Blair Yuen [D] vs. Finlay Zeffer - Last One Standing Match

[CaptainL]

Blair was no submission specialist, and even in her MMA fights, she preferred to stay on her feet whenever she could. That didn't mean she had no submission knowledge whatsoever, though - and with Finlay on his back, she thought it as good a time as any to put it to the test. To come down on him with fists flying would be exactly what he would expect. But to lock in a kneebar was something else entirely. Wrapping her legs into place around her opponent's, Blair held down the pressure, the muscles in her thighs and calves stretching and bulging as she tightened her grip. She grasped him tightly by the foot to steady his leg in place, leaning backward to apply more force, as she clenched her teeth to try and summon as much force as she could. He might have been larger, but Blair still wanted to do whatever she could.

It was no mistake she had gone for a hold targeting the legs. Although this was a match that could only end with one wrestler being unable to rise, Blair knew that if she could cripple Finlay's leg, it would be harder for him to stand. In theory, she didn't necessarily need him unconscious; if he was still down for a ten-count, it would work just the same.

Still, she knew that trying to finish the match this way was a fruitless endeavor. Eventually, as it grew apparent that Finlay wouldn't be escaping the hold any time soon, Blair let go of his leg and rolled aside. As she picked herself to her feet, she would turn and raise her foot to stomp her ankle down on Finlay's chest for one final parting blow. Then, though, she would step back, giving things over to the referee, who began the count.

"One!"

[Bare]

Too far away from the ropes, not in a good angle to reach Blair, out of reach kf anything he could use to break Blair’s hold. This was truly the worst possible situation to be in at any moment or time as Finaly was forced to endure the gruelling hold for as long as Blair saw fit. The blonde knew that if this were an ordinary match Blair would have won with that move, decisively no less.

Thankfully Blair soon released the hold, granting the blonde release as his hand immediately went to his leg. Or would at least had it not been for the stomp courtesy of Blair making him groan breathlessly. Soon though he was holding his leg, groaning in pain as the ref began counting him out.

“2! 3! 4!”

As the ref’s count grew higher and higher Finlay knew he had to figure out a way to stand. Somehow, someway, he needed to stand. He refused to go down so easily. Rolling over onto his stomach. Dragging himself on his hands and good knee he forced his way too the ropes where he desperately grabbed at them.

”5! 6! 7!”

The referee declared as Finlay hauled himself up with the assistance of the ropes. Using them to brace himself Finlay winced a bit as he lut pressure on the leg. Count stopping Finlay met Blair’s gaze as he began walking back to the center of the ring to meet her. ”I didn’t hear a bell.” He declared while raising his fists up once again preparing himself to do battle with the lightweight.

[CaptainL]

As the time went on with the Muay Thai fighter holding the position, leaving her quite aware that Finlay hadn't made much effort to break her hold, Blair herself realized that she would have won by now if this was a standard match. She realized that even more as Finlay lay there as the referee's count grew higher. But all Blair met that with was her usual cold, disinterested disposition. She crossed her arms and hung back, keeping her eyes on her opponent. She knew this match wasn't over just yet, and she would be remiss to act as though it was.

Sure enough, Blair's caution would be rewarded. Finlay eventually did move, rolling to his stomach and pulling himself closer to the ropes. Blair leaned in a little closer at the sight, her eyebrow raising in curiosity. She watched Finlay carefully, waiting to see whether or not he would make it. The clock was ticking, and the tension was on. But in some way, Blair wanted Finlay to make it back to his feet. Even though the match was well underway, and both competitors had given it their all, Blair was curious to see how Finlay would keep things up from here. She didn't want their encounter to be over just yet.

Soon enough, Finlay was stable enough for the ref to stop the count, and he met Blair once again in the middle of the ring. She nodded her head toward him, and the corners of her lips turned up in the slightest hint of a smirk. "Neither did I. But we'll have to see if things are any different next time."

No sooner had the words left her mouth that Blair was in motion once again. She herself assumed a stance, and she closed in on Finlay, her arm drawn back as she lashed out with a jab toward his chest. If that worked, she would keep up the pressure, sending a series of pointed blows toward his chest and ribs. In striking fast enough, Blair hoped she could keep him under control, preventing him from interrupting her momentum with a blow of his own.

[Bare]

As Finlay got to his feet he was painfully aware of how utterly smart a decision Blair jad made targetting his leg. On top of making it harder to stand back up it also made it harder to fight. Something that was made obvious by the noticeble limp he had as he walked back to the center of the ring to meet Blair once more. As he made it he noticed the small smirk on her face, and despite the pain he was feeling he would return the expression at the sight of her own. He may have been in pain, but he was proud to say he found a peer in Blair, and looked forward to their short yet intense exchanges of blows.

