PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Emile Keith (ranked 7048 p4p, 0 weight class) and Abe Newel (ranked 4502 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Keith
vs
Newel

188 cm
22
193 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

188 cm
25
180 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Likes musicals

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Emile Keith!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Abe Newel!
The judges for this bout are Ron Honeybunn, Summer Carpenter and Topper Green.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Keith instigates a clinch.
Newel is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Keith is keeping busy.
Newel is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Keith is trying to pull guard but Newel turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.

Keith drags the fight down to the ground.
Newel controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

Keith escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Newel gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Keith working for a triangle but Newel defends it easily.
Keith is pulling down on Newel's head to control his posture.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Keith throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.

Newel got a little sloppy there for a moment and Keith has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Newel has managed to get both his arms back between Keith's legs - danger averted.
Keith throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Newel wanted to stand there but Keith had control of the position.
Keith is striking off his back. Newel thinks nothing of it though and passes easily into half guard.
Keith is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Keith is on the bottom, trying to hold on to half guard. He's throwing a few small shots here, to keep his opponent honest.
Keith wants to control but Newel is keeping busy.
Newel is figuring out what he wants to do next.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Newel is thwarting Keith's attempts to control the position.
Newel is looking to take a break and control but Keith is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Newel looks winded!
Newel dives in and grabs Keith's left leg, looking for a takedown. Keith pushes down on Newel's head and hops out.

Keith takes the fight into the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Keith keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Newel's efforts to push away.
Newel is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Emile Keith has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Abe Newel.
Newel is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Keith tries to pull guard but Newel won't allow it.
Keith is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Newel to keep the fight standing.
Keith is trying to pull guard but Newel turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Keith tries to pull guard but Newel holds him up against the cage and eventually Keith drops back down to his feet.
Newel stalling in the clinch but Keith improves position.
Newel tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Newel drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Keith pulls guard successfully.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Keith is trying to keep Newel in close.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Emile Keith dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Keith stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Keith wants it to stay on the feet.
Newel shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Keith pinned against the cage. Keith gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Nice sprawl there from Keith as Newel shoots in.
Emile Keith has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Abe Newel.
Newel fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Keith looks to score with a jab to the body but Newel is just out of range.
Newel avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Newel fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Keith manages to avoid it.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Keith instigates a clinch.
Newel is breathing heavily.

Keith gets control of Newel's arms and successfully pulls guard. Keith will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Keith throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Keith trying to control the position here.
Keith striking off his back but it's not causing Newel any problems.
Keith throws a couple of heel strikes.
Keith controlling Newel's posture.
Newel prevents Keith from getting back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Keith has his foot on Newel's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Newel works his way back into a safe position though.
Newel won't allow Keith to get back to his feet.
Keith is pulling down on Newel's head to control his posture.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Newel lands a slapping body shot.
Keith blocks a low kick nicely.
A counter left hand to the body from Keith misses its target.

Newel closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Keith pulls guard successfully.
Keith trying to control the position here.

Keith is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Newel is aware though and is defending well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Keith doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Keith has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Keith thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.

Keith pushes Newel off and gets back to his feet.
Newel shoots in but Keith avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Keith rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Newel moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Newel throws a series of punches but Keith avoids them all with ease.

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

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Keith fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Keith tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

Keith decides to pull guard.

Keith looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

Keith looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Newel passes into half guard.
Newel trying to control from half guard but Keith is working away.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Keith is trying to control but can't.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Emile Keith dominated that second round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Keith fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Newel manages to avoid it.
Nice sprawl there from Keith as Newel shoots in.
Keith is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Newel is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Keith with a body shot.
Newel shoots in looking for a takedown but Keith manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Newel's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Keith drops down looking for a counter takedown but Newel sprawls and moves away.

Keith gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Keith jumps guard but Newel stands there with Keith around his waist. Keith gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Newel takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Keith prevents the takedown attempt.
Emile Keith has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Abe Newel.

Keith ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Keith no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Keith working for a triangle but Newel defends it easily.
Newel slips nicely into half guard.
Keith is looking to control Newel's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Keith avoid being mounted?
Keith is holding on to half guard well.
Keith is refusing to be controlled, as Newel sits in half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Keith is trying to maintain the position but Newel is very close to passing his half guard.
Keith missing with punches from the bottom.
Keith tries to get to full guard but Newel has control of the leg.
Keith manages to get to full guard.
Keith working a defensive guard here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Keith pulls Newel in close to prevent any damage.

Keith had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Newel defends it easily.
Keith striking off his back but it's not causing Newel any problems.
Keith is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Newel fails to land the takedown.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Keith tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Newel manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
As Keith backs off Newel throws a huge counter combo but Keith manages to avoid it all.
Keith throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Keith throws a body shot but no joy.
Keith throws a right and a left that Newel avoids nicely.
As Keith backs off Newel throws a huge counter combo but Keith manages to avoid it all.
Newel wants to clinch but Keith slips to the side
and Keith counters with a left to the body.
Keith misses with a wild combination.
Keith has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Newel misses with a kick to the body.

And that's the end of the fight!
Emile Keith showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Keith has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Ron Honeybunn scores the fight 30:27
Judge Summer Carpenter scores the fight 30:27
Judge Topper Green scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Emile Keith!