PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Martin Pierce (ranked 2508 p4p, 2417 weight class) and Luke Ridley (ranked 246 p4p, 237 weight class). Both fighters really staring each other down here, as Luke Ridley enters the cage!

Pierce
vs
Ridley

183 cm
26
162
3 - 4 - 0

175 cm
26
165
3 - 2 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Very strong

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 4 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Martin Pierce!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Luke Ridley!
The judges for this bout are Winston Alpacca, Dirk Anderson and Michael Johnstone.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pierce misses with an uppercut. Ridley saw that one coming.
Pierce dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Ridley misses with the combination.
Pierce was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Pierce moves away from the strike by Ridley.
Pierce swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Pierce just misses with a punch to the body.
Pierce ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Ridley moves away.
It seemed like Ridley was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Ridley loads up on a big right hand but Pierce slips the punch.
Pierce is looking to counter punch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ridley works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Ridley tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Pierce is able to avoid easily.
Pierce was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Nice defenses there by Ridley.

Ridley closes the distance and pushes Pierce back into the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Ridley tightens his grip and picks Pierce up, before dumping him to the ground. Pierce manages to land in guard.
Pierce controls Ridley momentarily but Ridley frees himself.
Ridley is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Ridley drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Ridley jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Pierce wants to sweep but no luck.
Ridley trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Pierce wants to sweep here but Ridley controlling him for the moment.
Ridley is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Ridley stops Pierce from standing up.
Pierce wants to sweep but no luck.
Pierce has Ridley pulled in close to control his posture.
Pierce definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Ridley postures up in Pierce's guard and throws a big left but Pierce blocks it.

Ridley is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Ridley is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ridley is working Pierce over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Ridley is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Ridley sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Pierce's guard.
Ridley is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.

Ridley is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Pierce doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Ridley.
Pierce is looking to improve his position.
Pierce is trying to stand up here but Ridley is controlling him well.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Ridley prevents Pierce from improving his position.
Pierce wants to get back to his feet.
Ridley with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pierce on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Pierce tries to roll over but Ridley keeps him under control.
Pierce wants to control but Ridley is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Pierce is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Ridley scores with a couple of nice shots.
Pierce knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Ridley on the ground.
Ridley working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Pierce wants to get back to his feet.
Pierce missing with punches from the bottom.
Ridley working the head and body with strikes.
Pierce trying to control but Ridley postures up.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Ridley lands a nice short elbow.

Pierce is rocked!
Ridley looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Ridley has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

Ridley is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Oh Pierce is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Pierce tries to kick Ridley off but Ridley keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pierce trying to hold on to Ridley's head to control him but Ridley postures up.
Pierce seems to have got his legs back now.
Ridley looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Pierce with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Ridley working over Pierce with some ground and pound. Pierce looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Pierce is trying to get back to full guard.
Ridley winds up and cracks Pierce with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Ridley trying to control from half guard but Pierce is working away.
Ridley winds up and cracks Pierce with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Pierce on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Pierce tries to get out of the position.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Ridley seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Ridley lands strikes from half guard.
Ridley prevents Pierce from standing back up.
Pierce tries to get to full guard but Ridley has control of the leg.
Ridley is controlling the pace.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Luke Ridley 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.