It was almost as if the match they were in was just a backround piece. Instead it was a compeition between two warriors, with their respective pride on the line. One small, lithe and fierce, the other larger and more skilled. It was a battle of their wills, one he was more than happy to teat against Blair. ”Yes we will. Hope you’re ready.” He said in return to her own words, just in time too as the girl wasted no time in breaking out to a run at him.

Narrowing his eyes he tensed his fists, preparing himself for her as she drew closer. Unlike before he wouldn’t be able to rely on speed or footwork to evade, not with his leg in the condition it was in. That’s why he needed to focus exclusively on blocking and counter attacking. As Blair threw her fist forward Finlay immediately went into action. He fought her long enough to know this one big hit would be followed up by a series of lighter, but equally fierce blows. That’s why he’d throw her combo off from the start.

Throwing his arm forward the same moment her fist began to close in, he would attempt to knock her hand away with his forearm. While doing so he was already pushing himself forward on his good leg, using the momentum of his left arm parry, to throw more weight behind his right arm as he swung it down elbow first across the top of Blair’s head to hopefully force her head and upper torso down. If it succedded the blonde would follow it up by throwing both hands over Blair’s head, and if successful he would swing his bad leg up to deliver a knee strike right to Blair’s gut.

[CaptainL]

Attentive as she was, Blair was quick to notice the limp in Finlay's gait. The sight of it only confirmed to her that her plans were working out as she'd hoped. When she was facing an opponent larger than she was, and with more expertise in grappling to leverage that size advantage, she would need to do whatever she could to help even the odds. Luckily, that was working well enough so far.

Blair took note of Finlay's nod, and it was a gesture she would have returned herself, were she not already in motion. But she knew that in a match like this, there was no time to waste, and her speed was an important asset she could use against her foe, especially with his leg as sore as it was. As Blair came closer, her arm was curled like a spring, her fist balled and ready to strike out at Finlay's side. But right before it hit, he swept up his own forearm, causing the blow to go off to the side!

For a moment, Blair paused, taking in what had just happened. She had been caught off-guard, not expecting a weakened Finlay to so readily counter. In fact, the use of his forearm reminded her of her own discipline; evidently Finlay had been learned from her techniques in this match. But, much like a Muay Thai master, he wasn't just using his arms to block. As he lashed out with the other arm, he swung an elbow straight into Blair's gut!

Bowled forward from the force of the blow, Blair cried out, her body buckling and going low as she was directed into the path of Finlay's arms as he grasped her head. It was a position that reminded Blair of the clinches she had been in many times in the Muay Thai ring, and Finlay was sure to follow up on it. And soon enough, he did - swinging a knee straight up into her stomach! Crying out from the impact, Blair was bent over his knee. As he released her, she staggered back, still bent forward at the waist as she panted and clutched her abdomen. She had managed to stay on her feet, but only tenuously, and she stared up at him from a low and wide-based stance. Part of Blair wished she still had her boots on to give her more traction. But at the same time, she knew that she couldn't hold back against an opponent of this caliber!

[Bare]

Finlay winced in lain as the he delivered a knee strike with his bad leg to his opponet’s sternum. The only saving grace was that the majority of soreness in his leg was in the lower area, just below his knee which is what he thankfully used to hit Blair, so it wasn’t too debilitating. None the less he would look over at his downed opponet, leg spread out over the mat as she held her stomach in pain. Taking a few quick shallow breathes Finlay prepared himself for what was to come before breaking out into a run.

Holding his breath to keep himself focused from the shocks of pain spreading up his leg from the usage of the iniured area, he continued to charge forward. As he neared the smaller competitor he would push off with his good leg, swinging his other leg forward knee bent he would attempt to smash his knee into Blair’s face with what was sure to be a devastating running knee right into the girl’s face to hopefully knock her flat on her back. If it worked Finlay would fall forward himself, only to roll with the momentum and land up agains the ropes. Using them the blonde would look down at his opponet in order to watch and see if she could stand back up.

[CaptainL]

Blair had only narrowly stopped herself from losing her footing, and now she tried to catch her breath, glaring up at Finlay as she spread her feet under her to stabilize her stance. She teetered on her heels, threatening to fall over a few times, but she had managed to stop herself enough to focus. However, she was still at a disadvantage compared to Finlay, and it wouldn't take much to push her over - a fact that was soon proven, as he came charging back at her and swung a running knee right at her face.

Blair gasped from the impact, the force of the blow causing her to fall to her back as her footing was swept out from underneath her. She fell against the mat, her hands going up to clutch at her face.

"One! Two!"

But Blair wouldn't allow herself to go down for long. Clenching her teeth, she went to throw her weight over and roll to her side before rising to her knees. She pushed herself up to her feet from the ground, taking a moment to study her opponent as he too centered himself. Blair could see that Finlay seemed reluctant to bear too much weight on the leg she had targeted - the same leg, as it so happened, that he had been using to throw his kicks. Though Blair had to rub the side of her head to dull the soreness, it was giving her ideas. If he kept relying on that leg, it could cost him - and now, she had a weak point to keep her attention on.

