PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Yonglong Li (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Andy Rothschild (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Andy Rothschild has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Li
vs
Rothschild

183 cm
27
176 lbs
13 - 5 - 1

180 cm
25
183 lbs
3 - 4 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class MT
Granite chin

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 13 - 5 - 1, fighting out of Tokyo, Yonglong Li!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Andy Rothschild!
The judges for this bout are Shirou Masuda, Taro Takaoka and Shigeki Sano.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rothschild takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Yonglong Li seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Li pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Rothschild throws a body shot but no joy.
Li keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Rothschild.
Li misses the shot to the body.
Rothschild connects with a body shot.
The fighters circling - Li throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Li throws an overhand right that lands on Rothschild's shoulder, as Rothschild tries to avoid the shot.
Rothschild keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Li.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Li swings for the body but Rothschild moves out of range.
Li tries to close the distance and clinch up but Rothschild swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Li has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.
Li lands a body shot.
Li throws a chopping leg kick but Rothschild manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Rothschild let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Li tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Rothschild paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Rothschild ducks right into an uppercut from Li.
Li lands a lovely overhand right.
Rothschild fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Li manages to avoid it.
Rothschild throws a chopping leg kick but Li manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Li cracks Rothschild with a right hand to the side of the head.
Nice defenses there by Rothschild.
Li throws a jab when Rothschild was well out of range.
Rothschild scores with a body shot.
Li swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Rothschild uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Li.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Li getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Rothschild moves out of range as Li strikes.
Rothschild throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Li stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Li misses with a right hand
and Rothschild counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Li thinking.
Li throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Good exchange - Li coming out on top.
Rothschild works Li's body with a nice hook.
Rothschild lands a head kick. Li smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Li throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Rothschild shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Li tries to score with a low kick but Rothschild moves his leg out of the way.
Rothschild only half commits to the counter leg kick.
A shot to the body from Li misses
and Rothschild counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rothschild works Li's body with a nice hook.
Li tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Rothschild paws at him with a jab and circles away.
A nice side step and Rothschild releases a counter shot to the body, but it doesn't find it's home.
Rothschild ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Li cracks Rothschild with an open hand slap.
Li misses with a body shot.
A little jabbing left from Rothschild on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Rothschild uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Li.
Rothschild walks into a jab.
Li throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Rothschild slips under a jab.
Rothschild tries a low kick but Li avoids it.
Li is really peppering his opponent's head with punches.
Rothschild ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rothschild scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Rothschild throws a leg kick but Li moved away.
A little feinted left hand from Li on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Li smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
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!
Li throws a leg kick but Rothschild checks it.
Decent striking displayed by Li there.
Rothschild works Li's body with a nice hook.
Li waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Rothschild.
Rothschild now looks to counter with a shot at the body.
Li tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Rothschild is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Li rather than just go for the knockout.
Li throws an overhand right that lands on Rothschild's shoulder, as Rothschild tries to avoid the shot.
Li throws a solid leg kick but Rothschild takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Li.
Li misses with a hook. Rothschild ducked under it nicely.
Rothschild tries a quick counter leg kick but Li is wise to it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yonglong Li dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Li digs a good body shot into Rothschild's ribs.
Li throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Rothschild throws a counter combo.
Yonglong Li is winning the standup battle so far.
Li looks to throw the jab but Rothschild is out of range.
Li lands with a thumping leg kick.
Li cracks Rothschild with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Rothschild working hard to break the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Li misses with the head strike.
Li gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Rothschild blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Li goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Li working aggressively here.
Li is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Rothschild can do to turn this around?

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rothschild managing to block the knees to the body from Li.
Rothschild avoiding damage as Li throws knees to the body.
Rothschild blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
A head punch on the inside from Li fails to land.
The referee calls for Li to work.
Rothschild wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Li swings wildly with an uppercut but Rothschild uses good head movement to avoid it.
Rothschild managing to block the knees to the body from Li.
Li throws a head punch that misses.
Rothschild blocks a body shot from Li.
Li swings away with an uppercut that misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rothschild blocking some punches.
Li misses with some punches.
Li prevents Rothschild from breaking the clinch.
Li lands a left hand that snaps the head of Rothschild backwards.
Li is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Rothschild is defending well for now.
Rothschild blocking some punches.
Li misses with a short punch on the inside.
Li throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Rothschild tries to work over Li's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Rothschild.
Li tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
A head punch on the inside from Li fails to land.
Knees in the clinch landing for Li.
Li lands with a right to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Li swings away with an uppercut that misses.
A nice right hand lands inside from Li.

