PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Jake Kirby (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ian Higgins (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look pumped up here. Let's hope this is a good fight!

Kirby
vs
Higgins

182 cm
23
165 lbs
5 - 3 - 0

182 cm
26
160 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Cardio machine

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of London, Jake Kirby!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, Ian Higgins!
The judges for this bout are Colin Fotheringham, Paul Tew and Phil Schofield.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Higgins misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Higgins looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Kirby throws a sloppy head kick and Higgins moves out of range easily.
Kirby blocks a jab.
Kirby tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Higgins manages to circle out of the way.
Kirby checks a leg kick.
Kirby connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Kirby wants to land a leg kick but Higgins is out of range.
Higgins dips to his left and cracks Kirby with an uppercut!
Kirby moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Higgins fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Kirby checks it well.
A slow jab from Higgins misses its intended target.
As Higgins backs away, Kirby returns fire with a leg kick that just misses.
Nice straight punches there by Higgins. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Higgins.
Ian Higgins seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Higgins misses with a head kick.
Kirby is looking to counter with head kicks.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Higgins misses with a body punch
and Kirby counters with a low kick, right behind Higgins 's knee.
Higgins checks a leg kick.
Kirby keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Higgins.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Higgins crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Kirby - the referee stops the clock and Higgins gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Kirby. Higgins manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Kirby dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Higgins. That did some damage!
Higgins is looking to clinch but Kirby is avoiding it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kirby uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Higgins.
Higgins on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Kirby looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Kirby buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Kirby slips under a jab.
Kirby tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Higgins is able to avoid easily.
Higgins pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Higgins rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Kirby counters with a head kick. That will keep Higgins thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
Higgins swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Kirby fires out a quick counter leg kick but Higgins just manages to avoid it.
Kirby throws a leg kick but Higgins sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Kirby misses with an attempted mid kick.
Kirby chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Kirby tries to land a leg kick but Higgins saw it coming and moves away.
Despite the aggression on Higgins's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
An inside leg kick from Higgins misses.
Higgins looks to land a combination but Kirby avoids it well.
Higgins's coach down at Canadian Top Team was telling us pre-fight that they have been working on Higgins's balance. Obviously they view that as a key factor in the outcome of this fight.
Kirby avoids a punch combination nicely.
Kirby steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Higgins.
Kirby feinted there with a counter leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Higgins on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Kirby. Kirby obviously looking to wear him down.
A nice inside leg kick there by Kirby. That's going to slow Higgins down.
Kirby dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Higgins. That did some damage!
Kirby lands a head kick!
Kirby tries to land a leg kick but Higgins saw it coming and moves away.
Higgins throws a head kick that misses.

Kirby lands a big head kick that sends Higgins tumbling to the mat! Kirby takes a step backwards and waves Higgins back to his feet - he wants the finish!

Higgins is rocked!
An inside leg kick lands from Kirby.
Higgins is still on wobbly legs! Can Kirby finish him?
Higgins throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Kirby counters with a nice low kick that buckles Higgins's knee momentarily.
Higgins pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Kirby tries to counter by clinching up but Higgins breaks away and moves out of range.
Kirby thows a body kick. Higgins tries to catch it but that hurt him.

Kirby lands a big head kick that sends Higgins tumbling to the mat! Kirby takes a step backwards and waves Higgins back to his feet - he wants the finish!
Kirby with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Kirby 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.
Higgins pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Kirby ducks under a wild hook from Higgins.
Kirby wants to slow Higgins down by chopping away at his legs.
Higgins is trying to counter with his kicks.
Kirby is looking to slow Higgins down with leg kicks.
Kirby 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.
Higgins seems to have recovered his senses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Higgins tries to clinch but Kirby is having none of it.
Kirby looked to counter with a high kick but didn't commit.
Higgins throws a big shot that misses.
A good leg kick by Kirby.
Higgins misses with a few strikes there.
Both fighters circling a little - Kirby finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Higgins misses with a body punch

and Kirby counters with a head kick that drops Higgins to the mat! Higgins scrambles across the canvas and gets back to his feet, still wobbly!
Kirby tried to score with a low kick but Higgins checks it.
Kirby walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Higgins checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Kirby buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Higgins throws an off balance right hand
and Kirby makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. Higgins really felt that one!
Higgins looks winded!
Higgins throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Kirby ducks under a wild hook from Higgins.
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!
Kirby avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Higgins throws a sloppy head kick
and Kirby counters with a solid body kick.
Higgins misses the body punch

and Kirby moves into the clinch.
Kirby missing with knees to the body.
Higgins blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Higgins takes a knee to the side of the body.

Kirby manages to break the clinch.
Kirby fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Higgins checks it well.
Kirby scores with a head kick.
Higgins tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Kirby fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Higgins has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Good shot there by Higgins.
Higgins looks to score with a jab to the body but Kirby is just out of range.
Kirby tried to counter with a leg kick but Higgins avoided it.
Kirby lands a nice leg kick that just misses Higgins's sensitive parts.
Higgins jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Kirby throws a head kick but Higgins moves out of range.
Higgins rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Kirby moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Kirby fires out a quick counter leg kick but Higgins just manages to avoid it.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
A nice leg kick lands there from Kirby.
Kirby thuds his shin into the meat of Higgins's side.
Kirby throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
Higgins on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Kirby. Kirby obviously looking to wear him down.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jake Kirby 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.

An inside leg kick lands from Kirby.
Higgins is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Higgins misses with a hook. Kirby ducked under it nicely.
Higgins cracks Kirby with a good jab.
Kirby looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Higgins bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Kirby's head backwards.
Kirby throws a low kick, looking for Higgins's leg but Higgins calmly moves out of range.
You can see that Higgins has visibly slowed down as a result of the leg kicks
Good standup being displayed there by Higgins as he connects with a hook.
Higgins throws a sloppy head kick and Kirby moves out of range easily.
Kirby scores with a head kick.
Kirby throws a low kick but Higgins avoids it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Higgins ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Kirby moves away.
Higgins stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Kirby.
Kirby swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Kirby throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Higgins.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Higgins misses with a jab, cross combination.
Kirby tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Higgins manages to circle out of the way.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Higgins misses with an uppercut
and Kirby counters with an inside leg kick.
Higgins is breathing heavily.
Higgins throws a looping overhand right but Kirby ducks down to avoid it.
Higgins misses with a kick to the body.
Higgins takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
Higgins tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Kirby is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Higgins can do to turn this around?
Higgins has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Kirby.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Kirby.
Higgins has developed a nice purple lump on his ribcage, as a result of some heavy body kicks from Kirby.
Higgins throws the left hand but Kirby avoids the punch easily.

Kirby lands a big head kick that sends Higgins tumbling to the mat! Kirby takes a step backwards and waves Higgins back to his feet - he wants the finish!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Kirby moves out of range of the body kick.
Higgins misses with a combination
and Kirby counters with a low kick, right behind Higgins 's knee.
Kirby throws a leg kick but Higgins sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Kirby lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
A nice leg kick lands there from Kirby.
Kirby throws a nice outside leg kick.
Kirby defending well as Higgins loads up on a big left hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Higgins tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Kirby paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Kirby and Higgins are patiently standing in front of each other looking for an opening. Kirby throws a head kick. It's landed, knocking Higgins into next week! Ooooh that was huge! Kirby knows it - he's on the cage flexing is biceps. That's a bit weird considering he won by kick but whatever.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:11 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Head Kick). Jake Kirby!