PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Azar Qasi (ranked 708 p4p, 97 weight class) and Wayde West (ranked 2225 p4p, 295 weight class). Qasi comes to the cage accompanied by For Whom The Bell Tolls. West has chosen Sober as his entrance music. Azar Qasi has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Qasi
vs
West

180 cm
31
166 lbs
26 - 11 - 1

187 cm
35
168 lbs
27 - 20 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Fast

Perkele!
Bullet Proof System

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 26 - 11 - 1, fighting out of New York, Azar Qasi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 27 - 20 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Wayde West!
The judges for this bout are Leandro Rodrigues, Mauricio Rocha and Felipe Paraventi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Qasi lands a nice shot to the body.
Qasi connects with a body shot that sends West's belly button to the back.
Qasi waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract West.
Qasi bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of West's head.

It looks like Wayde West has been cut.
Qasi lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
West displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Qasi throws out the jab.
Qasi waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract West.
West ducks under a wild hook from Qasi.
West swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
West shoots in for a double leg but Qasi sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
It looked like Qasi wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Qasi misses with a hook.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Qasi goes for a body shot but it's blocked.

Qasi breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
West keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Qasi.
Qasi is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by West.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A looping hook to the body misses from Qasi. West does a little dance to reset his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Qasi throws a jab but it's blocked by West.
West is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.

West moves into the clinch.
Qasi misses with some punches.
West has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
West avoiding damage.

Qasi breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
West throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Qasi lands with a hook. West tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Azar Qasi is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
West tries a head kick but it misses.
West walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
West moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
West gets cracked there but stands up to it.
The fighters circling - Qasi throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Qasi misses with a straight left.
Qasi is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Qasi swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Qasi throws a looping overhand right but West ducks down to avoid it.
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!
No luck with that takedown attempt from West.
Qasi throws out a loose jab but West uses good head movement to avoid it.
West steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Qasi.
West slips a straight right by Qasi.
Qasi thows a left - swing and a miss!
West shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Qasi pinned against the cage. Qasi gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Azar Qasi has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Wayde West.
West uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Qasi.
West steps in looking to clinch after the strikes miss from Qasi.
West fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
A big left from Qasi misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Qasi lunges at West with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by West's hand.
Qasi swings widly with a right hand

and West counters with a takedown into side control.
Qasi is looking to regain half guard here but West keeps moving and retains side control.
Qasi is in a tricky position but he's been working on his transitions down at Martial Arts Dojo, so we'll see if he gets out of it.
Qasi is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
West wants to stand up but Qasi has a hold of him and won't allow it.
Qasi is trying to get back to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with West in particular looking to stall.
West wants to control but Qasi is keeping him busy.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Qasi is looking for a sweep. West is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Qasi is working hard here to advance position.
Qasi moves into full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Azar Qasi dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Wayde West's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Qasi getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Qasi throws a hook to the side of West's head but West sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
West uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Qasi.
Qasi pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Qasi throws a lazy right hand but West sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Qasi misses with a hook. West ducked under it nicely.
West slips a straight right by Qasi.
West misses with a takedown attempt
and Qasi counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Qasi ducks down and throws a hook to the body but West moves away.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
West closes this distance looking for a takedown but Qasi circles away.
An attempted straight right counter from Qasi misses the target.
West avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Qasi misses with a head kick.
Qasi lands a lovely overhand right.
West fails in his attempt to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
West tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Qasi swivels and escapes.
Azar Qasi has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Wayde West.

West moves into the clinch.
Come on West - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
A nice right hand lands inside from Qasi.
A head punch on the inside from Qasi fails to land.
Qasi tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Qasi lands a body shot.
Qasi pushes West back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
West tries to pull guard but Qasi won't allow it.

Qasi's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Qasi misses with an uppercut.
A big right from Qasi misses.
West slips a jab from Qasi.
West misses with a takedown attempt - Qasi sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
West is looking to clinch.
Qasi throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Azar Qasi seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
West shoots and misses
letting Qasi counter with a right hand.
Azar Qasi is winning the standup battle so far.
West slips a jab from Qasi.
Qasi ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
This has been an exciting period of action!
West tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Qasi defends well and West ends up having to push Qasi into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
West misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
It looked like Qasi wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
West is breathing heavily.
Qasi fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Qasi throws a sloppy head kick and West moves out of range easily.
Qasi missing with a left hand there. West was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Qasi swings widly with a right hand
and West counters with a nice uppercut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
West takes one on the button.
West misses with a combination
and Qasi counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

West is rocked!
Qasi cracks West with a big right hand that sees him stumbling back against the cage! West falls to his knees and Qasi doesn't need a second invitatation - he rushes in and fires off several unanswered shots that force the referee to stop the fight! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:21 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Azar Qasi!
An out of breath Azar Qasi thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.