PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Papa Legba (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Carlos Monroe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Legba comes into the arena with "Cruising in Miami" by Bass 305 blaring out of the sound system. The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Legba
vs
Monroe

166 cm
26
147 lbs
12 - 5 - 0

175 cm
25
155 lbs
11 - 3 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Very quick

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Milwaukee's Best $48 - 159's

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 12 - 5 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Papa Legba!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 3 - 0, fighting out of New York, Carlos Monroe!
The judges for this bout are Vladimir Khabensky, Aleksandr Martynov and Illya Tyunina.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Legba throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Monroe stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Legba misses the shot to the body.
Good leg kick by Monroe there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Monroe throws a leg kick that is checked
and Legba counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Monroe throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Monroe feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Legbas jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Monroe throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Monroe swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Monroe thuds his shin into the meat of Legba's side.
Monroe throws a low kick, looking for Legba's leg but Legba calmly moves out of range.
Legba lands a two punch combo.
Monroe fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Legba has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Legba slips a jab and a cross from Monroe.
Monroe fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Legba has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Carlos Monroe is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Monroe throws an off balance right hand
letting Legba counter with a right hand.
Legba scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Monroe takes a swing at Legba's ribcage but misses.
Monroe attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Legba misses with an uppercut. Monroe saw that one coming.
Monroe throws an off balance right hand
enabling Legba to counter with a crisp jab.
Monroe tried to score with a low kick but Legba checks it.
Legba tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Legba looks to score with a jab to the body but Monroe is just out of range.
Legba misses with a double jab
and Monroe counters with a nice body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Monroe connects with the punch.
Legba connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Monroe momentarily.
Monroe throws a nice outside leg kick.
Carlos Monroe seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Monroe misses the shot to the body.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Monroe throws a low kick, looking for Legba's leg but Legba calmly moves out of range.

Monroe clinches with his opponent.
Monroe scores with a shot to the side of Legba's head.
Monroe working aggressively here.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Monroe.
Legba tries to land knees in the clinch but Monroe avoids the damage to the body.
A short right from Monroe.
Legba blocks a body shot from Monroe.
Legba can't get the takedown.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Monroe misses with a short punch on the inside.

Legba gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Monroe is refusing to be controlled, as Legba sits in half guard.
Monroe trying to control from the bottom.
Monroe wants to improve his position but Legba is controlling well.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Legba working Monroe over with strikes.
Legba thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Legba missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Legba with the ground and pound but Monroe uses the opportunity to regain guard.
Monroe wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Legba trying to control but Monroe is working from the bottom.
Monroe has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Legba accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Monroe wants to sweep here but Legba controlling him for the moment.
Legba trying to control the position from guard on top but Monroe is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Legba checks a leg kick nicely.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Carlos Monroe will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Legba blocks a low kick nicely.
A shot to the body from Monroe misses
letting Legba counter with a right hand.
Horrible takedown by Legba or perhaps it was just good defense by Monroe which made him look bad.
Carlos Monroe seems to be getting the better of the standup.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Legba checks a leg kick.
A telegraphed right hand from Monroe misses the target.
Monroe scores with a leg kick.
Monroe throws a body kick that misses.
Monroe just misses with a punch to the body.
Monroe throws a low kick but Legba moves out of range easily.
Monroe connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Monroe throws a low kick but Legba avoids it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Monroe shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Nice body punch from Monroe.
Monroe is looking to score with low kicks.
Monroe misses with a low kick as Legba jumps back.
Legba takes a swing at Monroe's ribcage but misses.
Papa Legba is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Monroe lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Monroe throws a low kick but it's checked well by Legba.
Monroe scores with a nice body kick.
Monroe misses with a low kick.
Legba shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Monroe as he jumps to the side.
Legba shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Monroe sprawls well. Monroe wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Legba gets slowly back to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Papa Legba. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Monroe goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Nice takedown defense from Monroe. No joy for Legba on that attempt.
Monroe fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Legba.
Monroe fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Legba.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Monroe keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Legba misses the jab.
Monroe throws a nice outside leg kick.
Legba checks a low kick from Monroe.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Legba avoids the body shot from Monroe.
Legba shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Monroe sprawls well. Monroe wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Legba gets slowly back to his feet.
Monroe is looking to chop away at Legba's legs.
Monroe throws a nice outside leg kick.
Legba lands a two punch combo.
Legba takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Monroe throws a leg kick

and Legba counters with a single leg into guard. Monroe didn't expect that.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Legba throwing strikes but missing.
Monroe doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Legba 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.
Legba trying to control the position from guard on top but Monroe is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Legba is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Monroe is trying to keep Legba in close.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Legba postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Carlos Monroe showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Monroe throws a front kick aimed at Legba's knee but Legba avoids it well.
Monroe fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Legba is out of range.
Legba is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
A jab from Legba misses.
A solid body kick from Monroe.
Legba moves out of range of the strikes.
Monroe scoring well with a low kick there.
Monroe lands the left hand.
Monroe is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Legba rather than just go for the knockout.
An inside leg kick lands from Monroe.
A leg kick checked by Legba.
Monroe walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Legba checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Monroe goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Monroe throws a head kick but Legba moves out of range.
Monroe scores with a crisp jab that stopped Legba in his tracks.
Monroe scores with a kick to the body.
Monroe throws a leg kick
and Legba counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Monroe throws a head kick that misses.
Legba 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.
Legba works the jab nicely.
Legba shoots in for a takedown but Monroe shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Legba fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Monroe misses the jab.
Monroe misses with a hook. Legba ducked under it nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Monroe throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Legba's head.
Monroe misses with a low kick.
Monroe misses with a wild body shot.
Monroe thows a leg kick but Legba checks it
and Monroe takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Monroe feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Legbas jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Monroe throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Legba.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Monroe does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.

Legba shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Monroe is trying to defend but Legba finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Legba working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Carlos Monroe is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Monroe works his way to full guard. Good work.
Monroe looking to control.
Legba looking to sit in guard and control but Monroe gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Legba is adopting a defensive guard.
Legba looking to hit a scissor sweep but Monroe is one step ahead there.

Legba working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Monroe has passed into half guard!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Legba tries to roll over but Monroe keeps him under control.
Papa Legba has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Monroe is looking to take a break and control but Legba is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Monroe prevents Legba from improving his position.
Monroe content to control rather than advance.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Legba gets full guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Carlos Monroe comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Monroe 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 Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 27:30
Judge Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight 27:30
Judge Illya Tyunina scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Carlos Monroe!