PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Felix Dolinger (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sofpho King (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). King has chosen Blue Collar Man as his entrance music. Sofpho King will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Dolinger
vs
King

167 cm
25
151 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

194 cm
26
145 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter fighter
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

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 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Felix Dolinger!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Sofpho King!
The judges for this bout are Vladimir Khabensky, Fedor Mirinova and Ivan Kurochkin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
King lands a jab-cross combination.

It looks like Felix Dolinger has been cut.
King tries to close the distance and clinch up but Dolinger swats him away and circles back towards the center.

King closes the distance and clinches.
King working some nice short punches in the clinch.
King digs a right hand underneath Dolinger's ribcage. Dolinger let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Dolinger is trying to pull guard but King has him pressed against the ropes.
Dolinger has had enough of the clinch but King keeps him there for the moment.
King tries for a takedown but Dolinger manages to get underhooks.
Dolinger jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as King walks away with a smile on his face. Dolinger gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
King throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Dolinger.
Dolinger circles away from the clinch attempt.
King misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Dolinger half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
We can't be sure of the tactics at this early stage but we have heard that King has been working on his takedowns a lot in the buildup to the fight and we can only assume he's going to look to take this to the mat.
King cracks Dolinger with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Dolinger fails to land the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Felix Dolinger. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
King swings and misses with a shot to the body

so Dolinger counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Dolinger wants to pass the guard but King is keeping the position.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
King is pulling down on Dolinger's head. It's preventing any offense from Dolinger, at least for the moment.
King trying to control the position.
Dolinger stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. King swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
King is trying to control the position but Dolinger postures up.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Sofpho King seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
King throws a nice head kick!
King fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Dolinger on the side of the head.
King throws a head kick but Dolinger moves out of range.
King with a hook.
King is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dolinger closes the distance and clinches up with King, looking for a takedown. Dolinger pushes King against the ropes but King circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Dolinger avoids the head kick by King.
King throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Dolinger feinted with a counter takedown.
Dolinger keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Dolinger wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.
King falls off balance throwing a combination

and Dolinger counters with a single leg into guard. King didn't expect that.
King really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Dolinger. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Dolinger is working King over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.

Dolinger decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
King tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Dolinger changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
King throws a lazy head kick

and Dolinger counters with a takedown into side control.
King looks winded!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Dolinger working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.

Dolinger is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. King knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Dolinger trying to control the position but King is working away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Sofpho King will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Felix Dolinger's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Dolinger shoots for a takedown but King saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Dolinger sets himself, and King steps forward looking for the clinch! Dolinger avoids it this time.

King has Dolinger up against the ropes in a clinch.

Dolinger pulls guard successfully.
King wants to stand but Dolinger is controlling his posture from full guard.
King is using up a lot of energy trying to get back to his feet. Perhaps he should improve his position first.
King must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
King is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Dolinger working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from King.
King tries to free his leg and advance position but Dolinger is retaining full guard.
Dolinger might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

That's one minute gone in the round.
King wants to get up but he can't break Dolinger's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
King controlling from the top position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
King wants to clinch but Dolinger slips to the side

and Dolinger counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.

Dolinger decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on King, up you get!
Sofpho King is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Dolinger on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
King throws a sloppy head kick and Dolinger moves out of range easily.
King tries to close the distance and clinch up but Dolinger swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Dolinger is pinned up against the ropes taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
King is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
King tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
King listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

King closes the distance and clinches.
King tries to work over Dolinger's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
King is working Dolinger over against the ropes.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
King tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Dolinger's elbow.
King lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Dolinger or not.
I was talking to Dolinger's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Dolinger tries to pull guard but King forces him back to his feet, against the ropes.
King doesn't land with the attempted body shot.

King breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Dolinger takes a body punch but keeps moving.
King throws a leg kick which misses Dolinger's front leg but catches the back leg as Dolinger tries to avoid it.
King tries to close the distance and clinch but Dolinger swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Dolinger tries to counter with a takedown but King is quick to defend against it.
King scores with the left hand. Dolinger knows he should have avoided that one.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
King misses with a two punch combination.
King is looking to clinch.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from King.
Dolinger attempts a counter takedown but King avoids it well and moves away.
Sofpho King seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Dolinger moves out of range of the body kick from King.
King throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Dolinger stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Dolinger avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Dolinger attempts a counter takedown but King avoids it well and moves away.
King has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
King scores with a kick to the midsection.
Dolinger takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Dolinger dodges the punch combination from King.
Dolinger appears to be looking for a counter takedown.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Dolinger checks a leg kick.
Dolinger appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
King darts in trying to clinch

and Dolinger counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
King keeping moving, preventing Dolinger from controlling successfully.
Dolinger advances to half guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
King tries to get to full guard but Dolinger has control of the leg.
Dolinger looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sofpho King showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Felix Dolinger's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

King connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Dolinger's hands.
Dolinger takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
King moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Dolinger walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
King tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
King tries to clinch up.
Dolinger attempts a counter takedown but King avoids it well and moves away.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A jab lands there for King.

Dolinger is rocked!
King closes the distance and lands a crisp combination that knocks Dolinger out cold! Dolinger corner are devastated, head in hands behind our commentary position. Poor guys.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:53 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Punches). Sofpho King!
Sofpho King decided to hype himself up post fight. It was going well but he went on about it a bit too long and the crowd turned on him a little.