PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Jake Shields (ranked 1534 p4p, 220 weight class) and Clint Rivers (ranked 213 p4p, 29 weight class). Shields comes to the cage accompanied by Seven Nation Army. Jake Shields has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Shields
vs
Rivers

183 cm
31
169
11 - 6 - 0

172 cm
27
170
17 - 7 - 1

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
KO power

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 11 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Jake Shields!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 17 - 7 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Clint Rivers!
The judges for this bout are Patrick Alders, Radbod Blank and Daniel Blasius.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rivers lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Shields with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Rivers to score with a decent uppercut.
Rivers wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Shields is trying hard to land a takedown here. Rivers sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Horrible takedown attempt by Shields or perhaps it was just good defense by Rivers, which made it look bad.
Good standup being displayed there by Rivers as he connects with a hook.
A shot to the liver by Rivers. Beautiful body shot.
Shields will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jake Shields. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rivers fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Shields manages to avoid it.
Shields tries to clinch but Rivers moves away
letting Rivers counter with a right hand.
Rivers cracks Shields with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Shields gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Rivers to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Rivers postures up.

Rivers has gone for a leg lock! Shields slips out almost immediately though and dives into Rivers's guard.

The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Shields is fighting to break Rivers's control of his arms but Rivers is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shields stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Rivers swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Rivers managing to control the position.
Let's hope that Rivers 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.
Shields trying to control the position from guard on top but Rivers is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Rivers tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Shields wants to control from the top but Rivers keeps moving.
Shields trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Rivers wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Shields stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Rivers swivels though and keeps the full guard.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.
Rivers scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shields misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

Shields closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rivers tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Rivers has one of Shields's arms on lockdown, trying to prevent him from doing any damage.
Rivers is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Rivers is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Rivers is defending against the submission attempts here by Shields.
Rivers is concentrating on defense, preventing Shields from advancing position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rivers moves into full guard.
Rivers is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Shields stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Rivers swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Shields trying to control the position from guard on top but Rivers is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Rivers is pulling down on Shields's head to control his posture.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Clint Rivers 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.

Rivers misses with a leg kick.
Rivers punishes Shields's body with a nice straight punch.
Shields looks to land a right hand but Rivers moved out of range.
Rivers has been working on his striking defense in training and it's paying off as Shields is landing a low percentage of strikes.
Shields shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Rivers pinned against the cage. Rivers gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Shields looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Rivers is fending him off so far but Shields persists. Nope, Rivers circles away and we're back to standing.
Shields fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Rivers avoids it really well and circles away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jake Shields. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rivers tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Shields paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Rivers drives through and clinches with Shields against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Shields swings away with an uppercut that misses.
I was talking to Shields's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Shields pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Rivers can't find room to land a body shot as Shields controls the action.
Rivers tries to pull guard but Shields won't allow it.
Shields wants to break the clinch but can't.

Rivers is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. Shields can't fight it off and eventually Rivers manages to take the fight to the floor. Shields looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rivers scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Rivers stands up over Shields, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Rivers scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Rivers wants to control from the top but Shields keeps moving.
Rivers might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Shields haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Rivers postures up.
Shields keeping moving, preventing Rivers from controlling successfully.

Shields throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Rivers landing some decent shots from guard.

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.
Rivers postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Rivers postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Rivers distracts Shields with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Rivers wants to control from the top but Shields keeps moving.
Rivers has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Rivers working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Shields's head.

Shields is rocked!

Shields is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Rivers is aware though and is defending well.
Rivers works over Shields with some ground and pound from guard.
Oh Shields is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Rivers lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

Shields is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Rivers is in close to Shields's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Rivers scoring with some ground and pound.
Rivers content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rivers content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Rivers gets to his feet and stands over Shields, holding his ankles. He dives in with a big left hand that connects! Shields felt that one! Rivers unloads more punches and elbows and this one is over! The ref has dived in to save Shields from any more punishment!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:25 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Clint Rivers!
After the big win, Clint Rivers made sure to do all the important stuff like thanking his sponsors Conviction and telling the interviewer how much he loves him.
Jake Shields was interviewed post fight and said 'As long as you're open-minded you can learn stuff from anyone.'.