PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Jai Malek (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rostam Samani (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rostam Samani has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Malek
vs
Samani

196 cm
37
260 lbs
34 - 18 - 0

192 cm
35
247 lbs
25 - 13 - 0

Good wrestling
World class MT
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 34 - 18 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Jai Malek!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 25 - 13 - 0, fighting out of London, Rostam Samani!
The judges for this bout are Chris Downing, Daniel Franklin and Stewart Dunkirk.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Malek just misses with a punch to the body.
And Samani tries to counter it with a takedown but Malek pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Malek scores with a nice right hand.
Malek tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Malek throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Malek tries a head kick but it misses.
Samani throws a lazy uppercut
and Malek counters with a body kick.
Malek jabs Samani to the body, keeping him at a distance.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Malek tries to clinch but Samani is having none of it.
Malek wants to clinch up but Samani keeps it at a distance.
Samani throws an off balance right hand
and Malek counters with a straight right hand.
Both fighters are looking to counter, which isn't making for the most exciting fight in the world.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Samani avoids a punch combination nicely.
Samani with the counter takedown but Malek avoids it easily.
Samani uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Malek.
Samani tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Malek pivots, looking for a leg kick but Samani is out of range and Malek settles back down.
Samani throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Samani connects with the punch.
Samani swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Malek lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Malek looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Samani tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fighters circle momentarily. Malek darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Samani fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Malek avoids it really well and circles away.
Malek scores with a spinning back kick!
Malek tries to clinch up but Samani circles away and keeps his distance.

Samani closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Malek to the mat! Malek manages to get full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Samani is looking to work some ground and pound but Malek has wrist control.
Samani stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Malek swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Samani trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Samani wants to control from the top but Malek keeps moving.
Samani trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Malek manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!

Malek trying to control but Samani is working from the bottom.
Malek's corner is telling him to maintain position.

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.
Malek trying to control the position from guard on top but Samani is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Malek passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Samani looks to move to half guard but instead Malek has passed into mount! Damn!
Malek tries to control but Samani wriggling away.
Malek is stalling here but it's allowed Samani to get half guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Samani is looking for a sweep. Malek is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Malek trying to pass the guard but Samani defending well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jai Malek dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Samani slips under a jab from Malek.
Samani throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Malek counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Malek scoring well with a low kick there.
Malek misses with a head kick.
Samani changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Malek tries to close the distance and clinch up but Samani swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Samani closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Malek's guard.
Samani tries to free his leg and advance position but Malek is retaining full guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Malek is looking to stand up but Samani isn't so interested in that idea.
Samani wants to control from the top but Malek keeps moving.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Samani looking to pass the guard.
Malek wants to stand and escape but Samani is having none of it.

Malek pushes Samani off and scrambles back to his feet.
The fight stays on the outside here - Malek looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Sloppy strikes from Malek. Those never looked like landing.
Malek tries to clinch but Samani moves out of range.
Malek connects with a looping right hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Samani tried to score with a low kick but Malek checks it.
The fight stays on the outside here - Malek looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Malek is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Samani.
A cross from Malek lands.
Danga de danga de dang - Malek scores with a four punch combination!
Malek checks the leg kick.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Samani takes one to the chin there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A big right from Samani misses.
Malek throws a series of punches but Samani avoids them all with ease.
Malek checks a low kick from Samani.
Samani throws a lazy right hand but Malek sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Malek scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Samani lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Malek circles away quickly and effectively.
Samani fails to land the takedown.
Jai Malek is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Malek tries to bum rush Samani with a series of wild strikes but Samani uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sloppy strikes from Malek. Those never looked like landing.
Samani drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Malek defends it well.
Samani takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Samani avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Samani ducks under a wild hook from Malek.
Samani takes one to the chin there.
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!
Malek throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Samani is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Samani throws a body punch but Malek moves out of range.
An attempted straight right counter from Malek misses the target.
Samani takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
Nice defenses there by Malek.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jai Malek dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Malek jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Samani drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Malek defends it well.
Malek moves in looking to clinch but Samani pushes him off.
Malek lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Malek uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Samani.
The fighters circling - Malek throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Samani uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Malek.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Malek dips to his left and cracks Samani with an uppercut!
Samani slips a jab and a cross from Malek.
Samani changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Malek goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Malek fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Samani, pushing him back against the cage.
Malek tries to land a knee to the head but Samani blocks with his arms.
Samani blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Samani takes a shot to the head.
Malek lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Malek pushes Samani back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Samani swings wildly with an uppercut but Malek uses good head movement to avoid it.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Malek creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Samani lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Samani tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Malek fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Samani misses with a punch to the body.
Malek looking to throw knees to the head but Samani is blocking nicely.
Malek is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Samani can do to turn this around?
Samani lands a hook to the side of the head.
Malek with a knee to the head.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Malek using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Samani has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Samani lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Malek swings wildly with an uppercut but Samani uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Samani breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
The fight stays on the outside here - Malek looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Malek lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Samani swings for the body but Malek moves out of range.
Malek tried to counter with a leg kick but Samani avoided it.
Samani feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Malek's calf.
Malek is looking to clinch but Samani is avoiding it.
Samani tries to clinch but Malek moves out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Malek misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Samani displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Malek throws a series of punches but Samani moves out of range.
Rostam Samani has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Malek misses the shot to the body.
Malek slips a straight right by Samani.
Malek displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Malek throws a nice outside leg kick.
Samani lands with a thumping leg kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Samani attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Samani swats away the attempt to clinch by Malek.
Malek scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Donk. Malek catches Samani right on the button with a cross.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
A jab lands there for Malek.
Malek showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Samani.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jai Malek showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Malek, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Downing scores the fight 30:27
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 30:27
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jai Malek!
After the fight, Jai Malek was humble in paying tribute to his opponent but made it clear he wants to go on to bigger and better things. It seemed to go down well with the crowd who cheered him loudly.