PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Mike Honcho (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and James Young (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Honcho comes to the cage accompanied by Beastie Boys- Sabotage. Young comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Dont Sweat The Technique kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Mike Honcho has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Honcho
vs
Young

181 cm
27
165 lbs
10 - 8 - 0

188 cm
25
151 lbs
8 - 8 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
KO power

Powerful takedowns
Decent boxing
Powerful

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 10 - 8 - 0, fighting out of New York, Mike Honcho!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, James Young!
The judges for this bout are Yves DeLean, Alec Ball and Steve Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Young moves out of range of the body kick from Honcho.
Honcho tries to bum rush Young with a series of wild strikes but Young uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Honcho tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Young was well out of range. Poor timing from Honcho.
Young takes a jab right on the kisser.
Honcho throws a right and a left that both miss.
Young will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Young swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Young attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Young is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

Young scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Young working the ground and pound but Honcho is defending the strikes.
Check out the look on Young's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Young misses with the ground and pound.
Honcho is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Young asserts his dominance and retains side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Young is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Honcho is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Young controls the position from side control.
Young has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Honcho is trying to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

Young is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Honcho has escaped the position, nice work there.
Honcho avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Young.
Young throws a strike aimed at the side of Honcho's head but Honcho avoids it well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Young throws a leg kick but Honcho checks it.
Honcho misses with a two punch combination.
Mike Honcho seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Honcho throws a leg kick

and Young holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Young gets underhooks to prevent Honcho's takedown attempt.
Honcho tries to score a body lock takedown but Young shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Honcho has had enough of the clinch but Young keeps him there for the moment.
Young keeps control of Honcho as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

Honcho escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Young lands with an uppercut that bounces Honcho off the cage and back into rage.
A kick lands to the mid section there for Honcho.
Young avoids the head kick by Honcho.
Young tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Honcho paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Honcho throws a wild body kick that Young sees coming a mile off.
Honcho throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Young counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Young with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Young throws a head punch that misses.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Young.
Honcho avoiding damage as Young throws knees to the body.
Young tries a knee to the head but Honcho blocks it.
Honcho goes for a takedown in the clinch but Young prevents it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mike Honcho. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Young is trying to stall.
Young misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Honcho.
Young lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Young has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Honcho avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Honcho on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Young unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Young pushes off an throws an elbow but Honcho leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Young is pressed up against the cage. Honcho has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Young down to the mat. Young avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Young throws a sloppy head kick and Honcho moves out of range easily.
Honcho throws a body kick that misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James Young dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Honcho throws a right hand that Young ducks under and follows up with a left that Young also avoids with ease.
Honcho throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Honcho digs a good hook to Young's body.
Young lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Young is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
No joy there for Honcho, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Young throws a right and a left that Honcho avoids nicely.
Honcho misses with a combination
and Young counters with a body kick.
A thudding body kick lands there by Honcho!
Young pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Honcho throws a combination that misses

and Young decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Honcho's guard.
Young seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Young working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Young looking to pass the guard.
Young missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

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.
Honcho wants to stand but Young is controlling the position.
Young throwing strikes from guard but Honcho blocks nicely.
Young postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Young sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Honcho's guard.
Young moves into full mount! Honcho won't be happy about that!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Young sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Young lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
BOOM! Young connects with a massive shot to the dome!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Honcho takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Honcho is trying desperately to improve position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Young controlling the position easily from mount.

Young stands up from the dominant position, so we're back on the feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James Young showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Young misses with the combination.
Young tries a head kick but it misses.
Young walks into a stiff left hand from Honcho.
Good work by Honcho as he checks the leg kick.
Young lands with a good body shot.
Honcho misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Young dodges the punch combination from Honcho.
Mike Honcho is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Honcho throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Young counters with a shoot takedown. Honcho fights it but they end up in guard.
Honcho is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Honcho keeping full guard, as Young tries to pass.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Young wants to control from the top but Honcho keeps moving.
Young stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Honcho swivels though and keeps the full guard.
James Young is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
James Young has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Young is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Young sitting in guard, not really doing much.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Honcho misses with a body shot

and Young counters with a nice double leg into side control. Honcho won't be happy with that.
Young happy to just control the position for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Honcho gives up the full mount - oops, sloppy defensive grappling there!
Young controlling from mount.
Mike Honcho has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.

And that's the end of the fight!
James Young comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Young 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 Yves DeLean scores the fight 27:30
Judge Alec Ball scores the fight 27:30
Judge Steve Smith scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... James Young!