PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Josiah Bartlet (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jet Li (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Bartlet comes to the cage accompanied by Gary Numan- Praying to the Alien. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Bartlet
vs
Li

170 cm
26
164 lbs
10 - 6 - 0

175 cm
23
162 lbs
7 - 4 - 0

Good wrestling
Decent elbows
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 10 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Josiah Bartlet!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Jet Li!
The judges for this bout are Cecil Peabody, Daniel Franklin and Gwen Towbar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Bartlet connects with an inside leg kick.
Bartlet tries to score with a low kick but Li moves his leg out of the way.
Bartlet misses with an uppercut. Li saw that one coming.
Bartlet slips a jab and a cross from Li.

Bartlet scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Bartlet is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Bartlet wants to control but Li is keeping him busy.
Li has his hands clasped together around Bartlet's back. He's all about the action.
Bartlet wants to pass to mount but Li is defending the position.
Bartlet missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Li trying to control from the bottom.
Bartlet missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Li trying to control here.
Bartlet prevents Li from improving his position.
Bartlet thows a huge punch but Li dodges it nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bartlet thows a huge punch but Li dodges it nicely.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Bartlet missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Li keeps control of the position for the meantime.

Li kicks Bartlet off and gets back to his feet.
Bartlet lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Bartlet lands a head kick. Li smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Li dips to his left and cracks Bartlet with an uppercut!
Li lands a jab to the head.
A swing and a miss from Li.
Bartlet lands a nice looking body shot.
Bartlet pivots, looking for a leg kick but Li is out of range and Bartlet settles back down.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Bartlet looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Bartlet throws a wild body kick that Li sees coming a mile off.
Good leg kick by Bartlet there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Li avoids the head kick by Bartlet.
The fighters circling - Li throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Bartlet throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Bartlet thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Li if he has to take too many more of those.
Li tries to bum rush Bartlet with a series of wild strikes but Bartlet uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
A thudding body kick lands there by Bartlet!
Bartlet tries to land a front kick but Li steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Li lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Bartlet circles away quickly and effectively.
Li just misses with a punch to the body.
Li connects with the punch.
Li throws a right hand that Bartlet ducks under and follows up with a left that Bartlet also avoids with ease.

Bartlet gets a double leg takedown into Li's guard.
Bartlet throws a big right hand that misses.
Li has control of Bartlet's left arm, preventing Bartlet from doing any damage.
Bartlet landing with the ground and pound.
Li working a defensive guard here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bartlet trying to control but Li is working from the bottom.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Li bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Bartlet's guard.

Li wants to control from the top but Bartlet keeps moving.
Bartlet is pulling down on Li's head. It's preventing any offense from Li, at least for the moment.
Li wants to pass the guard but Bartlet is keeping the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Li wants to control from the top but Bartlet keeps moving.
Li trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Li is looking to stand up but Bartlet won't let him.
Li controlling from the top position.
Li preventing the sweep.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Li wants to stand but Bartlet has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Bartlet scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Li lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Bartlet at a distance.
Bartlet throws a head kick but Li moves out of range.
Bartlet goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Li throws a combination that misses

and Bartlet counters with a single leg into guard. Li didn't expect that.
Bartlet stopping the sweep attempt from Li.
Bartlet landing some decent shots from guard.
Li utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Li wants to stand up but Bartlet is controlling him.
Bartlet is working Li over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Li wants to sweep here but Bartlet controlling him for the moment.
Bartlet is working Li over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bartlet throws an elbow that misses. Li uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Bartlet's guard. Nice move by Li!