Regardless, for now, she would assume a stance once again, rolling her shoulders and focusing in on Finlay as she waited for him to approach. Even if he was weakened, he could still hit hard, especially at such a greater size than she was, and she wanted to stay ready to defend herself and prepare a counter.

[Bare]

Finlay watched Blair carefully the entire time as the smaller woman layed on the mat following that successful running knee strike. Softly rubbing his knee as he waited for her to get up, the idea that she’d stay down from that not even crossing his mind as he merely prepared himself for the match to continue. Sure enough before long Blair got to her feet, rubbing her face but certainly still standing. Standing up fully Finlay raised his fists up as his eyes once again came to rest over Blair’s light yet muscular frame.

”I’d say I did a number on you but I’m sure the same applies to me as well. He said to Blair as he wearily circled her around the ring, waiting for a moment to strike. Luckily the pain in his leg had dulled quite a bit and he was able to walk fairly normally now, but he still wssn’t eager to push his luck.

As he circled Blair it soon became clear she wasn’t the one willing to start with some offense, leaving the honor up to Finlay. Tsking he would swing his left arm forward, thrusting his elbow at her face, however he would pull it back and instead twist his hips bringing his right arm around with a straight punch at her gut. Regardless if this worked or not he would swing his good leg around, aiming a kick at her hips in order to both attack and protect his bad leg at the same time.

[CaptainL]

Out of reflex, Blair went tense as Finlay described the results of their clash. It was true - she'd taken more hits from him than she would have liked to admit, and she had the bruises and aches to prove it. But she also couldn't deny that she had, indeed, inflicted just as much damage on him back. She said nothing, but nodded her head in recognition of that as she kept up her guard. Blair could tell that her efforts were paying off; she just needed to keep them up. And so too, she needed to stay a step ahead of whatever Finlay could throw at her. She could see he was coming out of his limp now, and she'd need to be ready. Even if she'd done a number on him, she couldn't count him out.

She saw that he had his arm raised for her head, and she was quick to raise her forearms to block it. But just as soon as that had happened, he swung his other arm around, aiming a punch for her stomach with his right arm at the same time he withdrew his left. Blair was quick, but she didn't have time to move her guard down in time with how Finlay was coordinating his movements. She took the punch, her body buckling with a groan, but she shook the cobwebs out of her head. Bearing through the aches going through her body, Blair forced herself back to her feet. Even if he landed a few blows, she couldn't let it keep her down.

It was a second later that Blair realized how glad she was that she'd thought of that. She'd had to take the punch, but Finlay was warming up an even stronger attack as he spun out with a kick at the same time he turned his body! If she had let that strike be the one to hit her, Blair thought, it surely would have taken her down. But because she wasn't preoccupied with keeping her guard up for the stomach punch, she could stop this kick in her tracks - as she kicked her knee up in the air, bringing her foot off the ground to block with her shin!

The contact of Finlay's powerful blow against her own bare leg sent a shiver through Blair, but she reminded herself that things could have been a lot worse. Rolling her shoulders as she brought her leg down, she narrowed her eyes, focusing in on her opponent. But it wasn't a cold glare, nor an angry one. In fact, ever so slightly, she smiled.

"Keeping me guessing, I see...you're good at this. I never pegged you as a striker, but you have what it takes to keep me on my toes." Blair nodded to Finlay, taking the moment to show her appreciation. But she was quick to act, all the same. As she took a step closer to Finlay, she reached forward to grab him by the shoulders, lifting herself up to deliver a knee strike into his chest!

[Bare]

Finlay looked carefully as he threw his attacks at Blair, watching as she deftly dodged or countered his blows. He wasn’t just watching to be sure of how to react, was studying Blair, the way she moved and responded. He was’t just watching, he was learning from her as they fought. Attempting to better understand the muay thai methods through his opponet’s movements.

As their legs connected, creatimg a resounding impact, Finlay found himself stumbling back slightly he managed to maintain his footing. Circling Blair for a moment Finlay kept his fists up in preperation for whatever she may try. But it appeared as if she had some praise for him first. Smirking a ever so slightly at what she said, he nodded back to her. ”I appreciate the compliment. It carries a lot of weight from a expert striker such as yourself.” Finlay said in response, giving the smaller woman her own fair bit of credit.

However the brief exchange of words was quickly and aggressively followed by a exchange of blows instead. Bracing himself as he saw her dash forward Finlay admittedly was taken a bit surprised when she jumped up at him. As such she grabbed his shoulders relatively easily and delivered a brutal knee into his chest. ”Ugh!” He grunted out in pain as he stumbled back. On instinct his arms shot up, wrapping his hands around the back of her neck.

If able too he would attempt to shove her down back onto her feet. If this was succesful he would attempt to pull her in towards his chest. If it worked he would take advantage of their height difference to trap her in a muay thai clinch before throwing his leg up to return Blair’s knee with one of his own to her stomach.