PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Temel Dilli (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Craig Anderson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Anderson has chosen The High Road as his entrance music. Craig Anderson has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Dilli
vs
Anderson

176 cm
24
155 lbs
12 - 6 - 0

174 cm
31
148 lbs
14 - 11 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Excellent grappler
Good low kicks
Granite chin

Fury Nutrition Inc.

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Temel Dilli!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 14 - 11 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Craig Anderson!
The judges for this bout are Elvis Blanc, Alec Ball and Trevor Gratis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Anderson moves into range and connects with a jab.
Dilli blocks a head kick by Anderson.
Dilli just misses with a punch to the body.

Anderson scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Dilli parries the strikes from Anderson easily there. Anderson is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Dilli to escape.
Dilli wants to control but Anderson postures up.
Dilli wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Anderson is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Dilli is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Anderson working his ground and pound in the gym. He isn't landing a great percentage of his ground strikes so far though.
Dilli is trying to control Anderson's posture but Anderson avoids it.
Dilli is looking to regain half guard here but Anderson keeps moving and retains side control.
Dilli struggling a bit here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Anderson happy to just control the position for now.
Dilli tries to bench press Anderson off him but Anderson keeps the position.
Anderson trying to control the position but Dilli is working away.
Dilli takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Dilli is trying to control Anderson's posture but Anderson avoids it.
Dilli is not content to let Anderson control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Anderson tries for a kimura but Dilli is defending well.
Anderson tries to advance to mount but can't.
Anderson creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Dilli tries to bench press Anderson off him but Anderson keeps the position.
Anderson in side control, just content to control the action for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Anderson thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Dilli can't do much from the bottom here.

The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Anderson is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Dilli knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
I wouldn't like to be where Dilli is right now.
Anderson working the head with strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dilli is looking for a sweep.
Dilli wants to control but Anderson postures up.
Dilli stops Anderson from passing to mount.
Dilli is not content to let Anderson control the position.
Anderson tries to advance to mount but Dilli denies him.
Anderson trying to control the action but Dilli is working from the bottom.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Anderson thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Craig Anderson dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Dilli lands a lovely overhand right.
Dilli throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Temel Dilli seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Anderson misses with an uppercut
letting Dilli counter with a right hand.
Dilli fails to land with a series of punches.
Dilli throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Anderson pivots, looking for a leg kick but Dilli is out of range and Anderson settles back down.
Anderson scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Dilli doesn't seem bothered though.
Dilli connects with a good right hand that stumbles Anderson. Anderson circles away out of range and recomposes himself.

Dilli closes the distance and clinches.
Anderson connects with a knee to the head.

It looks like Temel Dilli has been cut.
A nice right hand lands inside from Dilli.
A head punch on the inside from Dilli fails to land.
Dilli misses with a short punch on the inside.
Dilli is leaning against Anderson and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Dilli struggles to land a body shot inside as Anderson controls his hands.
Anderson taking a breather.
Anderson is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Dilli to keep the fight standing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Anderson is looking for a takedown.
Anderson is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Dilli pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Temel Dilli has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Craig Anderson.
Anderson struggles to land a body shot inside as Dilli controls his hands.

Anderson gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
Dilli is trying to keep Anderson in close.
Dilli keeping moving, preventing Anderson from controlling successfully.
Dilli pulls Anderson in close to his closed guard and prevents Anderson from doing any damage or advancing position.
Anderson throwing strikes but missing.
Dilli keeping moving, preventing Anderson from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dilli pulls Anderson in close to his closed guard and prevents Anderson from doing any damage or advancing position.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Temel Dilli just wasn't active enough.
Anderson takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Anderson scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Dilli swings for the body but Anderson moves out of range.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Anderson tries to move into range but Dilli moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Temel Dilli is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Dilli scores with a jab to the jaw.
Dilli lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Dilli.
Dilli checks a low kick from Anderson.
Anderson uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Dilli.
Dilli checks a leg kick.
A clash of legs there as Dilli blocks the low kick.
Dilli tries to clinch there but Anderson circles away.
Anderson cracks the inside of Dilli's front leg.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Anderson feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Dilli's calf.
Dilli fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Anderson manages to avoid it.
A big left from Dilli misses.
Dilli on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Anderson. Anderson obviously looking to wear him down.
A jab lands there for Dilli.
Dilli ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Anderson moves away.
A lazy left from Dilli finds it's target.
Anderson cracks Dilli with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.

