PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Floyd Lawton (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mike Tarudo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Lawton
vs
Tarudo

183 cm
19
165 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
23
175 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Likes ground

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Floyd Lawton!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Mike Tarudo!
The judges for this bout are Yves DeLean, Robert Douchet and Gregory Folan.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Tarudo dodges the punch combination from Lawton.
No luck for Tarudo with that takedown attempt.
Floyd Lawton seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Tarudo slips under a jab from Lawton.
Lawton slaps away a takedown attempt from Tarudo, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Lawton thows a left - swing and a miss!
Tarudo fails with the takedown.
Floyd Lawton has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mike Tarudo.
Lawton throws a right hand that Tarudo ducks under and follows up with a left that Tarudo also avoids with ease.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Tarudo is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Lawton's half guard.
Lawton is looking to escape.
Tarudo content to control rather than advance.
Tarudo trying to control from half guard but Lawton is working away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tarudo stops Lawton from getting back to his feet.
Tarudo looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Tarudo is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Lawton pushes Tarudo off looking to stand but Tarudo dives back in and keeps control.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Lawton throws a series of punches but Tarudo avoids them all with ease.
A jab lands there for Lawton.
Lawton throws an overhand right that lands on Tarudo's shoulder, as Tarudo tries to avoid the shot.
Lawton misses with an uppercut. Tarudo saw that one coming.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tarudo avoids a punch combination nicely.

Tarudo drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Tarudo is standing up over Lawton. Lawton looks to escape but Tarudo dives into side control.
Tarudo looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Lawton is avoiding damage well.
Tarudo working the strikes but Lawton uses the opportunity to regain half guard.
Lawton tries to kick Tarudo off but Tarudo keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Tarudo wants to lay and pray for a moment but Lawton keeps working.
Lawton is trying to stand up here but Tarudo is controlling him well.
Tarudo has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Lawton is breathing heavily.
Tarudo takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Tarudo looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Lawton is trying to stand up here but Tarudo is controlling him well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Tarudo tries to close the distance and clinch up but Lawton swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Tarudo avoids a punch combination nicely.
Lawton misses with a hook. Tarudo ducked under it nicely.
Tarudo fails with a takedown attempt.

Lawton has taken the fight to the clinch.
Lawton tries to break the clinch but Tarudo is controlling the position.
Tarudo fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Tarudo is trying to break free.
Tarudo trying to control the position but instead, Lawton has worked for underhooks and has pushed Tarudo into the ropes.
Lawton tries to break the clinch but Tarudo is controlling the position.

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.
Lawton blocks a body shot from Tarudo.
Lawton blocks an uppercut.
Tarudo tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Lawton avoids it.

Lawton pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Lawton fails to land with a series of punches.
Tarudo fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Floyd Lawton is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Tarudo throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Lawton's waist but Lawton gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Tarudo off to one side.
Tarudo walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Lawton misses with a two punch combination.
Lawton stuffs the takedown.
Lawton fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Lawton rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Tarudo moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Lawton misses with a wild combination.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Floyd Lawton will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Tarudo scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Tarudo seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Lawton does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

Tarudo is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Lawton doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Tarudo.
Tarudo sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Lawton defending well though.
Tarudo is looking to advance position but Lawton won't allow it.
Tarudo trying to control from Lawton's half guard. Lawton has other ideas though and has regained full guard.

Tarudo thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Tarudo is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tarudo slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Tarudo wants to control from the top but Lawton keeps moving.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Tarudo dodges the punch combination from Lawton.
Lawton displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Tarudo.
Tarudo shoots for a double leg takedown but Lawton sprawls well. He's pushed Tarudo's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Lawton lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Tarudo circles away quickly and effectively.

Lawton has Tarudo up against the ropes in a clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Lawton can't break the clinch.
Tarudo stalling in the clinch but Lawton improves position.
Tarudo drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Lawton gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Floyd Lawton has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mike Tarudo.
Tarudo fails to pull the fight into his guard.

Lawton escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Tarudo shoots in and drives through. Lawton sprawls well.
Lawton misses with a few strikes there.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Tarudo.
Lawton throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Lawton throws a nice looking combination but Tarudo bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Lawton misses with a jab, cross combination.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A big left from Lawton misses.
Lawton tries to bum rush Tarudo with a series of wild strikes but Tarudo uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Floyd Lawton is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Lawton stuffs the takedown.
Lawton misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

Tarudo fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Lawton sprawls well initially but Tarudo persists and gets the takedown into half guard.

Tarudo is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Lawton doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Tarudo.
Tarudo is trying to control the action in half guard but Lawton is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lawton pushes Tarudo off looking to stand but Tarudo dives back in and keeps control.
Tarudo sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Lawton defending well though.
Tarudo stops Lawton from getting back to his feet.
Tarudo takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.

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

Tarudo looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Tarudo thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Lawton's head.
Lawton tries to kick Tarudo off in order to stand up. Tarudo Avoids the leg push though and dives into side control.
Lawton is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mike Tarudo showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Lawton's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

A telegraphed takedown attempt from Tarudo is defended easily by Lawton.
Tarudo ducks under a wild hook from Lawton.
Tarudo bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Tarudo shoots for a takedown but Lawton saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Lawton misses with a jab, cross combination.
Some wild striking there from Lawton.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tarudo dodges the punch combination from Lawton.
Lawton misses with a wild combination.

Tarudo closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tarudo is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Tarudo thows a huge punch but Lawton dodges it nicely.
Lawton is trying to stand back up but Tarudo is controlling him
Tarudo takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.

Tarudo is working for a submission of some sort.
Lawton scrambles, trying to get to his feet, but Tarudo manages to mount him!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Tarudo tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Lawton is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Lawton is trying to get to the ropes to help him get back to his feet.
Tarudo wants to take his opponent's back but he's not managed it.
Tarudo controlling from mount.
Tarudo throwing strikes here but Lawton is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Tarudo controlling his opponent.
Tarudo sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Tarudo jumps to the side looking to secure the arm triangle…. Ooooh, that looks tight… Lawton is gargling but he's managed to escape! Nice work there by Lawton and Tarudo has given up the dominant position trying to land that submission.
Lawton is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the ropes but Tarudo has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Tarudo wants to lay and pray for a moment but Lawton keeps working.

Lawton explodes and escapes back to his feet! Nice escape there!

Tarudo looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Tarudo prevents Lawton from getting back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tarudo slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Tarudo wants to lay and pray for a moment but Lawton keeps working.
A lull in the action here as Tarudo stalls from top position.
Lawton is not content to let Tarudo control the position.
Lawton is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the ropes but Tarudo has just dragged him back down to the mat.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mike Tarudo comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Tarudo has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Yves DeLean scores the fight 28:29
Judge Robert Douchet scores the fight 28:29
Judge Gregory Folan scores the fight 28:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mike Tarudo!