PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Jake Connor (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jack Shepard (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Jack Shepard has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Connor
vs
Shepard

183 cm
20
200 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

225 cm
20
205 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Counter striker
Intelligent

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Jake Connor!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Jack Shepard!
The judges for this bout are Steve Montenegro, Columbo Gatti and John Roberts.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Shepard throws a hook but Connor avoids it easily.
Shepard throws a looping overhand right but Connor ducks down to avoid it.

Connor shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Shepard manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Shepard has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Connor off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Shepard shoots and misses
and Connor counters with a nice body kick.
Connor pushing out the jab but it's not landing.

Connor has managed to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Connor pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Shepard misses with a series of wild punches.
Shepard fails with the takedown
and Connor cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Shepard looks gassed!
Shepard moves out of range as Connor strikes.
Connor slips a straight right by Shepard.

Connor clinches up against the cage.

Connor breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Shepard has his takedown stuffed
and Connor counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Jake Connor has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jack Shepard.
Connor throws out a loose jab but Shepard uses good head movement to avoid it.
Shepard misses with a double jab

and Connor counters with a takedown into side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Connor decides to stand back up. Connor steps back and let's Shepard get back to his feet.
Shepard on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Connor's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Connor duly obliges.
Connor throws a jab but it's blocked by Shepard.
Nice shot lands for Connor.
Connor with a hook.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Good standup being displayed there by Connor as he connects with a hook.
Shepard shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Shepard takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Shepard tries to keep at a distance but Connor has taken the fight into the clinch.

Connor manages to break the clinch.

Connor shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Still in half guard, Connor seems content to control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Connor is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jake Connor dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Shepard misses with an uppercut.
Shepard throws a right hand that Connor ducks under and follows up with a left that Connor also avoids with ease.
Shepard missing with a left hand there. Connor was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Connor goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Nice defenses there by Shepard.
Connor is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Connor connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Shepard momentarily.
Connor moves out of range as Shepard strikes.
A punch combination from Connor misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Connor slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Connor throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Connor cracks Shepard with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
A big left from Shepard misses.
Shepard is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shepard 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.
Connor is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Shepard shoots and misses
and Shepard takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Connor throws out a loose jab but Shepard uses good head movement to avoid it.
Shepard slips under a jab.
Shepard takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Connor throws a series of punches but Shepard avoids them all with ease.
A jab from Connor misses.
Connor connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
A telegraphed right hand from Connor misses the target.
Jack Shepard seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Shepard misses with a hook. Connor ducked under it nicely.
Shepard moves out of range as Connor strikes.
Shepard tries to clinch up

and Connor counters with a takedown into side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Connor decides to stand up, so the ref orders Shepard to his feet.
Shepard takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
A shot to de liver by Connor. Beautiful body shot.
Connor scores with a hook.
Shepard bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Good standup being displayed there by Connor as he connects with a hook.

Connor closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Connor breaks the clinch.
Shepard takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Connor lands a nice shot that snaps Shepard's head back.
Connor lands a jab.

Connor moves into the clinch.

Connor escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Connor blocks a jab.
Shepard looks to clinch

and Connor counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.

Connor gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nice straight punches there by Connor. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Connor.
Jack Shepard is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Shepard takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Shepard has a pretty nasty looking mouse under his right eye.

Connor rushes Shepard and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Connor manages to break the clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Connor tries to bum rush Shepard with a series of wild strikes but Shepard uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Shepard on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Connor scores with a jab to the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jake Connor dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. And we move into the final round!

Connor connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
The fighters circling - Shepard throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Connor smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Shepard swinging wilding here.
Connor moves out of range as Shepard strikes.
Connor misses with a straight left.
Connor misses with a straight right.
Shepard is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Nice defenses there by Connor.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Connor throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Shepard was covering up waiting for the punch and Connor finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Jake Connor overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Connor gets to his feet. Shepard looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Shepard takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A cross from Connor lands.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Shepard closes the distance looking to clinch

and Connor decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Shepard's guard.
Connor's corner is telling him to maintain position.

Connor gets to his feet. Shepard looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Connor listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Jab by Connor.
Connor moves out of range as Shepard strikes.
Connor circles away from the clinch attempt
and Shepard takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Jake Connor is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Connor closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Connor manages to break the clinch.
Jack Shepard has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Connor scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.

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.
Shepard rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Connor moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Connor scores with the left hand. Shepard knows he should have avoided that one.
Nice jab there from Connor.

Connor shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Connor was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Connor controlling the position easily from mount.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jake Connor showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Connor has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Steve Montenegro scores the fight 30:25
Judge Columbo Gatti scores the fight 30:25
Judge John Roberts scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jake Connor!