PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Alex Campbell (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Harley Tanner (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Harley Tanner has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Campbell
vs
Tanner

184 cm
18
227 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

190 cm
20
210 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Alex Campbell!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Harley Tanner!
The judges for this bout are Bruno Hogan, John Mangel and Donatello Bradman.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A thudding body kick lands there by Campbell!
Campbell tries to close the distance and clinch up but Tanner swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Campbell rushes Tanner and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Tanner stalling in the clinch.
Campbell lands a nice knee to the body.
Campbell landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Tanner looks gassed!
Tanner wants to get back to striking at distance but Campbell won't allow it.
Campbell tries for a takedown but Tanner manages to get underhooks.
Campbell using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Campbell tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Tanner tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

Tanner drags the fight down to the ground.
Campbell trying to control the position from guard on top but Tanner is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Tanner is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Campbell has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

That's one minute gone in the round.

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

Tanner throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Campbell escapes and throws Tanner's legs to the side, diving into side control!
Campbell moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Tanner wants to get back to his feet.

Campbell decides to take the fight back to the feet.

Campbell drives through and clinches with Tanner against the cage.
Campbell tries to land a knee to the head but Tanner blocks with his arms.
Campbell lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Campbell is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Campbell unloads a knee to the mid-section. Tanner lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Campbell landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Campbell lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Campbell controlling the action here for a moment.
Campbell lands a nice knee to the body.
Campbell using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Campbell is looking to control Tanner's arms but Tanner gets an underhook and turns him. Now Campbell has his back to the cage.
Campbell with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Campbell looking to slow down the pace here.
Campbell misses with a short punch on the inside.
Campbell is trying to stall.
Tanner drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Campbell gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Campbell with a knee to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Campbell lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Tanner misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Campbell connects with a nasty looking knee right to Tanner's face.
Campbell throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Tanner blocks it with crossed arms.
Campbell lands a knee to the body.
A knee to the head by Campbell.
Campbell unloads a knee to the mid-section. Tanner lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Campbell lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Tanner takes a knee right on the jaw!
Campbell misses with a knee to the head.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Campbell takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Campbell landing knees to the head.
Campbell will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Tanner up against the cage.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Campbell is looking to control Tanner's arms but Tanner gets an underhook and turns him. Now Campbell has his back to the cage.
Campbell is working for takedown but Tanner is calmly controlling the position for now.
Tanner tries to pull guard but Campbell won't allow it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alex Campbell dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Campbell tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Tanner gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Tanner wants to break free but Campbell has control.
Tanner prevents the takedown attempt.
Tanner fails to pull guard.

Campbell has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Tanner is trying to keep an underhook but Campbell manages to get the takedown into half guard.
Campbell tries to pass to full mount but Tanner defends it.
Tanner works his way to full guard. Good work.
Tanner tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Tanner looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Campbell puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Tanner wants to get back to full guard.

Tanner looking for subs from the bottom but Campbell mounts him!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tanner has given up his back here.
Campbell is hanging on to Tanner's back as he tries to escape.
Tanner trying to control the action but Campbell just sinks the hooks in.
Tanner tries to escape the position.
Tanner trying to control but he's just got himself in more trouble.
Tanner tries to escape the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Campbell doesn't have the hooks in and Tanner manages to turn into his guard.
Tanner pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Campbell is keeping the position for now.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Tanner closes the distance looking to clinch

and Campbell counters with a nice double leg into side control. Tanner won't be happy with that.
Tanner tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Campbell wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Tanner is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Tanner is trying to work for a sweep but Campbell has mounted him!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tanner tries to hold on but Campbell pushes him away.
Tanner is squirming around, avoiding Campbell's attempts to control the action.
Campbell could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Tanner is in all sorts of trouble here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Tanner looking to escape from mount but he's given up his back!
A lull in the action here.
You can see the frustration on Tanner's face… He knows he is in trouble unless he improves his position sooner rather than later.
The crowd hopeful of a finish here - Campbell's supporters are on their feet, screaming for him to go for the rear naked choke.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Campbell is looking cool and calm here, just waiting for a good opportunity to attack and finish the fight from this dominant position.
Tanner tries to escape the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alex Campbell dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Campbell instigates a clinch.
Campbell just leaning against Tanner, taking a breather.
Campbell lands a knee to the head.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Campbell.
Campbell landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Campbell using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Tanner has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Tanner is working for takedown but Campbell is calmly controlling the position for now.
Campbell misses with the head strike.
Campbell landing knees to the head.
Campbell throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Tanner blocks it with crossed arms.
Tanner tries a body shot but Campbell blocks it.

Tanner has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Campbell regains guard immediately.
Tanner trying to control the position from guard on top but Campbell is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Campbell lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Tanner!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tanner tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Tanner sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Tanner wants to get back to full guard.

That's two 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.
Tanner is trying to control but can't.

Tanner looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Tanner wants to get back to full guard.
Campbell wants to stand up but Tanner is controlling the position.
Campbell prevents Tanner from improving his position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Tanner looking for submissions off his back.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Campbell tries to clinch but Tanner is having none of it.
Campbell wants to clinch.
Tanner throws a leg kick that is checked
and Campbell counters with a good low kick that Tanner was not able to check.
The fight stays on the outside here - Campbell looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Tanner looks frusrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Campbell will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

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.
Tanner looks frusrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Alex Campbell has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Harley Tanner.
Tanner with a poor takedown

and Campbell moves into the clinch.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Campbell looks to throw an elbow but misses.

Campbell escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Tanner avoids the head kick by Campbell.
Alex Campbell is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Campbell forces Tanner back against the cage and clinches.
Campbell is looking to control Tanner's arms but Tanner gets an underhook and turns him. Now Campbell has his back to the cage.
Campbell can't seem to implement his control oriented gameplan at the moment. That's no bad thing of course, for those of us who want to see a good fight.
Tanner drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Campbell gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Harley Tanner has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Knees in the clinch landing for Campbell.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Tanner cracks Campbell with a nice body shot.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Tanner.
Tanner fails to pull guard.
Tanner looking for a takedown.
Tanner tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Harley Tanner.
Well Campbell 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 Bruno Hogan scores the fight 30:28
Judge John Mangel scores the fight 30:28
Judge Donatello Bradman scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Alex Campbell!