PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Matt Shadows (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Phil Baxter (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Shadows
vs
Baxter

186 cm
23
175 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

197 cm
22
180 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Cuts easily

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Determined

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 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Matt Shadows!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Phil Baxter!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, Frank Antenori and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Baxter showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Shadows.
Baxter shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Shadows as he avoids it easily.
Shadows tries to close the distance and clinch up but Baxter swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Shadows with a lazy takedown attempt

and Baxter counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Shadows is positioning himself well to prevent Baxter advancing to mount.

Baxter is looking for a kimura. It's pretty deep but Shadows still has the half guard so he's probably OK. Oh, Shadows has exploded into a beautiful escape there and after a quick scramble, he's ended up in side control on top! Nice work!
Baxter can't do much from the bottom here.

Shadows decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Shadows scores with a three punch combo!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shadows tries to clinch but Baxter moves away
and Baxter finishes the little exchange by landing a big kick to the body.
Baxter doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Shadows counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Baxter's guard now.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Shadows showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Shadows knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Baxter on the ground.
Shadows has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.

Shadows avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Baxter keeping full guard, as Shadows tries to pass.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Baxter looking for a guillotine here but Shadows defends easily.

Baxter working for submissions but it's allowed Shadows to get to half guard.
Baxter looks gassed!
Shadows content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Baxter throws a strike from the bottom but Shadows passes into side control!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
You can see the frustration on Baxter's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Baxter is trying to improve his position.
Shadows slows the pace down.
Baxter tries to bench press Shadows off him but Shadows keeps the position.
Baxter is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Baxter takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Baxter tries to improve position but can't.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Baxter is letting Shadows control him for a moment.
Baxter manages to get back to half guard.
Well, if Shadows is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Baxter tries to get to full guard but Shadows has control of the leg.
Shadows seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

Baxter looking for submissions off his back.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Shadows shoots in and bounces Baxter off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Shadows content to stall in guard here.
Shadows throwing strikes from guard but Baxter blocks nicely.

Baxter is looking for a triangle but Shadows pushes his legs off easily.
Shadows has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Baxter is breathing heavily.

Baxter has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Shadows can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shadows is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

Baxter throws his legs up looking for a submission but Shadows uses it to pass to side control.
Baxter is looking to regain half guard here but Shadows keeps moving and retains side control.

Shadows stands up.
Shadows is looking to clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Baxter throws a wild body kick that Shadows sees coming a mile off.
Shadows is looking to clinch but Baxter is avoiding it.
Shadows connects with a good right hand that stumbles Baxter. Baxter circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Shadows stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Matt Shadows is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Shadows misses with a wild combination.
Shadows tries to clinch but Baxter moves out of range.
Shadows falls off balance throwing a combination

and Baxter counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

Shadows kicks off Baxter and gets to his feet.
Shadows tries to clinch but Baxter moves away

and Baxter counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Baxter stops Shadows from getting back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shadows holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.
Shadows punching from the bottom.
Baxter prevents Shadows from standing back up.
Baxter is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Shadows has his hands clasped together around Baxter's back. He's all about the action.

Baxter is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Shadows wants to get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Baxter is looking to advance position but Shadows won't allow it.

Baxter is looking for a kimura here.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Shadows tries to close the distance and clinch but Baxter swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Shadows wants to clinch up but Baxter keeps it at a distance.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Matt Shadows will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Shadows darts in trying to clinch
and Baxter counters with a solid body kick.
Shadows tries to clinch but Baxter moves away
and Baxter counters with a body kick.
Shadows wants to clinch but Baxter slips to the side
and Baxter counters with a nice body kick.
Shadows clinches but Baxter breaks the clinch

and Baxter counters with a takedown into side control.
Shadows is looking for a sweep.
Shadows might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

Shadows explodes and escapes back to his feet! Nice escape there!
Baxter shoots in for a double leg but Shadows sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Shadows tries to clinch but Baxter moves away

and Baxter counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Baxter takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Shadows has his hands clasped together around Baxter's back. He's all about the action.

Baxter is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Shadows doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Baxter.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shadows controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.
Shadows is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Baxter's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Baxter's back!
Shadows punishes Baxter with strikes from the back mount.

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.
Shadows is controlling his opponent, waiting for an opportunity to finish.
Shadows lands with a nice looking elbow that stuns Baxter.
Baxter tries to escape but Shadows has the hooks in and won't let him break free.
You know, I was talking to some of our celebrities at ringside tonight and they were split right down the middle on who was going to win this fight.
Baxter is really stuck here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shadows scores with punches from the back.
Baxter wants to escape the position.
You know, I was talking to some of our celebrities at ringside tonight and they were split right down the middle on who was going to win this fight.
Baxter is defending well here and trying to improve his position.
Shadows lands a shot to the head.
Shadows lands strikes to the head.
Shadows just keeping the dominant position. He can't wait too long though, otherwise the referee will stand them back up.
Baxter tries to break free.
Matt Shadows is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Shadows has the hooks sunk in and you can see the will to fight slowly draining out of Baxter's body.
Shadows seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Baxter for as long as he can get away with.
Shadows doesn't have the hooks in and Baxter manages to turn into his guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Phil Baxter.
Well Shadows 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 Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 29:28
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 29:29
Judge Suge Night scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Matt Shadows!