PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Jimmy Wanaka (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Koya Molar (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.

Wanaka
vs
Molar

168 cm
28
143 lbs
4 - 3 - 0

163 cm
26
140 lbs
4 - 4 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Experienced

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Jimmy Wanaka!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Koya Molar!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, Chris Downing and Stewart Dunkirk.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Molar avoids the head kick by Wanaka.
Wanaka misses with a straight left.
Wanaka misses with a wild body shot.
Molar looks to land a combination but Wanaka avoids it well.
Molar shoots in for a double leg but Wanaka sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Molar pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Molar swings for the body but Wanaka moves out of range.
Molar throws a right hand that misses
and Wanaka counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Wanaka.
Molar smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Wanaka throws a sloppy head kick and Molar moves out of range easily.
Wanaka lands a nice looking kick to the body. Molar takes a step back to recover.
Molar missing with a left hand there. Wanaka was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Wanaka lifts his leg as if looking to counter with a high kick.
Wanaka connects with a high kick.
Wanaka throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Koya Molar seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Molar needs to keep his hands up - Wanaka had a free shot at his head there.
Wanaka slips under a jab from Molar.
Molar misses with a body shot.
Molar tries for a takedown but Wanaka sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Wanaka plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!

That's one minute gone in the round.
A decent looking cross lands there for Wanaka.
Molar misses with a straight left.
Wanaka connects with a right hand. Molar shakes it off.
Wanaka slips under a jab.
Wanaka thinks about countering with a head kick.
Wanaka rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Molar moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Molar misses with an uppercut. Wanaka saw that one coming.
Wanaka lands with a shot to the body.
Molar swings for the body but Wanaka moves out of range.
Molar misses with a body shot.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Wanaka.
A looping hook to the body misses from Molar. Wanaka does a little dance to reset his feet.
Molar thows a left - swing and a miss!
Wanaka tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Molar shoots in and drives through. Wanaka sprawls well.
Jimmy Wanaka has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Koya Molar.
Wanaka fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Molar manages to avoid it.
Wanaka connects with a leg kick. Molar looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Wanaka throws a one two combo.

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!

Wanaka gets caught flat footed, as Molar shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Molar sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Wanaka's guard.
Molar is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Wanaka is looking to escape.

Molar stands, ready to strike. The ref makes him back up and allows Wanaka to get to his feet.
Wanaka goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Wanaka tries a head kick but it misses.
Wanaka scores with a leg kick.
Molar throws a hook but Wanaka blocks it.
Wanaka quickly followed up with a counter body kick but doesn't connect.
Wanaka throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Wanaka connects with a looping right hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Molar throws a big shot that misses.
Wanaka misses with a head kick.
A looping hook to the body misses from Molar. Wanaka does a little dance to reset his feet.
Molar throws a right and a left that Wanaka avoids nicely.
Molar just misses with a punch to the body.
Wanaka connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Wanaka lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Molar at a distance.
Wanaka fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Molar has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Molar jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Molar moves out of range of the body kick from Wanaka.
Molar feints the counter takedown.
Wanaka throws a head kick that half lands.
Molar throws a series of punches but Wanaka avoids them all with ease.
As Molar backs away, Wanaka returns fire with a leg kick that just misses.
Molar throws a predictable looking body shot
and Wanaka counters with a series of strikes. Molar will be more careful next time no doubt.
Molar misses with a double jab.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Molar listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Wanaka misses with a low kick.
Molar lands a jab to the nose.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Molar takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Wanaka leaves Molar with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Wanaka throws a head kick but Molar moves out of range.
Wanaka lands with a kick to the temple. Molar shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Wanaka moves out of range as Molar strikes.
Molar uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Wanaka.
Molar tries to counter by closing the distance.
Molar connects with a body shot.
Wanaka slips a jab from Molar.
Wanaka throwing a counter right hand but Molar manages to avoid it.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Molar.
Molar scores with a body shot.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Wanaka jabs at Molar's body.
Molar misses with a hook
and Wanaka counters with a nice body kick.
Wanaka misses with a body shot.
Molar misses with a double jab
and Wanaka counters with a nice leg kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jimmy Wanaka 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.

Molar misses with an uppercut. Wanaka saw that one coming.
Wanaka keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Molar.
Molar misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
An attempted straight right counter from Wanaka misses the target.
Molar takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Wanaka misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Wanaka misses with a two punch combination.
Molar misses the jab.
Molar avoids the head kick by Wanaka.
A head kick misses from Wanaka.
Wanaka keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Molar.
Wanaka scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Molar doesn't seem bothered though.
Molar misses the shot to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Wanaka misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Wanaka misses with a head kick.
Molar moves out of range as Wanaka strikes.
Molar looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Molar swings for the body but Wanaka moves out of range.
Molar looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Molar throws a series of punches but Wanaka moves out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Molar misses with an uppercut.
Wanaka feinted there with a counter leg kick.
Molar loads up on a big right hand but Wanaka slips the punch.
Wanaka is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Molar can do to turn this around?
Molar scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Wanaka doesn't seem bothered though.
Molar with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Molar lands a really nice looking cross but Wanaka seems unphased.

Wanaka is rocked!
Molar digs a good body shot into Wanaka's ribs.
Oh Wanaka is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Molar jabs Wanaka to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Wanaka backs away from a small jab... but Molar lunges forward with a huge superman punch! Wanaka crumples to the ground as his mouth piece is sent flying! Molar with a spectacular finish!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:27 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Superman Punch). Koya Molar!
Koya Molar decided to hype himself up post fight. It was going well but he went on about it a bit too long and the crowd turned on him a little.