PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ijsa Mohammed (ranked 1393 p4p, 44 weight class) and Paul OConnell (ranked 2217 p4p, 74 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Mohammed
vs
OConnell

225 cm
29
300 lbs
11 - 8 - 0

209 cm
35
285 lbs
18 - 9 - 0

Good wrestling
Great elbows
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Granite chin

Pit Bull Development
RAGS of a RONIN

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 11 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Ijsa Mohammed!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 18 - 9 - 0, fighting out of New York, Paul OConnell!
The judges for this bout are Sam Margolis, Richard Clark and Colin Fotheringham.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Mohammed clinches up with OConnell and pushes him back against the cage.
Mohammed lands a knee to the body.
Mohammed throws a knee to the head but misses.
Mohammed scores with a knee to the head.
OConnell working hard to break the clinch.
Mohammed misses with a knee strike.
OConnell blocks the elbow strike.
OConnell blocks an elbow strike from Mohammed.

OConnell breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Mohammed avoids a kick to the body.

Mohammed moves into range and clinches up with OConnell.
Mohammed creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
OConnell's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Mohammed throws a punch but it's blocked by OConnell.
Mohammed lands a nice elbow from the clinch.

It looks like Paul OConnell has been cut.
OConnell is trying to break free.
Mohammed lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Mohammed.

OConnell breaks from the clinch.
Mohammed looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
OConnell swats away the attempt to clinch by Mohammed.

Mohammed has closed the distance and engaged OConnell in a clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
OConnell can't break the clinch.
OConnell blocks an elbow strike.
Mohammed tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Mohammed throws an elbow that misses.
Mohammed lands an elbow just above OConnell 's eye.
Mohammed utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
OConnell looks winded!
OConnell is trying to force a seperation but Mohammed has the dominant position.
OConnell is trying to break free.
OConnell wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

OConnell escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Mohammed tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Mohammed is looking to clinch but OConnell is avoiding it.
OConnell looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Mohammed is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
OConnell avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Mohammed scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.

Mohammed closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Mohammed tries to land a knee to the head but OConnell blocks with his arms.
Mohammed lands a nice elbow.

OConnell breaks the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
OConnell throws a jab but it's blocked by Mohammed.
OConnell looks to throw the jab but Mohammed is out of range.
Mohammed is looking to clinch but OConnell is avoiding it.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
OConnell misses with a jab, cross combination.
Mohammed tries to close the distance and clinch but OConnell swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
OConnell throws a jab but it's blocked by Mohammed.

Mohammed rushes OConnell and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
OConnell managing to block the knees to the body from Mohammed.
Mohammed lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Mohammed lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of OConnell backwards.
Mohammed tries a knee to the head but OConnell blocks it.
Mohammed lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Mohammed lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
OConnell blocks an elbow strike.

OConnell's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Mohammed has OConnell up against the cage in a clinch.
OConnell wants to break free but Mohammed has control.
Mohammed using the Thai plumb to throw knees but OConnell has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
OConnell has been looking to improve his clinch game in recent weeks. Mohammed seems to have the measure of him in the clinch so far, so let's see if OConnell can turn it around.
Mohammed gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Nice elbow from Mohammed.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mohammed lands a nice elbow.

That has opened up Paul OConnell's cut even more.
Mohammed lands an elbow just above OConnell 's eye.
OConnell dodges an elbow strike from Mohammed.
OConnell avoiding damage as Mohammed throws knees to the body.
Mohammed lands a damaging elbow.
Mohammed unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Mohammed comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Knees in the clinch landing for Mohammed.
Mohammed lands an elbow inside.

The cut above Paul OConnell's eye is starting to cause him problems now.
Mohammed lands an elbow just above OConnell 's eye.
Mohammed misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from OConnell.
Knees in the clinch landing for Mohammed.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Mohammed using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Mohammed.
Mohammed lands a big knee to the head and OConnell goes down! Mohammed pounces and finishes the fight with strikes! He jumps to his feet and celebrates with the crowd!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:50 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Ijsa Mohammed!
Ijsa Mohammed was full of energy after the big win and talked about how he thinks he can do big things in this sport. The crowd were appreciative of his determination to succeed.