PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Kordell Bailey Sr. (ranked 662 p4p, 87 weight class) and Benedict Arnold (ranked 1003 p4p, 148 weight class). Bailey Sr.'s entrance music is Damian Marley - Road To Zion. A fine choice. Kordell Bailey Sr. had a look across the cage there at his opponent. He definitely means business

Bailey Sr.
vs
Arnold

173 cm
41
185 lbs
31 - 15 - 0

187 cm
37
188 lbs
25 - 14 - 2

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the middleweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 31 - 15 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Kordell Bailey Sr.!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 25 - 14 - 2, fighting out of Los Angeles, Benedict Arnold!
The judges for this bout are Hirohito Nitta, Shigeki Sano and Shigeki Fujiwara.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Arnold doesn't manage to clinch there - Bailey Sr. circles away.
Arnold wants to clinch.
Arnold throws a looping overhand right but Bailey Sr. ducks down to avoid it.
Bailey Sr. misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Arnold.
Bailey Sr. has been working on his boxing with his coaches at True North Fight Team in the buildup to the fight.
Bailey Sr. digs a good body shot into Arnold's ribs.
Arnold drops his hands momentarily and Bailey Sr. takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Arnold connects with a looping right hand.
Arnold tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Bailey Sr. was well out of range. Poor timing from Arnold.
Bailey Sr. lands a nice hook to Arnold's body. Arnold takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Bailey Sr. digs a good body shot into Arnold's ribs.
Bailey Sr. throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Bailey Sr. throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Arnold sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Bailey Sr. pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Arnold back to the cage. Bailey Sr. follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Arnold scores with a hook.
Arnold is looking to clinch but Bailey Sr. is avoiding it.
Arnold tries to clinch there but Bailey Sr. circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Bailey Sr. fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Arnold to the ground. Bailey Sr. is now in Arnold's guard.
Bailey Sr. is working Arnold over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Arnold keeping moving, preventing Bailey Sr. from controlling successfully.
Arnold is adopting a defensive guard.
Bailey Sr. wants to pass the guard but Arnold is keeping the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Bailey Sr. wants to control from the top but Arnold keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Arnold is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Bailey Sr. swinging wildly here.

Bailey Sr. closes the distance and clinches.
Bailey Sr. is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Arnold goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Bailey Sr. blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Arnold has a couple of punches blocked by Bailey Sr..
Bailey Sr. is trying to pull guard but Arnold has him pressed against the cage.
Arnold swings wildly with an uppercut but Bailey Sr. uses good head movement to avoid it.
Arnold misses with a hook from the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Bailey Sr..
Arnold misses with a body punch.
Arnold presses Bailey Sr. against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Bailey Sr. blocks an uppercut.
Bailey Sr. jumps guard but Arnold turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Bailey Sr. misses with a short punch on the inside.
Arnold misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Bailey Sr. tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Bailey Sr. is trying to pull guard but Arnold turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Kordell Bailey Sr.. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A short uppercut from Bailey Sr..
Bailey Sr. tries to pull guard but Arnold forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
A right hand to the body from Arnold.
Bailey Sr. blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Bailey Sr. controlling the action here for a moment.
Arnold misses with a hook from the clinch.
Arnold blocks a punch to the side of the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bailey Sr. is trying to pull guard but Arnold turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Arnold fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Arnold lands with a short head shot on the inside.

Bailey Sr. manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Bailey Sr. looking to hit a scissor sweep but Arnold is one step ahead there.
Bailey Sr. being controlled here, momentarily.
Arnold wants to stand but Bailey Sr. has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

Bailey Sr. looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Arnold engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kordell Bailey Sr. dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Arnold tries to clinch up but Bailey Sr. circles away and keeps his distance.
Bailey Sr. half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Bailey Sr. swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Bailey Sr. lands a body shot.
Bailey Sr. moves out of range of the strikes.
Bailey Sr. swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Arnold fails with an attempt to clinch.

