PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Eli Armis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Joesph Ely (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Armis comes to the cage accompanied by Mortal Kombat Theme. Joesph Ely has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Eli Armis's chin.

Armis
vs
Ely

165 cm
29
145 lbs
23 - 8 - 2

176 cm
27
145 lbs
16 - 5 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Dangerous knees
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the bantamweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 23 - 8 - 2, fighting out of Los Angeles, Eli Armis!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 16 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Joesph Ely!
The judges for this bout are Josh West, Paul Gruel and Ryoma Takatsuka.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Armis uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Armis misses with a wild body shot.

Armis looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Ely!
Ely tries to bench press Armis off him but Armis keeps the position.
Armis works to advance to full mount. Ely defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
Ely tries to reverse the position but Armis maintains control.
Ely throwing hammer fists to the chest of Armis. What's that going to do exactly?
Ely is working to get back to half guard.
Armis unloads with some shots from mount but Ely bucks and avoids them well.
Armis with shots to the head and body - Ely looks very uncomfortable down there.

Armis jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Ely manages to avoid the submission attempt.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Armis thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Armis tries for a kimura but Ely is defending well.
We've been hearing that Armis has been drilling a lot of ground and pound in training, so let's see if he get the finish.
Armis trying to control the action but Ely is working from the bottom.
Ely struggling a bit here.
Check out the look on Armis's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Armis tries to move to mount but Ely blocks the move with his legs.
Armis in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Armis misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Ely prevents Armis from improving position.
Ely is looking to reverse the position.
Ely stops Armis from passing to mount.
Ely is looking for a sweep.

Armis swings around for an armbar but Ely sees it coming a mile off and turns beautifully into Armis's guard.
Armis looking to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Ely gets to his feet - Armis follows without any prompting.
Armis misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Armis fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Armis tests Ely's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Armis keeps the fight on the outside.

Armis closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Ely to the mat! Ely manages to get full guard.
Ely looking for a sweep. Not yet Ely, not yet.
Ely is still trying to improve position.
Ely wants to get back to his feet but Armis is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Armis stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Ely swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Ely is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Ely trying to keep a closed guard but Armis is proving a slippery customer.
Ely utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Armis has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Armis slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Armis trying to control the action but Ely is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eli Armis 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.

Ely uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Armis.

Armis throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Ely was covering up waiting for the punch and Armis finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Armis stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Ely swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Armis drops back looking for a leg! Ely is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Ely manages to kick Armis off! Armis jumps back into Ely's guard.
Armis won't allow Ely to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ely keeping full guard, as Armis tries to pass.
Ely is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Eli Armis overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Ely is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Armis has managed to free his arm - good work.
Armis is trying to maintain the position but Ely is very close to passing his half guard.
Armis works his way to full guard. Good work.
Ely must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Armis looking for a sweep. Not yet Armis, not yet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ely pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Armis is keeping the position for now.
Ely stopping the sweep attempt from Armis.
Ely wants to pass the guard but Armis is keeping the position.

Ely got a little sloppy there for a moment and Armis has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Ely has managed to get both his arms back between Armis's legs - danger averted.
Ely postures up.
Ely wants to control from the top but Armis keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ely wants to stand but Armis is controlling his posture from full guard.
We've been informed that Ely has been working hard on his conditioning in the buildup to the fight.
Armis tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Armis looking to control.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Ely trying to control but Armis is working from the bottom.

Joesph Ely has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.

Ely fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Armis to the ground. Ely is now in Armis's guard.
Ely trying to control but Armis is working from the bottom.

Armis is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Armis working a defensive guard here.
Armis is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Ely is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Armis is on top in guard.
Armis wants to pass the guard but Ely is keeping the position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Armis is working hard here to advance position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eli Armis dominated that second 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.

Ely throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Armis lands a glancing blow to the side of Ely's head.

Ely looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Ely is thwarting Armis's attempts to control the position.
Armis regains full guard. Nicely done.
Ely preventing the sweep.
Armis trying to keep a closed guard but Ely is proving a slippery customer.
Ely loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Armis wants to sweep but no luck.
Armis is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Armis is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Ely has managed to free his arm - good work.

Armis is looking for a kimura here.
Armis trying to control from half guard but Ely is working away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Armis is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Ely sees it coming and defends easily.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Ely won't allow Armis to pass to mount.
Armis content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

Armis wants to work for an arm triangle but Ely is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Ely trying to control from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Armis is trying to work for a kimura but Ely is defending well.
Ely wants to control but Armis is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Armis is pressing down on Ely's thigh, looking to free his foot. Ely is holding on for now.
Armis wants to control but Ely is keeping him busy.
Ely is trying to get back to full guard.

Armis is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Ely doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Armis.
Armis passes to side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Armis tries for a kimura but Ely is defending well.

Armis tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Armis has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Ely is looking to reverse the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eli Armis clearly takes 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.

Ely shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Armis's guard.
Armis trying to control the position here.

Armis working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Ely doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Ely manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Armis holds on and takes a little breather.
Ely stands and throws Armis's legs to the side, diving into side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Armis tries to bench press Ely off him but Ely keeps the position.
Ely trying to control the action but Armis is working from the bottom.

Ely stands up and we're back to a striking position.
Armis swings widly with a right hand
and Ely counters with a slapping leg kick.

Armis gets the takedown into side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Armis advances nicely into full mount.
Ely is absolutely dripping with sweat - he looks exhausted.
Armis tries to control but Ely wriggling away.
Armis tries to take Ely's back but instead Ely uses the opportunity to regain half guard.
Ely is looking to improve his position.
Ely is not content to let Armis control the position.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Armis lands with a punch from half guard.

Ely actively working from the bottom here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Armis is keen to just control but Ely is a slippery customer.

Armis is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Ely sees it coming and defends easily.

Armis in half guard on the top. He's looking for a kimura... He's got it locked and he's managed to free his trapped foot. Ely tries to escape but it's on too tight and he has to tap! Great BJJ skills there from Armis!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:37 of round 4, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Eli Armis!
Eli Armis is the new bantamweight champion!
A relieved looking Eli Armis thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.