PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ryan Riddles (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Neil Pike (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look pumped up here. Let's hope this is a good fight!

Riddles
vs
Pike

170 cm
21
175 lbs
3 - 3 - 0

191 cm
22
211 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

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 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Ryan Riddles!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Neil Pike!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Fujiwara, Ren Mimura and Tatsuya Matsuyama.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pike shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Riddles sprawls well. Riddles wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Pike gets slowly back to his feet.
Riddles scores with a leg kick.
Riddles is looking to clinch.
A clash of legs there as Riddles blocks the low kick.

Pike gets caught flat footed, as Riddles shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Pike working a defensive guard here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Riddles with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Pike doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Riddles is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Riddles stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Pike swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Pike controls Riddles momentarily but Riddles frees himself.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Riddles trying to control but Pike is working from the bottom.
Riddles might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

Riddles stands and steps away. Pike gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Pike gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Riddles counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Riddles trying to stall but Pike improves his position.
Pike prevents Riddles from breaking the clinch.

Riddles successfully pulls guard.

Pike stands up and waves to Riddles to follow him.
Riddles misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Riddles feints and as Pike raises his hands in defense, Riddles changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Riddles is breathing heavily.
Pike has control of Riddles's left arm, preventing Riddles from doing any damage.
Pike wants to sweep here but Riddles controlling him for the moment.

Pike scrambles and gets back to his feet.
Riddles tries to clinch but Pike is having none of it.
Pike swats away the attempt to clinch by Riddles.
Riddles tries a low kick but Pike avoids it.
Pike is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Pike slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Riddles throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Riddles misses with a few strikes there.

Riddles clinches with his opponent.
Pike is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Riddles can't get the takedown.

Riddles's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Nice sprawl there from Riddles as Pike shoots in.
Ryan Riddles has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Neil Pike.
Riddles misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Pike.
Pike misses with a takedown attempt

and Riddles counters with a shoot takedown. Pike fights it but they end up in guard.
Pike controls Riddles momentarily but Riddles frees himself.

Riddles has gone for a leg lock! Pike slips out almost immediately though and dives into Riddles's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pike landing with the ground and pound.
Riddles utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Riddles keeping moving, preventing Pike from controlling successfully.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Pike 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.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Riddles is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ryan Riddles dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Pike tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Riddles counters with a series of strikes. Pike will be more careful next time no doubt.
Pike fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
No luck for Riddles with that takedown attempt.
It really doesn't seem like the step up in weight is hurting Riddles here at all. He's more than holding his own against the bigger man.
Riddles looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Pike fails with a takedown attempt.
Pike blocks a head kick by Riddles.
Ryan Riddles is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Pike avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Pike connects with a body shot.
Riddles defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Pike.
Ryan Riddles has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Neil Pike.

Riddles rushes Pike and presses him up against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pike is trying to break the clinch but Riddles is controlling him.
Riddles is trying to break the clinch but Pike has him pressed against the cage.
Riddles drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Pike gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Pike stalling.
Pike wants to get back to striking at distance but Riddles won't allow it.

Pike pulls guard.

Pike wriggles free and stands up.
Pike scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Pike shoots in looking for a takedown. Riddles tries to sprawl out of it but Pike keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Riddles manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Pike tries for a takedown but Riddles circles away easily

and Riddles counters with a single leg into guard. Pike didn't expect that.
Pike controls Riddles momentarily but Riddles frees himself.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Riddles wants to control from the top but Pike keeps moving.
Riddles is looking to stand up but Pike won't let him.
Riddles is fighting to break Pike's control of his arms but Pike is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Pike is trying to keep Riddles in close.
Ryan Riddles overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Riddles working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Riddles wants to pass the guard but Pike is keeping the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Riddles wants to stand but Pike has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Pike shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Riddles manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.

Riddles wriggles free and stands up.
Riddles shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Pike as he jumps to the side.
Riddles moves forwards but Pike connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Pike with a poor takedown

and Riddles counters by moving into the clinch.
Pike tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Riddles smiles and moves away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A solid leg kick lands there for Riddles.

Riddles darts in and clinches Pike up against the cage.
Pike tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Riddles just stands there and leans against the cage.
Pike can't get the takedown.
Riddles lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Pike backwards.

Riddles pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
A decent looking cross lands there for Riddles.
The fight stays on the outside here - Riddles looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Pike fails with the takedown
and Riddles counters with a one-two to the body.
Riddles tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Pike moves into the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ryan Riddles dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Pike tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Riddles swivels and escapes.
Riddles throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Riddles takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Pike doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Riddles counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Pike doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Riddles counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Riddles.
Ryan Riddles has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Neil Pike.

Riddles has gone for a leg lock! Pike slips out almost immediately though and dives into Riddles's guard.
Pike lands a couple of elbows.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Riddles controls Pike momentarily but Pike frees himself.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pike passes into half guard.
Pike prevents Riddles from improving his position.
Pike winds up and cracks Riddles with a swinging punch to the side of the head.

Pike is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Riddles defends it well.
Pike wants to stand up but Riddles has a hold of him and won't allow it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Riddles wants to control but Pike is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Pike is looking to take a break and control but Riddles is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Pike thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Riddles's head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Pike has his takedown stuffed
and Riddles counters with a nice uppercut.
Ryan Riddles seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Riddles instigates a clinch.

Riddles breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Pike shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Pike trying to control from half guard but Riddles is working away.
Pike stalling away here and it's allowed Riddles to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pike trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Riddles looking to control.
Pike pushing down on Riddles's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Riddles throws a strike from the bottom but Pike passes into side control!
Riddles tries to bench press Pike off him but Pike keeps the position.
Neil Pike has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Ryan Riddles is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Riddles sneaks back into half guard.

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 Ryan Riddles.
Well Riddles has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 30:27
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight 30:27
Judge Tatsuya Matsuyama scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ryan Riddles!