PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Chris John (ranked 168 p4p, 877 weight class) and Rickson Caceres (ranked 24 p4p, 121 weight class). John's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Don't Stop Me Now. Chris John has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

John
vs
Caceres

178 cm
23
160
13 - 1 - 0

180 cm
30
170
16 - 7 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Excellent grappler
Basic striking
Good gas tank

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Champion Apparel

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Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the lightweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 13 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Chris John!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 16 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Rickson Caceres!
The judges for this bout are Ivan Kurochkin, Konstantin Menshow and Valeri Chadov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Caceres shoots and misses
and John counters with a straight right hand.
Caceres takes one on the button.
Rickson Caceres seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Caceres gets the takedown into side control.
John defending against the ground and pound.
John wants to get back to his feet but Caceres drags him back down.

Caceres tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Caceres has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

John sneaks out the side door and pushes Caceres away - he's back to his feet. The crowd show their appreciation for the escape.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
John lands a head kick!
Caceres tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. John manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Caceres has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Caceres there as he acknowledges the shot.

Caceres is rocked!
John stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and John wants it to stay on the feet.
Caceres is still on wobbly legs! Can John finish him?

Caceres closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.

John bucks up and manages to escape back to his feet!
Caceres seems to have recovered his senses.

Caceres rushes John and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Caceres tries to pull guard but John holds him up against the cage and eventually Caceres drops back down to his feet.
Chris John has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rickson Caceres.

John manages to break the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Caceres shoots in for a double leg but John sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Caceres throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around John's waist but John gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Caceres off to one side.
John throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
John lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Caceres tries to clinch up.
Chris John is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
John lands a hook that stumbles Caceres back into the cage. John follows up with a straight and another hook that land right on the button, dropping Caceres to the canvas! John pounces and lands several unanswered shots - Caceres has had enough and taps out! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:24 of round 1, we have a winner by way of Submission (Strikes). Chris John!
Chris John retains his lightweight title!
After the fight, Chris John was humble in paying tribute to his opponent but made it clear he wants to go on to bigger and better things. It seemed to go down well with the crowd who cheered him loudly.