PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Vinny Russo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ashida Kai (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Russo comes to the cage accompanied by Volbeat - The Human Instrument. Kai is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Die Antwoord - "Fish Paste". Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Russo
vs
Kai

181 cm
31
186 lbs
27 - 11 - 2

187 cm
28
186 lbs
9 - 4 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

ADCC Champion
World class MT
Good gas tank

Convicted Trap House
Conviction

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 27 - 11 - 2, fighting out of Amsterdam, Vinny Russo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Ashida Kai!
The judges for this bout are Frank Antenori, Timothy Bukovac and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kai misses with a low kick as Russo jumps back.
Kai misses with an attempted mid kick.
Ashida Kai seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Russo moves out of range as Kai throws a body kick.
Russo checks a low kick from Kai.
Kai keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Russo.
Russo scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Kai.
Kai takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Russo missing with a left hand there. Kai was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Kai misses with a hook. Russo ducked under it nicely.
Kai lands with a cross.
Kai misses with a few strikes there.
Kai misses with a low kick.
A looping hook to the body misses from Kai. Russo does a little dance to reset his feet.
Russo looks for a takedown but Kai sprawls well.

Russo gets the takedown into side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Kai defending against the ground and pound.
Russo looks up at the clock and then as Kai takes his cue and looks up at the clock too, Russo smacks him right in the chops with a big elbow! How rude!
Kai manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Russo is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Russo thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
Russo working away from the top, dropping strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Russo looking to ground and pound but Kai is blocking nicely.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Russo wants to control the pace but Kai is squirming around nicely.
BOOM! Russo connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
BOOM! Russo connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Russo tries to control but Kai wriggling away.
Russo thowing shots but they're missing.
Kai wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Russo.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kai regains half guard.
Kai is controlling Russo's trapped leg to prevent Russo from advancing to side control.
Russo perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Russo missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Russo tries to pass the half guard into mount. Kai knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Kai regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Russo.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kai looking to control.
Russo trying to control the position from guard on top but Kai is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Russo content to stall in guard here.
Russo trying to control the position from guard on top but Kai is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vinny Russo dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Kai misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Kai connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Some bone on bone action there as Russo checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Nice shot by Russo.
Russo lands a glancing blow to the side of Kai's head.
Kai buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Russo blocks a low kick nicely.
Russo misses with a body shot
and Kai counters with an outside leg kick.
Kai misses with a low kick.
Russo connects with a good right hand that stumbles Kai. Kai circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Russo thows a leg kick but Kai checks it
and Kai counters with a slapping leg kick.
Russo fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Kai checks it well.
Kai throws a series of punches but Russo avoids them all with ease.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A bone on bone clash there as Russo blocks the leg kick.
Kai misses with an uppercut

and Russo counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Russo is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Kai tries to regain full guard. Instead though, Russo has advanced to mount. Uh oh.
Kai can't escape the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kai sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Kai taking some punishment here, with Russo in his half guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Russo missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Russo throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Russo is keen to just control but Kai is a slippery customer.
Russo slows the pace down in half guard.
Russo with the ground and pound but Kai uses the opportunity to regain guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Russo working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Russo passes Kai's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Kai wants to improve his position but Russo is controlling well.
Kai wants to control but Russo is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Kai might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Russo kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Russo looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Vinny Russo overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Kai has his hands clasped together around Russo's back. He's all about the action.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Russo is controlling the pace.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Vinny Russo just wasn't active enough.
A chopping leg kick lands by Russo.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Kai lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Kai moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Russo, as that shot connected.
Russo misses with a body shot.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vinny Russo dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Russo walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Russo moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Kai chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Russo can pounce on him.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Kai lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Russo has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Russo and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.
Russo misses with an uppercut.
Kai fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Russo checks it well.
Kai stuffs the takedown attempt from Russo. Russo gets slowly back to his feet.
Kai throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Kai fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Russo has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Kai throws a body punch but Russo moves out of range.
Kai connects with an inside leg kick.
Russo connects with a single shot there.
Kai throws a head kick but Russo moves out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kai tries a head kick but it misses.
Kai just misses with a punch to the body.
Russo moves out of range of the body kick.
Kai attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Russo shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Kai but Kai pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Russo.
Kai is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Russo.
Kai throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Russo blocks the body kick.
Kai missing with a left hand there. Russo was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Kai avoids a low kick by using good footwork.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kai connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Kai tries a head kick but it misses.
Russo takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Kai goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
A telegraphed right hand from Kai misses the target.
Kai throws a body kick that misses.
Kai thows a body shot but no joy.
Kai throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Kai motions for Russo to come forward. Kai throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Kai lands a nice shot that snaps Russo's head back.
Kai lands a nice shot to the body.
Russo takes a head kick and keeps coming.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Russo throws a body punch but Kai moves out of range.
Russo scores with a head kick.
Russo blocks a head kick by Kai.
Kai throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.

Kai gets caught flat footed, as Russo shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Russo trying to control but Kai is working from the bottom.
Russo in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Kai keeping moving, preventing Russo from controlling successfully.
Russo slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Russo with the ground and pound but Kai regains half guard under the barage of strikes.
Russo throwing shots but Kai is blocking nicely.
Russo is looking to take a break and control but Kai is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Kai slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ashida Kai comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Russo has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Frank Antenori scores the fight for Vinny Russo!
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight for Vinny Russo!
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight for Vinny Russo!

Vinny Russo wins by unanimous decision!
In his post fight interview, Vinny Russo gave a big smile as he said 'I wanna, I wanna thank Syn - umm, I wanna thank Convicted Inc - I wanna thank everyone else who helped me train and fly here to L.A. That was, that was a good fight. Crazy times here in L.A. And Im not just saying that because of the mugging I saw on my way here tonight. Crazy fans.'.