PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Chenglong Xie (ranked 3779 p4p, 0 weight class) and Badr Houdoe (ranked 2032 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Xie
vs
Houdoe

177 cm
25
156 lbs
5 - 7 - 0

176 cm
25
141 lbs
8 - 2 - 1

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Knockout power

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 5 - 7 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Chenglong Xie!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 2 - 1, fighting out of The Island, Badr Houdoe!
The judges for this bout are David Hoff, Sandra Marshall and Bart Greer.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Houdoe drives through and clinches with Xie against the cage.
Houdoe jumps guard but Xie turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Xie tries to score a body lock takedown but Houdoe shows good agility there to stay on his feet.

Xie's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Houdoe closes the distance and clinches up with Xie, looking for a takedown. Houdoe pushes Xie against the cage but Xie circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Xie tries for a takedown but Houdoe sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Houdoe drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Xie defends it well.
Houdoe looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Xie is fending him off so far but Houdoe persists. Nope, Xie circles away and we're back to standing.
Chenglong Xie has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Badr Houdoe.
Nice takedown defense from Houdoe. No joy for Xie on that attempt.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Xie breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Houdoe shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Xie sprawls well. Xie wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Houdoe gets slowly back to his feet.
Houdoe blocks a jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Houdoe closes the distance and clinches.

Xie successfully pulls guard.
Houdoe trying to control the position from guard on top but Xie is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Xie has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Houdoe has passed into side control.
Houdoe tries to get to his feet but he's trapped momentarily.
Houdoe working away.
Xie tries to get back to half guard but can't.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Xie is working hard here to advance position.
Houdoe is looking to take a break and control but Xie is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
An elbow from Houdoe crashes against the mat.
Houdoe trying to control the action but Xie is working from the bottom.
Xie is trying to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Houdoe lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Xie down.
Xie avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Houdoe.
Houdoe blocks the strikes from Xie.
Houdoe wants to control but Xie is keeping him busy.
Houdoe wants to stand but Xie has his arm trapped.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
A lull in the action here as Houdoe stalls from top position.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Xie gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Houdoe holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Xie breaks the clinch.
Xie tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Houdoe manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Xie shoots for a double leg takedown but Houdoe sprawls well. He's pushed Xie's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Xie pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Xie tries to clinch up.
Houdoe lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Xie is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Houdoe.
Xie throws a left and a right that both miss
and Houdoe counters with a three punch combo that has Xie backing up. Xie nods at Houdoe to acknowledge the strikes.
Xie shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Xie fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Xie is breathing heavily.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Houdoe tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Xie defends well and Houdoe ends up having to push Xie into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Houdoe shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Xie counters with a nice body shot.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Badr Houdoe dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Houdoe shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Xie but Xie pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Horrible takedown attempt by Houdoe or perhaps it was just good defense by Xie, which made it look bad.
Xie shoots in for a takedown but Houdoe shows good takedown defense.
Badr Houdoe seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Houdoe has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Xie.
Xie tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Xie lands a jab to the nose.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Xie.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Xie shoots in but no luck this time.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Chenglong Xie. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Xie shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Houdoe but Houdoe pushes him off and we're back to square one.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Houdoe misses with a takedown attempt - Xie sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Houdoe has closed the distance and engaged Xie in a clinch.
Xie is trying to pull guard but Houdoe has him pressed against the cage.
Xie is trying to stall.
Xie tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Houdoe smiles and moves away.
Xie shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Houdoe pinned against the cage. Houdoe gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Xie slaps away a takedown attempt from Houdoe, before circling back to the center of the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Xie shoots in looking for a takedown. Houdoe tries to sprawl out of it but Xie keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Houdoe manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

Houdoe scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Xie wings away with a couple of strikes but they don't land.

Houdoe thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Sloppy strikes there by Houdoe.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Houdoe tries to score with some ground and pound. Xie controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
You can see the frustration on Xie's face as Houdoe controls the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Xie tries to buck Houdoe off but Houdoe is having none of it.
Houdoe fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Houdoe is looking to take a break and control but Xie is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Houdoe has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Xie sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Houdoe content to control rather than advance.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Houdoe wants to stand but Xie has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Xie wants to control but Houdoe is keeping busy and won't allow it.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

Xie closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Houdoe tries to pull guard but Xie forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Xie trying to land knees to the body.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Houdoe is trying to break free.
Houdoe tries to land knees in the clinch but Xie avoids the damage to the body.
Xie prevents a body shot from Houdoe.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Badr Houdoe will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's time! Xie's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Houdoe is looking to land body kicks.
Xie goes for a double leg but Houdoe avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Houdoe continues to drive forward.
Xie buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Houdoe throws a head kick that misses
and Xie counters with a body kick that brings a smile to the face of both fighters.
Houdoe shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Xie drops down looking for a counter takedown but Houdoe sprawls and moves away.
Houdoe shoots in looking for a takedown. Xie tries to sprawl out of it but Houdoe keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Xie manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Houdoe slips a jab and a cross from Xie.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Houdoe ducks under a wild hook from Xie.
Houdoe shoots in for a double leg but Xie sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Chenglong Xie has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Badr Houdoe.
Nice sprawl there from Houdoe as Xie shoots in.
Houdoe wants to counter with a clinch but Xie pushes him away.

Houdoe gets tackled into the cage by Xie. Xie maintains the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Xie escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Xie darts in looking for a takedown but Houdoe gets double underhooks and turns Xie into the cage.
Chenglong Xie is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Xie defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Houdoe.
Xie tries to counter by clinching up but Houdoe breaks away and moves out of range.

Houdoe fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Xie, pushing him back against the cage.

Houdoe breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Xie goes for a double leg but Houdoe avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Houdoe continues to drive forward.
Xie misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Xie fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Xie misses with a combination

and Houdoe counters by moving into the clinch.
Houdoe jumps guard but Xie turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Houdoe escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Xie fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Xie shoots in but no luck this time.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Houdoe manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.

Houdoe throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Houdoe has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Houdoe wants to sweep here but Xie controlling him for the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Houdoe is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Houdoe not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.

Houdoe is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Xie tries to roll over but Houdoe keeps him under control.
Houdoe frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Houdoe landing punches.
Houdoe looking to finish with strikes here!
Houdoe looking to finish with strikes here!
Houdoe wants to control the pace but Xie is squirming around nicely.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Xie has given up his back. Will we see Houdoe going for some submissions?

And that's the end of the fight!
Badr Houdoe comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Houdoe 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 David Hoff scores the fight for Badr Houdoe!
Judge Sandra Marshall scores the fight for Badr Houdoe!
Judge Bart Greer scores the fight for Badr Houdoe!

Badr Houdoe wins by unanimous decision!