PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Danilo Lara (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Chris Li (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Danilo Lara has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Lara
vs
Li

203 cm
18
193 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

188 cm
19
183 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Intelligent

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Danilo Lara!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Chris Li!
The judges for this bout are Chris Saunders, Jeff Smith and Micheangelo Fripello.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Lara tries to close the distance and clinch but Li swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Li steps in looking to clinch after the strikes miss from Lara.
Lara shoots and misses
and Li counters with a head kick. That will keep Lara thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
Lara really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

Lara tries to sprawl but Li drives through with a takedown into half guard.
It looks like Li is going to stand back up.
Li throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

Li is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Lara has managed to free his arm - good work.
Lara keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lara moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Li wants to control from the top but Lara keeps moving.
Li content to stall in guard here.
Lara is looking to stand up but Li isn't so interested in that idea.

Lara has his feet on Li's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.
Li throws a series of punches but Lara moves out of range.
Lara appears to be looking for a big counter.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Lara.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lara in the domination position with Li hanging on.
Li is trying to get back to half guard.
Li is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Lara scoring with punches and elbows.
Lara sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Li is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.

Lara looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Lara with the ground and pound but Li regains half guard under the barage of strikes.
Li is looking to improve his position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Li trying to control from the bottom.
Lara 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.

Lara is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Li on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Lara thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Li's head.
Lara prevents Li from standing back up.
Lara seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Lara missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Li trying to control from the bottom.
Lara working over Li with some ground and pound. Li looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Li trying to control from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Lara thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Li's head.
Li is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Li is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Lara pulls his head out easily.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Li looks winded!

Lara is looking for a kimura but Li is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Lara to get the leverage.
Lara throwing shots but Li is blocking nicely.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Li is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Lara scores with a couple of nice shots.
Li has hold of Lara's hands but Lara slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Lara lands strikes from half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Danilo Lara dominated that 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.

Lara misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Li thinks about the counter body kick.
Lara moves out of range of the body kick from Li.
Lara throws a big counter combination but Li scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.
Li looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.

Li is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Lara's half guard.
Li wants to lay and pray for a moment but Lara keeps working.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lara is looking for a sweep. Li is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Li content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Lara wants to get back to his feet.

Lara manages to escape and get back to his feet!
Lara takes one on the chin but keeps coming.

Li scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Li trying to control the position but Lara is working away.
Lara is trying to get back to his feet.

Li is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Lara is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Lara tries to improve position but can't.
Li advances nicely into full mount.
Lara regains half guard.
Li is taking a breather. Lara says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lara has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Li is working away from the top position though.
Li is taking a breather. Lara says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Lara is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Li's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Li's back!
Li rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.
Lara drops an elbow to the side of Li's head.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Lara lands a nice short elbow.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Li keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

Lara is looking for a kimura but Li is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Lara to get the leverage.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Lara working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Lara is thwarting Li's attempts to control the position.
Danilo Lara overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Lara lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Li has hold of Lara's hands but Lara slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Lara thows a huge punch but Li dodges it nicely.
Lara throwing shots but Li is blocking nicely.
Li manages to get to full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Chris Li showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. And we move into the final round!

Lara shoots and misses

and Li counters by clinching up.
Lara looking for a takedown.
Lara has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Li is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Danilo Lara. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Li.
Lara looking for a takedown.
Lara is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Li to keep the fight standing.
Lara takes a shot to the head.

Li breaks from the clinch.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Li.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lara is trying to get back to half guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Lara wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!

That's one minute gone in the round.

Li decides to stand back up.
Lara moves out of range as Li throws a body kick.
Both fighters are looking to counter, which isn't making for the most exciting fight in the world.
Li lands a high kick!

Li rushes Lara and presses him up against the cage.

Li pulls guard.
Lara postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

Li throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Lara postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lara with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Lara working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Lara throws a big elbow that misses.

Li manages to wriggle out and sneak his way back up to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched up against the cage.
Li is defending well against a takedown attempt.

Lara jumps guard and drags Li to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Lara wants to sweep here but Li controlling him for the moment.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Li engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Li trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Li is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Lara is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Li is controlling him.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

That's four 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.
Lara fails in his attempt to clinch.
Lara lands a leg kick that knocks Li off balance momentarily.
Li fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Lara.
Lara shoots in for a takedown but Li shows good takedown defense.

Li fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Lara, pushing him back against the cage.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Lara goes for a takedown in the clinch but Li prevents it.

Li breaks the clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
Chris Li comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Li 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 Chris Saunders scores the fight 28:29
Judge Jeff Smith scores the fight 28:29
Judge Micheangelo Fripello scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Chris Li!