PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Raje Malapitan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and TJ Crawford (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Crawford has chosen John Legend - Who Do We Think We Are as his entrance music. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Malapitan
vs
Crawford

168 cm
37
130 lbs
13 - 25 - 0

179 cm
35
155 lbs
18 - 19 - 0

Dangerous GnP
Solid boxing
Very quick

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 13 - 25 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Raje Malapitan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 18 - 19 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, TJ Crawford!
The judges for this bout are , Timothy Bukovac and Don Winkell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Crawford tries to clinch up
and Malapitan counters with a nice uppercut.
Crawford is looking to clinch but Malapitan is avoiding it.

Crawford takes the fight into the clinch.
Malapitan wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Crawford has him pressed against the cage.
Malapitan wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Crawford tries to land a knee to the head but Malapitan blocks with his arms.
Crawford scores a nice knee to the body.
Malapitan wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Malapitan is trying to break the clinch but Crawford is controlling him.
Malapitan wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Malapitan blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Malapitan with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Crawford misses with a knee strike.
Malapitan working hard to break the clinch.
Crawford looking to throw knees to the head but Malapitan is blocking nicely.
Crawford looking to throw knees to the head but Malapitan is blocking nicely.
Malapitan can't break the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Malapitan wants to break free but Crawford has control.
Crawford with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Malapitan looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Crawford with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Malapitan avoiding damage as Crawford throws knees to the body.
Crawford misses with a knee strike.
Malapitan wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Crawford has him pressed against the cage.
Malapitan wants to break the clinch but can't.
Crawford with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Crawford tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Malapitan wants to get back to striking at distance but Crawford won't allow it.
Crawford lands a knee to the body.
Crawford with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Crawford with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Malapitan looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Crawford misses with a knee strike.
Crawford tries to land a knee to the head but Malapitan blocks with his arms.
Crawford with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Crawford looks winded!
A head punch blocked on the inside by Crawford.
Malapitan wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Crawford prevents Malapitan from breaking the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Malapitan.
Crawford with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Crawford tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Crawford connects with a knee to the head.
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!
Malapitan looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Malapitan is trying to break the clinch but Crawford is controlling him.
Malapitan is looking to break free of the clinch but Crawford has double underhooks.
Malapitan tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Crawford lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Crawford landing knees to the head.
Crawford keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Malapitan's efforts to push away.
Crawford keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Malapitan's efforts to push away.
Crawford throws a knee to the head but misses.
Crawford misses with a knee strike.
Malapitan tries to circle away but Crawford has him pinned against the cage.
Malapitan misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Crawford tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Malapitan working hard to break the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Malapitan is trying to break free.
Crawford keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Malapitan's efforts to push away.
Crawford keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Malapitan's efforts to push away.
Crawford with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Crawford.
Crawford looking to throw knees to the head but Malapitan is blocking nicely.

Malapitan manages to break the clinch.
Crawford wants to clinch up but Malapitan keeps it at a distance.
Malapitan was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
Crawford wants to clinch.
Malapitan throws a hook but Crawford avoids it easily.
Crawford wants to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Crawford moves in looking to clinch but Malapitan pushes him off.
Crawford ducks under a wild hook from Malapitan.
Malapitan throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Crawford wants to clinch
and Malapitan counters with a nice uppercut.
Malapitan throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Crawford wants to clinch.

Crawford drives through and clinches with Malapitan against the cage.
Malapitan managing to block the knees to the body from Crawford.
Malapitan takes a knee to the side of the body.
Malapitan is trying to break the clinch but Crawford has him pressed against the cage.

Malapitan pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Malapitan misses with a straight left.
Malapitan dips to his left and cracks Crawford with an uppercut!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Crawford fails with an attempt to clinch.
TJ Crawford seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Crawford gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Malapitan breaks from the clinch.
Malapitan has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Malapitan swats away the attempt to clinch by Crawford.

Crawford gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Crawford missing with knees to the body.
Crawford missing with knees to the body.
Crawford tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Crawford blocking some punches.
Crawford using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Malapitan has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Crawford has Malapitan pressed against the cage, preventing Malapitan from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Malapitan can't break the clinch.
Malapitan tries to break free but Crawford pushes him back against the cage.
Crawford lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!

Malapitan is rocked!
Crawford has the Thai clinch. He lands a big knee to the head that stumbles Malapitan - he's in trouble! Another big knee to the head from Crawford, and another! Malapitan is out on his feet - the ref jumps in to save him and ends the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:59 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Knees). TJ Crawford!
After the fight, TJ Crawford was humble in paying tribute to his opponent but made it clear he wants to go on to bigger and better things. It seemed to go down well with the crowd who cheered him loudly.