PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Bubba Randall (ranked 2801 p4p, 344 weight class) and Xio Pio (ranked 3460 p4p, 365 weight class). Bubba Randall has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Randall
vs
Pio

159 cm
25
168 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

210 cm
25
160 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Brawler
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Determined

Sportivité

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Bubba Randall!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Xio Pio!
The judges for this bout are Gregory Folan, Alec Ball and Trevor Gratis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Pio shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.

Pio decides to return to a standing position.
Randall fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Bubba Randall seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Randall gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Randall has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Pio avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Pio is pressed up against the cage. Randall has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Pio down to the mat. Pio avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bubba Randall. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Pio shoots in and gets a takedown into Randall's guard.
Pio trying to control but Randall is working from the bottom.
Randall throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Pio trying to control the position from guard on top but Randall is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Randall thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Randall is pulling down on Pio's head to control his posture.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pio showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Randall keeping busy, throwing shots from the bottom.
Randall thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Pio working his ground and pound in the gym. He isn't landing a great percentage of his ground strikes so far though.

Randall is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Pio defends well.
Randall knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Pio on the ground.
Randall keeping moving, preventing Pio from controlling successfully.
Randall throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Pio wanted to stand there but Randall had control of the position.

Randall looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Pio trying to control the position from guard on top but Randall is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

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.
Randall on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Randall tries to get out of the position.
Pio takes a decent strike to the side of the head.

Randall working for a triangle but Pio defends it easily.
Pio postures up.
Randall really is built like a bowling ball. I wonder if he'd roll if you pushed him down a hill...
Randall lands a couple of decent looking body shots there.
Pio postures up.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

Randall moves into range and clinches up with Pio.
Randall can't get the takedown.
Randall is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Pio pulls him back up using the underhooks.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Randall changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Pio fights it off and pushes away nicely.

Pio shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Pio showed some decent athleticism there.
Pio blocks the strikes from Randall.

Pio looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Randall is trying to maintain the position but Pio is very close to passing his half guard.
Randall might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Pio blocks the strikes from Randall.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Randall tries to regain full guard. Instead though, Pio has advanced to mount. Uh oh.
Randall tries to hold on but Pio pushes him away.
Pio blocks Randall's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Randall swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.
Randall tries to lock up and control but Pio gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Randall can't escape the position.

Pio stands up from the dominant position. He obviously fancies his chances standing.

Randall clinches up against the cage.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Pio works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Pio trying to control but Randall is working from the bottom.
Randall throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Randall takes the fight into the clinch.

Randall breaks the clinch.

Randall drives through and clinches with Pio against the cage.

Pio turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Pio manages to end up in side control.
Randall throws an elbow that doesn't really do any damage.
Randall misses with an elbow from the bottom.
Randall misses with an elbow from the bottom.
Randall striking from the bottom but nothing landed.
Randall throws a couple of strikes even though he's not really in a good position to do so.
Randall tries to bench press Pio off him but Pio keeps the position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Randall strikes from the bottom.
Randall wants to control but Pio postures up.
Pio gets to mount! Randall was on the offensive and wasn't defending properly.
Randall flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Randall throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
Randall throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
Randall is trying to escape the mount.
Randall is working hard here to advance position.
Randall is flailing around like a fish out of water, trying to land strikes.
Randall is looking to improve his position but Pio isn't that keen on the idea.
Pio is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Randall flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.
Randall tries to hold on but Pio postures up.
Randall swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Randall is in all sorts of trouble here.
Randall tries to hold on but Pio pushes him away.
Randall is looking to improve his position but Pio isn't that keen on the idea.
Randall is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Randall is wriggling around trying to escape.
Xio Pio has got the better of the ground game so far.

Pio is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Randall to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Randall shrugs it off.
Randall tries to reverse the position but Pio maintains control.
Randall tries to hold on but Pio pushes him away.
Randall swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.
Randall sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Randall throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Randall flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Randall is refusing to be controlled, as Pio sits in half guard.
Pio is breathing heavily.
Randall punching from the bottom.
Randall is looking to improve his position.
Randall throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Pio prevents Randall from standing back up.

Pio seems to be looking for submissions.
Randall flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.

Randall pushes Pio up against the cage in a clinch.
Randall drops down looking for an ankle pick but Pio pulls his leg out and moves away.

Randall clinches up with Pio and pushes him back against the cage.
Randall has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Pio is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Randall.

Pio gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Randall missing with punches from the bottom.
Randall connecting with a few gentle strikes.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Randall wants to get back to full guard but Pio has mounted him!
Randall is looking to get to half guard.
Randall swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Xio Pio showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Randall lands a really nice looking cross but Pio seems unphased.

Randall has Pio up against the cage in a clinch.

Pio has Randall pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Pio pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Randall tumbling to the mat - Pio dives into Randall's guard.
Randall looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Randall is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Randall tries to strike from the bottom.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Randall not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Randall trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Randall trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Randall trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Pio preventing the sweep.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Pio dives in and scores a takedown into Randall's guard.
Randall wants to get back to his feet but he's too absorbed in his own little project and Pio manages to pass to side control.
Pio takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Randall punching from the bottom.
Randall is trying to get back to full guard.
Randall throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Randall makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Randall.
Randall wants to control the position but Pio says "no thanks buddy" and passes to half guard.
Randall punching from the bottom.
Randall misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Pio moves into side control, avoiding the strikes from Randall.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Randall lands with an elbow strike from the bottom.

Pio stands up.
Randall lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Randall digs a good body shot into Pio's ribs.
Nice sprawl there from Pio as Randall shoots in.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Randall drives through and clinches with Pio against the cage.

Randall pulls Pio into guard.

Randall looking for subs off his back but Pio has passed one foot through into half guard.

Randall looking for submissions off his back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Randall missing with punches from the bottom.
Randall misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Randall is trying to get back to full guard.

Pio is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Pio is thwarting Randall's attempts to control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.

Pio decides he's had enough of the ground and stands up.
Randall loads up on a big right hand but Pio slips the punch.

Randall darts in and clinches Pio up against the cage.
Randall is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Pio avoids a wild elbow strike from Randall.
Randall wants to take the fight to the mat but Pio manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bubba Randall. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Randall looking for a takedown.

Pio gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Randall regains guard.

Randall looks to be working for a triangle here. Oh, it looks like he might have it! Pio has picked Randall up and slammed him! Randall can't keep hold of the triangle and Pio manages to pass to side control!
Pio trying to control the action but Randall is working from the bottom.
Randall tries to bench press Pio off him but Pio keeps the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Xio Pio.
I've got Pio 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 Gregory Folan scores the fight 27:30
Judge Alec Ball scores the fight 27:30
Judge Trevor Gratis scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Xio Pio!