PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between John Harper (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Leo Manta (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Harper
vs
Manta

172 cm
22
160 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

170 cm
22
167 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Good chin

Decent wrestler
Counter striker
Likes ground

ENDLESS 152

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 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, John Harper!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Leo Manta!
The judges for this bout are Cecil Peabody, Frank Dennis and Alan Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Harper misses with a wild body shot.
Harper lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Manta takes one on the button.
Harper looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Harper shoots in looking for a takedown. Manta tries to sprawl out of it but Harper keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Manta manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

Manta changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Harper looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Manta tries to score with some ground and pound. Harper controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Manta lands a nice forearm strike.

Manta goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Harper rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Manta's guard! Nice work there by Harper!
Harper passes Manta's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Harper missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Manta is looking for a sweep. Harper is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Manta blocking the ground and pound attempt from Harper.

Harper is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Harper uses his free foot to push down on Manta's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Manta.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Manta really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Poor strikes thrown by Harper there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!
Manta is trying to escape the mount.
Manta holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Harper tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
Manta tries to get back to half guard but can't.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Harper is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Manta has managed to escape the submission attempt.
Harper misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.

That's two 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.
Manta tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Manta swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.
Manta wants to control but Harper is having none of it.
Manta is mounted and he's throwing punches. Is that wise?

Harper with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Harper is breathing heavily.
Manta regains half guard.
Manta is trying to maintain the position but Harper is very close to passing his half guard.
Manta gets full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Manta is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

Harper thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Manta wants to sweep here but Harper controlling him for the moment.
Harper pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Manta is keeping the position for now.
Harper works a leg free and moves into half guard.

Manta is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Harper pulls his head out easily.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!

Manta looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Harper missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Manta shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Manta was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Manta is landing with some decent strikes but Harper is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Harper takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Harper is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Manta lands with some strikes.
Manta sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Harper is trying to escape the mount.
Harper is working hard here to advance position.
Manta unloading with bombs!
Manta trying to control but he's not successful this time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Leo Manta dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Manta drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Manta thows a big elbow that misses.
Manta is looking to work some ground and pound but Harper has wrist control.
Manta with a nice head shot there.
Harper keeping moving, preventing Manta from controlling successfully.
Harper wants to sweep here but Manta controlling him for the moment.
Manta makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Manta scoring with punches to the head and body.

Harper is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Manta lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Harper has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Manta can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Manta working some strikes from top position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Manta won't allow Harper to sweep him here.
Manta distracts Harper with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Manta landing with the ground and pound.
Manta trying to control but Harper is working from the bottom.
Manta must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Manta is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Manta is pushing down on Harper's leg trying to pass to half guard. Harper is fighting to maintain full guard but Manta has managed to sneak the leg through.
Manta takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Manta looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Harper tries to roll over but Manta keeps him under control.
Harper has hold of Manta's hands but Manta slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ground and pound from Manta.
Manta looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Harper with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Manta lands strikes from half guard.
Harper on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Harper is staying active underneath Manta, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Manta is nestled in close to Harper, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Manta scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Manta prevents Harper from improving his position.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Manta lands a nice short elbow.
Manta prevents Harper from improving his position.
Manta lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Manta passes to full mount!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Manta sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Harper working to try and regain half guard.
Manta looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Manta dominating with strikes here.
Manta in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Harper wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
Harper tries to reverse the position but Manta maintains control.
Manta working away from the top, dropping strikes.

That's four 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.
Manta looking to finish Harper with some ground and pound. This is bad for Harper!
A nice elbow there by Manta.

Manta is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Harper has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Harper!
Manta controls Harper momentarily but Harper frees himself.
Harper looking to pass the guard.
Harper preventing the sweep.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Manta is on top in guard.
Manta working some strikes from top position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Leo Manta showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Manta shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
BOOM! Manta connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Manta working the ground and pound effectively.
Manta controlling the pace for now.
Manta breaks from Harper's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Manta trying to control but Harper is having none of it.
Manta breaks from Harper's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Manta working the ground and pound effectively.
Manta lands a big elbow.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Manta lands a heavy elbow.
Harper is looking to improve his position but Manta isn't that keen on the idea.
Harper regains half guard.
Harper wants to improve his position but Manta is controlling well.
Ground and pound from Manta.
Manta prevents Harper from standing back up.
Harper is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Manta scores with a couple of nice shots.
Manta trying to control the action but Harper is working from the bottom.
Manta wants to pass to mount but Harper is defending the position.

Harper actively working from the bottom here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Harper looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Leo Manta is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Manta scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Manta looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Let's hope that Manta 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.
Manta is keen to just control but Harper is a slippery customer.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Manta content to control rather than advance.
Manta wants to take a breather but Harper is having none of it.
Manta prevents Harper from improving his position.
Manta is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.

Despite being in the dominant position, Leo Manta just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Manta gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Harper misses with a hook to the ribs.
Harper can't find room to land a body shot as Manta controls the action.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Harper wants a takedown but no success here.

Manta has clasped his hands together around Harper's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
Harper is trying to get back to half guard.
Harper is pushing Manta's head away, looking to escape. Manta manages to hold on to the position though.
Harper is looking to regain half guard here but Manta keeps moving and retains side control.
Harper on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Harper is trying to get back to half guard.
Manta taking a breather here.
John Harper has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Manta lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.

And that's the end of the fight!
Leo Manta comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Manta winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Cecil Peabody scores the fight 27:30
Judge Frank Dennis scores the fight 27:30
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Leo Manta!