PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Ritchie Li (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Stanislaus Kasava (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Kasava has chosen Merle Haggard - Mama Tried as his entrance music. 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.

Li
vs
Kasava

185 cm
20
145 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

175 cm
23
156 lbs
8 - 3 - 0

Decent wrestler
Excellent MT
KO power

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Ritchie Li!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Stanislaus Kasava!
The judges for this bout are Matheus Silva, Leandro Rodrigues and Edson Gomes.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kasava lands a slapping body shot.
Kasava is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Li.
Kasava scores with a punch to the head.
Kasava keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Li walks into a stiff left hand from Kasava.
Li on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Li tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Kasava paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Li tries to clinch but Kasava moves out of range.
Kasava fails in his attempt to clinch.
Kasava misses with a jab, cross combination.
Kasava throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Li goes for a high kick. It partially lands.

It looks like Stanislaus Kasava has been cut.
Kasava circles away from the clinch attempt
and Kasava counters with a left and a right that stings Li.
Li uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Kasava.
Li ducks under a wild hook from Kasava.
Kasava tries to close the distance and clinch but Li swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Kasava avoiding damage as Li throws knees to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Li unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Kasava lands with a right to the head.
Kasava blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Kasava on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Li working Kasava over with knees to the body.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Li misses with an elbow over the top.
Li really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Kasava wants to break the clinch but can't.
Li lands a knee to the head.

Li breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Li tries to close the distance and clinch up but Kasava swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Kasava is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Li wants to clinch but Kasava slips to the side
and Kasava counters with a nice uppercut.

Li fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Kasava, pushing him back against the cage.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Li just misses with a elbow thrown towards Kasava's brow.
Li missing with knees to the body.
Li misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Kasava.

Li breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kasava looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Li tries to clinch but Kasava moves away
and Kasava counters with a left to the body.
Kasava blocks a head kick by Li.
Li tries to clinch
and Kasava cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Stanislaus Kasava seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Li takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Kasava moves out of range as Li throws a body kick.

Kasava rushes Li and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Kasava looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Li lands a knee to the head.
Li has Kasava pressed against the cage, preventing Kasava from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Kasava blocks the elbow strike.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kasava is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Li prevents Kasava from breaking the clinch.
Li with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Li misses with a knee strike.
Kasava wants to break free but Li has control.
Li missing with knees to the body.
Li tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Kasava avoids it.
Li trying to land knees to the body.
Knees in the clinch landing for Li.
Kasava lands a nice uppercut.
Li throws an elbow that misses.

Li breaks from the clinch.
Kasava scores with a three punch combo!
Kasava keeps the fight on the outside.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Li keeps the fight on the outside.
Li on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Stanislaus Kasava will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Stanislaus Kasava's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Kasava lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Li tries to clinch but Kasava moves away
and Kasava counters with a stiff right hand.
Li throws a head kick that misses.
Kasava might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
A head kick misses from Li.
Li with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Kasava to score with a decent uppercut.

Kasava has Li up against the cage in a clinch.
Kasava blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Kasava on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Kasava avoids a wild elbow strike from Li.
Kasava avoiding damage as Li throws knees to the body.
Kasava misses with a hook from the clinch.
Li tries to land knees in the clinch but Kasava avoids the damage to the body.
Kasava lands a nice uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Li tries a knee to the head but Kasava blocks it.
Li landing knees to the body.
Kasava doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Kasava blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Li missing with knees to the body.
Kasava blocks an elbow strike.
Kasava managing to block the knees to the body from Li.
Li tries to land knees in the clinch but Kasava avoids the damage to the body.
Kasava blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Li tries a knee to the head but Kasava blocks it.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Kasava working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Knees in the clinch landing for Li.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Kasava.
A frustrated look appears on Kasava's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Li misses with an elbow strike.
Li misses with a knee strike.
Kasava is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Kasava scores with a shoulder strike.
Li scores a nice knee to the body.
Kasava wants to stall.
Li throws a knee to the head but misses.
Li trying to land knees to the body.
Kasava holding his opponent close, against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Kasava escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Li dodges the punch combination from Kasava.
Kasava lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Li backs up against the cage.
Kasava tries to clinch up.
Kasava sizes up Li with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Kasava throws a right and a left that both miss.
Kasava fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Kasava misses the jab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kasava misses with a hook.
Li tries to clinch up
and Kasava counters with a nice body shot.
Kasava tries to clinch up.
Li tries a head kick but it misses.
Kasava misses with a hook.
Li defending well as Kasava loads up on a big left hand.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Li keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Li tries to clinch up.
Li is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Kasava.
Kasava throws a good cross that connects.
Kasava fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Li manages to avoid it.
Li looks to clinch
and Kasava counters with a stiff right hand.
Kasava looks to land a left hand but Li moved out of range nicely.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Li takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Stanislaus Kasava seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Kasava lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Stanislaus Kasava showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Stanislaus Kasava's cut.
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. And we move into the final round!

Kasava moves into range and connects with a jab.
Kasava paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.

Li is rocked!
Li ducks under a wild hook from Kasava.
Oh Li is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Li clinches but Kasava breaks the clinch
and Li takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
I'm just looking down at my notes here and I see that.... oh! Kasava has cracked Li with a big right, followed by a left! He's out on his feet! Kasava lands another huge swinging hook and Li tumbles to the canvas! The ref dives in to save Li, before Kasava can land any more shots!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:41 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Punches). Stanislaus Kasava!