PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Denis White (ranked 1500 p4p, 2706 weight class) and Zdeno Chara (ranked 191 p4p, 339 weight class). Denis White could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Zdeno Chara's chin.

White
vs
Chara

225 cm
29
275
8 - 2 - 0

206 cm
20
250
3 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Powerful

Voodoo Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Denis White!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, Zdeno Chara!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Bishop, Donald Grub and William Gold.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
White misses with the combination.

Chara clinches up against the cage.
Chara pressing his opponent against the cage.
White avoids a wild elbow strike from Chara.
Chara manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
White gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Chara.
White really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Chara misses with a knee to the head.
Chara missing with knees to the body.
White lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Chara backwards.
White is looking to break free of the clinch but Chara has double underhooks.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Chara throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but White blocks it with crossed arms.
White blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Chara lands an elbow inside that White shrugs off.
White prevents the takedown attempt.
Chara pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
White lands a body shot in the clinch.
Chara throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but White blocks it with crossed arms.
White definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
White is looking for a takedown.
Chara with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Chara throws a knee to the head but misses.
White blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Chara tries to land knees in the clinch but White avoids the damage to the body.

White breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Chara closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. White did well to prevent Chara getting side control.
White keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
White is looking to improve his position.
White avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Chara.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
White is pressing down on Chara's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Chara throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

White escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Chara gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Chara stopping the sweep attempt from White.
White keeping moving, preventing Chara from controlling successfully.
Chara scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
White not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Chara throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as White works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Chara distracts White with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Chara stands up over White, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Chara is working White over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Chara trying to control the position from guard on top but White is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

White looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Chara postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
White keeping moving, preventing Chara from controlling successfully.

Chara avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
White is looking to stand up but Chara isn't so interested in that idea.
Chara preventing the sweep.
Chara throwing strikes but missing.
White working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Chara.
Chara trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Chara trying to control the position from guard on top but White is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Chara darts in and clinches White up against the cage.
White is trying to pull guard but Chara has him pressed against the cage.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Zdeno Chara dominated that round.
That's time! White's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

White avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Chara is looking to clinch.
Chara stuffs the takedown.

White has Chara up against the cage in a clinch.
Chara has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

White breaks the clinch.

Chara drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
White wants to stand and escape but Chara is having none of it.
White on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if White tries to get out of the position.
Chara lands a couple of digs.
White wants to stand up but Chara is controlling him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Chara trying to control the position from guard on top but White is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Chara loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's one minute gone in the round.
White working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Chara.
White is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
White has momentary wrist control but Chara slips an elbow through the middle.
Zdeno Chara has got the better of the ground game so far.
Chara is in close to White's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Chara postures up in White's guard and throws a big left but White blocks it.
White is trying to control the position but Chara postures up.
White utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
White looking to control.
Chara throwing strikes but missing.
White knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Chara on the ground.
Chara throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
White looking to hit a scissor sweep but Chara is one step ahead there.
Chara lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
White trying to control the position here.
Chara trying to control but White is working from the bottom.
Chara is looking to work some ground and pound but White has wrist control.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.

Chara has White up against the cage in a clinch.
White blocking some punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Chara is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but White is keeping busy.
Chara throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but White blocks it with crossed arms.
Chara tries a knee to the head but White blocks it.
Chara is working for takedown but White is calmly controlling the position for now.
Chara tries to land a knee to the head but White blocks with his arms.
White tries to break the clinch but Chara is controlling the position.
White is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Chara is defending well.
Chara scores with a nice hook to the head.
White on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
White avoids a wild elbow strike from Chara.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Chara wants a takedown but no success here.
Chara tries for a takedown but White manages to get underhooks.
Denis White has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Zdeno Chara.
White managing to block the knees to the body from Chara.
Chara pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Chara using the Thai plumb to throw knees but White has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
White tries for a takedown but Chara manages to get underhooks.
Chara pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
White blocks an elbow strike from Chara.
Chara fails to pull the fight into his guard.

White's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Chara bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Chara landing strikes.
Chara prevents White from escaping the position.
White is looking to regain half guard here but Chara keeps moving and retains side control.
White is working hard here to advance position.
Chara has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
You can see the frustration on White's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Zdeno Chara 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 each other down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Chara forces White back against the cage and clinches.

Chara manages to pull guard.
Chara looking to hit a scissor sweep but White is one step ahead there.
Chara lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

White is trying to control the position from the bottom.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Chara's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Chara throws a big right hand that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Chara throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Chara postures up in White's guard and throws a big left but White blocks it.
The step up in weight doesn't seem to be a problem for Chara. He's performing admirably here against the bigger man.
Chara working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Chara missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Chara preventing the sweep.
Chara working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
White trying to keep a closed guard but Chara is proving a slippery customer.
White pulls Chara in to control the position.
Chara pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. White is keeping the position for now.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
White manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Chara manages to get himself to full guard.

Denis White has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
White has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Chara is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
White works over Chara with some ground and pound from guard.
Chara lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Chara throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
White is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Chara trying to hold on to White's head to control him but White postures up.

White is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Chara doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time White.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Chara trying to hold on to White's head to control him but White postures up.
Chara works his way to full guard. Good work.
White won't allow Chara to sweep him here.
White lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
White trying to control the position from guard on top but Chara is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Chara trying to keep a closed guard but White is proving a slippery customer.
Chara is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

White wants to control but Chara is keeping busy and won't allow it.
White tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
White trying to control from the bottom.
Nice strikes from Chara there.
Zdeno Chara is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

Chara wants to work for an arm triangle but White is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.

And that's the end of the fight!
Zdeno Chara comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Chara 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 Daniel Bishop scores the fight 27:30
Judge Donald Grub scores the fight 27:30
Judge William Gold scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Zdeno Chara!
Jumping up and down and very excited, Zdeno Chara waved his t-shirt featuring Arcticus University: London's logo in front of the cameras.