PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Ethan Sheehy (ranked 1428 p4p, 153 weight class) and Beta Knox (ranked 2530 p4p, 224 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Sheehy might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Tree falls - Timber!. Knox has chosen Anthrax | Fight Em Till You Can't 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.

Sheehy
vs
Knox

168 cm
26
149 lbs
12 - 10 - 1

172 cm
33
158 lbs
13 - 14 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the featherweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 10 - 1, fighting out of Helsinki, Ethan Sheehy!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 13 - 14 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Beta Knox!
The judges for this bout are James Ackerman, Chris Edwards and Richard Clark.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sheehy doesn't succeed with the takedown
letting Knox counter with a right hand.
Knox has been working on his striking defense in training and it's paying off as Sheehy is landing a low percentage of strikes.
Sheehy checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Sheehy gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Knox counters with a nice uppercut.

Sheehy has managed to clinch.

Knox pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Decent striking displayed by Knox there.
Knox loads up on a big right hand but Sheehy slips the punch.
Sheehy throws a quick counter head kick but Knox was just out of range.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sheehy staying out of range there.
Sheehy closes the distance but Knox moves to the side
and Knox counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Sheehy looks for a takedown but Knox sprawls well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ethan Sheehy. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Knox keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.

Sheehy looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Knox!

Knox explodes and escapes back to his feet! Nice escape there!
No luck with that takedown attempt from Sheehy.
Knox throws a shot to the body.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Sheehy.
A countering left hand to the body from Knox misses.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Knox swings away with a body shot that misses
enabling Sheehy to counter with a crisp jab.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Knox throws a lazy uppercut
and Sheehy counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.

Knox gets tackled into the cage by Sheehy. Sheehy maintains the clinch.
Knox softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Knox wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Knox fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Knox wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Knox lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.

Knox pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Knox keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Sheehy shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Knox as he avoids it easily.
Sheehy tries for a takedown but Knox circles away easily
and Knox counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Sheehy doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Knox counters with a nice uppercut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Knox darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Sheehy is refusing to be controlled, as Knox sits in half guard.
Knox lands with a punch from half guard.
Knox looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Sheehy is trying to get back to full guard.
Nice strikes from Knox there.
Knox is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Knox content to control rather than advance.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nice strikes from Knox there.
Ground and pound from Knox.
Knox sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Sheehy defending well though.
Sheehy is trying to stand back up but Knox is controlling him
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Knox is keen to just control but Sheehy is a slippery customer.
Knox is controlling the pace.
Sheehy is trying to stand up here but Knox is controlling him well.
Knox throws a strike but Sheehy avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Knox working some strikes from top position.
Knox lands a couple of decent looking shots.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Beta Knox dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Sheehy shoots in and gets a takedown into Knox's guard.
Knox wants to sweep here but Sheehy controlling him for the moment.
Sheehy trying to control but Knox is working from the bottom.
Knox working a defensive guard here.

Sheehy thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sheehy preventing the sweep.
Knox has a closed guard, preventing Sheehy from standing up.
Knox is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Knox keeping full guard, as Sheehy tries to pass.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Sheehy scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Knox lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Sheehy circles away quickly and effectively.
Sheehy throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Sheehy.
Knox throws a predictable looking body shot

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

Knox manages to break the clinch.
Sheehy looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sheehy keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Knox.
Sheehy looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Sheehy looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ethan Sheehy. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sheehy ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Sheehy avoids the body shot from Knox.
Ethan Sheehy is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Knox jabs at Sheehy's body.
Knox misses with a wild body shot.
Sheehy blocks a leg kick.
Sheehy shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Sheehy moves in looking to clinch but Knox pushes him off.
Sheehy misses with a head kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sheehy takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Nice defenses there by Sheehy.
Knox lands a slapping body shot.
Sheehy fails in his attempt to clinch.
Knox throws an overhand right that lands on Sheehy's shoulder, as Sheehy tries to avoid the shot.
A left lands for Knox.
A cross from Knox lands.
Knox throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Sheehy counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Sheehy misses with a takedown attempt - Knox sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Sheehy tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Knox swivels and escapes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Knox swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Sheehy was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
Beta Knox seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Sheehy shoots in for a double leg but Knox sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Sheehy shoots in looking for a takedown but Knox manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Sheehy's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
And Knox tries to counter it with a takedown but Sheehy pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Knox lands a really nice looking cross but Sheehy seems unphased.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Sheehy blocks a jab.
Knox circles away from the clinch attempt.

Sheehy gets a takedown into half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Knox is trying to control but can't.
Knox avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Sheehy.
Knox gets full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Beta Knox showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Knox looks to score with a jab to the body but Sheehy is just out of range.
Sheehy gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Sheehy fails in his attempt to clinch.
It seemed like Knox was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.

Sheehy drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.

Sheehy decides to stand back up.
Knox has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Sheehy will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Knox misses with a few strikes there.
Sheehy half committed to a counter leg kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sheehy throws a lazy head kick
and Knox counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Sheehy tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Knox paws at him with a jab and circles away.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Knox! But no joy.
Knox lands an overhand right.
A jab from Knox finds it's way through Sheehy's defenses.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Sheehy pushes Knox up against the cage in a clinch.

