PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ife Edwards (ranked 304 p4p, 333 weight class) and Royal Halsti (ranked 51 p4p, 56 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Edwards might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Damian Marley - Road to Zion. 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?

Edwards
vs
Halsti

189 cm
34
209
30 - 17 - 0

190 cm
28
205
16 - 5 - 1

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Granite chin

New Standard
Vegan Gains

Vegan Gains
Bondi MMA ðŸï¸

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 30 - 17 - 0, fighting out of New York, Ife Edwards!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 16 - 5 - 1, fighting out of Amsterdam, Royal Halsti!
The judges for this bout are Shirou Masuda, Sosuke Kotani and Kenichi Hosakawa.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Edwards with the inside leg kick.
The crowd cheers as Edwards lands an impressive looking overhand right. Halsti doesn't seem phased though.

It looks like Royal Halsti has been cut.

Edwards gets caught flat footed, as Halsti shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.

Edwards manages to escape and get back to his feet.
Edwards throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Halsti throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Edwards lunges at Halsti with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Halsti's hand.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Halsti swings away with a body shot that misses
and Edwards counters with a straight right hand.
Edwards works Halsti's body with a nice hook.
Edwards just misses with a punch to the body.
Halsti throws a counter combo.
Edwards thows a left - swing and a miss!
Ife Edwards seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Edwards throws a leg kick
and Halsti counters with a leg kick.
Edwards throws out a powerful jab.
Halsti misses the jab.
Good exchange - Edwards coming out on top.
Edwards connects with a right hand. Halsti shakes it off.
Edwards walks into a stiff left hand from Halsti.
Halsti has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Halsti there as he acknowledges the shot.
Halsti ducks under a wild hook from Edwards.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Edwards bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Halsti's head backwards.
Good leg kick by Edwards.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Halsti scores with a punch to the head.
Halsti throws a right and a left that Edwards avoids nicely.
Edwards connects with the punch.
Halsti drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.

That has opened up Royal Halsti's cut even more.
A solid body kick from Edwards.
Halsti gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Edwards rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Halsti counters with a straight right hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A solid leg kick lands there for Edwards.
Halsti throws a looping overhand right but Edwards ducks down to avoid it.
Halsti shoots for a double leg takedown but Edwards sprawls well. He's pushed Halsti's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Edwards changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Edwards shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Edwards is looking light on his feet compared to last time was saw him fight.
Edwards misses with a hook
letting Halsti counter with a right hand.

Halsti shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Edwards is looking for a sweep. Halsti is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Edwards has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Halsti is working away from the top position though.

Halsti is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Halsti wants to advance to full mount but Edwards doesn't think that's going to happen and regains full guard instead.
Edwards seems keen to control Halsti's posture.
Halsti forces his way into half guard.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Ife Edwards dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Royal Halsti's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Halsti takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Halsti clobbers Edwards with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Halsti takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Halsti connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Edwards connects with a solid leg kick.
Halsti moves out of range of the body kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Halsti throws a low kick, looking for Edwards's leg but Edwards calmly moves out of range.
Edwards lands a lovely overhand right.
Edwards throws a looping overhand right but Halsti ducks down to avoid it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Halsti swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Edwards counters with a solid body kick.
Edwards scores with a punch to the head.
Halsti swings widly with a right hand
and Edwards counters with a body kick that stops Halsti in his tracks momentarily.
Halsti is looking to land body kicks.
Edwards is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Halsti can do to turn this around?
Edwards scores with a shot to the body.
Halsti throws a body kick, spinning off balance
and Edwards counters with a nice leg kick.
Edwards misses the shot to the body.
Halsti looks like he wanted to counter with a high kick but didn't throw it.
A big left from Halsti misses.
A quick step to the side and Edwards tries to counter with a shot to the body but it doesn't connect.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Halsti throws a head kick that misses.
Edwards fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Halsti shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Edwards as he avoids it easily.
Edwards scores with a hook.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Edwards misses with a low kick.
Edwards misses with a low kick.
Edwards jabs at Halsti's body.
Edwards throws a nice inside leg kick.
Halsti takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.

The cut above Royal Halsti's eye is starting to cause him problems now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Edwards lands a nice shot to the body.
Edwards throws a leg kick that misses.
Halsti unleashes a big counter combination but Edwards bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.
Halsti keeps Edwards at a distance using the push kick.
Edwards misses with a double jab.
Edwards throws a hook but Halsti avoids it easily.
Edwards pivots, looking for a leg kick but Halsti is out of range and Edwards settles back down.
It seemed like Halsti was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Edwards.
Edwards moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Halsti on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Halsti throws a series of punches but Edwards avoids them all with ease.
Halsti slips a jab from Edwards.
Edwards throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Halsti counters with a solid body kick.
Halsti 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.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Halsti misses with an uppercut
and Edwards counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Edwards throws a hook but Halsti blocks it.
As Edwards backs off Halsti throws a huge counter combo but Edwards manages to avoid it all.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Ife Edwards dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Royal Halsti's cut.
That's time! Edwards's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Halsti scores with the left hand. Edwards knows he should have avoided that one.
Royal Halsti has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Halsti throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Edwards.
Halsti looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Halsti steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Edwards.
Edwards scores with a nice right hand.
Edwards lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Halsti lands a nice shot that snaps Edwards's head back.
Edwards slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Edwards throws a sloppy body shot

and Halsti counters with a crisp right hand that drops Edwards! Halsti lets Edwards back up to his feet, looking for a finish!

It looks like Ife Edwards has been cut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Edwards connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Halsti momentarily.
A jab from Halsti misses.
Halsti has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Edwards.
Edwards scores with a head kick. Halsti tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.
Ife Edwards is winning the standup battle so far.
Edwards blocks a head kick by Halsti.
Edwards blocks a leg kick.
Edwards catches Halsti with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!

Royal Halsti's cut is absolute horrible now. This looks like something out of a horror film with blood covering both fighters.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Halsti looks to score with a jab to the body but Edwards is just out of range.
Edwards blocks a head kick by Halsti.
Edwards appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Halsti's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Halsti tries a head kick but it misses.
Edwards was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
Halsti misses with a left hand
and Edwards counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
A nice leg kick from Halsti, right into the meat of the thigh.
Edwards misses with a wild body shot.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Edwards goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Halsti throws a sloppy head kick and Edwards moves out of range easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A solid leg kick lands there for Edwards.
Edwards lands with a hook. Halsti tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Edwards fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Halsti on the side of the head.

The referee calls the doctor in to look at Royal Halsti's cut. Oh no, the doctor has called an end to the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:29 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Cut). Ife Edwards!
Ife Edwards gave a mention to Conviction in his post fight interview. That will please them (and hopefully generate some sales).