Rothschild's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Rothschild throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Li sees it coming and avoids it easily.
A swing and a miss from Li.
Rothschild on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Li throws a lazy uppercut
and Rothschild counters with a right hand to the body.
Rothschild throws a looping overhand right but Li ducks down to avoid it.
Li misses with an uppercut. Rothschild saw that one coming.
Rothschild replies with a solid counter kick to the body but Li blocks it well.
Li throws a looping overhand right but Rothschild ducks down to avoid it.
Rothschild tries a head kick but it misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Li throws a big shot that misses.
Rothschild appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
Li looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Rothschild moves away from the strike by Li.
Li misses with an uppercut
and Rothschild counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Li jabbing away but nothing is landing.
A slow jab from Li misses its intended target.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
A looping hook to the body misses from Rothschild. Li does a little dance to reset his feet.
Li is looking to counter punch.
Li throws out a loose jab but Rothschild uses good head movement to avoid it.
Rothschild doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Rothschild connects with a body shot that sends Li's belly button to the back.
A low kick from Li is predictable there
and Rothschild counters with a straight right hand.
Li moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Yonglong Li dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Li fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Li takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Li slips a jab and a cross from Rothschild.
Rothschild moves away from the strike by Li.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Li.
Li walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Rothschild checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Li lands with a thumping leg kick.
Li swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Rothschild is clearly looking to counter with head kicks.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Li cracks Rothschild with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Li throws a jab when Rothschild was well out of range.
Li throws a leg kick which misses Rothschild's front leg but catches the back leg as Rothschild tries to avoid it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Li pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
A low kick from Li misses
and Rothschild counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Sloppy strikes from Rothschild. Those never looked like landing.
Li throws out a loose jab but Rothschild uses good head movement to avoid it.
Rothschild scores with a punch to the head.
Li lands with a thumping leg kick.
Rothschild slips a jab from Li.
Rothschild doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Some wild striking there from Li.
Rothschild checks a leg kick.
Li lands a body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Li misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Rothschild counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Rothschild pulls out of a head kick attempt.
A little feinted left hand from Li on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Rothschild defending well as Li loads up on a big left hand.
As Li backs off Rothschild throws a huge counter combo but Li manages to avoid it all.
Li connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Rothschild avoids a punch combination nicely.
Li rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Rothschild counters with a nice body shot.
Li misses with a right hand
and Rothschild counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Li misses with a lunging right hand
letting Rothschild counter with a right hand.
Li uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Rothschild.
An attempted straight right counter from Li misses the target.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rothschild shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Li connects with a good right hand that stumbles Rothschild. Rothschild circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Li digs a good hook to Rothschild's body.
Rothschild slips under a jab.
Rothschild was about to counter that last move with a leg kick but changes his mind.
Rothschild misses with a leg kick
and Li counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Li misses with a body shot.
Yonglong Li is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Li loads up on a big right hand but Rothschild slips the punch.
Rothschild is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Li with a body shot.
Li misses the jab.
Li doesn't manage to clinch there - Rothschild circles away.
Li fakes the leg kick and cracks Rothschild in the body.
Li lands a nice shot to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rothschild throws a nice looking combination but Li bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Li lunges at Rothschild with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Rothschild's hand.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Li throws an off balance right hand
and Rothschild counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Li throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Rothschild.
Li scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Li throws a nice outside leg kick.
Rothschild has a pretty nasty looking mouse under his right eye.
Some wild striking there from Rothschild.
Li was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Andy Rothschild has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Li waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Rothschild.
Good leg kick by Li there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.

And that's the end of the fight!
Yonglong Li showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Li has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Shirou Masuda scores the fight 30:27
Judge Taro Takaoka scores the fight 30:27
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Yonglong Li!
Yonglong Li decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.