PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Richard Anderson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and George Kalai (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Anderson comes into the arena with We will rock you blaring out of the sound system. The key to victory for Richard Anderson has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Anderson
vs
Kalai

175 cm
22
152 lbs
3 - 6 - 0

181 cm
27
155 lbs
7 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Granite chin

Good takedowns
Counter fighter
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Richard Anderson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, George Kalai!
The judges for this bout are Edson Gomes, Mauricio Rocha and Matheus Silva.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Anderson steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Kalai. That one must have hurt.
Anderson closes the distance but Kalai moves to the side

and Kalai counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Kalai.
Anderson wants to stand up but Kalai is controlling him.
Kalai trying to control the position from guard on top but Anderson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Anderson wants to stand and escape but Kalai is having none of it.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Kalai's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Anderson knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Kalai on the ground.
Kalai lands a couple of digs.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Kalai cracks Anderson with a solid left hand.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Anderson wants to get back to his feet but Kalai is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Kalai trying to control the position from guard on top but Anderson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Kalai stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Anderson swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Anderson wants to stand up but Kalai is controlling him.
Kalai wants to control from the top but Anderson keeps moving.
Kalai lands a couple of digs.
Anderson is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Kalai is working Anderson over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Kalai trying to control but Anderson is working from the bottom.
Kalai seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Kalai stops Anderson from standing up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Kalai throws a big right hand that misses.
Anderson keeping moving, preventing Kalai from controlling successfully.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Anderson throws the left hand but Kalai avoids the punch easily.
Kalai replies with a solid counter kick to the body but Anderson blocks it well.

Kalai closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Anderson's guard.
Kalai stops Anderson from standing up.
Kalai throws a big right hand that misses.
Kalai scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Kalai lands a couple of elbows.
Kalai makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Kalai has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Kalai not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Let's hope that Kalai has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Anderson keeping moving, preventing Kalai from controlling successfully.
Kalai scoring with punches to the head and body.
Kalai lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Kalai distracts Anderson with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Anderson keeping moving, preventing Kalai from controlling successfully.
Kalai throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Kalai makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Kalai working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

Kalai thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Kalai is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Kalai controlling from the top position.
Anderson wants to get back to his feet but Kalai is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

Anderson uses the cage to get back to his feet.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Anderson swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Anderson moves to clinch but Kalai breaks away
and Kalai counters with a leg kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Anderson gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Kalai breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Kalai catches Anderson with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Anderson is looking to clinch.
Kalai appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
Anderson tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Kalai manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Anderson tries to close the distance and clinch up but Kalai swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Anderson throws a hook but Kalai avoids it easily.
Anderson throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Kalai swats away the attempt to clinch by Anderson.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Anderson tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Kalai paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Kalai swats away the attempt to clinch by Anderson.
Kalai counters with a body kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kalai misses with a head kick.
It looked like Anderson was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Kalai.
Kalai throws a nice head kick!
Anderson tries to clinch but Kalai moves out of range.
Kalai thows a body kick. Anderson tries to catch it but that hurt him.
Anderson wants to clinch.
Kalai with the counter takedown but Anderson avoids it easily.

Anderson darts in and clinches Kalai up against the cage.

Anderson's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Anderson avoids a kick to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Anderson checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Kalai circles away from the clinch attempt.
Anderson avoids a kick to the body.
Anderson feinted with a counter takedown.
Kalai misses with a kick to the body.
Kalai looks for the body kick but Anderson saw that one coming.
Kalai fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Anderson.
Kalai keeps the fight on the outside.
Anderson backing away here, and Kalai unleashes a leg kick that just misses.
Anderson wants to clinch up but Kalai keeps it at a distance.
Anderson moves out of range as Kalai throws a body kick.
Kalai has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Anderson is looking to clinch.
Anderson moves out of range of the body kick.
Anderson on the wrong end of a kick to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Anderson tries to close the distance and clinch up but Kalai swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Kalai counters with a body kick.
Anderson tries to clinch but Kalai moves out of range.
Anderson tries to move into range but Kalai moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Anderson sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Kalai misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Anderson tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Kalai manages to circle out of the way.
The fight stays on the outside here - Anderson looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Anderson tries to clinch but Kalai moves out of range.
Anderson has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Kalai.
Anderson tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Kalai was well out of range. Poor timing from Anderson.
Kalai counters with a body kick.
Anderson tries to close the distance and clinch but Kalai swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Kalai tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Kalai closes this distance looking for a takedown but Anderson circles away.
Richard Anderson seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kalai scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Kalai circles away from the clinch attempt.

Anderson moves into the clinch.
Anderson's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Anderson is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Anderson tries to throw a body punch but Kalai avoids it by throwing Anderson back against the cage.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Anderson content to slow the pace in the clinch.
I was talking to Anderson's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Kalai effectively controlling the action here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

George Kalai showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Anderson's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Kalai scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Anderson throws a head kick that misses.
Kalai was about to counter that last move with a leg kick but changes his mind.

Anderson forces Kalai back against the cage and clinches.
A body shot lands from Kalai.
Anderson will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Kalai up against the cage.
Anderson misses with a shot to the kidneys.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kalai controlling the action here for a moment.
Anderson tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Kalai's elbow.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Kalai pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Kalai lands a nice looking kick to the body. Anderson takes a step back to recover.

Kalai drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Anderson is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Kalai asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Kalai wants to lay and pray for a moment but Anderson keeps working.
Anderson defending against the ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Kalai thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Anderson is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Kalai asserts his dominance and retains side control.

Kalai is trying to get an arm triangle but Anderson is defending well.

Kalai thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Kalai is trying to get an arm triangle but Anderson is defending well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Kalai is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Anderson is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Kalai grinds an elbow into Anderson's temple.
Kalai throws a strike aimed at the side of Anderson's head but Anderson avoids it well.
George Kalai is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Kalai taking a breather here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Anderson tries to escape but Kalai is in control.
Kalai is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.
George Kalai has got the better of the ground game so far.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
We're seeing a lot of stalling here from Kalai.
Richard Anderson has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Anderson wants to get back to his feet.

And that's the end of the fight!
George Kalai comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Kalai winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Edson Gomes scores the fight 27:30
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 27:30
Judge Matheus Silva scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... George Kalai!
Richard Anderson was interviewed post fight and said 'With heavy hearts I have decided to retire if I loss this fight. It has been a wonderful experience but many bad losses as well. Thank you people of Brazil! Obrigado povo do Brasil!'.