Anderson feints and as Dilli raises his hands in defense, Anderson changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Dilli wants to sweep here but Anderson controlling him for the moment.
Anderson stays in close to Dilli's body and controls the position.
Anderson trying to control the position from guard on top but Dilli is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Dilli controls Anderson momentarily but Anderson frees himself.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Anderson tries to free his leg and advance position but Dilli is retaining full guard.
Dilli wants to get back to his feet but Anderson is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Decent striking displayed by Dilli there.
Anderson looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Anderson tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Dilli is able to avoid easily.

Dilli moves into the clinch.
Anderson stalls.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!

Dilli escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Dilli misses the shot to the body.
Dilli takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Temel Dilli will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Temel Dilli's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Dilli looks to score with a jab to the body but Anderson is just out of range.
Dilli throws a series of punches but Anderson avoids them all with ease.
Anderson looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Anderson displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Dilli throws out the jab.
Anderson throws a leg kick but Dilli moved away.
Dilli tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Dilli fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Anderson cracks the inside of Dilli's front leg.
No joy there for Dilli, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Dilli misses the shot to the body.
Dilli throws a hook but Anderson avoids it easily.
Dilli avoids a kick to the body.
A slow jab from Anderson misses its intended target.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Anderson.
A looping hook to the body misses from Dilli. Anderson does a little dance to reset his feet.
Anderson takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dilli fails with an attempt to clinch.
Anderson fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Dilli.
Dilli throws a lazy uppercut
and Anderson counters with a nice body shot.
Dilli is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Dilli misses the jab.
Dilli fails to land with a series of punches.
Dilli throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Anderson connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Dilli throws a right and a left that Anderson avoids nicely.
Anderson ducks under a wild hook from Dilli.
Dilli uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Anderson.
Dilli misses with a shot to the body
and Anderson counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.

Dilli gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Anderson to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Dilli working a defensive guard here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Anderson engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Anderson wants to control from the top but Dilli keeps moving.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Dilli working a defensive guard here.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Dilli looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Anderson looks to land a body kick but Dilli moved away.
Dilli throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Dilli throws a body punch but Anderson moves out of range.
A solid leg kick lands there for Anderson.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Anderson throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Dilli scores with a nice head shot.
Anderson throws a front kick that sends Dilli stumbling back into the cage.
Anderson ducks under a wild hook from Dilli.
Anderson keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Anderson slips a jab and a cross from Dilli.
Anderson avoids the body shot from Dilli.
Dilli misses with a shot to the body
and Anderson counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Dilli connects with a nice looking jab.
Dilli throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Dilli throws a poor cross that misses
and Anderson counters with a nice low kick that buckles Dilli's knee momentarily.
Anderson moves out of range as Dilli strikes.
Horrible takedown attempt by Anderson or perhaps it was just good defense by Dilli, which made it look bad.
Anderson avoids the body shot from Dilli.
Dilli misses with an uppercut. Anderson saw that one coming.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dilli ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Anderson moves away.
Anderson pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Dilli throws the left hand but Anderson avoids the punch easily.
Anderson feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Dilli's calf.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Dilli takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Temel Dilli is winning the standup battle so far.
Anderson on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Dilli just misses with a punch to the body.
Dilli throws out a powerful jab.
Anderson thows a left - swing and a miss!
Anderson steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Dilli.
Anderson avoids the body shot from Dilli.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Dilli throws a hook but Anderson blocks it.
Anderson lands with a kick to the temple. Dilli shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Anderson steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Dilli.
Dilli lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Temel Dilli.
I think Dilli has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Elvis Blanc scores the fight 29:28
Judge Alec Ball scores the fight 29:28
Judge Trevor Gratis scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Temel Dilli!
After winning the bout, Temel Dilli thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.