PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Blake Monle (ranked 4836 p4p, 5456 weight class) and John R Swanson (ranked 550 p4p, 581 weight class). Well, I have no idea who's going to take this one!

Monle
vs
Swanson

175 cm
21
185
1 - 2 - 0

180 cm
25
192
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Intelligent

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Blake Monle!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, John R Swanson!
The judges for this bout are Frank Antenori, Don Winkell and Jack Bonds.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Monle fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Swanson avoids it really well and circles away.
Monle wants to clinch but Swanson slips to the side
letting Swanson counter with a right hand.
Monle looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Swanson.

Monle bucks up and manages to escape back to his feet!
Swanson cracks Monle with a good jab.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Swanson clinches up against the cage.
Monle misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Monle is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Swanson gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Monle is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Swanson is defending well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Blake Monle. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Monle is breathing heavily.
Monle goes for a takedown attempt but Swanson pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
No luck for Monle with that takedown attempt.

Swanson moves into the clinch.

Swanson has picked Monle up - he's going for a ride! Swanson dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Swanson is taking a breather. Monle says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Swanson working over Monle with some ground and pound. Monle looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Monle is looking for a sweep. Swanson is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Swanson trying to control from half guard but Monle is working away.
Monle is looking for a sweep. Swanson is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Swanson looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
It looks like Swanson is going to stand back up.
Monle wants to control the action here but instead Swanson manages to pass to full mount!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Swanson scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Monle?
Monle tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Swanson looking to control but Monle is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Monle taking shots to the head.
Monle is bucking up trying to escape but Swanson cracks him with another couple of good strikes.

Swanson looking to secure an arm triangle but Monle defends it well.
Monle manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Monle is trying to control but can't.
Swanson is figuring out what he wants to do next.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Monle tries to get to full guard but Swanson has control of the leg.
Monle won't allow Swanson to pass to mount.
Monle trying to control here.
Monle moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Swanson trying to control the position from guard on top but Monle is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

John R Swanson dominated that round.
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.

Monle shoots and misses
and Swanson counters with a straight right hand.
Monle looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Swanson is fending him off so far but Monle persists. Nope, Swanson circles away and we're back to standing.
Swanson lands a jab to Monle's midsection.

Swanson looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Swanson scoring with punches to the head and body.
Swanson slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Swanson lands a few punches from side control.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Monle tries to bench press Swanson off him but Swanson keeps the position.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Swanson has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.

Swanson instigates a clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Swanson pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Swanson bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Swanson advances to full mount.
Swanson sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Swanson in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Swanson blocks Monle's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Monle is desperately trying to improve his position but Swanson has a good base and remains in mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Swanson has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Monle's face.
Swanson tries to control but Monle wriggling away.
Swanson tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Swanson looking to finish Monle with some ground and pound. This is bad for Monle!
Swanson can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Monle is looking to escape.
Monle can't escape the position.
Swanson working the ground and pound effectively.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Monle takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Swanson looking to control but Monle is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Swanson raining down hammerfists from mount.
Monle is looking to improve his position but Swanson isn't that keen on the idea.
Monle is squirming around, avoiding Swanson's attempts to control the action.
BOOM! Swanson connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Swanson can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Monle is looking to escape.
Monle is trying to escape the mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Swanson can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Monle is looking to escape.
Swanson lands a big elbow.
Monle is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

Swanson is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Monle has managed to escape the submission attempt.
Swanson scores with a couple of good head shots there.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

John R Swanson 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. This is the final round!

Monle tries to keep at a distance but Swanson has taken the fight into the clinch.

Swanson pulls guard successfully.

Swanson had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Monle defends it easily.
Monle wants to pass the guard but Swanson is keeping the position.

Monle got a little sloppy there for a moment and Swanson has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Monle has managed to get both his arms back between Swanson's legs - danger averted.
John R Swanson has got the better of the ground game so far.
Monle is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Monle stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Swanson swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Monle in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Monle in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

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

Monle keeping full guard, as Swanson tries to pass.
Swanson lands a couple of elbows.

Monle working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Swanson has passed into half guard!
Swanson is looking to take a break and control but Monle is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Monle looking for submissions off his back.

Swanson is trying to work for a kimura but Monle is defending well.

Monle looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

Monle looking for submissions off his back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Swanson controlling the pace.
Let's hope that Swanson has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Swanson is trying to control the action in half guard but Monle is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters, thinking about a standup.
Monle wants to get back to full guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Swanson lands a nice looking kick to the body. Monle takes a step back to recover.
Blake Monle has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.

Swanson looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Monle!
Monle wants to get back to his feet but Swanson is dominant here and he's now got Monle's back!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Monle is really stuck here.
Swanson controlling the position well here. Monle rolled but Swanson kept the hooks locked in and stayed in the dominant position.

Swanson is working really hard to secure the rear naked choke. Monle defends successfully for a significant amount of time. Both fighters are looking very determined.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Monle is really stuck here.

And that's the end of the fight!
John R Swanson comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Swanson has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Frank Antenori scores the fight 26:30
Judge Don Winkell scores the fight 26:30
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... John R Swanson!