PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Karnak Lao (ranked 8345 p4p, 581 weight class) and Josh Alli (ranked 8525 p4p, 587 weight class). Karnak Lao has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Lao
vs
Alli

170 cm
29
155 lbs
4 - 8 - 1

174 cm
26
160 lbs
3 - 7 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

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 4 - 8 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Karnak Lao!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Josh Alli!
The judges for this bout are Ben Watson, Darius Henderson and John Mangel.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Alli forces Lao back against the cage and clinches.
Lao looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!
Alli using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.

Alli breaks from the clinch.
Lao walks into a straight right hand from Alli.
Alli misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

Alli clinches.
Lao is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Alli to keep the fight standing.

Alli pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Alli explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Alli gets a clinch.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Alli creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.

Alli breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Alli closes the distance and pushes Lao back into the cage.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Lao can't break the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Alli prevents a takedown attempt there.
Alli scores with a shot to the side of Lao's head.

Alli pulls guard.

Alli is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.

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

Alli takes the fight into the clinch.

Alli pulls Lao into guard.
Alli wants to stand and escape but Lao is having none of it.
Alli controls Lao momentarily but Lao frees himself.

Alli pushes Lao off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Alli stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Alli wants it to stay on the feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Karnak Lao. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Alli scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Alli lands a jab-cross combination.

It looks like Karnak Lao has been cut.
We've been told by Lao's head coaches at Cozad MMA Tokyo that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.
Alli fails with a takedown attempt.

Alli has taken the fight to the clinch.
Alli scores a nice knee to the body.
Alli wants a takedown.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Alli lands with a short head shot on the inside.

Alli pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Lao misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Alli tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Lao defends well and Alli ends up having to push Lao into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.

Alli takes the fight into the clinch.

Alli breaks from the clinch.

Alli instigates a clinch.

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

Lao gets tackled into the cage by Alli. Alli maintains the clinch.

Alli pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Lao shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Alli but Alli pushes him off and we're back to square one.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Alli fails to land the takedown.
Lao tries to clinch but Alli moves away
enabling Alli to counter with a crisp jab.

Alli pushes Lao up against the cage in a clinch.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Alli scores with a shoulder strike.
Lao throws a head punch that misses.
Lao tries to pull guard but Alli forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Alli gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Lao.

Alli manages to break the clinch.
Nice sprawl there from Alli as Lao shoots in.
A left and a right from Alli both land. Nice combination.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Josh Alli dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Karnak Lao's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Alli clinches.

Alli's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
A shot to the liver by Alli. Beautiful body shot.

Alli drives through and clinches with Lao against the cage.
Josh Alli seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Alli lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Alli lands with a right to the head.

Lao is rocked!

Alli breaks the clinch.
Oh Lao is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Alli throws a powerful right kick. Lao tried to block low but the kick was high! Lao was taken right off of his feet! Alli jumps in to finish the job and the ref tackles him! The fight is over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:34 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Head Kick). Josh Alli!