PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Cristobal Howe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Aidan Ceallaigh (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Cristobal Howe has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Howe
vs
Ceallaigh

215 cm
18
140 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

170 cm
18
140 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, Cristobal Howe!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Aidan Ceallaigh!
The judges for this bout are James Atkins, Richard Clark and Steven Brown.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ceallaigh misses with a head kick.
Howe throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Ceallaigh's head.
Howe really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Ceallaigh wants to clinch.
Ceallaigh throws a lazy head kick

and Howe holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Howe wants a takedown.
Howe tries to pull guard but Ceallaigh holds him up against the cage and eventually Howe drops back down to his feet.

Ceallaigh pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Howe is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
A head kick by Ceallaigh misses
and Howe counters with a head kick.
Ceallaigh stuffs the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Cristobal Howe. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Howe looks for a takedown but Ceallaigh sprawls well.
Howe wants to clinch up but Ceallaigh keeps it at a distance.
Howe fails with a takedown attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Howe closes the distance and clinches.

Howe pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Ceallaigh throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Howe circles away from the clinch attempt

and Howe holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

Ceallaigh decides to pull guard.
Howe wants to control from the top but Ceallaigh keeps moving.

Ceallaigh is working an open guard so Howe takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Howe fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ceallaigh tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Howe manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Ceallaigh tries a head kick but it misses.

Ceallaigh rushes Howe and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Ceallaigh tries to land a knee to the head but Howe blocks with his arms.
Ceallaigh is trying to pull guard but Howe turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.

Ceallaigh escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Howe shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Ceallaigh pinned against the cage. Ceallaigh gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Ceallaigh throws a head kick but Howe moves out of range.
This has been an exciting period of action!
The fight stays on the outside here - Ceallaigh looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Howe shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Ceallaigh pinned against the cage. Ceallaigh gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A head kick by Ceallaigh misses
and Howe counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Howe shoots in for a takedown but Ceallaigh shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Ceallaigh tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Howe counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Howe tries to score a power double leg takedown but Ceallaigh sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Howe somewhat.
Howe is breathing heavily.
The fight stays on the outside here - Howe looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Ceallaigh throws a sloppy head kick
enabling Howe to counter with a crisp jab.
Ceallaigh tries to clinch up but Howe circles away and keeps his distance.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Howe avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Ceallaigh misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Ceallaigh throws a lazy head kick
and Howe counters with a good low kick that Ceallaigh was not able to check.
Howe looks for a takedown but Ceallaigh sprawls well.
Howe tries for a takedown but Ceallaigh circles away easily
and Ceallaigh counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Nice body kick there by Ceallaigh.

Ceallaigh clinches up against the cage.
Ceallaigh is trying to pull guard but Howe turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Ceallaigh's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Ceallaigh throws a lazy head kick
and Howe counters with a good, hard body kick but Ceallaigh shrugs it off.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Howe closes the distance and clinches up with Ceallaigh, looking for a takedown. Howe pushes Ceallaigh against the cage but Ceallaigh circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Aidan Ceallaigh will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

A head kick misses from Ceallaigh.
Ceallaigh is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Ceallaigh throws a head kick that misses
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.

Howe pushes Ceallaigh up against the cage in a clinch.
Howe goes for a takedown in the clinch but Ceallaigh prevents it.
Ceallaigh jumps guard but Howe turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Ceallaigh wants to break free but Howe has control.
Howe has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Ceallaigh is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Ceallaigh is trying to push Howe away but Howe has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.

Ceallaigh escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Ceallaigh wants to clinch up but Howe keeps it at a distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ceallaigh fails in his attempt to clinch.
A head kick by Ceallaigh misses

and Howe moves into the clinch.
Ceallaigh is breathing heavily.
Ceallaigh misses with a knee strike.
Howe has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Ceallaigh is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Cristobal Howe. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Howe jumps guard and drags Ceallaigh to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Howe is trying to keep Ceallaigh in close.
Ceallaigh wants to stand and escape but instead Howe has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Ceallaigh wants to stand up but Howe is controlling him.
Howe postures up in Ceallaigh's guard and throws a big left but Ceallaigh blocks it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ceallaigh is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Howe controlling from the top position.
Ceallaigh wants to stand but Howe is controlling the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Howe is pushing down on Ceallaigh's leg trying to pass to half guard. Ceallaigh is fighting to maintain full guard but Howe has managed to sneak the leg through.
Howe performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Howe not landing any meaningful shots this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Howe is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Howe thowing shots but they're missing.
Ceallaigh trying desperately to get to his feet.

Howe looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Ceallaigh avoids a series of strikes thrown by Howe.
Howe content just to control the position here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Howe is standing up out of mount! Strange tactic there - he must really want this one on the feet!

Howe moves into the clinch.
Howe tries to pull guard but Ceallaigh forces him back to his feet, against the cage.

Howe manages to break the clinch.

Howe moves into the clinch.

Howe jumps into guard, dragging Ceallaigh to the mat.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Ceallaigh tries to stand but Howe is controlling from the bottom.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Ceallaigh stopping the sweep attempt from Howe.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Cristobal Howe dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Howe has Ceallaigh up against the cage in a clinch.
Ceallaigh tries to land a knee to the head but Howe blocks with his arms.

Howe breaks from the clinch.
Howe darts in looking for a takedown but Ceallaigh gets double underhooks and turns Howe into the cage.
Howe tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Ceallaigh smiles and moves away.
Ceallaigh throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Ceallaigh tries to close the distance and clinch but Howe swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Howe blocks a head kick by Ceallaigh.
Howe throws a nice head kick!
Aidan Ceallaigh seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Ceallaigh scores with a kick to the midsection.
Howe avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Ceallaigh lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Aidan Ceallaigh is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Ceallaigh takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Ceallaigh closes the distance looking to clinch
and Howe counters with a good, hard body kick but Ceallaigh shrugs it off.
Nice sprawl there from Ceallaigh as Howe shoots in.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Cristobal Howe. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Howe circles away from the clinch attempt.
Ceallaigh looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Ceallaigh throws a lazy head kick

and Howe counters by clinching up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ceallaigh wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Howe is looking for a takedown.
Ceallaigh scores with a shot to the side of Howe's head.
Ceallaigh has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Howe is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Howe is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Ceallaigh is defending well.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Howe.
Howe drops down looking for an ankle pick but Ceallaigh pulls his leg out and moves away.
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!
Ceallaigh tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Howe counters with a left and a right that stings Ceallaigh.
Ceallaigh misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Ceallaigh misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Ceallaigh wants to clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ceallaigh leaves Howe with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
A good leg kick by Howe.
Ceallaigh tries to clinch up but Howe circles away and keeps his distance.
Ceallaigh doesn't manage to clinch there - Howe circles away.
Ceallaigh is looking to clinch.
Ceallaigh stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Ceallaigh wants it to stay on the feet.
A head kick misses from Ceallaigh.
Ceallaigh is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ceallaigh pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Howe will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Ceallaigh wants to clinch up but Howe keeps it at a distance.
Ceallaigh tries to close the distance and clinch but Howe swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Howe closes this distance looking for a takedown but Ceallaigh circles away.
Ceallaigh throws a sloppy head kick
and Howe makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Howe fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Ceallaigh throws a head kick that misses.

And that's the end of the fight!
Aidan Ceallaigh comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Ceallaigh has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Atkins scores the fight 28:29
Judge Richard Clark scores the fight 28:29
Judge Steven Brown scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Aidan Ceallaigh!