PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Nuri Jafar (ranked 1786 p4p, 1027 weight class) and Gareth Keenan (ranked 192 p4p, 115 weight class). On his way into the cage it seems that Nuri Jafar has been attacked by a crazed fan! It looks like it might have been the just bleed guy! Luckily Nuri Jafar seems to be OK! I thought that lunatic was in prison!?

Jafar
vs
Keenan

175 cm
34
145
32 - 24 - 0

179 cm
43
150
44 - 14 - 5

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Very quick

Good wrestler
World class MT
Granite chin

Core Combat

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 32 - 24 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nuri Jafar!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 44 - 14 - 5, fighting out of Las Vegas, Gareth Keenan!
The judges for this bout are Frank Antenori, Don Winkell and Timothy Bukovac.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Jafar just misses with a punch to the body.
Keenan thinks about the counter body kick.
Jafar moves out of range of the body kick.
Keenan throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Jafar takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Jafar moves in looking to clinch but Keenan pushes him off.

Jafar shoots in and bounces Keenan off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
We've been hearing that Jafar has been drilling a lot of ground and pound in training, so let's see if he get the finish.

Jafar stands up and waves to Keenan to follow him.
Keenan missing with a left hand there. Jafar was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Keenan looks to land a left hand but Jafar moved out of range nicely.
Jafar checks a leg kick.
Jafar is looking to counter punch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Keenan takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Gareth Keenan seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Keenan delivers a nice body kick.
Jafar avoids the body shot from Keenan.
Keenan moves forwards but Jafar connects with a nice, crisp jab.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Jafar throws a hook but Keenan blocks it.
Keenan takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jafar fails in his attempt to clinch.
Keenan connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Jafar momentarily.
Jafar misses with a looping left.
The fight stays on the outside here - Jafar looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Jafar connects with a body shot that sends Keenan's belly button to the back.
Jafar looks to score with a jab to the body but Keenan is just out of range.
Jafar scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Keenan missing with a left hand there. Jafar was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Jafar moves in looking to clinch but Keenan pushes him off.
Keenan throws the kick towards the body but Jafar avoids it.
Keenan tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Jafar missing with a left hand there. Keenan was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Jafar checks a leg kick.
Jafar loads up on a big right hand but Keenan slips the punch.
Jab from Keenan.
The fighters circling - Jafar throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Jafar avoids the body shot from Keenan.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Keenan uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Jafar.
Jafar backing away here, and Keenan unleashes a leg kick that just misses.
Jafar lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Nice defenses there by Jafar.
Gareth Keenan is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Keenan slips under a jab.
Keenan wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Jafar walks into a jab.
Keenan is looking to land body kicks.
Jafar changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Jafar takes a swing at Keenan's ribcage but misses.
Jafar chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Keenan can pounce on him.
Jafar misses with a straight right.
Jafar tries to clinch but Keenan moves out of range.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Keenan lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Jafar has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Jafar and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.
Jafar is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Keenan takes a swing at Jafar's ribcage but misses.
Jafar wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.
Keenan throws a shot to the body.
Nice uppercut lands for Jafar. That snapped Keenan's head back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Keenan drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Keenan misses with a hook.
Jafar swings for the body but Keenan moves out of range.
Keenan is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Jafar with a body shot.
Jafar checks the leg kick.
Keenan misses with a low kick.
Keenan missing with a left hand there. Jafar was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.

Jafar drives through and clinches with Keenan against the cage.
Keenan tries to work over Jafar's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Jafar throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Keenans head.
Keenan blocks an uppercut.
Jafar lands a right hand that snaps the head of Keenan backwards.

Keenan manages to break the clinch.
A jab from Keenan misses.
A quick step to the side and Jafar tries to counter with a shot to the body but it doesn't connect.
Jafar takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Keenan listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
A looping hook to the body misses from Keenan. Jafar does a little dance to reset his feet.
Keenan on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Jafar takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Nice shot by Jafar.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Keenan uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Jafar.
Jafar misses with a looping left.
Jafar doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Keenan throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Keenan thumps Jafar with a low kick.
Jafar tries to close the distance and clinch but Keenan swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Jafar blocks the body kick.
Jafar moves out of range of the body kick from Keenan.
Keenan misses with a straight right.
Keenan lands the left hand.
Keenan swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Keenan is looking to slow Jafar down with leg kicks.
Keenan throws an off balance right hand
and Jafar connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Keenan looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Jafar was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Keenan is looking to score with low kicks.
Jafar swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.

Jafar looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.

Jafar stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Gareth Keenan will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Keenan thows a leg kick but Jafar checks it
and Jafar counters with a left to the body.
Jafar connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Keenan's hands.
Jafar takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
Keenan smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.

Jafar moves into the clinch.
Keenan misses with a punch on the inside.

Keenan breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Jafar cracks Keenan with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Some bone on bone action there as Jafar checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
A slapping leg kick lands for Keenan.
Keenan sizes up Jafar with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.

Jafar is rocked!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Jafar throws a hook but Keenan avoids it easily.
Oh Jafar is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Keenan tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Jafar is able to avoid easily.
Jafar misses the shot to the body.
Jafar seems to have got his legs back now.
Jafar on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Keenan throws a head kick that misses.
Keenan throws a leg kick
and Keenan takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Gareth Keenan seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Keenan throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jafar on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Keenan steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Jafar.
Keenan lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Jafar swings away with a body shot that misses
and Keenan counters with a huge left! Jafar is in big trouble! He's backing up but Keenan isn't giving him chance to recover. Under a barage of punches the ref has to step in to save Jafar from any more damage. A dominating finish by Keenan!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:18 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Gareth Keenan!
In his post fight interview, Gareth Keenan gave a big smile as he said 'I believe this is over now.'.
The defeated Nuri Jafar had this to say: 'He did not follow the script'.