PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Carlos Strikes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jason Drake (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Fingers crossed for an exciting fight - I'm sure both fighters are looking for a nice under the table bonus!

Strikes
vs
Drake

186 cm
18
180 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

187 cm
22
185 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Intelligent

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 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Carlos Strikes!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Jason Drake!
The judges for this bout are James Glass, Steven Brown and Chris Edwards.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Strikes doesn't manage to clinch there - Drake circles away.
Strikes fails in his attempt to clinch.
Strikes is looking to clinch.
Drake checks a low kick from Strikes.
Drake swats away the attempt to clinch by Strikes.
Strikes wants to clinch.
Strikes blocks a jab.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Strikes throws a lazy right hand but Drake sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Strikes tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Drake paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Strikes swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Strikes jabbing away but nothing is landing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Drake misses with a body shot.
Strikes tries to close the distance and clinch up but Drake swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Drake keeps the fight on the outside.
Drake avoids a punch combination nicely.
Drake circles away from the clinch attempt.

Drake closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Strikes to the mat! Strikes manages to get full guard.
Drake pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Strikes is keeping the position for now.
Strikes avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Drake works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Strikes wants to get back to full guard.
Drake frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Drake controlling from the full mount.
Drake scoring with strikes but Strikes is staying in there.

Drake looking to secure an arm triangle but Strikes defends it well.
Strikes knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Drake on the ground.
Strikes can't escape the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Drake tries to control but Strikes wriggling away.

Drake is working for a guillotine from mount but Strikes frees his head quite easily.
Drake lands a big elbow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Drake looking to control but Strikes is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Drake controlling his opponent.
Drake punching from mount but Strikes doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Drake trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Strikes is trying to stand up.

Drake has hold of Strikes's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Strikes manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Drake landing strikes from the mount.

That's four 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.
Strikes is working to get back to half guard.
Drake tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Drake raining down shots from the mount!
Drake connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Drake landing strikes, looking to finish!
Drake avoids the attempt from Strikes to control.
Strikes is squirming around, avoiding Drake's attempts to control the action.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jason Drake dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Drake keeps the fight on the outside.
Strikes misses with a wild combination.
Drake shoots in for a takedown but Strikes shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Drake.
Strikes keeps the fight on the outside.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Strikes wants to clinch but Drake slips to the side

and Drake counters with a takedown into side control.

Drake thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Drake is looking to take a break and control but Strikes is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Drake is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Drake advances to full mount.
Drake trying to control but Strikes is having none of it.
Strikes trying desperately to get to his feet.
Drake breaks from Strikes's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Drake putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Strikes wants to control but Drake is having none of it.

Drake swings around for an armbar but it's a sloppy attempt and Strikes is now in Drake's guard. A big mistake from Drake there, giving up the dominant position!
Strikes has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Strikes trying to stand up but can't free himself from Drake's guard.
Drake is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Drake keeping moving, preventing Strikes from controlling successfully.
Strikes wanted to stand there but Drake had control of the position.
Drake controls Strikes momentarily but Strikes frees himself.
Drake has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Strikes preventing the sweep.
Strikes tries to stand but Drake is controlling from the bottom.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Strikes misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
A clash of legs there as Drake blocks the low kick.
Carlos Strikes seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Strikes pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Strikes tries to clinch

and Drake counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Strikes trying to control but Drake postures up.
Drake moves into full mount! Strikes won't be happy about that!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Strikes is trying to escape the mount.
A nice elbow there by Drake.
Drake is landing with some decent strikes but Strikes is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
A nice elbow there by Drake.
Strikes working to try and regain half guard.
A nice elbow there by Drake.

Drake has control of Strikes's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Strikes regains control of the situation pretty easily.
Strikes is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jason Drake showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Drake tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Strikes paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Strikes moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.

It looks like Jason Drake has been cut.
Drake keeps the fight on the outside.
Strikes tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Strikes tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Drake counters with a shoot takedown. Strikes fights it but they end up in guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Drake slips nicely into half guard.
Strikes is trying to maintain the position but Drake is very close to passing his half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Drake seems to be looking for submissions.
Drake takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Strikes trying to control from the bottom.
Drake is keen to just control but Strikes is a slippery customer.
Strikes is looking to improve his position.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Strikes tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Drake counters by clinching up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Drake stalling the fight.

Strikes breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Drake shoots in and drives through. Strikes sprawls well.
Nice cross by Strikes.
Strikes tries to clinch up but Drake circles away and keeps his distance.
The fighters circle, before Strikes throws a beautiful high kick that crashes into Drake's neck, sending him stumbling to the floor! Strikes lands more strikes and forces a referee stoppage! That one ended in an instant!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:33 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Kick & Punches). Carlos Strikes!