PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Manus Grant (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Serge Ibaka (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Grant comes to the cage accompanied by Thunderstruck - AC/DC. Serge Ibaka has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Grant
vs
Ibaka

170 cm
37
140 lbs
24 - 16 - 0

170 cm
35
143 lbs
29 - 8 - 0

Good wrestling
Dangerous knees
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

Aspire Clothing

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the bantamweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 24 - 16 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Manus Grant!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 29 - 8 - 0, fighting out of London, Serge Ibaka!
The judges for this bout are Russell Pearce, David Schapiro and Eddie Farnsworth.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ibaka misses with a looping right.
Manus Grant seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Grant feints and then cracks Ibaka's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Ibaka down.
Grant throws a half hearted mid kick.
Grant scores with a kick to the midsection.
A low kick from Grant misses
and Ibaka cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
A head kick by Grant misses
and Ibaka makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Ibaka throws a body shot but no joy.
Grant throws a quick counter kick to the body but Ibaka avoids it.
Ibaka uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Grant.
Ibaka misses the shot to the body.
Grant slips a jab and a cross from Ibaka.
Grant takes a swing at Ibaka's ribcage but misses.
Ibaka moves out of range of the strikes.
Grant bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Ibaka's head.
Grant connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Grant swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Grant thumps Ibaka with a low kick.
Grant lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A jab from Ibaka misses.
Ibaka slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Grant keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Ibaka.
Grant misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Grant lands a head kick. Ibaka smiles back at him and beckons him forward.

It looks like Serge Ibaka has been cut.
An inside leg kick from Grant misses.
Grant is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Ibaka throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Grant on the side of the head.
Ibaka looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Grant looks to score with a jab to the body but Ibaka is just out of range.
Grant swings away with a body shot that misses
and Ibaka counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Grant ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Grant swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Ibaka lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Grant misses with a head kick.
Grant moves out of range as Ibaka strikes.
Ibaka has been working his punching technique in the buildup to the fight and it appears to be paying off.
Grant misses the shot to the body.
Grant is looking to wear down Ibaka with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Grant tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Ibaka was well out of range. Poor timing from Grant.
Grant fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Ibaka manages to avoid it.
Grant throws a series of punches but Ibaka avoids them all with ease.
Ibaka looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Grant tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Grant throws a jab but it's blocked by Ibaka.
Grant lands a nice hook to Ibaka's body. Ibaka takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Grant shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Ibaka lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Ibaka scores with a body shot.
Ibaka lands a glancing blow to the side of Grant's head.

Ibaka has managed to clinch.
Grant trying to control the position but instead, Ibaka has worked for underhooks and has pushed Grant into the cage.

Grant breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Grant lands with a slapping head kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Grant throws a sloppy body shot
and Grant takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Grant looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Ibaka checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Ibaka looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Ibaka looks to land a right hand but Grant moved out of range.
Grant lands a jab.
Grant tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Ibaka avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Ibaka throws a looping overhand right but Grant ducks down to avoid it.
Grant throws a half hearted mid kick.
Ibaka is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Grant with a body shot.
Ibaka throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Ibaka on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Ibaka takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Ibaka.
Grant throws a body kick, spinning off balance
and Ibaka counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
A punch lands to the side of Grant 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Ibaka lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Grant throws a right hand that misses
and Ibaka counters with a nice uppercut.
Grant takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Ibaka scores with a nice right hand.

Grant is rocked!
Ibaka moves away from the strike by Grant.
Grant swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Grant just misses with a punch to the body.
Ibaka looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Ibaka!
Oh Grant is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Ibaka takes one on the button.
Grant displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Ibaka throws out the jab.
Grant closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Grant throws a half hearted mid kick.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Ibaka keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Grant scores with a shot to the body.
Grant swings away with a body shot that misses
enabling Ibaka to counter with a crisp jab.
Grant falls off balance throwing a combination
and Ibaka counters with a nice body shot.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Serge Ibaka dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Serge Ibaka's cut.
That's time! Grant's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Ibaka throws a hook to the side of Grant's head but Grant sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Grant seems to have got his legs back now.
Grant steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Ibaka.
Serge Ibaka seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Nice cross by Ibaka.
Grant keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Grant pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Grant dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Ibaka uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Grant.
Grant misses the shot to the body.
Grant throws a sloppy head kick
and Ibaka cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Ibaka's corner calls for a 1-2. Ibaka obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Grant scores with a crisp jab that stopped Ibaka in his tracks.
Grant slips a jab from Ibaka.
Grant showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Ibaka.
Grant swung with a counter punch to the body but it didn't connect.
The crowd cheers as Ibaka lands an impressive looking overhand right. Grant doesn't seem phased though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Grant misses with a body shot
and Grant takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Crunch! Grant slams his shin into Ibaka's torso.
Grant throws a nice head kick!
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Ibaka crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Grant - the referee stops the clock and Ibaka gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Grant. Ibaka manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
Grant throws a sloppy head kick
letting Ibaka counter with a right hand.
Grant slips a straight right by Ibaka.
Grant looks to land a combination but Ibaka avoids it well.
Ibaka throws a series of strikes that have Grant backpedaling.
Grant throws a sloppy head kick and Ibaka moves out of range easily.
Grant misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Ibaka connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Grant momentarily.
A shot to the liver by Ibaka. Beautiful body shot.

Ibaka rushes Grant and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Ibaka has Grant pressed against the cage, preventing Grant from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Ibaka misses with some punches.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ibaka lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Grant.

Grant breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Grant misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Grant takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Ibaka is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Grant.
Ibaka takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.

Grant tries to keep at a distance but Ibaka has taken the fight into the clinch.
Grant throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Ibaka blocks it with crossed arms.
Ibaka stalling against the cage.
Ibaka avoids a wild elbow strike from Grant.
Grant can't find room to land a body shot as Ibaka controls the action.
Grant misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Ibaka.
Ibaka throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Grants head.

It looks like Manus Grant has been cut.
Grant looking to stall.
A short left from Ibaka.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Still in the clinch, Ibaka scores with a nice short uppercut.
Ibaka softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Ibaka lands a right hand that snaps the head of Grant backwards.
Grant looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Grant is trying to break the clinch but Ibaka has him pressed against the cage.
Grant tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Good body shot from Ibaka.
Ibaka blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Grant goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
A nice left hand lands by Ibaka.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Ibaka as Grant tries to tie him up.
Serge Ibaka seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Ibaka presses Grant against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Grant stalling in the clinch but Ibaka improves position.
Ibaka has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Grant tries to land knees in the clinch but Ibaka avoids the damage to the body.

Ibaka breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Grant darts in trying to clinch
and Ibaka connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ibaka darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Grant misses with an attempted mid kick.
Grant throws a sloppy body shot
and Ibaka counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Ibaka cracks Grant with a good jab.
Grant ducks under a wild hook from Ibaka.
Grant has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Grant gets caught by a big overhand right and goes down! Ibaka gets on top of him and starts throwing some serious punches until the ref intervenes and stops the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:33 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Serge Ibaka! Serge Ibaka retains his bantamweight title!
Serge Ibaka decided to call for a title shot in his post fight interview, which was very strange given the fact this fight was for a title and he's already the champion. I guess that's what getting punched in the head does for you.