PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between John Connor (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mickey Knox (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Connor comes to the cage accompanied by Ça vaut mieux que d'attraper la scarlatine by Ray Venture. The crowd seem to be enjoying Knox's choice of entrance music: Something I Can Never Have. Mickey Knox will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Connor
vs
Knox

165 cm
27
159 lbs
19 - 10 - 0

176 cm
24
163 lbs
12 - 7 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Powerful takedowns
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

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 19 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, John Connor!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Mickey Knox!
The judges for this bout are Yves DeLean, William Peck and Gregory Folan.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Connor showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Knox.
Connor lands a body shot.
Knox fails with the takedown
and Connor counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Knox uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Connor.

Knox shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Connor's guard.
Connor is trying to control the position but Knox postures up.
Connor looking to hit a scissor sweep but Knox is one step ahead there.

Connor looking for a guillotine here but Knox defends easily.
Knox is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Connor trying to keep a closed guard but Knox is proving a slippery customer.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Knox trying to control the position from guard on top but Connor is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Connor has his foot on Knox's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Knox works his way back into a safe position though.

Connor working for submissions but it's allowed Knox to get to half guard.

Connor looking for submissions off his back.
Connor tries to roll over but Knox keeps him under control.
Connor is refusing to be controlled, as Knox sits in half guard.
Connor wants to control but Knox is keeping busy and won't allow it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Knox trying to control from Connor's half guard. Connor has other ideas though and has regained full guard.
Knox stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Connor swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Knox slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Connor tries to bench press Knox off him but Knox keeps the position.
Connor sneaks back into half guard.
Connor wants to control but Knox is keeping busy.
Knox trying to control the action but Connor is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Knox prevents Connor from improving his position.
Connor trying to control but Knox postures up.

Knox seems to be looking for submissions.
Connor slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Knox trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Connor can't keep his opponent in guard - Knox advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.

Connor is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Knox pulls his head out easily.
Connor is positioning himself well to prevent Knox advancing to mount.
Connor blocking the ground and pound attempt from Knox.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Connor wants to get back to full guard.

Connor looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Connor is not content to let Knox control the position.

Knox is looking for a kimura here.
Connor works his way to full guard. Good work.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Knox accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Knox stopping the sweep attempt from Connor.
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!
Connor looking to control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that John Connor will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Knox throws a right hand that misses
and Connor cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Knox scores with a jab. Connor acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Knox looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.

It looks like Mickey Knox has been cut.
A combination from Knox does no damage.
Connor throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Knox keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Knox lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Connor at a distance.
Knox shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Connor eats them both and turns towards Knox to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
A jab from Knox finds it's way through Connor's defenses.
Knox gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Connor.
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!
Connor slaps away a takedown attempt from Knox, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Connor is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Connor lands a nice hook to Knox's body. Knox takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Knox bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Connor's head backwards.
Knox throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Knox slips a jab from Connor.
Connor swinging wildly here.
Knox closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Connor throws a leg kick
and Knox counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Connor lands a slapping body shot.
Connor tries to bum rush Knox with a series of wild strikes but Knox uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Connor lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Connor throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Knox counters with a left to the body.
Connor uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Knox.
Knox looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Connor misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Knox.

Knox shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Knox can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Connor is looking to escape.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Knox pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Knox can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Connor is looking to escape.
Connor tries to reverse the position but Knox maintains control.
Knox trying to control but Connor is having none of it.
Connor tries to control the position but Knox now has his back.

Knox looking for the RNC.

Knox patiently working for the choke. Which fighter will keep their nerve here?

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Connor breaks Knox's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
Connor cracks Knox with a solid left hand.
Connor trying to control but Knox is working from the bottom.
Knox controlling the position.
Connor trying to control the position from guard on top but Knox is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Connor cracks Knox with a solid left hand.
Connor preventing the sweep.
Knox is trying to hold Connor in close to prevent damage but Connor has managed to pass into half guard.
Connor drops an elbow to the side of Knox's head.
Connor prevents Knox from improving his position.
Knox trying to hold on to Connor's head to control him but Connor postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Knox looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Knox is trying to control but can't.
Connor not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Knox works his way to full guard. Good work.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Connor wants to control from the top but Knox keeps moving.
Connor slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Connor scoring with punches to the head and body.
Connor throws a big right hand that misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Mickey Knox will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Mickey Knox's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Connor looks to land a combination. Knox sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Knox shoots in but Connor avoids the takedown attempt easily.
A nice combination there by Connor.

Connor clinches up with Knox and pushes him back against the cage.
Connor swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Knox stalling in the clinch but Connor improves position.
Connor blocks a body shot from Knox.
Connor gets underhooks to prevent Knox's takedown attempt.
Knees in the clinch landing for Connor.

Connor manages to break the clinch.
Connor stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Connor wants it to stay on the feet.
John Connor has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mickey Knox.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
A big right from Knox misses.
Knox's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Connor connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Knox scrambles back to his feet.

Connor fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Knox, pushing him back against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Knox is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Knox is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Knox takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Knox misses with a hook from the clinch.
Connor lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Knox backwards.
A shot in the inside from Connor.
A head punch on the inside from Knox fails to land.
Connor struggles to land a body shot inside as Knox controls his hands.

Connor pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Connor bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.

Connor drops Knox with a nice combination! Connor dives into Knox's guard, looking to finish!

Knox is rocked!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Connor wants to control from the top but Knox keeps moving.
Knox is still in real trouble! Can Connor finish him?
Connor throwing strikes but missing.
Connor chips away with some ground and pound.
Connor 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 two minutes gone in the round.
Connor lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Connor missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
John Connor overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Knox wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Connor is now in half guard.

Connor seems to be working for a kimura but Knox defends the submission attempt.
Knox is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Connor lands a nice short elbow.
Knox is not content to let Connor control the position.

Connor is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Connor lands strikes from half guard.
Knox is trying to get back to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Connor scoring with strikes to the body and head.

Connor maintaining the dominant position here and is working for a kimura. He's locked it up! Knox could be in real trouble here! He's trying to wriggle out but Connor has cracked it and Knox is screaming in pain - he's tapped out! Great finish by Connor!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:28 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). John Connor!
John Connor managed to slip a mention for his sponsors, Fightworld Formula and Laundry Service, into his post fight interview.