Arnold gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Bailey Sr. jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Arnold walks away with a smile on his face. Bailey Sr. gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Bailey Sr. moves away from the strike by Arnold.
Bailey Sr. jabs Arnold right on the nose. Arnold blinks but takes it well.
Arnold dodges the punch combination from Bailey Sr..
Bailey Sr. throws a body shot but no joy.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Arnold is looking to clinch.
Bailey Sr. connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Arnold momentarily.
Bailey Sr. lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Bailey Sr. throws a jab when Arnold was well out of range.
This has been an exciting period of action!
A low kick from Arnold misses

and Bailey Sr. decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Arnold's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bailey Sr. lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Bailey Sr. trying to control the position from guard on top but Arnold is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Arnold being controlled here, momentarily.
Bailey Sr. wants to control from the top but Arnold keeps moving.
Bailey Sr. is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Arnold is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.

That's two 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.
Bailey Sr. pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Arnold is keeping the position for now.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Kordell Bailey Sr. overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Bailey Sr. throwing strikes but missing.
Bailey Sr. not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
A punch lands to the side of Arnold 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Benedict Arnold is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Bailey Sr. moves out of range of the strikes.
Bailey Sr. lands a nice shot to the body.
Arnold shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Bailey Sr. lands a jab.
Arnold ducks under a wild hook from Bailey Sr..
Nice jab there from Bailey Sr..

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bailey Sr. looks to land a right hand but Arnold moved out of range.
Bailey Sr. throws a lazy uppercut
and Arnold counters with a straight right hand.
Bailey Sr. takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Arnold misses with a low kick.
Bailey Sr. fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Arnold manages to avoid it.
Arnold connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Bailey Sr. momentarily.
Bailey Sr. swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Arnold counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Bailey Sr. shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Arnold pinned against the cage. Arnold gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Arnold is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Bailey Sr. connects with the punch.
Arnold closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Bailey Sr. avoids the body shot from Arnold.
Arnold has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Arnold tries to clinch but Bailey Sr. moves out of range.
Bailey Sr. tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Arnold was well out of range. Poor timing from Bailey Sr..
Bailey Sr. takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.

It looks like Kordell Bailey Sr. has been cut.
Arnold throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Arnold fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Arnold tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Bailey Sr. paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Bailey Sr. swung with a counter punch to the body but it didn't connect.
Arnold lands with a kick to the temple. Bailey Sr. shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Bailey Sr. displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Arnold throws out the jab.
It looked like Bailey Sr. was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Arnold.

Arnold gets tackled into the cage by Bailey Sr.. Bailey Sr. maintains the clinch.
Bailey Sr. scores with a nice hook to the head.
Bailey Sr. makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Bailey Sr. is trying to pull guard but Arnold has him pressed against the cage.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Kordell Bailey Sr.. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Bailey Sr. tries to throw a body punch but Arnold avoids it by throwing Bailey Sr. back against the cage.
Arnold tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Bailey Sr. is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Arnold can do to turn this around?
Bailey Sr. lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Arnold misses with a punch to the body.
Bailey Sr. blocks a punch to the side of the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kordell Bailey Sr. dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Kordell Bailey Sr.'s cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Bailey Sr..
Bailey Sr. moves away from the strike by Arnold.
Bailey Sr. lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!

Arnold darts in and clinches Bailey Sr. up against the cage.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Bailey Sr..
Arnold lands a shot to the body.
Arnold fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Bailey Sr. misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Arnold tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Bailey Sr. goes for a takedown attempt but Arnold pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Bailey Sr. scores with a body shot.
Bailey Sr. ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Arnold moves away.
Sloppy strikes from Bailey Sr.. Those never looked like landing.
Arnold takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
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!
Arnold doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bailey Sr. throws a looping overhand right but Arnold ducks down to avoid it.
Kordell Bailey Sr. is winning the standup battle so far.
Bailey Sr. cracks a nice hook into Arnold's ribs.
Bailey Sr. misses with a body shot.
Arnold looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Arnold thows a leg kick but Bailey Sr. checks it
and Bailey Sr. counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
A looping hook to the body misses from Bailey Sr.. Arnold does a little dance to reset his feet.
Bailey Sr. tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Arnold was well out of range. Poor timing from Bailey Sr..

