PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Kollaa River (ranked 1158 p4p, 808 weight class) and Israel Hands (ranked 136 p4p, 96 weight class). River comes to the cage accompanied by For Heavy Metal we will die!. Hands is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: A Collection of Sea Shanties. 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?

River
vs
Hands

185 cm
27
165
9 - 4 - 0

175 cm
27
160
9 - 5 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Excellent grappler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Heavy Metal Drugs
Conquer

Ma Balls Is Hot Clothing
Altitude Clothing

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 9 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Kollaa River!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Israel Hands!
The judges for this bout are Nard Betker, Aafke Stam and Patrick Alders.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
River misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Hands.
Hands flicks out a counter leg kick but River steps away.
Hands tries to close the distance and clinch up but River swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Hands throws a body kick, spinning off balance

and River counters with a takedown into side control.
Hands can't do much from the bottom here.
River has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for Hands!
Hands is in all sorts of trouble here.
River controlling the pace for now.
Hands sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Hands wants to improve his position but River is controlling well.

Hands is defending against the submission attempts here by River.
Hands wants to improve his position but River is controlling well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
River is looking to take a break and control but Hands is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Hands is trying to maintain the position but River is very close to passing his half guard.
Hands wants to improve his position but River is controlling well.
Hands works his way to full guard. Good work.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
River trying to control the position from guard on top but Hands is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
River advances to half guard.
River wants to advance to full mount but Hands doesn't think that's going to happen and regains full guard instead.
Hands is trying to control the position but River postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
River throws a big right hand that misses.
Hands looking for a sweep. Not yet Hands, not yet.
Hands not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
River trying to control but Hands is working from the bottom.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
River postures up.
River passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Hands tries to bench press River off him but River keeps the position.
Hands is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hands struggling a bit here.
River throws a strike aimed at the side of Hands's head but Hands avoids it well.
Hands is trying to get back to half guard.
River trying to control the position but Hands is working away.
Hands tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but River wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
River is looking to take a break and control but Hands is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
The strikes coming from River are missing the target in this wave of attacks.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hands tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but River wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Hands gives up the full mount - oops, sloppy defensive grappling there!
Hands is trying to escape the mount.
River controlling from the full mount.
River landing shots from mount.
Hands is working to get back to half guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
River lands with some strikes.
Hands gets back to half guard.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Kollaa River dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Hands scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Hands checks a low kick from River.
Hands paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Horrible takedown attempt by River or perhaps it was just good defense by Hands, which made it look bad.

Hands is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in River's half guard.
Hands tries to pass the half guard into mount. River knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Hands is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Hands trying to mount his opponent but River defends it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
River is looking to improve his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
River is positioning himself well to prevent Hands advancing to mount.
Hands performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Hands passes to side control.
Hands trying to control the action but River is working from the bottom.

Hands tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Hands trying to control the action but River is working from the bottom.

That's two 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.
River is being controlled here.
River is looking to reverse the position.
You can see the frustration on River's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
River tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Hands wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
River gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
River tries to roll over but Hands keeps him under control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Hands trying to control from half guard but River is working away.
River is trying to get back to full guard.
River is refusing to be controlled, as Hands sits in half guard.

River looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Hands trying to control from half guard but River is working away.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
A big right from River misses.
Hands misses with a body kick.
River dips down and scores with a jab to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hands steps to the side to avoid the strikes from River.
Hands let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.

Hands gets a takedown into half guard.
River wants to control but Hands is keeping busy.
River tries to roll over but Hands keeps him under control.
Hands is trying to control. River wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Hands trying to mount his opponent but River defends it.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
River is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
River trying to control from the bottom.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Israel Hands showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

River throws a chopping leg kick but Hands manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Hands swings for the body but River moves out of range.
River appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Hands scores with a nice right hand.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Hands fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but River avoids it really well and circles away.
River scores with a nice right hand.

River drives through with a takedown into Hands's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Hands keeping moving, preventing River from controlling successfully.

Hands escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. River 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.
River stands and throws Hands's legs to the side, diving into side control.

River has worked his way into a potential kimura here. Hands is trying to get out of the position but his squirming has just got him deeper into trouble. River yanks on the arm and Hands is forced to tap due to a very painful looking submission! Nice work by River.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:57 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Kollaa River!
After the fight, Kollaa River was humble in paying tribute to his opponent but made it clear he wants to go on to bigger and better things. It seemed to go down well with the crowd who cheered him loudly.