PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Khatir Afridi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Luke Pratchett (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Luke Pratchett is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Afridi
vs
Pratchett

167 cm
27
150 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

165 cm
25
140 lbs
9 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Excellent grappler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Khatir Afridi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Luke Pratchett!
The judges for this bout are Chris Downing, Daniel Franklin and Frank Dennis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pratchett lands a nice hook to Afridi's body. Afridi takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Pratchett lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.

Pratchett shoots in and bounces Afridi off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Pratchett postures up.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Pratchett working his ground and pound in the gym. He isn't landing a great percentage of his ground strikes so far though.

Afridi throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Afridi is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Afridi keeping moving, preventing Pratchett from controlling successfully.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Pratchett controls from within his opponent's guard.
Afridi is adopting a defensive guard.
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.

Afridi is looking for a triangle but Pratchett pushes his legs off easily.
Afridi keeping full guard, as Pratchett tries to pass.
Afridi is trying to keep Pratchett in close.

Pratchett is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Pratchett trying to control but Afridi is working from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Afridi controls Pratchett momentarily but Pratchett frees himself.

Afridi is looking for a triangle here but Pratchett uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Afridi struggling a bit here.
Afridi gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Pratchett is keen to just control but Afridi is a slippery customer.
The fighters are battling for position here. Afridi manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Pratchett won't allow Afridi to sweep him here.

Afridi has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Pratchett is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Afridi.
Afridi is trying to control Pratchett's posture but Pratchett avoids it.
Afridi is looking for a sweep.
Afridi is working hard here to advance position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Afridi is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Pratchett wants to control but Afridi is keeping him busy.
Pratchett thows a huge punch but Afridi dodges it nicely.
Pratchett has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Pratchett with shots to the head and body - Afridi looks very uncomfortable down there.
Afridi tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Pratchett avoids the attempt from Afridi to control.
Pratchett content just to control the position here.
Afridi tries to get back to half guard but can't.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Afridi bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!

Pratchett working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Afridi doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Afridi manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Afridi has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Afridi not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Pratchett looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Afridi passes into side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Luke Pratchett dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Afridi throws a lazy right hand but Pratchett sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.

Pratchett closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Afridi's guard.
Pratchett controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

Afridi escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Pratchett gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Pratchett with a nice head shot there.

Afridi working for a triangle but Pratchett defends it easily.
Pratchett won't allow Afridi to sweep him here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Pratchett is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pratchett makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.

Afridi looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Afridi looking to control.

Afridi looking for subs off his back but Pratchett has passed one foot through into half guard.
Afridi is trying to control but can't.
Still in half guard, Pratchett seems content to control.
Afridi trying to hold on to Pratchett's head to control him but Pratchett postures up.

Afridi actively working from the bottom here.
Pratchett is looking to take a break and control but Afridi is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Afridi is looking to improve his position.
Pratchett looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Pratchett is trying to control. Afridi wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Afridi wants to get back to full guard.

Pratchett is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Afridi sees it coming and defends easily.
Afridi wants to control but Pratchett is keeping busy and won't allow it.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Pratchett fails with the takedown

and Afridi counters by moving into the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Afridi tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Afridi tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Pratchett smiles and moves away.
Pratchett pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Pratchett throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Afridi on the side of the head.
Nice takedown defense from Afridi. No joy for Pratchett on that attempt.
Pratchett scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Afridi looks to clinch

and Pratchett decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Afridi's guard.
Pratchett wants to pass the guard but Afridi is keeping the position.

Afridi is looking for a triangle but Pratchett pushes his legs off easily.
Pratchett wants to control from the top but Afridi keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Afridi has Pratchett pulled in close to control his posture.
Luke Pratchett has got the better of the ground game so far.

Afridi has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Pratchett can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

Pratchett drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Afridi dives on top into guard.

Pratchett is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Pratchett pulls Afridi in close to prevent any damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Luke Pratchett showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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. This is the final round!

Afridi tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Afridi scores with a hook.
Pratchett throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Afridi on the side of the head.
Afridi just misses with a punch to the body.
Pratchett punishes Afridi's body with a nice straight punch.
A cross from Pratchett lands.
Afridi throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Pratchett misses the shot to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Pratchett gets a double leg takedown into Afridi's guard.
Afridi is trying to keep Pratchett in close.
Pratchett scoring with punches to the head and body.
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!
Pratchett lands a couple of digs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pratchett postures up and lands a big shot to Afridi's brow.

Afridi has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Pratchett can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

Afridi looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Pratchett passes into half guard.
Pratchett stalling away here and it's allowed Afridi to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Pratchett preventing the sweep.

Afridi has his foot on Pratchett's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Pratchett works his way back into a safe position though.
Pratchett trying to control the position from guard on top but Afridi is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Afridi keeping full guard, as Pratchett tries to pass.
Khatir Afridi has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Pratchett is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Pratchett controlling from the top position.
Pratchett working some strikes from top position.
Afridi trying to keep a closed guard but Pratchett is proving a slippery customer.

Afridi had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Pratchett defends it easily.
Pratchett's corner is telling him to maintain position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Afridi escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Pratchett gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Pratchett connects with a couple of short punches.

Afridi is looking for a triangle but Pratchett pushes his legs off easily.
Pratchett wants to control from the top but Afridi keeps moving.
Afridi is trying to control the position from the bottom.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.

Afridi escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Pratchett gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

Afridi has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Pratchett can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Luke Pratchett is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

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.
Pratchett wants to control from the top but Afridi keeps moving.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Afridi misses the body punch
and Pratchett counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Khatir Afridi seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Afridi misses with a jab to the body
and Afridi takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Afridi wants to clinch
and Pratchett counters with a straight right hand.
Afridi swings widly with a right hand
and Pratchett counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Pratchett scores with a jab to the head.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Pratchett connects with a body shot that sends Afridi's belly button to the back.
Pratchett keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Afridi.
Afridi misses with a body shot.

And that's the end of the fight!
Luke Pratchett comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Pratchett winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Chris Downing scores the fight 27:30
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 27:30
Judge Frank Dennis scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Luke Pratchett!
Luke Pratchett decided to go for the less than humble approach in his post fight interview, telling everyone how he is going to conquer the world. The crowd seemed to like it when really that sort of approach could have gone either way.