PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Darken Rahl (ranked 2025 p4p, 1366 weight class) and Ecce Homo (ranked 117 p4p, 81 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?

Rahl
vs
Homo

168 cm
30
146
11 - 6 - 1

170 cm
24
140
4 - 3 - 2

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Brooklyn Apothecary
Conquer

FEEBLE FIGHTWEAR

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 11 - 6 - 1, fighting out of Montreal, Darken Rahl!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 3 - 2, fighting out of Tokyo, Ecce Homo!
The judges for this bout are Steve Montenegro, Chad Campbell and Reed Andrews.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rahl lands with an overhand left.
Homo throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Homo throws a head kick that misses.
Homo throws a head kick but Rahl moves out of range.
An attempted straight right counter from Rahl misses the target.
Rahl bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Homo's head backwards.
Homo throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Rahl.
Rahl looks to land a left hand but Homo moved out of range nicely.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Homo! But no joy.
Homo throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Rahl catches Homo with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Homo pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Homo falls off balance throwing a combination
and Rahl counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Rahl throws a right hand that misses

and Homo counters by clinching up.
Rahl changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Homo fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Rahl sizes up Homo with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rahl cracks Homo with an open hand slap.
Homo fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Rahl manages to avoid it.
Homo plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Homo tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Homo misses with the combination.
Rahl fails to land with a series of punches.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Rahl breaks the clinch.
Rahl blocks a head kick by Homo.

Rahl fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Homo sprawls well initially but Rahl persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Homo felt the need to train up his defensive grappling in the buildup to the fight. Presumably he was expecting to be in a difficult position like this, so let's see if he can get out of it.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Rahl is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Homo wants to control but Rahl is keeping busy.
Homo wants to improve his position but Rahl is controlling well.
Rahl is nestled in close to Homo, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Rahl working over Homo with some ground and pound. Homo looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.

Homo makes his way to full guard, as Rahl worked for a kimura.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Rahl accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Rahl with a flurry of punches that miss.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Homo trying to keep a closed guard but Rahl is proving a slippery customer.
Rahl lands a couple of elbows.
Rahl content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Homo lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Homo looking to sit in guard and control but Rahl gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Rahl trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Homo is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rahl pushes down on Homo's leg and manages to get into half guard.

Homo is defending against the submission attempts here by Rahl.
Homo tries to get to full guard but Rahl has control of the leg.
Nice strikes from Rahl there.
Rahl is keen to just control but Homo is a slippery customer.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Darken Rahl dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

A combination from Homo does no damage.
Homo scores with a kick to the body.

Homo clinches up against the cage.

Rahl's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Homo throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
An attempted straight right counter from Rahl misses the target.
Homo blocks a jab.
Homo scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Ecce Homo seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Rahl's corner calls for a 1-2. Rahl obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Homo scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Rahl is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Homo.
Homo misses the shot to the body.
Rahl takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.

Rahl shoots in and gets a takedown into Homo's guard.
Rahl advances to half guard.
Darken Rahl overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rahl looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Homo manages to get to full guard.
Rahl postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Rahl throws a big elbow that misses.
Rahl preventing the sweep.
Rahl has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Rahl is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Rahl connects with a couple of short punches.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rahl postures up in Homo's guard and throws a big left but Homo blocks it.
Homo keeping moving, preventing Rahl from controlling successfully.
Homo manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Rahl manages to get himself to full guard.

Rahl is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Homo defends well.
Homo passes easily into side control. Nice work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rahl wants to control but Homo postures up.
Homo in side control, throwing shots but Rahl defends.
Homo taking a break here but Rahl is having none of it and regains half guard.
Rahl blocking the ground and pound attempt from Homo.
Homo trying to control the action but Rahl is working from the bottom.
Rahl regains full guard. Nicely done.

That's four 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 working for a triangle but Homo defends it easily.
Homo is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Homo stopping the sweep attempt from Rahl.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Homo forces his way into half guard.
Homo wants to pass to mount but Rahl is defending the position.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Ecce Homo showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Rahl is trying hard to land a takedown here. Homo sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Rahl throws an off balance right hand
and Homo counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Rahl has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Homo ducks under a wild hook from Rahl.
Homo jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Rahl works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Homo takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
A head kick misses from Homo.
An attempted straight right counter from Rahl misses the target.
Homo keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Rahl.
Rahl takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Homo misses with the combination.
Rahl misses with a hook. Homo ducked under it nicely.
Homo staying out of range there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rahl cracks Homo with a good jab.
Rahl is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Nice takedown defense from Homo. No joy for Rahl on that attempt.
A cross from Rahl lands.
Rahl misses with a hook. Homo ducked under it nicely.
Rahl connects with a good right hand that stumbles Homo. Homo circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Rahl misses with a hook. Homo ducked under it nicely.
Both fighters circling a little - Homo finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Rahl lands a nice shot that snaps Homo's head back.
Rahl moves out of range as Homo strikes.
Rahl tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Homo defends well and Rahl ends up having to push Homo into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
I was talking to Rahl's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Darken Rahl. That's going to take a lot out of him.
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.
Rahl wants a takedown.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Homo stalling the fight.
Homo gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Rahl.
Homo tries to land knees in the clinch but Rahl avoids the damage to the body.
Homo gets underhooks to prevent Rahl's takedown attempt.
Homo is stalling here.
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 three minutes gone in the round.
Rahl tries to break free but Homo pushes him back against the cage.
Homo landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
The referee is keeping an eye on Homo - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.

Rahl has clasped his hands together around Homo's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
Homo tries to escape but Rahl is in control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Homo is looking to reverse the position.
Rahl is putting a hurting on Homo here, landing some big shots from side control.
Rahl is looking to take a break and control but Homo is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Rahl content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Darken Rahl.
I think Rahl has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Steve Montenegro scores the fight 29:28
Judge Chad Campbell scores the fight 29:28
Judge Reed Andrews scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Darken Rahl!
Darken Rahl really struggled to get his t-shirt on before his hand was raised. Making sure that Conquer logo gets some air time is pretty tricky when you're all sweaty.