PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Mike Faber (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nate Sherk (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Faber
vs
Sherk

170 cm
19
140 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

155 cm
22
145 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Mike Faber!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Nate Sherk!
The judges for this bout are James Atkins, William Gold and Richard Clark.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Faber scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Sherk pushes Faber off looking to stand but Faber dives back in and keeps control.
Faber is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.

Faber is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

Faber stands, ready to strike. The ref makes him back up and allows Sherk to get to his feet.
Sherk throws a wild body kick that Faber sees coming a mile off.
Sherk looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Faber blocks the body kick.
Sherk pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.

Sherk gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Faber will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Faber keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Sherk's head.
Faber forces his way into half guard.

Faber stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Faber gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Faber tries to pull guard but Sherk won't allow it.

Sherk breaks from the clinch.

Faber shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Faber trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Sherk wants to stand up but Faber is controlling him.
Sherk looks gassed!
Faber trying to control the position from guard on top but Sherk is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Faber decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Sherk, up you get!
Faber scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Sherk misses with an attempted mid kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Faber feints and as Sherk raises his hands in defense, Faber changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Faber controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

Sherk has his feet on Faber's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.

Faber shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Sherk's guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Faber won't allow Sherk to get back to his feet.
Faber trying to control but Sherk is working from the bottom.
Sherk wants to stand up but Faber is controlling him.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Faber slips nicely into half guard.

Faber seems to be looking for submissions.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Faber moves out of range of the body kick.

Faber drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Faber wants to pass the guard but Sherk is keeping the position.
Sherk wants to stand up but Faber is controlling him.

Sherk manages to escape and get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Faber scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.

Faber looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Faber wants to lay and pray for a moment but Sherk keeps working.
Sherk wants to get back to his feet but Faber drags him back down.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Faber scores with punches from side control.
Faber postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Sherk looks to land a body kick but Faber moved away.
Nice takedown defense from Sherk. No joy for Faber on that attempt.
Faber moves out of range of the body kick.
Sherk throws the kick towards the body but Faber avoids it.

Faber fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Sherk sprawls well initially but Faber persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Faber thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Sherk is trying to stand back up but Faber is controlling him

Faber is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Sherk wants to get back to his feet.

Faber seems to be working for a kimura but Sherk defends the submission attempt.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Faber wants to stand up but Sherk is controlling the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Faber is looking to take a break and control but Sherk is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Sherk is trying to stand.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Sherk lands a nice looking body kick.
Faber moves out of range of the body kick.
Sherk throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.

Faber darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Faber trying to mount his opponent but Sherk defends it.
Faber throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sherk is trying to stand.
Faber wants to take a breather but Sherk is having none of it.
Sherk is looking to escape.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Sherk throws a wild body kick that Faber sees coming a mile off.
Nate Sherk is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Sherk looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.

Faber drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Faber slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Faber in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Sherk is wriggling around but Faber manages to pass to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Faber content to control rather than advance.
Faber prevents Sherk from standing back up.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Faber drives through with a takedown into guard.
Faber wants to pass the guard but Sherk is keeping the position.
Sherk is looking to stand up but Faber isn't so interested in that idea.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sherk keeping full guard, as Faber tries to pass.
Faber stops Sherk from standing up.
Faber passes Sherk's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Sherk pushes Faber off looking to stand but Faber dives back in and keeps control.

Faber is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Sherk looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mike Faber dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Ooooh, nice body kick lands from Sherk. Faber shrugs it off though.
Left hook, right uppercut from Faber.
Sherk is looking to land body kicks.

Faber drives through with a takedown into guard.
Faber sitting in guard here, content to control.
Sherk wants to stand and escape but Faber is having none of it.

Faber stands up and waves to Sherk to follow him.

Faber shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Faber showed some decent athleticism there.
Faber uses his free foot to push down on Sherk's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Sherk.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sherk squirming around on the bottom, looking to escape.
Faber throws some wild stikes that Sherk manages to avoid easily.

Faber jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Sherk manages to avoid the submission attempt.
Faber prevents Sherk from escaping the position.

Faber tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Faber has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Faber prevents Sherk from escaping the position.

That's two 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.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Faber drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Sherk wants to stand up but Faber is controlling him.

Sherk has his feet on Faber's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.
Faber moves out of range of the body kick from Sherk.
Sherk looks for the body kick but Faber saw that one coming.
Faber takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Faber avoids a kick to the body.
Nate Sherk seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Faber drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Sherk is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Faber is controlling him well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Faber tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

Faber decides to stand back up. Faber steps back and let's Sherk get back to his feet.
Sherk throws the kick towards the body but Faber avoids it.
A right-left combo lands from Faber.
Sherk misses with a body kick.

Faber closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Sherk to the mat! Sherk manages to get full guard.
Faber stops Sherk from standing up.
Faber trying to control the position from guard on top but Sherk is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Faber won't allow Sherk to get back to his feet.
Faber is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Sherk can do to turn this around?

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Sherk pushes Faber off and scrambles back to his feet.

Faber scores with a takedown into Sherk's guard.
Sherk keeping full guard, as Faber tries to pass.
Faber in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Faber prevents Sherk from getting back to his feet.
Sherk avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Nate Sherk has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Faber looking to pass the guard.
Mike Faber is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Faber trying to control the position from guard on top but Sherk is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mike Faber showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Faber 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 James Atkins scores the fight 30:27
Judge William Gold scores the fight 30:27
Judge Richard Clark scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mike Faber!