PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Michael Ma (ranked 4635 p4p, 4884 weight class) and Caden Blair (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Ma
vs
Blair

183 cm
19
145
0 - 0 - 0

190 cm
18
145
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Michael Ma!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Caden Blair!
The judges for this bout are Alyssa Summers, John Roberts and Chad Campbell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Ma closes the distance and clinches.
Blair gets underhooks to prevent Ma's takedown attempt.
Ma misses with a hook from the clinch.
Ma tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Blair smiles and moves away.

Ma closes the distance and pushes Blair back into the cage.
Blair has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

Ma escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Ma moves in looking to clinch but Blair pushes him off.
Ma misses with a takedown attempt - Blair sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Michael Ma. That's going to take a lot out of him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Blair shoots in looking for a takedown but Ma manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Blair's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Ma shoots for a takedown but Blair saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Ma wants to clinch.
Blair unleashes a big counter combination but Ma bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Blair is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Ma is defending well for now.
Blair fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Ma really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Ma prevents a takedown attempt there.

Ma breaks the clinch.
Blair pulls out of a head kick attempt.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Blair stalling in the clinch.
Ma is trying to break the clinch but Blair has him pressed against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Ma successfully pulls guard.

Ma escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Blair gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Ma working a defensive guard here.
Blair's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Blair won't allow Ma to sweep him here.

Ma looking for a guillotine here but Blair defends easily.
Blair advances position into side control!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Blair trying to control the position but Ma is working away.
Ma tries to improve position but can't.
Blair throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Ma is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Blair asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Ma throwing some weak shots from the bottom that do no damage.

Blair stands up and beckons Ma to his feet.
Blair displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Ma.
Blair tries to score a power double leg takedown but Ma sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Blair somewhat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ma keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Blair enables Ma to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Blair manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.

Blair pushes Ma off and gets back to his feet.

Ma takes the fight into the clinch.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Ma breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Ma misses with a wild body shot.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Michael Ma will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Nice sprawl there from Blair as Ma shoots in.
Blair changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Ma throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Blair's waist but Blair gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Ma off to one side.
Ma fails in his attempt to clinch.
Ma tries to clinch up.

Ma clinches with his opponent.

Ma pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Ma wants to clinch.
Michael Ma seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Ma throws a solid leg kick but Blair takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Ma.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Ma gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Blair misses with a hook to the ribs.

Blair breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Ma throws a nice outside leg kick.
Ma displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Blair.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Blair misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Ma moves out of range of the body kick.
Michael Ma is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Ma moves in looking to clinch but Blair pushes him off.
Ma shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Blair as he jumps to the side.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Michael Ma. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Blair is trying hard to land a takedown here. Ma sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Blair tries a head kick but it misses.

Ma clinches up against the cage.

Blair has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Ma uses from the top position.
Ma stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Blair swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Ma controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ma throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

Ma thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Blair keeping moving, preventing Ma from controlling successfully.
Ma is stalling in the full guard.
Blair controls Ma momentarily but Ma frees himself.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ma wants to control from the top but Blair keeps moving.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.
Blair shoots in for a takedown but Ma shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Blair fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Ma avoids it really well and circles away.
Ma throws a big counter combination but Blair scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.
Blair is breathing heavily.
Ma keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.

Ma clinches up against the cage.
Blair fails to pull the fight into his guard.

Ma breaks the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Blair tries to close the distance and clinch but Ma swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Ma closes the distance and clinches.
Blair tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Ma smiles and moves away.
Ma is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Blair can do to turn this around?
Blair doesn't manage to clinch there - Ma circles away.
Nice takedown defense from Blair. No joy for Ma on that attempt.
Blair tries to counter with a clinch but Ma shakes him off and moves away.

Blair gets tackled into the cage by Ma. Ma maintains the clinch.

Ma pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Ma tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Blair moves into the clinch successfully.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Stalling in the clinch from Blair.
A short left from Ma.
Blair trying to stall but Ma improves his position.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Michael Ma dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Blair tries to clinch but Ma moves out of range.
Ma tries to close the distance and clinch but Blair swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Ma moves out of range of the body kick from Blair.
Blair misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Ma misses with a kick to the body.
Ma tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Blair manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Blair shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Ma as he avoids it easily.
Blair fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Ma is out of range.
Blair fails to land the takedown.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Blair shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Ma counters with a three punch combo that has Blair backing up. Blair nods at Ma to acknowledge the strikes.
Michael Ma has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Caden Blair.
Ma looks to land a body kick but Blair moved away.
Blair takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Ma takes the fight into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ma is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Blair gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.

Ma breaks the clinch.
Ma shoots in for a takedown but Blair shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.

Blair tries to keep at a distance but Ma has taken the fight into the clinch.
Blair can't get the takedown.

Ma breaks from the clinch.

Ma moves into the clinch successfully.
Blair is working for takedown but Ma is calmly controlling the position for now.
The referee calls for Ma to work.

Ma breaks the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Ma rushes Blair and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Blair tries to pull guard but Ma won't allow it.
Ma gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Blair swings wildly with an uppercut but Ma uses good head movement to avoid it.
Blair managing to block the knees to the body from Ma.
Michael Ma has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Blair jumps guard but Ma turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.

Ma pulls Blair into guard.
Ma wants to stand but Blair is controlling the position.
Blair trying to control but Ma is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Blair drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Ma dives on top into guard.

Ma trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Blair manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!

Ma wants to sweep here but Blair controlling him for the moment.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Ma is looking for a triangle but Blair pushes his legs off easily.
Blair would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Ma not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Ma has his feet on Blair's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.

Ma gets a clinch.
Ma is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Blair pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Blair jumps guard but Ma stands there with Blair around his waist. Blair gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Ma fails to pull guard.
Blair drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Ma pulls guard effortlessly.

And that's the end of the fight!
Michael Ma showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Ma 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 Alyssa Summers scores the fight 30:28
Judge John Roberts scores the fight 30:27
Judge Chad Campbell scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Michael Ma!