PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Neil Drake (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Victor Szczęsny (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Victor Szczęsny has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Neil Drake's chin.

Drake
vs
Szczęsny

165 cm
33
145 lbs
21 - 10 - 0

225 cm
33
135 lbs
26 - 13 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

BJJ Purple Belt
Great elbows
Good gas tank

Highland Clothing

Phantom Fightwear

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 21 - 10 - 0, fighting out of London, Neil Drake!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 26 - 13 - 0, fighting out of London, Victor Szczęsny!
The judges for this bout are Andrew Berry, James Atkins and Sam Margolis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Szczęsny uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Drake.

Szczęsny closes the distance and clinches.
Drake stalling in the clinch but Szczęsny improves position.
Szczęsny lands a right hand that snaps the head of Drake backwards.
Szczęsny doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Drake taking a breather.
Szczęsny lands a nice elbow.
Drake is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Szczęsny is keeping busy.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Drake tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Szczęsny misses with a punch to the body.
Drake stalling.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Szczęsny being controlled against the cage.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Neil Drake.
Szczęsny lands with an overhand left.
Szczęsny takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Drake throws a lazy right hand but Szczęsny sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Szczęsny looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
We can't be sure of the tactics at this early stage but we have heard that Szczęsny has been working on his takedowns a lot in the buildup to the fight and we can only assume he's going to look to take this to the mat.
Szczęsny moves away from the strike by Drake.
Drake avoids the body shot from Szczęsny.
Drake is looking to counter punch.
Szczęsny gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Drake.

Drake changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Szczęsny looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Szczęsny is not content to let Drake control the position.
Szczęsny struggling a bit here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Drake working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Drake tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Drake has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Szczęsny tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Drake wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Drake throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Szczęsny looks to move to half guard but instead Drake has passed into mount! Damn!
Szczęsny regains half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Drake is looking for a kimura here.

Drake wants to work for an arm triangle but Szczęsny is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Szczęsny wants to improve his position but Drake is controlling well.

Drake seems to be looking for submissions.
Drake prevents Szczęsny from improving his position.
Szczęsny is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Szczęsny is looking to control Drake's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Szczęsny avoid being mounted?
Drake not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.

Szczęsny is defending against the submission attempts here by Drake.
Szczęsny trying to control here.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Szczęsny can do anything to dispel that myth.

Drake is looking for a kimura here.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Szczęsny wants to control but Drake is keeping busy.
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 Neil Drake will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Szczęsny fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Drake manages to avoid it.
Szczęsny misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Drake with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Szczęsny to score with a decent uppercut.
Szczęsny just misses with a punch to the body.
Neil Drake seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Szczęsny connects with a looping right hand.
Drake on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Drake swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Drake throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Drake throws a series of punches but Szczęsny avoids them all with ease.
Szczęsny feints a counter leg kick.

Drake changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Szczęsny looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Szczęsny struggling a bit here.

Drake is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Szczęsny knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Drake wants to control but Szczęsny is keeping him busy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Drake tries to advance to mount but can't.
Drake misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Szczęsny is holding Drake down, trying to stall.
Drake scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Szczęsny to see if he's OK.
Drake trying to control the position but Szczęsny is working away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.

Drake tries for a kimura but Szczęsny is defending well.
Szczęsny prevents Drake from improving position.
Szczęsny really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Drake. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Szczęsny is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Drake trying to control from half guard but Szczęsny is working away.

Drake is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

Drake is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Szczęsny has managed to free his arm - good work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Drake passes to side control.
You can see the frustration on Szczęsny's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

Drake wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Szczęsny, who protects the arm well.
Szczęsny tries to bench press Drake off him but Drake keeps the position.
Drake in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Szczęsny trying to control but Drake flips him over like a cheap hooker and has his back!

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Szczęsny is staying cool under pressure, defending well against the rear naked choke attempt from his opponent.

Drake looking to finish the fight with a rear naked choke. Szczęsny is controlling Drake 's left arm and he spins nicely into guard.
Szczęsny stays in close to Drake's body and controls the position.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Szczęsny trying to control the position from guard on top but Drake is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Neil Drake will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Szczęsny ducks under a wild hook from Drake.
Szczęsny fails with an attempt to clinch.
Drake misses the jab.
Szczęsny connects with a crisp jab.
Szczęsny is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Drake ducks under a wild hook from Szczęsny.
Drake feinted with a counter takedown.
Drake fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

Szczęsny forces Drake back against the cage and clinches.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Drake lands a right hand.
Drake fails to pull the fight into his guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Drake is trying to pull guard but Szczęsny turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Drake tries to pull guard but Szczęsny won't allow it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Neil Drake. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Drake is looking to control Szczęsny's arms but Szczęsny gets an underhook and turns him. Now Drake has his back to the cage.
Drake leaning his opponent against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Drake throws a punch but it's blocked by Szczęsny.
Drake is trying to pull guard but Szczęsny turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Drake misses with a short punch on the inside.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Szczęsny.
Drake is stalling here.
Drake is looking to control Szczęsny's arms but Szczęsny gets an underhook and turns him. Now Drake has his back to the cage.
Szczęsny prevents a body shot from Drake.
Drake displaying some good clinch control by pressing Szczęsny up against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Drake takes an elbow to the forehead.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Szczęsny lands an elbow that stopped Drake in his tracks for a moment.
Szczęsny lands a nice elbow.
Szczęsny lands a shot to the body.
Drake is trying to pull guard but Szczęsny has him pressed against the cage.
Drake scores with a shoulder strike.
A right hook to the body lands for Szczęsny.
Drake's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Drake is trying to maintain a safe position but Szczęsny gets an underhook and turns Drake into the cage.
Victor Szczęsny has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Drake taking a breather.
Maybe Drake would be better served going for some more strikes rather than trying to control so much.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Neil Drake.
Drake throws a jab but it's blocked by Szczęsny.
Szczęsny follows through with a counter body kick but it doesn't land.

Szczęsny clinches up with Drake and pushes him back against the cage.
Drake tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Drake looking to stall.
Szczęsny blocks an uppercut.
Victor Szczęsny seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Drake trying to control the position but instead, Szczęsny has worked for underhooks and has pushed Drake into the cage.
Drake jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Szczęsny walks away with a smile on his face. Drake gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Szczęsny lands a nice shot to the body.
Victor Szczęsny seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Drake on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Drake closes this distance looking for a takedown but Szczęsny circles away.
Drake misses with a lunging right hand
and Szczęsny counters with an outside leg kick.
Szczęsny just misses with a punch to the body.
Szczęsny connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Szczęsny swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Drake.

Szczęsny drops Drake with a beautiful combination! Drake stares up at his opponent, who ushers him back to his feet - Szczęsny is looking for the KO!

Drake is rocked!
Drake shoots and misses
and Szczęsny counters with a head kick from the bowels of hell that crumples Drake! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:45 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Head Kick). Victor Szczęsny!
Victor Szczęsny took his opportunity to call for a title shot in his post fight interview.