PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between William Arrol (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and John Henry (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Henry has chosen Unashamed as his entrance music. Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Arrol
vs
Henry

192 cm
31
218 lbs
19 - 2 - 0

173 cm
28
223 lbs
16 - 9 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Olympic wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Milwaukee's Best 160 (80% laundry)

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 19 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, William Arrol!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 16 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, John Henry!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Shimada, Hirohito Nitta and Shigeki Sano.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Arrol scores with a leg kick.
Arrol fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Henry checks it well.
Henry thuds his right hand into Arrol's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Arrol does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
A slapping leg kick lands for Arrol.
Henry checks a leg kick.
Henry takes one to the side of the head.

It looks like John Henry has been cut.
Henry just misses with a punch to the body.
Arrol throws a body shot but no joy.
Arrol moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Henry wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Henry takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Henry checks a low kick from Arrol.
Henry misses with a low kick.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Arrol fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Henry looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Arrol tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Henry is able to avoid easily.
Arrol lands a nice leg kick that just misses Henry's sensitive parts.
Henry dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Arrol. That did some damage!
Henry looks to throw the jab but Arrol is out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Henry avoids the body shot from Arrol.
Henry takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Henry connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Arrol momentarily.
Arrol lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Henry throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Henry waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Arrol.
Arrol slips a jab from Henry.

Henry fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Arrol sprawls well initially but Henry persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Henry wants to control but Arrol is keeping him busy.
Arrol works his way to full guard. Good work.
Henry sitting in guard here, content to control.
Arrol pulls Henry in close to prevent any damage.
Henry lands a couple of decent looking shots.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Arrol wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Henry is looking to work some ground and pound but Arrol has wrist control.
Arrol preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Henry stopping the sweep attempt from Arrol.
Henry trying to control but Arrol is working from the bottom.
Arrol wants to sweep here but Henry controlling him for the moment.
Arrol is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Arrol in particular looking to stall.
Henry won't allow Arrol to pass to mount.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Henry is trying to stand up here but Arrol is controlling him well.
Henry is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Arrol tries to pass the half guard into mount. Henry knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.

Henry looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Arrol wants to pass the guard but Henry is defending well.

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.
Still in half guard, Arrol seems content to control.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.

Henry looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Arrol is controlling the pace.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Henry tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Henry connects with a right hand. Arrol shakes it off.
Henry takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Arrol connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Henry misses with a body kick.
Arrol scores with a kick to the body.
Arrol throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that William Arrol will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on John Henry's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

Arrol throws a head kick that misses.
Henry gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
William Arrol is winning the standup battle so far.
Arrol blocks a head kick by Henry.
Arrol takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.

Henry shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Arrol keeping moving, preventing Henry from controlling successfully.
Henry postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Henry preventing the sweep.
Arrol bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Henry's guard.

Arrol content to stall in guard here.
John Henry has got the better of the ground game so far.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Henry looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Arrol trying to control but Henry is working from the bottom.
Arrol stays in close to Henry's body and controls the position.
Henry keeping moving, preventing Arrol from controlling successfully.
Henry wants to sweep but no luck.
Henry keeping full guard, as Arrol tries to pass.

Henry looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Henry wants to sweep but no luck.
Arrol will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Henry looking to control.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Arrol seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Henry fails with the takedown.
Henry misses with a body kick.
Henry misses with an uppercut.

Henry closes the distance and pushes Arrol back into the cage.
Arrol misses with some punches.
Arrol misses with a short punch on the inside.
I was talking to Arrol's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Nice body punch from Arrol - that landed with a thud.
Arrol scores with a shot to the side of Henry's head.
Arrol stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Henry is breathing heavily.
Henry is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Arrol gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Arrol gets underhooks to prevent Henry's takedown attempt.
William Arrol has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of John Henry.
Still in the clinch, Arrol scores with a nice short uppercut.
Arrol makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Arrol lands a hook that snaps the head of Henry backwards.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Arrol working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Arrol gets underhooks to prevent Henry's takedown attempt.
A short body shot lands from Arrol as the two fighters clinch.
Arrol lands a hook that snaps the head of Henry backwards.
Arrol digs a right hand underneath Henry's ribcage. Henry let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Arrol lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Arrol lands a hook to the side of the head.
Arrol lands a shoulder strike.
Arrol misses with a punch to the body.
Arrol lands a nice shot to the body.
Arrol working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Arrol lands a body shot.
Arrol stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Arrol lands a hook to the side of the head.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Arrol lands a left hand that snaps the head of Henry backwards.
Arrol lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.

Henry is rocked!
Arrol works on Henry's body with a couple of short punches.
Henry is still on wobbly legs! Can Arrol finish him?
A short right from Arrol.
Arrol creates a bit of space for himself and rocks Henry with a big uppercut! Henry tries to clinch up but Arrol pushes him back against the cage and lands another monster strike that crumples Henry to the mat! Henry covers up and Arrol unloads with more strikes until the referee steps in to end the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:58 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Punches). William Arrol!
An out of breath William Arrol thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.