Knox breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Sheehy with a lazy takedown attempt
and Knox counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Sheehy feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Knoxs jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Knox looks to score with a jab to the body but Sheehy is just out of range.
Knox avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Knox throws a shot from downtown. Sheehy moves away and avoids it.
Sheehy attempts a counter takedown but Knox avoids it well and moves away.
Sheehy tries to close the distance and clinch but Knox swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Knox looks to land a right hand but Sheehy moved out of range.
Sheehy tries to counter by clinching up but Knox breaks away and moves out of range.
Knox circles away from the clinch attempt.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Sheehy!

It looks like Beta Knox has been cut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sheehy takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Knox throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Sheehy shoots in but Knox avoids the takedown attempt easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ethan Sheehy. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sheehy misses with a takedown
and Knox counters with a lovely shot to the body.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Knox lands with a cross.
Knox scores with a jab to the body.
Sheehy misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
A leg kick checked by Sheehy.
Knox throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Sheehy stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Sheehy fails with a takedown attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sheehy will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Knox throws out a counter right but Sheehy avoids it with no problem.
Sheehy takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Sheehy misses with a combination
and Knox counters with a lovely shot to the body.
A decent looking cross lands there for Knox.
Knox stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Sheehy throws a predictable looking body shot
and Knox counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Knox displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Sheehy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Sheehy.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Knox bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Knox misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Sheehy.
Sheehy takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Knox looks to score with a jab to the body but Sheehy is just out of range.
Knox connects with a body shot that sends Sheehy's belly button to the back.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Knox tries to keep at a distance but Sheehy has taken the fight into the clinch.
Sheehy tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Knox just stands there and leans against the cage.
Sheehy is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Beta Knox really dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Beta Knox's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

A slow jab from Knox misses its intended target.
Sheehy looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Good standup being displayed there by Knox as he connects with a hook.
Knox misses with a looping right.
Sheehy attempts a counter takedown but Knox avoids it well and moves away.
Ethan Sheehy seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Sheehy is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Knox takes a swing at Sheehy's ribcage but misses.
Knox scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Knox takes a jab right on the kisser.
Sheehy looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Knox lands a glancing blow to the side of Sheehy's head.
Sheehy tries to close the distance and clinch up but Knox swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Knox thuds his right hand into Sheehy's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sheehy tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Knox manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Knox throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Knox missing with a left hand there. Sheehy was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Knox stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Knox throws a body shot but no joy.
Sheehy connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Knox momentarily.
Knox misses with a straight right.
Knox's corner calls for a 1-2. Knox obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Sheehy shoots in and drives through. Knox sprawls well.
Knox lands with a shot to the body.
Knox looks to land a right hand but Sheehy moved out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sheehy shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Knox as he avoids it easily.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Sheehy.
Knox looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ethan Sheehy. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sheehy's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Sheehy duly obliges.
Knox is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Sheehy.
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!
Sheehy takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Knox listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Knox ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Sheehy on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Sheehy moves in looking to clinch but Knox pushes him off.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Sheehy checks a leg kick.
Knox scores with a decent looking hook.
Sheehy takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Knox swats away the attempt to clinch by Sheehy.
Sheehy fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Knox avoids it really well and circles away.
Sheehy darts in trying to clinch

so Knox counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Knox trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Knox lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Knox postures up and lands a big shot to Sheehy's brow.
Knox showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Knox is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Knox in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Knox throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Sheehy works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Beta Knox has got the better of the ground game so far.
Knox stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Sheehy swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Knox throwing strikes but missing.
Knox throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Beta Knox dominated that fourth round.
The cut man is working on Beta Knox's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Sheehy wants to clinch but Knox slips to the side
and Knox counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Sheehy.
A looping hook to the body misses from Sheehy. Knox does a little dance to reset his feet.
Sheehy tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Knox paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Sheehy is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Knox listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sheehy dives in and grabs Knox's left leg, looking for a takedown. Knox pushes down on Sheehy's head and hops out.
Knox swings for the body but Sheehy moves out of range.

Sheehy bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Knox is looking to regain half guard here but Sheehy keeps moving and retains side control.

Sheehy tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Sheehy has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Knox can't do much from the bottom here.
Knox regains half guard.
Knox trying to control here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Knox is doing well to control the position and prevent Sheehy from advancing to side control.
Knox trying to hold on to Sheehy's head to control him but Sheehy postures up.
Sheehy thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Knox's head.
Knox is looking to improve his position.
Knox keeps control of the position for the meantime.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Sheehy missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Sheehy rushes Knox and presses him up against the cage.
Knox can't find room to land a body shot as Sheehy controls the action.
Knox can't break the clinch.
Knox tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Knox throws a punch but it's blocked by Sheehy.
Knox wants to break free but Sheehy has control.
Knox lands with a left to the head.

Knox pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Sheehy misses with a double jab.
Knox with the counter takedown but Sheehy avoids it easily.
Sheehy misses with a wild combination.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Knox scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Sheehy has a takedown stuffed.
Knox misses with a body shot.
Sheehy tries for a takedown but Knox sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ethan Sheehy. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Knox scores with a takedown into Sheehy's guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Knox working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Sheehy not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Sheehy is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Knox holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Beta Knox.
I've got Knox 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 5 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge James Ackerman scores the fight 46:50
Judge Chris Edwards scores the fight 45:50
Judge Richard Clark scores the fight 46:50

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Beta Knox!
Beta Knox is the new featherweight champion!
Beta Knox thanked the fans post fight for their support.