PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Johann Naboo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Cathal Kelly (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Naboo kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genuis that is It's Not Unusual by Tom Jones. Kelly has chosen Flogging Molly - Devil's Dance Floor as his entrance music. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Naboo
vs
Kelly

181 cm
18
161 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

177 cm
22
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Johann Naboo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Cathal Kelly!
The judges for this bout are James Atkins, Sam Margolis and Daniel Bishop.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Kelly scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Naboo wants to get back to full guard.

Naboo is defending against the submission attempts here by Kelly.
Kelly wants to lay and pray for a moment but Naboo keeps working.

Naboo manages to escape and get back to his feet!
Naboo looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Naboo throws a series of punches but Kelly moves out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kelly moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
No joy there for Naboo, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Kelly fails to land the takedown.
Kelly throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

Kelly gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Kelly breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Kelly closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Naboo pushes Kelly away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Kelly gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Kelly misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Naboo is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.
Naboo knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Kelly on the ground.
Kelly is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Naboo will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kelly wants to lay and pray for a moment but Naboo keeps working.
Kelly lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Naboo down.
Kelly wants to lay and pray for a moment but Naboo keeps working.

Kelly is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Naboo has escaped the position, nice work there.
Kelly wants to lay and pray for a moment but Naboo keeps working.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kelly tries to advance to mount but Naboo denies him.
Naboo is not content to let Kelly control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Naboo is looking to reverse the position.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Naboo misses with a combination
and Kelly counters with a three punch combo that has Naboo backing up. Naboo nods at Kelly to acknowledge the strikes.
Naboo swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Kelly counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Naboo is breathing heavily.

Kelly moves into the clinch.

Kelly manages to break the clinch.
Kelly connects with a nice looking jab.
Naboo throws a shot to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Cathal Kelly dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Naboo misses with a double jab

and Kelly counters with a takedown into side control.
Kelly is looking to take a break and control but Naboo is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Kelly in side control, just content to control the action for now.

Kelly tries for a kimura but Naboo is defending well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kelly scores with a couple of short elbows.
Kelly tries to advance to mount but Naboo denies him.
Naboo tries to escape but Kelly is in control.
Kelly trying to control the action but Naboo is working from the bottom.

That's two 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.

Kelly tries for a kimura but Naboo is defending well.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Kelly tries to move to mount but Naboo blocks the move with his legs.
Naboo wants to get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Naboo dodges the ground and pound from Kelly.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Naboo throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

so Kelly counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Naboo controls Kelly momentarily but Kelly frees himself.
Kelly prevents Naboo from getting back to his feet.
Kelly throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Naboo works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Naboo can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Kelly controls the pace.

Kelly decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kelly tries for a takedown but Naboo sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Naboo wants to clinch

and Kelly counters with a nice double leg into side control. Naboo won't be happy with that.
A lull in the action here as Kelly stalls from top position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Naboo pushes Kelly away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Kelly gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.

Kelly decides to stand back up. Kelly steps back and let's Naboo get back to his feet.

Kelly closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Cathal Kelly showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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!

Kelly shoots in for a takedown but Naboo shows good takedown defense.
Naboo misses with a combination

and Kelly counters by moving into the clinch.
Kelly drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Naboo gets the underhooks and prevents it.

Kelly breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Naboo throws out a leg kick but Kelly moves out of range and Naboo only half commits.
Naboo throws a left and a right that both miss

and Kelly counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Kelly.
Naboo tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Kelly just stands there and leans against the cage.

Kelly has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Naboo uses from the top position.
Kelly working a defensive guard here.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Naboo preventing the sweep.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kelly is trying to control the position but Naboo postures up.
Kelly looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Kelly looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Naboo won't allow Kelly to sweep him here.
Kelly is trying to keep Naboo in close.
Cathal Kelly has got the better of the ground game so far.
Naboo sitting in guard here, content to control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Kelly keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Naboo falls off balance throwing a combination

and Kelly counters with a takedown into side control.
Kelly tries to score with some ground and pound. Naboo controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Kelly wants to lay and pray for a moment but Naboo keeps working.
Naboo being controlled for a moment.
Kelly in side control, throwing shots but Naboo defends.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Naboo wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
An elbow from Kelly crashes against the mat.
Check out the look on Kelly's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Kelly landing strikes.
Naboo takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Naboo is looking to slip a leg under and get half guard but Kelly is one step ahead and moves to full mount!
Naboo wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Kelly.
Kelly tries to control but Naboo wriggling away.
Johann Naboo has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Kelly content just to control the position here.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

And that's the end of the fight!
Cathal Kelly comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Kelly 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 James Atkins scores the fight 26:30
Judge Sam Margolis scores the fight 27:30
Judge Daniel Bishop scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Cathal Kelly!