PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Battery Maximus (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Christian Howard (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Maximus
vs
Howard

178 cm
25
167 lbs
8 - 5 - 1

174 cm
24
166 lbs
6 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Good chin

Good wrestler
Counter striker
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 5 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Battery Maximus!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Christian Howard!
The judges for this bout are George Francis, Wesley Smith and Cecil Peabody.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Maximus throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Battery Maximus seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Howard shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Howard was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Howard fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Howard looking to finish Maximus with some ground and pound. This is bad for Maximus!
Howard misses with some ground and pound and Maximus recovers position to half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Howard sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Maximus defending well though.
Howard trying to pass the guard but Maximus defending well.
Howard missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Maximus regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Howard.
Maximus wants to stand and escape but Howard is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Howard postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Maximus is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Maximus tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Howard avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Maximus is looking to clinch but Howard is avoiding it.
Howard avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Maximus fails with an attempt to clinch.
Maximus on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Howard lands a nice looking body shot.
Howard is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Maximus.
Maximus tries to clinch there but Howard circles away.
A jab from Howard does it's job there.
Maximus takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.

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.
Howard circles away from the clinch attempt.
Maximus doesn't manage to clinch there - Howard circles away.
Maximus wants to clinch up but Howard keeps it at a distance.

Howard scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Howard throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Howard working the ground and pound.
Maximus prevents Howard from improving position.
Maximus is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Howard has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Howard in side control, throwing shots but Maximus defends.
Howard tries to advance to mount but can't.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Howard misses with the ground and pound.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Maximus throws a shot to the body.
Howard misses with a hook.
Maximus tries to clinch there but Howard circles away.
Howard moves out of range of the body kick.
Maximus throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Maximus tries to clinch up.
Howard keeps the fight on the outside.
Maximus takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Maximus moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.

Maximus gets caught flat footed, as Howard shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Howard prevents Maximus from getting back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Howard thows a big elbow that misses.
Howard in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Howard scoring with punches to the head and body.
Howard throws and elbow that misses. Maximus uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Howard's guard. Nice move by Maximus!
Maximus trying to stand up but can't free himself from Howard's guard.
Howard has Maximus pulled in close to control his posture.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Christian Howard dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Maximus doesn't manage to clinch there - Howard circles away.

Howard scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Maximus is looking to get back to is feet but Howard passes into side control.
Maximus is working to avoid the ground and pound but Howard connects with a decent elbow.
Maximus takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Howard throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Howard connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Maximus some visible discomfort.
Howard postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Howard cracks Maximus with a big right hand but Maximus just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Maximus is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Howard tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Howard working the ground and pound.
Howard postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Maximus taking punishment in the form of punches.
Howard postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Howard throws an elbow but Maximus slips to the side and avoids it well.
Christian Howard has got the better of the ground game so far.
Maximus takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Howard tries to advance to mount but can't.
Howard working the head and body with strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Howard working the ground and pound but Maximus is defending the strikes.
The strikes coming from Howard are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Howard sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Maximus is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Howard tries to move to mount but Maximus blocks the move with his legs.
Howard is breathing heavily.
Maximus tries to escape but Howard is in control.
Howard misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Howard in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maximus takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Maximus takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Maximus avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Howard.
Howard with the ground and pound but Maximus regains half guard under the barage of strikes.

Maximus manages to escape and get back to his feet!

Howard scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Maximus is trying to get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Maximus takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Maximus on the wrong end of some ground and pound.

Maximus explodes and escapes back to his feet! Nice escape there!
Maximus is looking to clinch.
Howard shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Maximus as he jumps to the side.
Howard circles away from the clinch attempt.
Howard throws a hook but Maximus blocks it.

Howard drives through with a takedown into guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Howard wants to pass the guard but Maximus is keeping the position.
Howard throws a big right hand that misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Christian Howard showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Howard slips a straight right by Maximus.
Maximus throws a head kick that Howard semi-blocks.
Maximus tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Howard fails to land the takedown.
Maximus doesn't manage to clinch there - Howard circles away.
Maximus tries a head kick but it misses.
Maximus wants to clinch.
Maximus ducks under a wild hook from Howard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Howard closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Howard lands in his opponent's guard.
Howard won't allow Maximus to get back to his feet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Howard missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Maximus working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Howard.
Maximus is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Howard is controlling him.
Howard postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Howard working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Howard postures up in Maximus's guard and throws a big left but Maximus blocks it.
Howard postures up in Maximus's guard and throws a big left but Maximus blocks it.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Howard looks to throw the jab but Maximus is out of range.
Maximus is looking to clinch but Howard is avoiding it.

That's two 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.
Howard swats away the attempt to clinch by Maximus.
Maximus is looking to clinch but Howard is avoiding it.
Maximus doesn't manage to clinch there - Howard circles away.

Maximus has closed the distance and engaged Howard in a clinch.
Howard looking to stall.
Maximus lands a good knee to the midsection. Howard won't want to take too many of those.
Howard tries to circle away but Maximus has him pinned against the cage.
Maximus is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Maximus tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Maximus is looking to break free of the clinch but Howard has double underhooks.
Howard is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Maximus prevents the takedown attempt.
Maximus using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Howard has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Howard takes a knee right on the jaw!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maximus misses with a knee strike.

Howard pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Maximus uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Howard.
Maximus moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Maximus tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Howard gets a takedown into half guard.
Maximus on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Maximus keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Howard is nestled in close to Maximus, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Howard thows a big elbow that misses, also allowing Maximus to regain full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Maximus uses the cage to get back to his feet.
Maximus throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
A decent looking cross lands there for Howard.
Howard lands a jab to the head.
Howard lands a jab to Maximus's midsection.
Maximus tries to clinch up but Howard circles away and keeps his distance.

Howard feints and as Maximus raises his hands in defense, Howard changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Howard postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Battery Maximus has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Howard wants to pass the guard but Maximus is keeping the position.
Howard keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Maximus's head.

And that's the end of the fight!
Christian Howard comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Howard winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 George Francis scores the fight 27:30
Judge Wesley Smith scores the fight 27:30
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Christian Howard!