PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Shen Po (ranked 1290 p4p, 1999 weight class) and Drax Bautista (ranked 197 p4p, 315 weight class). Po's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Ei-tetsu Hayashi & 木下伸市. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Po
vs
Bautista

177 cm
34
221
26 - 19 - 0

190 cm
33
209
21 - 16 - 0

BJJ Red Belt
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Heavy handed

Brooklyn Apothecary
Brooklyn Threads

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 26 - 19 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Shen Po!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 21 - 16 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Drax Bautista!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, Frank Antenori and Timothy Bukovac.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Bautista looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Bautista scores with a sloppy right hand. Po should have avoided that one.
Drax Bautista seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Bautista ducks under a wild hook from Po.
Bautista misses with a double jab
and Po counters with a stiff right hand.
Po on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Bautista moves away from the strike by Po.
Po takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Po misses the shot to the body.
A looping hook to the body misses from Po. Bautista does a little dance to reset his feet.
Bautista misses the jab.
Po slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Bautista misses with a looping left.
Nice straight punches there by Bautista. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Bautista.
Po steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Bautista.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Bautista throws a front kick that sends Po stumbling back into the cage.
A slow jab from Bautista misses its intended target.
Po drops his hands momentarily and Bautista takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bautista scores with a hook to the body. Po takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Po slips a jab from Bautista.
Bautista slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Bautista throws a nice inside leg kick.
A looping hook to the body misses from Bautista. Po does a little dance to reset his feet.
Bautista misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Bautista uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Po.
Po walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Bautista scores with a kick to the body.
Po keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Po keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Bautista.
It looked like Po wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Bautista throws a push kick but Po slaps the foot to one side.
Bautista slips under a jab.
Bautista jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Po slips a jab from Bautista.
Bautista works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Bautista has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Bautista scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bautista throws a good cross that connects.
Po swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Po bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Po misses with a looping right.
Po has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Bautista finds it's way round the side to connect with Po's head.
Bautista is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Po ducks right into an uppercut from Bautista.
Po swings for the body but Bautista moves out of range.
Po takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Bautista throws a shot from downtown. Po moves away and avoids it.
Bautista keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Po.
A big left from Po misses.
Bautista blocks a jab.
Bautista throws a shot from downtown. Po moves away and avoids it.
Bautista cracks Po with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Nice defenses there by Po.
Bautista throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Po ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Bautista moves away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bautista goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
A quick step to the side and Po tries to counter with a shot to the body but it doesn't connect.
Bautista misses with a low kick.

Po throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Bautista tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Po is in Bautista's guard.
Po trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Po slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Po stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Bautista swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Po showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Po postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Po trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Po stands and throws Bautista's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Bautista struggling a bit here.

Po wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Bautista, who protects the arm well.
Bautista can't do much from the bottom here.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Drax Bautista dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Bautista gets caught napping as Po dives in and scores a takedown. Bautista manages to retain guard.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Bautista holds on and takes a little breather.
Bautista keeping moving, preventing Po from controlling successfully.
Bautista is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Po wants to control from the top but Bautista keeps moving.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bautista can't keep his opponent in guard - Po advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Bautista tries to roll over but Po keeps him under control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Po controlling the action here.
Po is stalling here. Bautista is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Po seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Bautista has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
Po might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Po tries to improve position but can't.
Po manages to get back to half guard.
Po is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Po trying to keep hold of his opponent's head but Bautista manages to pass to mount!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Po is trying to escape the mount.
Bautista has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Po is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Po is desperately trying to improve his position but Bautista has a good base and remains in mount.
Po regains half guard.
Shen Po has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Po is looking to improve his position.
Shen Po overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Po wants to control the action here but instead Bautista manages to pass to full mount!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bautista tries to control but Po wriggling away.
Po wants to hold on but Bautista pushes him away.
Po is looking to improve his position but Bautista isn't that keen on the idea.
Po tries to improve his position but instead Bautista has taken his back!
Po rolls, trying to escape but Bautista keeps control of the position.
Po tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Bautista pushing the pace here, looking to move to his opponents back and work for a finish.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Po is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Bautista looking to control but Po is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Po keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
We've been hearing good reports from Po's training camp. Apparently he has been rolling around with some good quality BJJ practitioners and has been sharpening his skills. Let's see if that has an impact on the fight today.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Bautista wants to control but Po has made it back to half guard. Nice work.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Drax Bautista will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's time! Back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Bautista scores with a spinning back kick!
Po moves out of range of the strikes.
It looked like Po was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Bautista.
Po takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Bautista ducks under a wild hook from Po.
Bautista throws a front kick aimed at Po's knee but Po avoids it well.
Po jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Bautista throws a wild body kick that Po sees coming a mile off.

Po shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Bautista manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Po wants to pass the guard but Bautista is keeping the position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bautista pulls Po in close to prevent any damage.
Po wants to control from the top but Bautista keeps moving.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bautista can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Po controls the pace.
Bautista keeping moving, preventing Po from controlling successfully.
Po stands and throws Bautista's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Po wants to control but Bautista is keeping him busy.

That's two 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.
Po taking a break here but Bautista is having none of it and regains half guard.

Po is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Po missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Po missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Po is looking to pass Bautista's guard but actually Bautista recovers to full guard.
Po tries to free his leg and advance position but Bautista is retaining full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Po is fighting to break Bautista's control of his arms but Bautista is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Po stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Bautista swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Po is working hard here to advance position.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Po uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Bautista.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Po.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bautista is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Po off and has taken his back!
Bautista controlling well, preventing Po from escaping the position.
Bautista trying desperately to keep hold of the dominant position.
Po wants to escape the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
A bit of a pause in the action here. Bautista controlling the positon.

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 Shen Po.
I think Bautista 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 Jack Bonds scores the fight 28:29
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 28:29
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Drax Bautista!
A less than humble Drax Bautista misjudged his post fight interview somewhat and came across a little too arrogant whilst trying to hype up his own abilities.