Pierce misses with a hook. Ridley ducked under it nicely.
Ridley is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.
Ridley shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Pierce defends it nicely.
A little feinted left hand from Pierce on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Ridley will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Ridley moves in looking to clinch but Pierce pushes him off.
Ridley wants to clinch up but Pierce keeps it at a distance.
Pierce was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Ridley drives through and clinches with Pierce against the cage.
Pierce avoiding damage as Ridley throws knees to the body.
Pierce working hard to break the clinch.
Pierce blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Ridley scores with an uppercut up the middle.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pierce is trying to break the clinch but Ridley is controlling him.
Pierce blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Pierce is trying to force a seperation but Ridley has the dominant position.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Ridley.
Pierce can't break the clinch.
Pierce tries to break free but Ridley pushes him back against the cage.
Ridley changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Pierce fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Pierce keeps the fight on the outside.
Pierce throws a jab but it's blocked by Ridley.
Ridley looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Ridley cracks Pierce with a right hand to the side of the head.
Ridley gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Pierce cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Martin Pierce has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Luke Ridley.
Ridley misses with a straight left.
Pierce was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Ridley ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Pierce moves away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ridley throws a body punch but Pierce moves out of range.
Pierce swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
A jab from Ridley finds it's way through Pierce's defenses.
Ridley throws a body punch but Pierce moves out of range.
An attempted straight right counter from Pierce misses the target.
Pierce on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Ridley throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Ridley fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Pierce manages to avoid it.
Pierce throwing a counter right hand but Ridley manages to avoid it.
Ridley throws a hook to the side of Pierce's head but Pierce sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Martin Pierce is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Ridley slips under a jab from Pierce.
Ridley blocks a jab.
Ridley misses with a series of wild punches.
Pierce is looking to counter punch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nice takedown defense from Pierce. No joy for Ridley on that attempt.
Ridley moves in looking to clinch but Pierce pushes him off.
Pierce ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Ridley moves away.
Ridley doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Pierce keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
A punch lands to the side of Pierce 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Ridley throws a poor cross that misses
and Pierce counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Ridley will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Ridley throws a lazy uppercut
and Pierce counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

Ridley drives through and clinches with Pierce against the cage.
Ridley tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Ridley lands a left hand.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pierce is trying to push Ridley away but Ridley has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Pierce tries to circle away but Ridley has him pinned against the cage.
Ridley has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Ridley lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Pierce tries to circle away but Ridley has him pinned against the cage.
Pierce throws a punch but it's blocked by Ridley.
Pierce working aggressively here.
A short right from Ridley.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Ridley tries a body shot but Pierce blocks it.
Pierce lands with a left to the head.
Ridley throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Ridley is leaning against Pierce and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Pierce has had enough of the clinch but Ridley keeps him there for the moment.
Ridley scores with a hook to the body.
Ridley is stalling here.
Pierce can't break the clinch.
Pierce is looking to break free of the clinch but Ridley has double underhooks.
Pierce can't break the clinch.
Pierce is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Luke Ridley showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

A punch combination from Ridley misses.
Pierce misses with a hook.

Ridley has taken the fight to the clinch.
Pierce blocking some punches.
Ridley prevents Pierce from breaking the clinch.
Ridley prevents Pierce from breaking the clinch.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Pierce working hard to break the clinch.
Ridley lands a left hand that snaps the head of Pierce backwards.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ridley's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Pierce looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Ridley lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Pierce.
A right hand to the body from Ridley.
A right hand to the body from Ridley.
Pierce is trying to push Ridley away but Ridley has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ridley gets through Pierce's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Pierce wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Ridley has him pressed against the cage.
Ridley just leaning against Pierce, taking a breather.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Ridley creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Ridley tries to land knees in the clinch but Pierce avoids the damage to the body.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Pierce.
Pierce being controlled against the cage.
Pierce is trying to break free.
Pierce is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Pierce has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

Ridley has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Pierce uses from the top position.

Ridley is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Pierce tries to stand but Ridley is controlling from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Ridley looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Pierce wants to stand but Ridley has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

Pierce got a little sloppy there for a moment and Ridley has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Pierce has managed to get both his arms back between Ridley's legs - danger averted.

Pierce is trying to tuck his arms in to keep them safe but Ridley has managed to isolate one of them and has got a loose triangle. Pierce is looking to defend but Ridley has done well to lock his legs together - this could be big trouble for Pierce! Ridley pulls down on the head and a little smile comes across his face - he knows he's got it. Yep, Pierce taps out and this one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:46 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle). Luke Ridley!
Luke Ridley seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.