PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Lue Randle (ranked 2065 p4p, 3562 weight class) and Eugene Lawrence (ranked 286 p4p, 451 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Randle
vs
Lawrence

181 cm
21
178
5 - 1 - 0

181 cm
21
175
6 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Insanely flexible

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Good gas tank

EFC Threads

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the welterweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Lue Randle!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Eugene Lawrence !
The judges for this bout are Frank Antenori, Jack Bonds and Percy O'Donnell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Lawrence plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Lawrence lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Randle circles away quickly and effectively.
The fight stays on the outside here - Lawrence looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Lawrence throws a sloppy head kick and Randle moves out of range easily.

Randle decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

Lawrence has one foot on Randle's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Randle fails to land with a series of punches.
Lawrence gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Randle decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Lawrence 's guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Randle landing with the ground and pound.
Randle with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Randle trying to control but Lawrence is working from the bottom.

Lawrence is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Randle scoring with some ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lawrence is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Randle makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Randle is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.

Lawrence throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Randle works over Lawrence with some ground and pound from guard.
Randle is pushing down on Lawrence 's leg trying to pass to half guard. Lawrence is fighting to maintain full guard but Randle has managed to sneak the leg through.
Randle looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Lawrence with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Randle looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Randle looks to be in better condition than last time we saw him fight. Obviously he's been working hard on his cardio.
Randle wants to control but Lawrence is keeping him busy.

Lawrence actively working from the bottom here.
Randle is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Lawrence looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Lawrence has hold of Randle's hands but Randle slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Randle is just content to waste time from the top position. Lawrence takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.

The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Lawrence working for a triangle but Randle defends it easily.
Lawrence keeping moving, preventing Randle from controlling successfully.

Randle drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Lawrence manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Randle has Lawrence in his guard.

A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Lawrence accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Randle keeping moving, preventing Lawrence from controlling successfully.
Randle seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
We've been informed that Lawrence has been working hard on his conditioning in the buildup to the fight.
Lawrence passes Randle's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Randle moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Lawrence trying to control but Randle is working from the bottom.
Lawrence throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

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.
Randle keeping full guard, as Lawrence tries to pass.
Lawrence stopping the sweep attempt from Randle.
Lawrence postures up in Randle's guard and throws a big left but Randle blocks it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Lawrence throws a big elbow that misses.
Lawrence wants to control from the top but Randle keeps moving.

Lawrence postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Randle is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Lawrence , into his guard.

Randle postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Randle working some strikes from top position.
Lawrence working a defensive guard here.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Lue Randle will probably get the nod.
That's time! Randle's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Randle throws a right hand that Lawrence ducks under and follows up with a left that Lawrence also avoids with ease.
Lawrence thows a leg kick but Randle checks it

and Randle counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Randle cracks Lawrence with a solid left hand.
Randle landing some decent shots from guard.
Randle postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Randle's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Randle has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Randle postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Lue Randle overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Randle is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Lawrence looking for a sweep. Not yet Lawrence , not yet.
Randle scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Lawrence is trying to keep Randle in close.
Randle working some strikes from top position.
Randle wants to pass the guard but Lawrence is keeping the position.

Lawrence is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Randle lands a couple of digs.

Lawrence had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Randle defends it easily.
Randle scoring with some ground and pound.

Lawrence is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

Randle drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Randle jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

Randle got a little sloppy there for a moment and Lawrence has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Randle has managed to get both his arms back between Lawrence 's legs - danger averted.
Randle looking to sit in guard and control but Lawrence gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Randle seems keen to control Lawrence 's posture.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lawrence trying to control the position from guard on top but Randle is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Lawrence pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Randle is keeping the position for now.
Lawrence passes into half guard.
Randle is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Lawrence scoring with strikes to the body and head.

Lawrence is looking for a kimura here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lawrence is pressing down on Randle's thigh, looking to free his foot. Randle is holding on for now.

Lawrence is looking for a kimura but Randle is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Lawrence to get the leverage.

Lawrence is working for a submission of some sort.
Lawrence wants to lay and pray for a moment but Randle keeps working.
Randle is trying to maintain the position but Lawrence is very close to passing his half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Lawrence 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.
Lawrence is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Lawrence trying to pass the guard but Randle defending well.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Lawrence wants to work for an arm triangle but Randle is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Lawrence is looking to pass Randle's guard but actually Randle recovers to full guard.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Lue Randle dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Randle misses with a two punch combination.
Randle chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Lawrence can pounce on him.

Randle drives through and clinches with Lawrence against the cage.
Lawrence lands a nice shot to the body.
Lawrence prevents the takedown attempt.
Lawrence is trying to pull guard but Randle turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Lawrence tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Randle's elbow.

Lawrence decides to pull guard.
Randle scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Lawrence lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Randle controls Lawrence momentarily but Lawrence frees himself.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Randle looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Lawrence trying to control the position from guard on top but Randle is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lawrence tries to free his leg and advance position but Randle is retaining full guard.
Lawrence content to stall in guard here.
Lawrence preventing the sweep.
Randle manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Lawrence manages to get himself to full guard.

Lawrence escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Randle gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Lawrence is trying to keep Randle in close.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Randle with a nice head shot there.
Randle lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Lawrence looking to control.
Randle looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Randle trying to control but Lawrence is working from the bottom.
Randle is working Lawrence over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Randle wants to control from the top but Lawrence keeps moving.
Randle is really struggling to control Lawrence but he's trying to hold on to the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Lawrence is on top in guard.

Lawrence throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Randle works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Lawrence trying to control the position from guard on top but Randle is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Lawrence is looking to advance position but Randle has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!

Randle lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Randle lands a big shot there that rocks Lawrence but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Randle scoring with strikes but Lawrence is staying in there.

Lawrence is rocked!
Randle landing strikes, looking to finish!
Lawrence is still in real trouble! Can Randle finish him?
Both fighters have adopted an aggressive gameplan on the ground!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Randle tries to control but Lawrence wriggling away.
Lawrence is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Randle lands a big elbow.
Randle loads up on a couple of big shots to the head that have Lawrence scrambling to escape. He can't get free though and several more unanswered shots from Randle land to the head. The referee has no choice but to stop the fight. Randle stands and salutes the crowd.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:36 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Lue Randle!
Lue Randle retains his welterweight title!
An out of breath Lue Randle thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.
In defeat, Eugene Lawrence stepped up to the mic, saying 'Thank you to my fans love you all!!'.