PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Yusuf Mitchell (ranked 25452 p4p, 4143 weight class) and Nigel Archibald (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). This should be a great matchup!

Mitchell
vs
Archibald

168 cm
21
140
1 - 2 - 0

160 cm
24
145
0 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Intelligent

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 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Yusuf Mitchell!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Nigel Archibald!
The judges for this bout are Winston Howard, John Mangel and Ron Honeybunn.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Archibald loads up on a big right hand but Mitchell slips the punch.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Mitchell.
Archibald gets back to half guard.
Archibald tries to roll over but Mitchell keeps him under control.
Archibald is looking to control Mitchell's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Archibald avoid being mounted?
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Archibald is pressing down on Mitchell's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Mitchell with a flurry of punches that miss.
Mitchell throwing strikes but missing.
Archibald is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mitchell lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Archibald should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
Mitchell throws an elbow that misses. Archibald uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Mitchell's guard. Nice move by Archibald!

Mitchell on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Mitchell tries to get out of the position.

Archibald stands and steps away. Mitchell gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Mitchell has a takedown stuffed.
Mitchell sets himself, and Archibald steps forward looking for the clinch! Mitchell avoids it this time.
Mitchell shoots in but no luck this time.
Archibald closes the distance and clinches up with Mitchell, looking for a takedown. Archibald pushes Mitchell against the cage but Mitchell circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Archibald throws a body kick despite being completely out of range

and Mitchell counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Mitchell missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Archibald wants to control but Mitchell is keeping busy.
Mitchell not landing any meaningful shots this time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Archibald holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.
Archibald trying to hold on to Mitchell's head to control him but Mitchell postures up.
Mitchell throwing shots but Archibald is blocking nicely.
Mitchell tries to pass to full mount but Archibald defends it.
Mitchell wants to take a breather but Archibald is having none of it.
Mitchell looks to land a strike but Archibald avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Mitchell scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Mitchell scoring with some ground and pound.

Archibald throws his legs up looking for a submission but Mitchell uses it to pass to side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mitchell wants to control but Archibald is keeping him busy.
Archibald tries to bench press Mitchell off him but Mitchell keeps the position.
Archibald takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Mitchell working the body and head with strikes.
Mitchell in side control lands a decent elbow.
Archibald is trying to control Mitchell's posture but Mitchell avoids it.
Archibald regains half guard.
Mitchell is looking to take a break and control but Archibald is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Mitchell knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Archibald on the ground.
Mitchell looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mitchell lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Mitchell lands strikes from half guard.
Archibald trying to control here.
Mitchell landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Mitchell is looking to take a break and control but Archibald is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Mitchell working the head and body with strikes.
Archibald misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Archibald is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Mitchell scores with a couple of nice shots.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Yusuf Mitchell dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Mitchell shoots in and bounces Archibald off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Mitchell has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Archibald utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Archibald wants to sweep but no luck.
Archibald not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Mitchell working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Archibald's head.
Mitchell trying to control the position from guard on top but Archibald is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Mitchell makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Mitchell lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Yusuf Mitchell overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Mitchell makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Archibald keeping moving, preventing Mitchell from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mitchell makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Mitchell wants to control from the top but Archibald keeps moving.
Mitchell throws an elbow that misses. Archibald uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Mitchell's guard. Nice move by Archibald!

Mitchell working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Archibald.
Archibald tries to free his leg and advance position but Mitchell is retaining full guard.
Mitchell looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Mitchell pulls Archibald in close to prevent any damage.
Mitchell wants to sweep but no luck.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mitchell working a defensive guard but Archibald manages to pass into side control anyway.
Mitchell stops Archibald from passing to mount.
Mitchell struggling a bit here.
Mitchell is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Archibald is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Mitchell knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Mitchell tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Archibald wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Mitchell can't do much from the bottom here.
Mitchell avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Archibald.
Mitchell is trying to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Mitchell is trying to control Archibald's posture but Archibald avoids it.
Archibald taking a breather here.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Archibald misses with a body punch

and Mitchell counters with a single leg into guard. Archibald didn't expect that.
Archibald working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Mitchell.
Mitchell postures up in Archibald's guard and throws a big left but Archibald blocks it.
Mitchell looking to sit in guard and control but Archibald gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Archibald tries to free his leg and advance position but Mitchell is retaining full guard.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Mitchell is trying to control the position but Archibald postures up.
Mitchell is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

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

Archibald throws a sloppy head kick and Mitchell moves out of range easily.
Yusuf Mitchell is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Horrible takedown attempt by Archibald or perhaps it was just good defense by Mitchell, which made it look bad.
Mitchell appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Mitchell shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Archibald defends it nicely.
Archibald misses with a head kick.
Good leg kick by Archibald.
Mitchell shoots for a takedown but Archibald saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Archibald changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Mitchell tries to avoid it but Archibald manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Mitchell to the ground. Mitchell escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Archibald misses with a hook

and Mitchell counters with a single leg into guard. Archibald didn't expect that.
Archibald avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Mitchell works over Archibald with some ground and pound from guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mitchell makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Mitchell lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Archibald takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Mitchell scoring with some ground and pound.
Mitchell landing some decent shots from guard.
Archibald lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Mitchell is trying to control the position but Archibald postures up.
Archibald postures up in Mitchell's guard and throws a big left but Mitchell blocks it.
Mitchell is pulling down on Archibald's head to control his posture.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Archibald pushes down on Mitchell's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Mitchell is trying to get back to full guard.
Mitchell trying to hold on to Archibald's head to control him but Archibald postures up.
Mitchell is trying to get back to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mitchell wants to control but Archibald is keeping busy.
Mitchell is pressing down on Archibald's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Mitchell looking to control but Archibald passes into half guard.
Archibald controlling the action here.
Mitchell tries to get to full guard but Archibald has control of the leg.
Mitchell trying to hold on to Archibald's head to control him but Archibald postures up.

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.
Archibald seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Mitchell does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Mitchell wants to get back to full guard.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.

Mitchell shoots in and bounces Archibald off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Mitchell loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Mitchell postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Mitchell throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Mitchell throwing strikes from guard but Archibald blocks nicely.
Mitchell is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Yusuf Mitchell.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Mitchell, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Winston Howard scores the fight 30:27
Judge John Mangel scores the fight 30:27
Judge Ron Honeybunn scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Yusuf Mitchell!
The defeated Nigel Archibald had this to say: 'Come to Birmingham'.