PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Speva Koso (ranked 2047 p4p, 211 weight class) and Brandon Lee (ranked 4931 p4p, 432 weight class). This should be a great matchup!

Koso
vs
Lee

176 cm
26
160 lbs
3 - 3 - 0

178 cm
27
164 lbs
8 - 10 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Aspire Nutrition

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 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Speva Koso!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 10 - 0, fighting out of New York, Brandon Lee!
The judges for this bout are Bruno Lombardi, Columbo Gatti and Steve Montenegro.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Koso throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Lee unleashes a big counter combination but Koso bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.
Lee closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Koso is looking to slow Lee down with leg kicks.
Lee shoots for a takedown but Koso saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Koso fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Lee.
Koso looks to score with a jab to the body but Lee is just out of range.
Lee looks like he wanted to counter with a high kick but didn't throw it.
Lee takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Lee connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Lee shoots in for a double leg but Koso sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Lee misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Koso.
Koso seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Koso tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Lee throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Koso tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Lee manages to circle out of the way.
Lee misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Lee moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.

Lee closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Koso to the mat! Koso manages to get full guard.

Koso is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Koso bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Lee's guard.

Koso is in close to Lee's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Koso wants to control from the top but Lee keeps moving.
Koso scoring with punches to the head and body.
Koso trying to control the position from guard on top but Lee is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Koso throws a big elbow that misses.
Koso wants to control from the top but Lee keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Koso stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Lee swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Lee pulls Koso in close to his closed guard and prevents Koso from doing any damage or advancing position.
Koso stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Lee swivels though and keeps the full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Koso is working hard here to advance position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Koso slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.

Koso is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Lee is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Koso goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Lee rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Koso's guard! Nice work there by Lee!

Koso looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Lee wants to control from the top but Koso keeps moving.
Koso keeping full guard, as Lee tries to pass.
Lee trying to control the position from guard on top but Koso is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Koso is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Lee is aware though and is defending well.
Lee trying to control but Koso is working from the bottom.
Lee is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Lee wants to control from the top but Koso keeps moving.
Koso is looking to sweep but instead, Lee has passed into half guard.
We've been hearing good reports from Koso's training camp. Apparently he has been rolling around with some good quality BJJ practitioners and has been sharpening his skills. Let's see if that has an impact on the fight today.
Koso gets back to full guard.
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 Speva Koso will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Lee falls off balance throwing a combination

and Koso counters by moving into the clinch.
Koso tries to work over Lee's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Lee swings away with an uppercut that misses.

Koso manages to break the clinch.
Koso tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Lee paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Koso just misses with a punch to the body.
Brandon Lee is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Koso misses with a looping left.
Koso rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Lee counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Koso throws a right and a left that Lee avoids nicely.
Koso misses with a looping left.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Koso displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Koso stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Koso wants it to stay on the feet.
Koso loads up on a big right hand but Lee slips the punch.
Koso tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Lee was well out of range. Poor timing from Koso.
Koso scores with a sloppy right hand. Lee should have avoided that one.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lee moves out of range as Koso strikes.
Koso stuffs the takedown.
Lee takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Koso wants to clinch.
Lee throws out a counter right but Koso avoids it with no problem.
Koso throws a body punch but Lee moves out of range.
Koso tries to score with a low kick but Lee moves his leg out of the way.

Koso clinches with his opponent.

Koso breaks the clinch.
Koso misses with a low kick.
Lee checks a leg kick nicely.
Speva Koso seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Koso rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
letting Lee counter with a right hand.
Koso lands a front kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lee throws a series of punches but Koso avoids them all with ease.
Koso throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Lee counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Koso tries to clinch but Lee moves away
and Lee counters with a nice uppercut.
Speva Koso is winning the standup battle so far.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Koso avoids the body shot from Lee.
Lee walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Koso fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Koso scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Lee doesn't seem bothered though.
Koso throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Koso is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Lee can do to turn this around?
Koso thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Lee if he has to take too many more of those.
A good leg kick by Koso.
Koso moves in looking to clinch but Lee pushes him off.
Lee keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Lee takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Koso motions for Lee to come forward. Koso throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Lee fails to land with a series of punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lee throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Koso sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Koso swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Lee throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Lee takes a head kick and keeps coming.

Lee is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Koso's half guard.
Koso tries to kick Lee off but Lee keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Lee controlling the pace.
Koso wants to get back to full guard.

Lee seems to be working for a kimura but Koso defends the submission attempt.
Koso is pressing down on Lee's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Koso escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Lee gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Lee sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Koso's guard.

Koso has guillotine here! It looks pretty tight! Could this be all over! No, Lee escapes and passes into side control at the same time. Nice work there by Lee!
Koso tries to improve position but can't.
Brandon Lee has got the better of the ground game so far.
Koso is not content to let Lee control the position.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Lee is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Koso is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Speva Koso dominated that second 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. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Koso throws a sloppy head kick and Lee moves out of range easily.

Lee closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.

Lee swings around for an armbar but Koso sees it coming a mile off and turns beautifully into Lee's guard.
Koso controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Lee keeping full guard, as Koso tries to pass.
Lee has his hands on Koso's head, controlling the position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Koso wants to pass the guard but Lee is keeping the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Koso throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Lee trying to keep a closed guard but Koso is proving a slippery customer.

Koso drops back, looking for a kneebar! Lee looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Lee looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Lee!

Koso tries to get back to half guard but can't.
You can see the frustration on Koso's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Koso tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Lee wants to lay and pray for a moment but Koso keeps working.
Koso tries to improve position but can't.
Koso manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Koso is keen to just control but Lee is a slippery customer.

Koso is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Lee trying to control here.
Koso wants to control but Lee is keeping him busy.
Brandon Lee has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Koso is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Lee avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Koso.
Speva Koso is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Koso is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Koso wants to pass the guard but Lee is defending well.
Koso trying to control from Lee's half guard. Lee has other ideas though and has regained full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Koso's corner is telling him to maintain position.

Lee has an active guard here but Koso has managed to pass into half guard.

Koso is working for a submission of some sort.
Koso looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Speva Koso.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Koso, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Bruno Lombardi scores the fight 30:27
Judge Columbo Gatti scores the fight 29:28
Judge Steve Montenegro scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Speva Koso!