PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Illias Illiadis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bobby Bishop (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Bishop has chosen 999 - Homicide as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Illiadis
vs
Bishop

178 cm
27
187 lbs
12 - 2 - 1

185 cm
28
200 lbs
17 - 5 - 1

Great wrestler
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Granite chin

Perkele!
GREEN!160

Fury Nutrition Inc.

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 2 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Illias Illiadis!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 17 - 5 - 1, fighting out of Montreal, Bobby Bishop!
The judges for this bout are Anthony Taglia, Lou da Vinci and Reed Andrews.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Bishop throws a push kick but Illiadis slaps the foot to one side.
Illiadis lands with a nice combination. Bishop backs away looking to recover.

It looks like Bobby Bishop has been cut.
Bishop tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Illiadis manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Illiadis feints and then cracks Bishop's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Bishop down.
Bishop lands with a good body shot.
Bishop fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Bishop misses the jab.
Bishop tries to work over Illiadis's front leg with a kick but Illiadis checks it.
Illiadis uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Bishop.
Illiadis fails to land the takedown.
Bishop tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Illiadis connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Bishop showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Illiadis.
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!
Illiadis lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Bishop backs up against the cage.
Illiadis swings and misses with a hook to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bishop tries to clinch up.
Bishop throws a right hand that Illiadis ducks under and follows up with a left that Illiadis also avoids with ease.
Ooooh, nice body kick lands from Bishop. Illiadis shrugs it off though.
Bishop misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Illiadis.
Illiadis dodges the punch combination from Bishop.
Bishop looks to throw the jab but Illiadis is out of range.
Bishop misses with a right hand

and Illiadis counters with a single leg into guard. Bishop didn't expect that.
Illiadis preventing the sweep.

Illiadis drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Bishop dives on top into guard.

Bishop tries to free his leg and advance position but Illiadis is retaining full guard.
Illiadis looking to hit a scissor sweep but Bishop is one step ahead there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bishop wants to control from the top but Illiadis keeps moving.
Illiadis being controlled here, momentarily.

Illiadis is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Bishop defends well.
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!
Illiadis looking to hit a scissor sweep but Bishop is one step ahead there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Illiadis bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Bishop's guard.

Illiadis is pushing down on Bishop's leg trying to pass to half guard. Bishop is fighting to maintain full guard but Illiadis has managed to sneak the leg through.
Illiadis trying to mount his opponent but Bishop defends it.
Illiadis missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Illiadis wants to pass the guard but Bishop is defending well.
Illiadis throwing shots but Bishop is blocking nicely.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Illiadis tries to pass the half guard into mount. Bishop knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Illiadis throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Illiadis wants to lay and pray for a moment but Bishop keeps working.

Illiadis is trying to work for a kimura but Bishop is defending well.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Bishop is refusing to be controlled, as Illiadis sits in half guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Illias Illiadis dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Bobby Bishop's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Sloppy strikes from Bishop. Those never looked like landing.
Illiadis throws out a powerful jab.
Bishop throws a jab when Illiadis was well out of range.
Bishop's coach down at AD Sparstars Inc. was telling us pre-fight that they have been working on Bishop's balance. Obviously they view that as a key factor in the outcome of this fight.
Illiadis closes this distance looking for a takedown but Bishop circles away.
Illiadis slips a jab and a cross from Bishop.
Bishop loads up on a big right hand but Illiadis slips the punch.
Bobby Bishop seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Illiadis blocks a jab.
Illiadis shoots in for a takedown but Bishop shows good takedown defense.
Illiadis fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Illias Illiadis. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Bishop gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Illiadis to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Bishop is pulling down on Illiadis's head to control his posture.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bishop keeping moving, preventing Illiadis from controlling successfully.

Illiadis has gone for a leg lock! Bishop slips out almost immediately though and dives into Illiadis's guard.

Illiadis is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Bishop defends well.

Illiadis looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Illiadis seems to have improved his submission grappling technique since last time we saw him. Let's see if he can pull off a submission.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Illiadis manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Bishop manages to get himself to full guard.

Illiadis trying to control but Bishop is working from the bottom.
Illiadis is looking to advance position but Bishop has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!

Illiadis is trying to escape the mount.
Bishop controlling from the full mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Illiadis can't escape the position.
Bishop tries to control but Illiadis wriggling away.
Bishop is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
Illiadis is trying desperately to improve position.
Illiadis is working hard here to advance position.
Bishop looking to control and managing it successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Illiadis keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Illiadis bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Illiadis tries to free his leg and advance position but Bishop is retaining full guard.
Illiadis controlling from the top position.
Illiadis wants to pass the guard but Bishop is keeping the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Bobby Bishop will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Bobby Bishop's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

A punch combination from Illiadis misses.
Illiadis checks the leg kick nicely there.
Illiadis cracks Bishop with a right hand to the side of the head.
Illiadis avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Bishop throws a hook but Illiadis blocks it.
Illiadis checks a low kick from Bishop.
Illiadis swats away the attempt to clinch by Bishop.
Illiadis walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Bishop closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Illiadis tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Bishop's elbow.
Illiadis stalling against the cage.
A short right from Bishop on the inside.
Bishop is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Illiadis is defending well for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Illiadis is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Bishop to keep the fight standing.
Bishop misses with a short punch on the inside.
Bishop throws a punch but it's blocked by Illiadis.
Bishop lands an elbow inside.
Bishop swings wildly with an uppercut but Illiadis uses good head movement to avoid it.

Illiadis breaks the clinch.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Bishop checks a leg kick.
Illiadis fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Bishop manages to avoid it.
Bishop is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Illiadis scores with a crisp jab that stopped Bishop in his tracks.
Bishop takes a swing at Illiadis's ribcage but misses.
Illiadis misses with an uppercut. Bishop saw that one coming.
Bishop throws a head kick that misses.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Illiadis, as that shot connected.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Illiadis drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Illiadis tries to free his leg and advance position but Bishop is retaining full guard.
Bishop is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Illiadis stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Bishop swivels though and keeps the full guard.

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

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Bobby Bishop is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Illiadis misses with a body shot
and Bishop counters with a lovely straight right hand!
The fighters circle momentarily. Bishop darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Illiadis throws a half hearted mid kick.
Bishop connects with a leg kick. Illiadis looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Illiadis throws a leg kick
and Bishop counters with a nice low kick that buckles Illiadis's knee momentarily.
Bishop takes a swing at Illiadis's ribcage but misses.
Bishop throws out a loose jab but Illiadis uses good head movement to avoid it.
Bishop throws a low kick but Illiadis moves out of range easily.
Bishop scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Bishop looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Bishop fails to land with a series of punches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Illiadis throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Bishop.

Illiadis shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Bishop's guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Bishop keeping full guard, as Illiadis tries to pass.
Illiadis throwing strikes from guard but Bishop blocks nicely.
Illiadis looking to pass the guard.
Illiadis sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Bishop's guard.

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 Illias Illiadis.
I think Illiadis 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 Anthony Taglia scores the fight 29:28
Judge Lou da Vinci scores the fight 29:28
Judge Reed Andrews scores the fight 29:28

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