PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Hao Qiang (ranked 457 p4p, 159 weight class) and JD Drake (ranked 30 p4p, 14 weight class). Drake is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Born in the USA by - Bruce Springstein. 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?

Qiang
vs
Drake

200 cm
29
275
17 - 6 - 0

188 cm
37
270
19 - 11 - 0

Good wrestling
World class MT
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Granite chin

30th Century Beer Store
Shadow Realm Apparel

Furnace Performance 🔥
Bondi MMA 🏝️

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 17 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Hao Qiang!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 19 - 11 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, JD Drake!
The judges for this bout are Chris Saunders, Micheangelo Fripello and Paul Gruel.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A looping hook to the body misses from Qiang. Drake does a little dance to reset his feet.
Drake throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Qiang stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
A slow jab from Drake misses its intended target.
Drake connects with a crisp jab.

It looks like Hao Qiang has been cut.
Drake misses the jab.
Qiang appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Qiang looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Drake looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Drake misses with a looping right.
Drake rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Drake takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Drake lands with a nice body punch.
Drake on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Qiang fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Drake has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Both fighters circling a little - Qiang finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Drake misses with a series of wild punches.
Qiang showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Drake.
Drake misses the jab.
Drake throws an overhand right that lands on Qiang's shoulder, as Qiang tries to avoid the shot.
Drake scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Qiang misses with a wild body shot.
Drake throws out a counter right but Qiang avoids it with no problem.
Qiang with a nice calf kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Qiang displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Drake throws out the jab.
Drake on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Qiang uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Drake.
Drake throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Drake throws a jab when Qiang was well out of range.
Drake will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Drake is really struggling to land any decent head shots against his taller opponent.
Drake throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Drake rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
enabling Qiang to counter with a crisp jab.
A right-left combo lands from Drake.
Drake takes one to the chin there.
Drake takes one to the chin there.

It looks like JD Drake has been cut.
Drake misses with a hook. Qiang ducked under it nicely.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Qiang slips under a jab.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Drake working hard to break the clinch.
Qiang throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Qiang throws a head punch that misses.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Drake.
Drake avoiding damage.
Qiang fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Qiang throws a head punch that misses.
Qiang tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Drake wants to break the clinch but can't.
Qiang misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Qiang misses with a punch on the inside.

Drake's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Decent striking displayed by Qiang there.
Drake loads up on a big right hand but Qiang slips the punch.
Qiang displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Drake throws out the jab.
Drake listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.

Hao Qiang's cut is getting worse.
Qiang missing with a left hand there. Drake was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Drake thuds a left hand into Qiang's body.
Qiang staying out of range there.
Qiang lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Drake at a distance.
Qiang lands with a nice body punch.
Qiang stuns Drake with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.

Qiang has managed to clinch.
Drake has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Qiang lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Qiang swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Qiang lands a body punch in the clinch.
Qiang is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Drake looks winded!
Qiang swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Drake's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Drake blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Qiang misses with a punch on the inside.

Drake escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Qiang lands with a nice body kick.
Drake takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Qiang is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Drake walks into a jab.
Drake on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Qiang catches Drake with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Qiang dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Drake. That did some damage!
Qiang fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Qiang scores with a nice right hand.
Qiang fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Qiang scores with a hook to the body. Drake takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Qiang's jab looks to have found its range, popping Drake under the eye.
Drake takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Qiang lands a glancing blow to the side of Drake's head.
JD Drake seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Drake takes one to the chin there.

Drake is rocked!
Qiang throws a nice inside leg kick.
Drake is still on wobbly legs! Can Qiang finish him?
Drake falls off balance throwing a combination
and Qiang counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Drake doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Drake seems to have recovered his senses.
A nice leg kick from Qiang, right into the meat of the thigh.
Qiang cracks Drake with a big right hand that sees him stumbling back against the cage! Drake falls to his knees and Qiang doesn't need a second invitatation - he rushes in and fires off several unanswered shots that force the referee to stop the fight! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:57 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Hao Qiang!
Hao Qiang decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.
JD Drake spoke after the fight, saying 'It's Miller Time'.