PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Jerome Harris (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Matt Pochettino (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Harris comes into the arena with The Clash - Rock the Casbah blaring out of the sound system. Matt Pochettino will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Harris
vs
Pochettino

186 cm
22
182 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

182 cm
21
188 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

Malicious Intent Fight Gear - The Pit Inc
St. Paul's Apparel

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Jerome Harris!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Matt Pochettino!
The judges for this bout are Radbod Blank, Albert Achterberg and Wagner Zegers.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pochettino swinging wilding here.
Pochettino tries to clinch but Harris moves out of range.
Pochettino misses with a hook. Harris ducked under it nicely.

Harris drives through with a takedown into guard.
Pochettino wants to stand up but Harris is controlling him.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Harris is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Pochettino tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Harris tries to free his leg and advance position but Pochettino is retaining full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Pochettino can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Harris controls the pace.
Harris throwing strikes from guard but Pochettino blocks nicely.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Pochettino takes the fight into the clinch.
Harris fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Pochettino manages to break the clinch.
Pochettino tries to close the distance and clinch up but Harris swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Harris closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Pochettino is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.
Harris remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
Pochettino tries to escape but Harris is in control.
Harris connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Pochettino some visible discomfort.
Harris takes a little break here. Pochettino wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.
Pochettino tries to wriggle free to get back to his feet but he's given up his back! Oops.
Pochettino looks gassed!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Harris struggling to land strikes to the head as Pochettino covers up.
Harris is riding his opponent, not letting Pochettino buck him off.
Pochettino wants to get back to his feet.

Harris has his hand under the chin of his opponent looking for the choke. He's nearly got it! This one could be all over! But no, Pochettino has freed his hand and lives to survive another… well, another couple of seconds at least!
Harris really has the hooks in deep now - there seems like no escape for Pochettino.
Watch the back of the head! Comes the shout from the referee towards Harris.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pochettino is trying to get back to his feet but he's not managed it yet.
Can Pochettino hold on?! Harris is landing more strikes to his hapless foe.
Pochettino holding both Harris 's hands and preventing any damage.
Harris has good solid back control here.
Pochettino is keeping busy.
Pochettino wants to get back to his feet.
Harris connects with a big shot to the side of Pochettino's head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pochettino just trying to survive but Harris is wriggling into a better position, looking to finish.
Pochettino looking to stop the rear naked choke attempt by controlling the hands.
Harris lands a punch to the side of the head from the back.
Harris loading up with punches from the back mount - how long can Pochettino hold on?
Harris is controlling his opponent, waiting for an opportunity to finish.
Pochettino looking very determined here, making life difficult for Harris.

Harris is staying calm and holding on to the back position, whilst working on a rear naked choke. Pochettino is defending well though. Harris let's go of the attempt for now.
Harris softening up his opponent with strikes here.
Harris scores with strikes from the back.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Pochettino throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Harris scores with a jab to the body.

Harris clinches up with Pochettino and pushes him back against the cage.
Harris stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Pochettino trying to control the position but instead, Harris has worked for underhooks and has pushed Pochettino into the cage.
Harris lands with a left to the head.
Harris has Pochettino pressed against the cage.
Pochettino tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Harris smiles and moves away.

Harris shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Pochettino's guard.
Harris stays in close to Pochettino's body and controls the position.
Pochettino is breathing heavily.
Pochettino is looking to stand up but Harris isn't so interested in that idea.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harris throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Pochettino works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Harris working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Pochettino's head.
Harris stays in close to Pochettino's body and controls the position.
Harris looking to pass the guard.
Harris trying to control but Pochettino is working from the bottom.
Pochettino wants to stand and escape but Harris is having none of it.
Harris is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Harris missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

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.
Pochettino is looking to stand up but Harris isn't so interested in that idea.
Harris's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Pochettino is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Harris is controlling him.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Pochettino takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
Harris closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Harris ducks under a wild hook from Pochettino.

Harris throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Pochettino was covering up waiting for the punch and Harris finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Pochettino keeping full guard, as Harris tries to pass.
Harris won't allow Pochettino to get back to his feet.
Jerome Harris overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Pochettino keeping full guard, as Harris tries to pass.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harris's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Harris's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Harris stays in close to Pochettino's body and controls the position.
Harris won't allow Pochettino to get back to his feet.
Harris trying to control the position from guard on top but Pochettino is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Harris is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Harris wants to pass the guard but Pochettino is keeping the position.
Harris won't allow Pochettino to get back to his feet.

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.
Harris slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Harris's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.

Pochettino is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Harris is aware though and is defending well.
Harris seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Harris trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Harris sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Pochettino tries to land a sweep but no joy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jerome Harris dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Pochettino misses with a jab to the body
and Harris counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Harris ducks right into an uppercut from Pochettino.

Harris forces Pochettino back against the cage and clinches.
Pochettino tries to break free but Harris pushes him back against the cage.
Pochettino wants a takedown but no success here.
Harris lands a body punch.
Harris lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Harris working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Harris is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Pochettino taking a breather.

Harris works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Harris won't allow Pochettino to get back to his feet.
Harris is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Harris looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Harris advances position into side control!
Pochettino takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pochettino takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Harris moves into full mount!
Pochettino is trying to stand up.
Harris connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Harris breaks from Pochettino's wrist control and lands an elbow.

Harris has hold of Pochettino's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Pochettino manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
The referee warns Pochettino that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Pochettino tries to hold on but Harris pushes him away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Harris takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Harris looking to finish Pochettino with some ground and pound. This is bad for Pochettino!
Harris landing punches.

Harris looking for a guillotine from mount but Pochettino is having none of it.
Harris sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Harris with the ground and pound from mount.
Harris looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Pochettino is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pochettino wants to try and get back to his feet.
Harris takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.

Harris swings around for an armbar and he's got it! Wow, that came out of nowhere! What a finish!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:31 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Jerome Harris!