Arnold clinches with his opponent.
Arnold lands a left hand that snaps the head of Bailey Sr. backwards.
Bailey Sr. tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Arnold smiles and moves away.

Arnold pushes Bailey Sr. up against the cage in a clinch.
Arnold tries to work over Bailey Sr.'s body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
A short left from Arnold.
Arnold misses with a punch to the body.
Bailey Sr. wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Bailey Sr. tries to pull guard but Arnold won't allow it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Kordell Bailey Sr.. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bailey Sr. tries for a takedown but Arnold manages to get underhooks.
Arnold misses with a body punch.
Arnold tries to throw a body punch but Bailey Sr. avoids it by throwing Arnold back against the cage.
Bailey Sr. blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Arnold doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
A short right from Bailey Sr. on the inside.
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!
Bailey Sr. tries to pull guard but Arnold forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Benedict Arnold seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Arnold lands a body punch in the clinch.
A nice right hand lands inside from Arnold.
Bailey Sr. lands a left hand.
A short right from Bailey Sr. on the inside.
Arnold lands a nice uppercut.
Arnold tries to throw a body punch but Bailey Sr. avoids it by throwing Arnold back against the cage.
Bailey Sr. can't find room to land a body shot as Arnold controls the action.
Arnold tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Bailey Sr.'s elbow.
Bailey Sr. looking to stall.
A right hand to the body from Bailey Sr..

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Arnold misses with a short punch on the inside.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Arnold.
Bailey Sr. jumps guard but Arnold stands there with Bailey Sr. around his waist. Bailey Sr. gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Bailey Sr. blocks an uppercut.
Bailey Sr. tries to pull guard but Arnold holds him up against the cage and eventually Bailey Sr. drops back down to his feet.
Bailey Sr. misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Arnold lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Arnold misses with a punch on the inside.
Bailey Sr. is looking to control Arnold's arms but Arnold gets an underhook and turns him. Now Bailey Sr. has his back to the cage.
Arnold lands a right hand that snaps the head of Bailey Sr. backwards.
Bailey Sr. tries to pull guard but Arnold holds him up against the cage and eventually Bailey Sr. drops back down to his feet.
Arnold lands a body punch.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Good body shot from Arnold.
Arnold tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Bailey Sr.'s elbow.
A short uppercut from Bailey Sr..

That's four minutes gone in the round.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Arnold.
Arnold doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Arnold misses with a hook to the ribs.
Arnold fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Arnold throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Bailey Sr.s head.
Arnold has a couple of punches blocked by Bailey Sr..
Arnold has a couple of punches blocked by Bailey Sr..
Arnold blocks an uppercut.
Arnold lands on the inside with an uppercut.
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!
Bailey Sr. fails to pull the fight into his guard.

Bailey Sr. successfully pulls guard.

Bailey Sr. working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Arnold doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Arnold manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Arnold sitting in guard, not really doing much.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close third round but Benedict Arnold just about did enough to take it.
The cut man is working on Kordell Bailey Sr.'s cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Arnold tries a head kick but it misses.
Bailey Sr. tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Arnold manages to circle out of the way.
Bailey Sr. avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Bailey Sr. lands a nice shot that snaps Arnold's head back.
Bailey Sr. takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Bailey Sr. shoots in for a double leg but Arnold sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Arnold comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Bailey Sr. tries to pull guard but Arnold holds him up against the cage and eventually Bailey Sr. drops back down to his feet.
Bailey Sr. goes for a takedown in the clinch but Arnold prevents it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Kordell Bailey Sr.. That's going to take a lot out of him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bailey Sr. prevents a body shot from Arnold.
Bailey Sr. misses with a punch on the inside.
Bailey Sr. misses with a short punch on the inside.
A nice right hand lands inside from Bailey Sr..
Arnold has a couple of punches blocked by Bailey Sr..

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bailey Sr. is looking to control Arnold's arms but Arnold gets an underhook and turns him. Now Bailey Sr. has his back to the cage.
Arnold throws a head punch that misses.

