PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Cung Le (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rob Ward (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Cung Le had real problems making weight for this fight. After initially coming in at 172.0lbs, he had two hours to make the official fight weight. He made it but it will have taken a lot out of him to cut those extra few pounds. Rob Ward acknowledges the crowd's support as he enters the cage.

Le
vs
Ward

183 cm
22
183 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

185 cm
18
172 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Counter striker
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Cung Le!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Rob Ward!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, George Francis and Frank Dennis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Le shoots in and bounces Ward off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Le stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Ward swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Ward looking for a sweep. Not yet Ward, not yet.

Le drops back looking for a leg! Ward is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Ward manages to kick Le off! Le jumps back into Ward's guard.
Ward wants to sweep here but Le controlling him for the moment.
Ward is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Le wants to pass the guard but Ward is keeping the position.
Ward looking for a sweep. Not yet Ward, not yet.

Ward is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Ward with a lazy takedown attempt

and Le counters with a single leg into guard. Ward didn't expect that.
Ward looks gassed!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Le advances to half guard.

Le is looking for a kimura but Ward is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Le to get the leverage.
Le winds up and cracks Ward with a swinging punch to the side of the head.

Le wants to work for an arm triangle but Ward is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.

Ward manages to escape and get back to his feet!

Le scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Le prevents Ward from escaping the position.

Le working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Ward is trying to get back to half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Le is putting a hurting on Ward here, landing some big shots from side control.

It looks like Rob Ward has been cut.

Le working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Le taking a breather here.
Le landing strikes.
Ward is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Le wants to lay and pray for a moment but Ward keeps working.

Le tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Le has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Ward wants to get back to his feet but Le is dominant here and he's now got Ward's back!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Le scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Ward?
Le with shots to the head and body - Ward looks very uncomfortable down there.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Ward taking shots to the head.
Le with shots to the head and body - Ward looks very uncomfortable down there.
Ward is working to get back to half guard.
Le with shots to the head and body - Ward looks very uncomfortable down there.
Le landing strikes, looking to finish!

Le jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Ward manages to avoid the submission attempt.

Le is in a dominant position here, looking for a kimura. Ward looks calm but he's in trouble here. Le gets his head over his opponent's head and yanks on the arm. Ward is tapping like a morse code operator on the titanic! SOS! SOS! Le lets go of the hold and Ward can pop his arm back in it's socket.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:53 of round 1, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Cung Le!