PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Ken Irrawaddy (ranked 1180 p4p, 2061 weight class) and Ryan Mcarthy (ranked 151 p4p, 239 weight class). Irrawaddy's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Laos Rules!. Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Irrawaddy
vs
Mcarthy

173 cm
26
155
13 - 8 - 0

170 cm
24
155
8 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Olympic wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

HELLBENT
KOMBAT KLOTHING

The Dirty Needle Project

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 13 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Ken Irrawaddy!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 5 - 0, fighting out of London, Ryan Mcarthy!
The judges for this bout are Paul Aken, Aafke Stam and Patrick Alders.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Irrawaddy instigates a clinch.
Irrawaddy lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Mcarthy is trying to force a seperation but Irrawaddy has the dominant position.
Irrawaddy fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Irrawaddy tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Mcarthy's elbow.
Irrawaddy working some nice short punches in the clinch.

Mcarthy escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Mcarthy pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Irrawaddy keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Irrawaddy is looking to counter punch.
Irrawaddy throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Mcarthy sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Mcarthy has been working on his striking defense in training and it's paying off as Irrawaddy is landing a low percentage of strikes.

Mcarthy pushes Irrawaddy up against the cage in a clinch.
The referee is keeping an eye on Mcarthy - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
I was talking to Irrawaddy's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Mcarthy misses with a knee to the head.
Irrawaddy swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Irrawaddy misses with a punch to the body.
Irrawaddy softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Irrawaddy has a couple of punches blocked by Mcarthy.
Irrawaddy misses with a short punch on the inside.

Mcarthy breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Irrawaddy throws a body punch but Mcarthy moves out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Irrawaddy lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.

Mcarthy drives through and clinches with Irrawaddy against the cage.
Mcarthy prevents a body shot from Irrawaddy.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Mcarthy.
Irrawaddy doesn't land with the attempted body shot.

Mcarthy pulls guard successfully.
Irrawaddy prevents Mcarthy from getting back to his feet.
Irrawaddy postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Irrawaddy with a flurry of punches that miss.
Irrawaddy stops Mcarthy from standing up.
Irrawaddy lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Irrawaddy scoring with some ground and pound.
Mcarthy keeping moving, preventing Irrawaddy from controlling successfully.
Mcarthy is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Irrawaddy is controlling him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Irrawaddy missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Mcarthy wants to stand and escape but Irrawaddy is having none of it.
Irrawaddy trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Mcarthy wants to stand up but Irrawaddy is controlling him.
Both fighters have adopted an aggressive gameplan on the ground!

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Irrawaddy jabs Mcarthy to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Irrawaddy on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Mcarthy steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Irrawaddy.
As Irrawaddy backs off Mcarthy throws a huge counter combo but Irrawaddy manages to avoid it all.
Irrawaddy looks to land a left hand but Mcarthy moved out of range nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Mcarthy scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Irrawaddy gets back to full guard.
Mcarthy wants to stand but Irrawaddy has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Irrawaddy wants to sweep but no luck.
Irrawaddy is working hard here to advance position.
Irrawaddy bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Mcarthy's guard.

Irrawaddy trying to control the position from guard on top but Mcarthy is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Irrawaddy won't allow Mcarthy to get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Irrawaddy is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Irrawaddy won't allow Mcarthy to get back to his feet.
Irrawaddy throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Irrawaddy works over Mcarthy with some ground and pound from guard.
Mcarthy is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Irrawaddy is controlling him.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Irrawaddy looks to throw the jab but Mcarthy is out of range.
Irrawaddy throws a shot from downtown. Mcarthy moves away and avoids it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Irrawaddy takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Irrawaddy thows a left - swing and a miss!
Mcarthy tries to clinch but Irrawaddy is having none of it.
Irrawaddy is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Mcarthy can do to turn this around?
Irrawaddy slaps away a takedown attempt from Mcarthy, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Mcarthy has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Mcarthy there as he acknowledges the shot.

Irrawaddy gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Mcarthy to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Irrawaddy tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Ken Irrawaddy overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Mcarthy gets to his feet - Irrawaddy follows without any prompting.
Mcarthy goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Irrawaddy tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Mcarthy paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Mcarthy steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Irrawaddy.
A left lands for Irrawaddy.
Irrawaddy dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Mcarthy misses with a double jab.
Ken Irrawaddy is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Irrawaddy keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Irrawaddy moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Mcarthy.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Irrawaddy tries to get back to half guard but can't.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Irrawaddy sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Mcarthy stands up out of the half guard.
Irrawaddy missing with a left hand there. Mcarthy was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Mcarthy fails to land the takedown.
A little feinted left hand from Irrawaddy on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Irrawaddy throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Mcarthy sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Despite the aggression on Mcarthy's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Irrawaddy lands a jab to the nose.
Mcarthy on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
A head kick misses from Mcarthy.
Irrawaddy cracks Mcarthy with an open hand slap.
Mcarthy defending well as Irrawaddy loads up on a big left hand.
Ken Irrawaddy is winning the standup battle so far.
Mcarthy takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Mcarthy misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Mcarthy scores with a head kick. Irrawaddy tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.
Irrawaddy wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mcarthy lands a high kick!
Mcarthy is breathing heavily.
Irrawaddy scores with a hook to the body. Mcarthy takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Mcarthy moves in looking to clinch but Irrawaddy pushes him off.
Irrawaddy was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Irrawaddy throws out a powerful jab.
A cross from Irrawaddy lands.
Irrawaddy bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Mcarthy's head.

Mcarthy is rocked!
Irrawaddy cracks Mcarthy with a right hand to the side of the head.
Mcarthy is still on wobbly legs! Can Irrawaddy finish him?
Mcarthy throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Mcarthy tries to get into range but Irrawaddy steps to the side and lands a beautiful hook that drops Mcarthy! He's faceplanted into the mat, ass in the air... he's out cold! That's an image he won't want to show his grandkids when he gets older! Irrawaddy scores the big KO victory!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:35 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Ken Irrawaddy!