PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Diego Armando (ranked 2994 p4p, 3448 weight class) and Mehdi Illir (ranked 376 p4p, 417 weight class). There are an array of beautiful celebrities at ringside tonight! I wonder if any of them paid for their tickets.

Armando
vs
Illir

175 cm
29
155
7 - 8 - 0

178 cm
22
165
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Very quick

Excellent grappler
Basic striking
Powerful

Fantasy Threads

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Diego Armando!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Mehdi Illir!
The judges for this bout are Alec Ball, Robert Douchet and Trevor Gratis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Illir circles away from the clinch attempt.
Illir looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Decent striking displayed by Armando there.
Armando keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.

Illir throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Armando tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Illir is in Armando's guard.
Armando can't keep his opponent in guard - Illir advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Illir controlling the action here.

Illir is working for an americana but Armando has been sneaky and has managed to get back to half guard, whilst Illir was thinking about the submission.
Illir is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Armando can't keep his opponent in guard - Illir advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Illir perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Armando is trying to get back to full guard.
Illir is just content to waste time from the top position. Armando takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.
Illir postures up.
Armando wants to stand but Illir is controlling the position.
Illir tries to free his leg and advance position but Armando is retaining full guard.
Illir trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Armando manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!

Illir is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Armando preventing the sweep.
Illir throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Armando wants to stand but Illir is controlling his posture from full guard.
Illir managing to control the position.
Illir looking to hit a scissor sweep but Armando is one step ahead there.
Armando wants to stand and escape but instead Illir has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.

Armando is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Illir content to stall in guard here.

Illir drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Illir jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Illir cracks Armando with a solid left hand.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Illir controlling from the top position.
Illir trying to control but Armando is working from the bottom.
Illir slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Armando wants to sweep here but Illir controlling him for the moment.
Illir passes into half guard.
Armando is not content to let Illir control the position.
Armando keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Illir trying to mount his opponent but Armando defends it.
Illir is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Illir looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Illir lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Mehdi Illir dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Illir has his takedown stuffed
enabling Armando to counter with a crisp jab.
Illir gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Armando counters with a nice uppercut.
Illir with a poor takedown
and Armando counters with a nice body shot.
Diego Armando has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mehdi Illir.
Illir walks into a jab.
Illir tries for a takedown but Armando circles away easily
and Armando connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Illir misses with a takedown attempt
and Armando counters with a right hand to the body.

Illir shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Armando's guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Illir won't allow Armando to get back to his feet.
Illir passes Armando's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Illir looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Armando is trying to stand up here but Illir is controlling him well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Illir wants to take a breather but Armando is having none of it.
Illir with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Illir trying to control from half guard but Armando is working away.

Illir is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Armando doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Illir.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Illir in particular looking to stall.
Armando wants to improve his position but Illir is controlling well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Illir wants to pass the guard but Armando is defending well.
Illir trying to control the action but Armando is working from the bottom.
My spies in Pablo inform me that Illir has been getting involved in the gym's BJJ sparring sessions. Let's see whether that pays dividends!
Armando trying to control but Illir postures up.
Illir trying to control from half guard but Armando is working away.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Illir missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Still in half guard, Illir seems content to control.
Armando pushes Illir off looking to stand but Illir dives back in and keeps control.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Illir with a poor takedown
and Armando counters with a left to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Illir looking to score a takedown here. Armando is defending well but Illir drives through and ends up in Armando's guard.
Illir postures up.
Illir not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Illir wants to pass the guard but Armando is keeping the position.
Armando on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Armando tries to get out of the position.
Illir is fighting to break Armando's control of his arms but Armando is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Illir looking to pass the guard.
Illir wants to control from the top but Armando keeps moving.
Illir is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Armando keeping full guard, as Illir tries to pass.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.

Illir shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Armando's guard.
Illir is standing up over Armando. Armando looks to escape but Illir dives into side control.

Illir is trying to get an arm triangle but Armando is defending well.
Illir wants to control but Armando is keeping him busy.
You can see the frustration on Armando's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Armando is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Illir is controlling him well.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Mehdi Illir will probably get the nod - 10:9.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Armando lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Illir fails with the takedown
and Armando counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

Illir looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Illir working over Armando with some ground and pound. Armando looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Illir not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Armando trying to control from the bottom.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Illir in particular looking to stall.
Armando is refusing to be controlled, as Illir sits in half guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Illir frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Illir tries to control but Armando wriggling away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Armando is in a horrible position here. Illir smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Armando tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Illir scoring with strikes but Armando is staying in there.

Illir looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
Armando is wriggling around trying to escape.

Illir with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Illir lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Illir wants to control the pace but Armando is squirming around nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Illir has control of Armando's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Armando regains control of the situation pretty easily.
Armando tries to reverse the position but Illir maintains control.
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!
A nice elbow there by Illir.
Illir takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Illir trying to control but Armando is having none of it.
Illir connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Illir looking to control and managing it successfully.
Illir scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Armando?
Armando knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Illir on the ground.
Illir trying to control but he's not successful this time.

Illir is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Armando is surviving well by controlling Illir's body position as best he can.
Armando wants to hold on but Illir pushes him away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Armando is wriggling around trying to escape.
Illir trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Illir lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Illir raining down shots from the mount!
You get the feeling that Armando really doesn't like being in this position too much.
Illir content just to control the position here.

Illir jumps to the side looking to secure the arm triangle…. Ooooh, that looks tight… Armando is gargling but he's managed to escape! Nice work there by Armando and Illir has given up the dominant position trying to land that submission.
Mehdi Illir has got the better of the ground game so far.
Illir content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mehdi Illir comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Illir winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Alec Ball scores the fight 27:30
Judge Robert Douchet scores the fight 28:30
Judge Trevor Gratis scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mehdi Illir!
Our winner, Mehdi Illir, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.