PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ian Key (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Hussein Eissa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Hussein Eissa has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Key
vs
Eissa

174 cm
18
193 lbs
2 - 6 - 0

193 cm
18
200 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 6 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Ian Key!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Hussein Eissa!
The judges for this bout are Aleksandr Martynov, Igor Prikhodko and Ivan Kurochkin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Eissa closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Key did well to prevent Eissa getting side control.
Key is trying to maintain the position but Eissa is very close to passing his half guard.
Eissa trying to control the action but Key is working from the bottom.

Eissa is looking for submissions but instead, Key has regained full guard.
Key is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Eissa has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Key is proving hard to escape from.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Eissa is in close to Key's body, working some short punches and elbows.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Eissa accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Eissa looking to sit in guard and control but Key gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Eissa wants to sweep but no luck.

Key stands up and waves to Eissa to follow him.
Eissa looks to clinch
and Key counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Eissa misses with a head kick.
Hussein Eissa seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Eissa wants to clinch.
Key could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Eissa feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Key's calf.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Key drives through and clinches with Eissa against the cage.

Eissa gets control of Key's arms and successfully pulls guard. Eissa will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Eissa has momentary wrist control but Key slips an elbow through the middle.
Eissa looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Key is stalling in the full guard.
Eissa is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

Key stands and steps away. Eissa gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Eissa fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

Eissa scores with a takedown into Key's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Key wants to sweep but no luck.
Key might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Eissa would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

Key has his feet on Eissa's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.
Eissa throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Key changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Eissa looks winded!

Eissa fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Key, pushing him back against the cage.
Key fails to pull guard.

The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Key decides to pull guard.
Eissa trying to control the position from guard on top but Key is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Key is looking to stand up but Eissa isn't so interested in that idea.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Key utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Eissa accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Key wants to get back to his feet but he's too absorbed in his own little project and Eissa manages to pass to side control.
Eissa is controlling the pace.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Key preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hussein Eissa 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.

Some wild striking there from Key.
Eissa moves in looking to clinch but Key pushes him off.
A solid body kick from Eissa.
Key takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.

Eissa shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Hussein Eissa has got the better of the ground game so far.
Eissa trying to control the action but Key is working from the bottom.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Key wants to get back to his feet.
Eissa wants to lay and pray for a moment but Key keeps working.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Eissa connects with a nice short shot to Key's temple.

Key is defending against the submission attempts here by Eissa.
Key looks like he's trying to stand up.
Eissa not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Key tries to kick Eissa off but Eissa keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Eissa has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Eissa is just content to waste time from the top position. Key takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Eissa trying to control but Key is working from the bottom.
Eissa wants to stand but Key is controlling his posture from full guard.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Eissa tries to clinch but Key is having none of it.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Eissa.
Key sneaks back into half guard.
Eissa is looking to take a break and control but Key is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Key is trying to stand back up but Eissa is controlling him

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Eissa trying to pass the guard but Key defending well.
Eissa seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Key does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Key is looking for a sweep. Eissa is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

Key kicks Eissa off and gets back to his feet.
Eissa tries to clinch up.
Eissa tries to clinch up.
Eissa throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Key is looking to counter punch.
Eissa throws a one two combo.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Eissa misses with a leg kick
and Eissa takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Eissa tries to clinch but Key is having none of it.
Eissa tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Key paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Key misses with the combination.
Eissa scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Eissa moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.

It looks like Ian Key has been cut.
Eissa tries to bum rush Key with a series of wild strikes but Key uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Eissa wants to clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hussein Eissa showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Ian Key'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!

Key drives through and clinches with Eissa against the cage.

Eissa drags the fight down to the ground.

Eissa working for a triangle but Key defends it easily.
Eissa is trying to control the position but Key postures up.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Key content to stall in guard here.

Eissa looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Eissa takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Key gets to his feet. Eissa looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!

Key tries to sprawl but Eissa drives through with a takedown into half guard.

Key kicks off Eissa and gets to his feet.
The fight stays on the outside here - Eissa looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Key half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.

Key has closed the distance and engaged Eissa in a clinch.

Key pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Eissa scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Key is looking for a sweep.
Key regains half guard there - taking advantage of Eissa's attempt to lay and pray for a moment.
Eissa throws a strike but Key avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Eissa throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Key works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Eissa being controlled here momentarily.

Key pushes Eissa off and gets back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Eissa throws a right and a left that both miss.
Eissa tries to close the distance and clinch up but Key swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Key pushes Eissa up against the cage in a clinch.
Key has Eissa pushed against the cage.
A hook to the body from Eissa.

Eissa tightens his grip and picks Key up, before dumping him to the ground. Key manages to land in guard.
Eissa stops Key from standing up.
Eissa working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Key's head.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Key looking to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Key has scooted to the edge of the canvas and used the cage to get back to his feet. Eissa has stuck on his opponent and is forcing him back against the cage.

Eissa breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Key ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Eissa throws a head kick that misses.
Eissa throws a body kick despite being completely out of range

and Key counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Eissa is trying to maintain the position but Key is very close to passing his half guard.
Key is figuring out what he wants to do next.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Key decides to stand and escape the position.
Ian Key has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Hussein Eissa is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Key ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ian Key showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Eissa has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight 28:29
Judge Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 28:29
Judge Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 28:28

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Hussein Eissa!