PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Xi Li (ranked 3166 p4p, 341 weight class) and Julma Henri (ranked 3380 p4p, 354 weight class). Li comes to the cage accompanied by HYFR by Drake featuring Lil Wayne. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Li
vs
Henri

197 cm
24
190 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

188 cm
24
190 lbs
5 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Big heart

Decent wrestler
Brawler
Solid chin

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 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Xi Li!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Julma Henri!
The judges for this bout are Wesley Smith, Robert Twigg and Alan Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Li has closed the distance and engaged Henri in a clinch.
I was talking to Li's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Li tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Li working aggressively here.
Henri on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

Henri breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Li tries to close the distance and clinch up but Henri swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Henri wants to counter with a clinch but Li pushes him away.
Henri shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Li pinned against the cage. Li gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

Henri looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Henri is stalling in the full guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Li is looking to stand up but Henri isn't so interested in that idea.

Henri decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.

Li rushes Henri and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Li has a couple of punches blocked by Henri.

Henri drags the fight down to the ground.
Henri is looking to stand up but Li isn't so interested in that idea.
Henri has his hands on Li's head, controlling the position.
Li has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Li wants to stand and escape but instead Henri has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.

Li being controlled here, momentarily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Henri wants to pass the guard but Li is keeping the position.
Li really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Henri stops Li from standing up.
Henri showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Henri with a flurry of punches that miss.
Henri slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.

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.
Henri tries to free his leg and advance position but Li is retaining full guard.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Henri swats away the attempt to clinch by Li.
Li tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Henri counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Li tries to clinch there but Henri circles away.
A countering left hand to the body from Henri misses.
Li tries to clinch
and Henri counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
The fight stays on the outside here - Li looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Li fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Henri, pushing him back against the cage.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Henri pulls Li into guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Henri trying to control the position here.
Henri is continuing to stall.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Julma Henri dominated that round.
That's time! Li's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Li tries to clinch but Henri moves out of range.
Henri throws a counter combo.
Li tries to close the distance and clinch but Henri swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Li tries to clinch but Henri is having none of it.
Li tries to close the distance and clinch up but Henri swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Li tries to clinch but Henri is having none of it.
Julma Henri is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Li moves in looking to clinch but Henri pushes him off.
Li tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Henri counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Li fails with an attempt to clinch.
Henri circles away from the clinch attempt

and Henri counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Henri content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Henri wants to free his trapped foot but Li is holding on for dear life with his legs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Henri looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Henri stops Li from getting back to his feet.
Henri tries to pass the half guard into mount. Li knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Li is trying to stand up here but Henri is controlling him well.
Ground and pound from Henri.
Henri prevents Li from standing back up.
Julma Henri has got the better of the ground game so far.
Henri passes to side control.

That's two 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.
Henri is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Li will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.

Henri decides to stand back up. Henri steps back and let's Li get back to his feet.
Henri fails with the takedown.
Henri throws a head kick that misses.
Li leaves Henri with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Li fails with an attempt to clinch.
Li tries to clinch up

and Henri counters with a single leg into guard. Li didn't expect that.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Henri gets to his feet. Li looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Li wants to clinch up but Henri keeps it at a distance.

Henri gets the takedown into side control.

Li throws his opponent off and manages to get back to his feet! Nicely done!
Li tries to clinch but Henri moves out of range.
Li tries to clinch there but Henri circles away.
Li tries to close the distance and clinch up but Henri swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Li is looking to clinch.
Li closes the distance looking to clinch
and Henri counters with a nice 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!

Li tries to keep at a distance but Henri has taken the fight into the clinch.
A knee to the head by Li.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Henri misses with a body punch.
Li with a knee to the head.
A frustrated look appears on Li's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Li tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

Henri manages to break the clinch.
Li fails with an attempt to clinch.
Henri appeared to try and counter that last move with a leg kick.

Henri moves into the clinch successfully.

Henri pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Xi Li is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Henri manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Li on his heels. He'll look to pass Li's guard now, I'm sure.

Henri decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Li, up you get!
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Henri will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Xi Li has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Julma Henri.
The fight stays on the outside here - Li looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Henri shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Li's guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Julma Henri showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. 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.

Li tries to clinch up but Henri circles away and keeps his distance.
Li moves to clinch but Henri breaks away

and Henri counters with a takedown into side control.

Henri stands up and we're back to a striking position.

Li moves into range and clinches up with Henri.

Henri breaks from the clinch.
Henri swats away the attempt to clinch by Li.
Henri swats away the attempt to clinch by Li.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Li moves to clinch but Henri breaks away
and Henri counters with a right hand to the body.

Henri dives in and scores a takedown into Li's guard.

The fighters are working up against the cage. Li manages to wriggle his way back to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched against the cage.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Henri pulls guard successfully.

Henri working for a triangle but Li defends it easily.
Li wants to stand but Henri has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Henri tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Li has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Henri is proving hard to escape from.
Xi Li has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

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

Henri sitting and controlling from the half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Henri not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Well, if Henri is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Henri is keen to just control but Li is a slippery customer.

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.
Li tries to kick Henri off but Henri keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
The fight stays on the outside here - Li looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Li closes the distance but Henri moves to the side
and Henri counters with a straight right hand.
Henri throws a low kick but Li avoids it.

Henri shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Henri controlling the pace.

And that's the end of the fight!
Julma Henri comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Henri 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 Wesley Smith scores the fight 27:30
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 27:30
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Julma Henri!
Julma Henri thanked the fans post fight for their support.
In defeat, Xi Li stepped up to the mic, saying 'I need to go home and think about what I want to do. I shouldn't have lost to this guy and I'm upset with myself. Props to Kramer. Keep pushing.'.