectively.
Moses is trying hard to land a takedown here. Okafor sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Vern Moses. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Okafor goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Moses shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Okafor defends it nicely.
Okafor stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Okafor wants it to stay on the feet.
Moses takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Okafor punishes Moses's body with a nice straight punch.
Okafor fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Moses manages to avoid it.
Moses darts in looking for a takedown but Okafor gets double underhooks and turns Moses into the cage.
Okafor swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Moses blocks a punch to the side of the head.

Moses breaks the clinch.
Moses avoids the head kick by Okafor.

Moses clinches up with Okafor and pushes him back against the cage.

Moses breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Moses darts in looking for a takedown but Okafor gets double underhooks and turns Moses into the cage.
Okafor lands with a light punch inside.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Knees to the body from Okafor.

Moses ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Moses no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Moses keeping moving, preventing Okafor from controlling successfully.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Okafor stopping the sweep attempt from Moses.
Vern Moses overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Okafor trying to control the position from guard on top but Moses is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

And that's the end of the fight!
Apio Okafor comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Okafor 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 Eliza Hachem scores the fight 28:29
Judge Topper Green scores the fight 28:29
Judge Damien Edna scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Apio Okafor!
A relieved looking Apio Okafor thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.