PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Carlos Strikes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Elvis Higuita (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Higuita has chosen Man with a harmonica as his entrance music. Carlos Strikes could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Elvis Higuita's chin.

Strikes
vs
Higuita

186 cm
34
180 lbs
28 - 29 - 1

188 cm
24
184 lbs
4 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

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 28 - 29 - 1, fighting out of London, Carlos Strikes!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Elvis Higuita!
The judges for this bout are James Ackerman, Richard Clark and Chris Edwards.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The fight stays on the outside here - Strikes looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Strikes pushes Higuita up against the cage in a clinch.
Higuita has Strikes pressed against the cage, preventing Strikes from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Higuita lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.

It looks like Carlos Strikes has been cut.
Strikes avoids a wild elbow strike from Higuita.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Strikes trying to land knees to the body.
Higuita will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Strikes up against the cage.
I was talking to Strikes's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Strikes blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Strikes misses with a punch on the inside.
Strikes doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Higuita lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Higuita throws an elbow but it misses.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Strikes.
Come on Higuita - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Strikes on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Strikes throws a knee to the head but misses.
Higuita lands a damaging elbow.
Higuita pressing his opponent against the cage.
Higuita lands a nice knee to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Higuita is working Strikes over against the cage.
Strikes wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Higuita creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.

Strikes breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Strikes throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Higuita throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Higuita misses with a wild body shot.
Higuita tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Strikes is able to avoid easily.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Higuita.
Higuita scores with a leg kick.
Strikes tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Higuita misses with a body kick.
Strikes dodges the punch combination from Higuita.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Higuita works Strikes's body with a nice hook.
Strikes misses with a head kick.
Strikes scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.

It looks like Elvis Higuita has been cut.
Good exchange - Higuita coming out on top.
Elvis Higuita seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Strikes throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Higuita.
Strikes tries to clinch but Higuita is having none of it.
Higuita misses with a wild combination.
No joy there for Higuita, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Higuita throws a series of punches but Strikes avoids them all with ease.
Strikes misses with a series of wild punches.
Strikes tries to close the distance and clinch but Higuita swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Strikes tries to clinch there but Higuita circles away.
Higuita throws a body kick that misses.
Higuita lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Strikes circles away quickly and effectively.
Strikes digs a good hook to Higuita's body.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Higuita throws a head kick but Strikes moves out of range.
Strikes tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Higuita manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Strikes throws a head kick that misses.
Strikes keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Strikes is looking to clinch.
Higuita tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Higuita takes a kick to the side of the head.
Strikes tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Higuita paws at him with a jab and circles away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Elvis Higuita will probably get the nod.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
That's time! Back to the action!

Strikes gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Higuita scores with a hook.
Higuita dodges the punch combination from Strikes.
A head kick misses from Strikes.
Higuita misses with a head kick.
Strikes tries to clinch but Higuita moves out of range.
Strikes takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Higuita misses with a low kick.
Higuita avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Strikes dodges the punch combination from Higuita.

Higuita has taken the fight to the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Higuita misses with an elbow over the top.

Strikes's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Higuita is looking to clinch but Strikes is avoiding it.

Higuita instigates a clinch.
Higuita lands an elbow that stopped Strikes in his tracks for a moment.
Higuita throws an elbow that misses.
Strikes wants to get back to striking at distance but Higuita won't allow it.
Higuita holding his opponent close, against the cage.

Strikes breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Carlos Strikes is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Higuita throws a leg kick but Strikes sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Higuita throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Carlos Strikes is winning the standup battle so far.
Higuita throws a head kick that misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A big right from Higuita misses.
Strikes throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Higuita scores with a kick to the body.
Higuita displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.

Carlos Strikes's cut is getting worse.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Higuita lands with a kick to the ribs.
Strikes turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
A head kick misses from Higuita.
Higuita slips a jab and a cross from Strikes.
Higuita finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Higuita misses with an attempted mid kick.
Higuita swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Nice jab there from Higuita.
Higuita pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Strikes back to the cage. Higuita follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.

Carlos Strikes's cut is bleeding quite badly. He's got to try and protect it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Strikes blocks the body kick.
Strikes uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Higuita.
Nice uppercut there from Strikes.
Strikes avoids the head kick by Higuita.
Higuita misses with a wild body shot.
Strikes tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Higuita was well out of range. Poor timing from Strikes.
A head kick misses from Strikes.
Strikes keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Strikes misses with a head kick.
Higuita is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Strikes rather than just go for the knockout.
A punch combination from Higuita misses.
Higuita throws a series of punches but Strikes avoids them all with ease.

Strikes clinches with his opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Strikes is trying to break free.
Strikes is trying to push Higuita away but Higuita has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Strikes looking to slow down the pace here.
With the fighters up against the cage, Strikes throws an elbow but misses.
The referee calls for Higuita to work.
A short right from Higuita on the inside.
Higuita is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Strikes is keeping busy.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Higuita lands with a left to the head.
Higuita tries to work over Strikes's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Higuita keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Strikes's efforts to push away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Elvis Higuita showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Higuita lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Strikes circles away quickly and effectively.
Strikes showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Higuita.
Higuita misses with a wild body shot.
Strikes misses with a jab, cross combination.
A head kick misses from Higuita.
Strikes avoids the head kick by Higuita.
Higuita looks to land a body kick but Strikes moved away.
Strikes tries to clinch but Higuita moves out of range.
Thud! ouch! good body kick from Higuita - that will leave a mark!
Strikes moves in looking to clinch but Higuita pushes him off.
Strikes misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Higuita throws a leg kick that misses.
Higuita tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
A head kick misses from Higuita.
Strikes will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Higuita throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Higuita avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Higuita smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.

Strikes gets tackled into the cage by Higuita. Higuita maintains the clinch.
Higuita tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Strikes's elbow.

Strikes breaks the clinch.
Higuita lands a slapping body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Higuita moves in looking to clinch but Strikes pushes him off.
Strikes misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Higuita is looking to land body kicks.
Strikes throws a head kick but Higuita moves out of range.
Higuita throws a head kick that misses.
Strikes misses with a few strikes there.
That kick from Higuita tenderised Strikes's leg. Strikes is trying to keep his angry face on.
Higuita throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Strikes fails in his attempt to clinch.
Strikes throws a series of strikes that have Higuita backpedaling.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Higuita blocks a head kick by Strikes.
Strikes avoids the head kick by Higuita.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Strikes tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Higuita paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Strikes wants to clinch up but Higuita keeps it at a distance.
Higuita throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Higuita throws a head kick that misses.
Strikes misses with a head kick.
Strikes misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Higuita.
Carlos Strikes has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Elvis Higuita is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

Higuita has Strikes up against the cage in a clinch.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Higuita.
Strikes works on Higuita's body with a couple of short punches.
Higuita lands an elbow inside that Strikes shrugs off.
Higuita crunches a lovely knee into Strikes's ribcage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Higuita dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Higuita throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Strikes blocks it with crossed arms.
Higuita lands an elbow just above Strikes 's eye.
Strikes putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Higuita in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Higuita looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Higuita prevents Strikes from breaking the clinch.
Strikes working Higuita over with knees to the body.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Strikes wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Strikes has a couple of punches blocked by Higuita.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Strikes pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Strikes tries to stall but Higuita uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Higuita wants to stall.
Elvis Higuita seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Higuita dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Elvis Higuita.
Well Higuita has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 James Ackerman scores the fight 27:30
Judge Richard Clark scores the fight 27:30
Judge Chris Edwards scores the fight 28:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Elvis Higuita!
A very excited looking Elvis Higuita made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.