PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Tracey Ellison (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Koto Obo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Koto Obo has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Tracey Ellison's chin.

Ellison
vs
Obo

156 cm
20
177 lbs
1 - 5 - 0

180 cm
20
170 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
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 1 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Tracey Ellison!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Koto Obo!
The judges for this bout are Chris Downing, Cecil Peabody and George Francis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Obo fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Ellison to the ground. Obo is now in Ellison's guard.
Ellison might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Obo seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Obo pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Ellison is keeping the position for now.
Obo's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Ellison looking to control.
Ellison throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Ellison throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Ellison throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Ellison striking off his back but it's not causing Obo any problems.

Obo gets to his feet - Ellison follows without any prompting.

Obo fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Ellison sprawls well initially but Obo persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Ellison is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Ellison is refusing to be controlled, as Obo sits in half guard.
Ellison keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ellison misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Ellison gets full guard.
Obo wants to control from the top but Ellison keeps moving.

Ellison is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Ellison not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Obo has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Ellison is proving hard to escape from.
Obo showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Ellison has a closed guard, preventing Obo from standing up.
Ellison looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Obo sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Ellison's guard.
Obo trying to pass the guard but Ellison defending well.
Ellison blocking the ground and pound attempt from Obo.
Obo is thwarting Ellison's attempts to control the position.
Ellison tries to regain full guard. Instead though, Obo has advanced to mount. Uh oh.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Ellison wants to control but Obo is having none of it.
Ellison is flailing around like a fish out of water, trying to land strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ellison is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Obo looking to control but Ellison is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Poor strikes thrown by Obo there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!
Ellison wants to hold on but Obo pushes him away.
Obo can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Ellison is looking to escape.

Ellison defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Obo.
Ellison wants to control but Obo is having none of it.
Obo tries to control but Ellison wriggling away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ellison tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Ellison flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.
Ellison is trying desperately to improve position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Obo misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Obo blocks Ellison's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Ellison wants to control but Obo is having none of it.
Obo trying to control but Ellison is having none of it.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Obo thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Ellison is looking to improve his position but Obo isn't that keen on the idea.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Koto Obo dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Ellison gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.

Obo decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Ellison tries to close the distance and clinch but Obo swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Obo manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Ellison on his heels. He'll look to pass Ellison's guard now, I'm sure.

Obo gets to his feet. Ellison looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
The fighters circling - Ellison throws out the jab but it was never going to land.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Ellison fails to pull guard.
Ellison tries to score a body lock takedown but Obo shows good agility there to stay on his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Obo manages to break the clinch.

Obo fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Ellison, pushing him back against the cage.

Obo breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Obo throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Ellison cracks Obo with an open hand slap.

Obo shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Ellison throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Obo slips nicely into half guard, despite the strikes coming from Ellison.
Ellison has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Obo is working away from the top position though.
Ellison could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Obo trying to control the action but Ellison is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Obo thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Ellison's head.
Ellison trying to control here but he's found himself mounted! Oh no!
Obo throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.

Obo working for a guillotine from mount but Ellison is in no mood to give up.
Obo is breathing heavily.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Obo controlling the pace for now.
Ellison tries to lock up and control but Obo gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ellison's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.
Obo controlling the pace for now.
Obo tries to control but Ellison wriggling away.
Koto Obo has got the better of the ground game so far.

Obo has control of Ellison's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Ellison regains control of the situation pretty easily.
Ellison tries to hold on but Obo pushes him away.
Obo thowing shots but they're missing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ellison wants to control but Obo is having none of it.
Ellison holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Obo tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
Ellison wants to control but Obo is having none of it.

Obo looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
Ellison is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Obo takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Obo avoids the attempt from Ellison to control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Koto Obo showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Obo throws a series of punches but Ellison moves out of range.

Obo moves into range and clinches up with Ellison.

Obo jumps guard and drags Ellison to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Ellison throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Obo 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.

Obo looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Ellison accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

Obo looking for a guillotine here but Ellison defends easily.
Ellison scores with a decent looking elbow strike.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Obo wants to sweep but no luck.
Obo takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Obo avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Ellison postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Ellison in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Ellison throwing strikes but missing.
Ellison is working Obo over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Ellison keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Obo's head.
Ellison working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Ellison landing with the ground and pound.
Ellison distracts Obo with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Obo working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Ellison.
Obo is trying to control the position but Ellison postures up.
Ellison scoring with punches to the head and body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Obo looking to control.
Ellison is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Ellison has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Ellison loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Ellison throws a big right hand that misses.
Obo 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.
Ellison landing some decent shots from guard.
Obo trying to control the position.
Ellison throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Obo works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Ellison makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Ellison throws a big right hand that misses.
Ellison throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Obo works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ellison is in close to Obo's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Ellison throws a big elbow that misses.

Ellison avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Obo looking to hit a scissor sweep but Ellison is one step ahead there.
Ellison throwing strikes but missing.
Obo preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

Obo working for a triangle but Ellison defends it easily.
Ellison loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ellison missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

Obo is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Ellison working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Obo preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Ellison postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Ellison postures up in Obo's guard and throws a big left but Obo blocks it.
Ellison working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Obo's head.
Ellison postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Ellison working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

Obo is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Ellison is aware though and is defending well.
Tracey Ellison has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Koto Obo is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Ellison in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tracey Ellison showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Obo has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Chris Downing scores the fight 28:29
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 28:29
Judge George Francis scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Koto Obo!