PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Skeng Man (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Loke Sabel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Man
vs
Sabel

200 cm
20
215 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

204 cm
22
212 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter fighter
Self confident

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Granite chin

Urban Fighter
KAISER Nutrition - Q160/$250

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 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Skeng Man!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Loke Sabel!
The judges for this bout are Chad Campbell, John Kavanagh and Anthony Taglia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Man shoots in but no luck this time.
Sabel works Man's body with a nice hook.
Sabel dips to his left and cracks Man with an uppercut!
Sabel with a hook.
Man has a takedown stuffed.
Man fails with an attempt to clinch.
We've been hearing reports that Man has been drilling takedowns in recent sessions so let's see if that has an impact on the result of this fight.
Sabel closes the distance and clinches up with Man, looking for a takedown. Sabel pushes Man against the cage but Man circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Man is trying to close the distance and clinch up, after that failed offence from Sabel.

Man drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Man won't allow Sabel to sweep him here.
Sabel wants to stand but Man is controlling the position.
Man trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Man working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Man stands and throws Sabel's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Sabel is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Man in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Man is trying to ground and pound but Sabel uses the momentary lack of control by Man to regain half guard.
Man trying to mount his opponent but Sabel defends it.

Man is trying to work for a kimura but Sabel is defending well.
Sabel won't allow Man to pass to mount.

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.
Man thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Sabel is trying to stand back up but Man is controlling him

Man is working for a kimura but Sabel is defending it quite comfortably.

Man is working for a submission of some sort.
Sabel is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Man lands a nice short elbow.
Man throws a big elbow that misses, also allowing Sabel to regain full guard.
Sabel utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Man trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Sabel not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Man pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Sabel is keeping the position for now.
Man is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Man loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

Man postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Sabel is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Man, into his guard.
Sabel looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Sabel passes Man's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Man manages to get to full guard.
Sabel slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.

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.
Sabel won't allow Man to sweep him here.
Sabel throwing strikes but missing.
Man striking off his back but it's not causing Sabel any problems.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Man fails in his attempt to clinch.
Sabel slaps away a takedown attempt from Man, before circling back to the center of the mat.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Skeng Man. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sabel stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Sabel wants it to stay on the feet.
Sabel with the counter takedown but Man avoids it easily.
A jab from Sabel does it's job there.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Sabel moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Man takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Man darts in looking for a takedown but Sabel gets double underhooks and turns Man into the cage.
Sabel wants to counter the offense by Man and move into the clinch position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Loke Sabel dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Sabel clinches up with Man and pushes him back against the cage.
Sabel lands with a light punch inside.

Sabel ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Sabel no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Sabel working a defensive guard here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Man is fighting to break Sabel's control of his arms but Sabel is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Man has gone for a leg lock! Sabel slips out almost immediately though and dives into Man's guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sabel looking to pass the guard.
Sabel controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Man escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Sabel gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

Sabel got a little sloppy there for a moment and Man has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Sabel has managed to get both his arms back between Man's legs - danger averted.
Sabel sitting in guard here, content to control.
Sabel slips nicely into half guard.
My spies in Team Alpha Male inform me that Sabel has been getting involved in the gym's BJJ sparring sessions. Let's see whether that pays dividends!

Man actively working from the bottom here.
Sabel is looking to advance position but Man won't allow it.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Sabel frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.

Sabel gets to his feet and calls his opponent to stand. Here come the fireworks!
Sabel catches Man with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sabel shoots in looking for a takedown. Man tries to sprawl out of it but Sabel keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Man manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Man tries to counter with a takedown but Sabel is quick to defend against it.

Man gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Man is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Sabel to keep the fight standing.
Sabel gets underhooks to prevent Man's takedown attempt.
Sabel lands on the inside with an uppercut.
A hook to the body from Sabel.
Nice body punch from Sabel.
Sabel is defending well against a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Skeng Man. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Man looking for a takedown.
Man drops down looking for an ankle pick but Sabel pulls his leg out and moves away.
Sabel cracks Man with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sabel scores with a hook to the body. Man takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Loke Sabel seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Man on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.

Sabel clinches up with Man and pushes him back against the cage.
Man tries for a takedown. No joy.
Man looking for a takedown.
A short uppercut from Sabel.
Sabel digs a right hand underneath Man's ribcage. Man let out a lung full of air as it connected.
A hook to the body from Sabel.
Sabel lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Man.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Sabel creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Sabel scores with a shoulder strike.
A short left from Sabel.
Sabel works on Man's body with a couple of short punches.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Sabel lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sabel stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Sabel lands a shot to the body.
Loke Sabel seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Sabel lands with a right to the head.

Sabel lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Sabel is controlling the pace.
Sabel frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Loke Sabel showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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. This is the final round!

Man takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Sabel throws a hook to the side of Man's head but Man sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Man was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
A left lands for Sabel.
Man uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Sabel.
As Sabel tries to get set, Man tries to push him back and clinch up but Sabel manages to avoid the attempt.
Man dives in and grabs Sabel's left leg, looking for a takedown. Sabel pushes down on Man's head and hops out.
Sabel is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.

Man gets tackled into the cage by Sabel. Sabel maintains the clinch.
Man is trying to drag Sabel to the mat but Sabel just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Man is working for takedown but Sabel is calmly controlling the position for now.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Skeng Man. That's going to take a lot out of him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sabel prevents a takedown attempt there.
Man is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Sabel gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Man changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Sabel fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Sabel lands a jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sabel sizes up Man with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Sabel has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Man takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Man misses with a takedown attempt

and Sabel moves into the clinch.
Man has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Sabel avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
A right hook to the body lands for Sabel.
Sabel throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Mans head.
Sabel lands a body shot.
Sabel pushes Man back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Sabel gets through Man's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
A left hand lands to the body for Sabel.
Sabel lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Sabel throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Mans head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sabel pushes Man back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
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!
Sabel softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Sabel lands a nice uppercut.

Man is rocked!
Sabel lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Oh Man is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Sabel throws a big uppercut that drops Man! More strikes from Sabel and the referee jumps in to stop the fight! Man lies dazed against the cage as Sabel celebrates with his cornermen!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:21 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Loke Sabel!