Li is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Bartlet controlling Li's posture.
Li wants to pass the guard but Bartlet is keeping the position.
Li wants to control from the top but Bartlet keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Li preventing the sweep.
Li is pushing down on Bartlet's leg trying to pass to half guard. Bartlet is fighting to maintain full guard but Li has managed to sneak the leg through.
Bartlet is refusing to be controlled, as Li sits in half guard.
Li controlling the action here.
Li wants to stand up but Bartlet is controlling the position.
Bartlet is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Li can do to turn this around?
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Li has decided to stand back up but his arm is trapped. Whilst he's worrying about his arm, Bartlet works to full guard.
Bartlet looking for a sweep. Not yet Bartlet, not yet.
Bartlet can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Li controls the pace.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Bartlet looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Li stuffs the takedown.
Bartlet takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Li connects with a body shot that sends Bartlet's belly button to the back.
Bartlet throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Li misses the shot to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bartlet slips a straight right by Li.
Li throws a jab when Bartlet was well out of range.
Bartlet lands with a nice body punch.
Bartlet throws a chopping leg kick but Li manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Li takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Jet Li is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Li lands a body shot.
Jet Li is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Li misses with a wild body shot.
Bartlet half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
The fighters circling - Bartlet throws out the jab but it was never going to land.

Bartlet fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Li to the ground. Bartlet is now in Li's guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Bartlet chips away with some ground and pound.
Bartlet prevents Li from getting back to his feet.
Bartlet trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Bartlet engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Bartlet wants to control from the top but Li keeps moving.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Josiah Bartlet dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Li will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Bartlet shoots in for a takedown but Li shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Bartlet fakes the leg kick and cracks Li in the body.
A telegraphed right hand from Bartlet misses the target.
Li with the counter takedown but Bartlet avoids it easily.
Li's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Li duly obliges.
Bartlet throws a looping overhand right but Li ducks down to avoid it.
Bartlet tries a head kick but it misses.
Bartlet ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Li moves away.
Li keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Li throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Li keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Li with the counter takedown but Bartlet avoids it easily.
Bartlet uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Li.
Bartlet uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Li.
Bartlet scores with a leg kick.
Bartlet misses with an attempted mid kick.
Josiah Bartlet is winning the standup battle so far.
Bartlet throws a quick inside leg kick.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Li misses with a two punch combination.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Li scores with a one two! Bartlet had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Bartlet is looking to chop away at Li's legs.
Bartlet is looking to wear down Li with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Li stuffs the takedown.
Bartlet looks to score with a jab to the body but Li is just out of range.
No luck for Bartlet with that takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Josiah Bartlet. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Li looks to land a right hand but Bartlet moved out of range.
Bartlet looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Bartlet throws a push kick but Li slaps the foot to one side.
Li throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Bartlet uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Li.
Li looks to land a right hand but Bartlet moved out of range.
Li tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Bartlet was well out of range. Poor timing from Li.
Li on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Li changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Li throws a hook but Bartlet blocks it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bartlet misses with a body kick.
Li takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
A jab from Li misses.
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!
Li tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Bartlet fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Li lands with an uppercut that bounces Bartlet off the cage and back into range.
Li throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Bartlet misses with a kick to the body.
Bartlet uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Li.
Li steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Bartlet.
Bartlet slips under a jab from Li.
Li ducks under a wild hook from Bartlet.
Li ducks under a wild hook from Bartlet.
Li lands a jab-cross combination.
Bartlet misses with a wild combination.
Li thows a left - swing and a miss!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Bartlet, right into the meat.
Bartlet misses with a body kick.
A leg kick checked by Li.
Li throws a right hand that Bartlet ducks under and follows up with a left that Bartlet also avoids with ease.
Bartlet misses with a body kick.

Bartlet shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Li manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Bartlet in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Li trying to control the position here.
Bartlet postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

Li manages to wriggle out and sneak his way back up to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched up against the cage.
I was talking to Bartlet's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Bartlet looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Li prevents a body shot from Bartlet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bartlet missing with knees to the body.
Li is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Bartlet looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Josiah Bartlet is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Li doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Li tries to circle away but Bartlet has him pinned against the cage.
Li can't break the clinch.
Bartlet missing with knees to the body.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Jet Li.
I think Bartlet 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 Cecil Peabody scores the fight 29:28
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 29:28
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Josiah Bartlet!
Josiah Bartlet tried to hype himself up post fight but didn't word it too well and it ended up with him sounding like a bit of a tool.