Bailey Sr. breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Kordell Bailey Sr. seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Bailey Sr. swats away the attempt to clinch by Arnold.
Arnold lands with a slapping head kick.
Bailey Sr. punishes Arnold's body with a nice straight punch.
Arnold gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Arnold lands a nice shot to the body.
Arnold's corner calls for a 1-2. Arnold obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Arnold misses with a head kick.
Bailey Sr. misses with a wild body shot.
Bailey Sr. wants to clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Arnold fails in his attempt to clinch.
Arnold takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.

Bailey Sr. darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Arnold is looking to escape.
Bailey Sr. wants to take a breather but Arnold is having none of it.
Arnold has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Bailey Sr. is working away from the top position though.
Arnold is looking for a sweep. Bailey Sr. is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Bailey Sr. passes to full mount!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Arnold is in all sorts of trouble here.
Poor strikes thrown by Bailey Sr. there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!
Bailey Sr. landing shots from mount.
Arnold is squirming around, avoiding Bailey Sr.'s attempts to control the action.
Bailey Sr. lands a couple of good shots and Arnold has given up his back, trying to escape the position!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bailey Sr. loading up with punches from the back mount - how long can Arnold hold on?
Arnold staying busy and making it hard for Bailey Sr. to control.
Bailey Sr. struggling to land strikes to the head as Arnold covers up.
Bailey Sr. lands a shot to the body.
Arnold manages to escape to a better position under a series of strikes. Bailey Sr. is now in side control.
A lull in the action here as Bailey Sr. stalls from top position.
You can see the frustration on Arnold's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kordell Bailey Sr. had his way with Benedict Arnold in that round.
The cut man is working on Kordell Bailey Sr.'s cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Bailey Sr. tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Arnold manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Arnold lands a jab to the nose.
Arnold walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Bailey Sr. checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Bailey Sr. throws a combination that misses
and Arnold counters with a nice low kick that buckles Bailey Sr.'s knee momentarily.
Bailey Sr. lands a nice shot that snaps Arnold's head back.
Bailey Sr. shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Arnold pinned against the cage. Arnold gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Bailey Sr. swats away the attempt to clinch by Arnold.
Bailey Sr. lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bailey Sr. swats away the attempt to clinch by Arnold.
Arnold fails with an attempt to clinch.
Arnold misses with a hook
and Bailey Sr. counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Arnold tries to close the distance and clinch up but Bailey Sr. swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Arnold fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Bailey Sr. is out of range.
Jab by Bailey Sr..
Bailey Sr. lands a nice shot to the body.
Arnold throws a body punch but Bailey Sr. moves out of range.
Arnold avoids the body shot from Bailey Sr..
Arnold fails with an attempt to clinch.

Bailey Sr. bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Arnold struggling a bit here.
Bailey Sr. wants to lay and pray for a moment but Arnold keeps working.
Bailey Sr. tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Benedict Arnold has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bailey Sr. trying to control the position but Arnold is working away.
Arnold tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Bailey Sr. wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Arnold taking punishment in the form of punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Bailey Sr. wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Arnold, who protects the arm well.
Arnold on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Bailey Sr. trying to control the action but Arnold is working from the bottom.
Bailey Sr. throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Bailey Sr. throws a strike aimed at the side of Arnold's head but Arnold avoids it well.

Bailey Sr. working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Kordell Bailey Sr. is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Bailey Sr. controlling from side mount.
Bailey Sr. wants to control but Arnold is keeping him busy.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Bailey Sr. staying calm.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Bailey Sr. has knee on belly and moves into mount.

And that's the end of the fight!
Kordell Bailey Sr. showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Bailey Sr. has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 5 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 49:46
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight 49:46
Judge Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 49:46

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kordell Bailey Sr.!
Kordell Bailey Sr. retains his middleweight title!
Our winner, Kordell Bailey Sr., made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.
In defeat, Benedict Arnold stepped up to the mic, saying 'Stupid auto flight, free win for opponent'.