PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Ecce Homo (ranked 1284 p4p, 1921 weight class) and Darken Rahl (ranked 75 p4p, 116 weight class). 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?

Homo
vs
Rahl

170 cm
24
140
4 - 3 - 1

168 cm
30
146
11 - 6 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
World class MT
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Good gas tank

FEEBLE FIGHTWEAR

Brooklyn Apothecary
Conquer

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 3 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Ecce Homo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Darken Rahl!
The judges for this bout are Chad Campbell, Jonathan Paton and Steve Montenegro.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Homo clinches up with Rahl and pushes him back against the cage.
Homo has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.
Homo trying to stall but Rahl improves his position.
Homo is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Homo softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Rahl goes for a takedown attempt but Homo pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Rahl misses with an uppercut.
Homo tries to clinch but Rahl moves out of range.
Rahl throws a hook but Homo avoids it easily.
Homo throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
A little jabbing left from Rahl on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Homo fails with an attempt to clinch.
Rahl takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Homo misses with a body kick.
Rahl lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Homo throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.

Rahl looking to score a takedown here. Homo is defending well but Rahl drives through and ends up in Homo's guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Rahl scores with a decent looking elbow strike.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rahl sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Homo pulls Rahl in close to his closed guard and prevents Rahl from doing any damage or advancing position.
Rahl controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Rahl throws a big elbow that misses.
Rahl with a flurry of punches that miss.
Rahl is looking to work some ground and pound but Homo has wrist 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.
Rahl is in close to Homo's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Homo working a defensive guard here.
Rahl throwing strikes from guard but Homo blocks nicely.
Rahl trying to control but Homo is working from the bottom.
Homo utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Homo is trying to control the position from the bottom.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Homo fails in his attempt to clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Homo wants to clinch but Rahl slips to the side
and Homo takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Homo throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Rahl.
Homo has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Rahl finds it's way round the side to connect with Homo's head.
Homo tries to clinch up
and Rahl counters with a stiff right hand.
Sloppy strikes from Rahl. Those never looked like landing.
Homo is looking for a counter combo.
Ecce Homo is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Homo misses with an uppercut
and Rahl cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Homo looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Homo keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Rahl.
Rahl throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Rahl keeps the fight on the outside.
Rahl drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Homo defends it well.
Rahl loads up on a big right hand but Homo slips the punch.
Rahl throws an overhand right that lands on Homo's shoulder, as Homo tries to avoid the shot.
Homo throws a quick counter head kick but Rahl was just out of range.
Rahl misses with a looping left.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rahl with a hook.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
The fight stays on the outside here - Homo looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Rahl cracks Homo with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
A jab from Rahl does it's job there.
Homo blocks a jab.
Rahl scores with a jab. Homo acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Rahl might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
Homo misses with a series of wild punches.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Homo.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Homo.
Rahl misses with a straight left.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Darken Rahl dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

A combination from Rahl does no damage.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Rahl throws a hook but Homo avoids it easily.

Homo gets a clinch.
Rahl wants a takedown.
Homo stalls.
Homo tries to throw a body punch but Rahl avoids it by throwing Homo back against the cage.
Homo dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Homo misses with a knee to the head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rahl takes an elbow to the temple.
Homo lands a left hand that snaps the head of Rahl backwards.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Homo tries to land a knee to the head but Rahl blocks with his arms.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Homo.
Homo slows down the pace here.
Homo misses with a punch to the body.
Homo creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Rahl wants a takedown but no success here.
Homo misses with a knee strike.
Homo tries to work over Rahl's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
A right hook to the body lands for Homo.
Rahl tries for a takedown. No joy.
Ecce Homo has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Darken Rahl.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Come on Homo - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Homo tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Rahl misses with a hook from the clinch.
Homo is pressed up against the cage. Rahl has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Homo down to the mat. Homo avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Homo tries to clinch up.
Homo throws a sloppy head kick
enabling Rahl to counter with a crisp jab.
Rahl misses with a straight left.
Rahl lands with an uppercut that bounces Homo off the cage and back into range.
A big left from Rahl misses.
Rahl avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Rahl loads up on a big right hand but Homo slips the punch.
Homo went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
A slow jab from Rahl misses its intended target.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rahl blocks a head kick by Homo.
Some wild striking there from Homo.

Homo clinches up against the cage.
Homo is stalling here.
Homo missing with knees to the body.
Homo fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Rahl lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.

Rahl lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Homo is not content to let Rahl control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Homo trying to control here.
Homo is looking to improve his position.
Rahl throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Rahl scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Homo is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Rahl lands strikes from half guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Rahl working Homo over with strikes.
Homo is looking to get back to full guard here but Rahl has managed to pass to side control instead.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Darken Rahl will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Homo tries to clinch there but Rahl circles away.
Homo tries to close the distance and clinch but Rahl swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Rahl throws a hook to the side of Homo's head but Homo sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
A chopping leg kick lands by Homo.
Homo is looking to clinch but Rahl is avoiding it.
Rahl scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Homo with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Homo tries to close the distance and clinch up but Rahl swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Homo instigates a clinch.
Rahl is working for takedown but Homo is calmly controlling the position for now.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rahl on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Homo is looking to control Rahl's arms but Rahl gets an underhook and turns him. Now Homo has his back to the cage.
Rahl on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Homo swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Homo's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Homo misses with a punch to the body.
Rahl softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Rahl tries for a takedown but Homo manages to get underhooks.
Rahl is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Ecce Homo has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Darken Rahl.
Homo connects with a knee to the head.
Homo stalls.
Rahl working hard to break the clinch.
Ecce Homo has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Homo is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Rahl is keeping busy.
Homo lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Ecce Homo has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Homo prevents a takedown attempt there.
Homo has Rahl pushed against the cage.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Homo stops a takedown attempt from Rahl.
Homo gets underhooks to prevent Rahl's takedown attempt.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Rahl.
Rahl has been looking to improve his clinch game in recent weeks. Homo seems to have the measure of him in the clinch so far, so let's see if Rahl can turn it around.
Rahl pressing his opponent against the cage.
Homo gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Rahl.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Homo holding his opponent close, against the cage.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Homo throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Rahl blocks it with crossed arms.
Homo leaning against his opponent.
Rahl is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Homo displaying some good clinch control by pressing Rahl up against the cage.
Homo's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Ecce Homo.
Homo misses with a few strikes there.
Homo tries to close the distance and clinch up but Rahl swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Homo throws a body shot but no joy.
Rahl throws a hook but Homo blocks it.
Homo gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Rahl.

Homo moves into the clinch successfully.
Homo tries to throw a body punch but Rahl avoids it by throwing Homo back against the cage.
Homo effectively controlling the action here.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Homo taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Homo misses with a body punch.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ecce Homo showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Rahl has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Chad Campbell scores the fight 28:29
Judge Jonathan Paton scores the fight 29:29
Judge Steve Montenegro scores the fight 29:28

The fight is ruled a draw!