PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Will Messinger (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rick Cartside (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Messinger
vs
Cartside

170 cm
24
135 lbs
4 - 6 - 0

170 cm
21
140 lbs
3 - 6 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Will Messinger!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Rick Cartside!
The judges for this bout are Donatello Bradman, Damien Edna and Steve Erwin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Cartside tries to clinch up but Messinger circles away and keeps his distance.

Messinger lands a left and a right that send Cartside crashing to the mat, dazed. Messinger thinks about following him to the mat but decides to wave him back up to his feet!

Cartside is rocked!
Messinger fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Cartside avoids it really well and circles away.
Cartside is still on wobbly legs! Can Messinger finish him?
Messinger clinches but Cartside breaks the clinch

and Cartside counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Cartside wants to pass to mount but Messinger is defending the position.
Cartside seems to have recovered his senses.

Messinger is defending against the submission attempts here by Cartside.
Cartside not doing much here.
Cartside wants to take a breather but Messinger is having none of it.
Messinger keeping control of the position.
Messinger is trying to stand back up but Cartside is controlling him

That's one minute gone in the round.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Cartside in particular looking to stall.
Messinger has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Cartside is working away from the top position though.
Messinger tries to kick Cartside off but Cartside keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Cartside controlling the action here.
Cartside looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Cartside is taking a breather. Messinger says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.

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.
Cartside is keen to just control but Messinger is a slippery customer.
Cartside wants to pass to mount but Messinger is defending the position.
Cartside perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Cartside is looking to advance position but Messinger won't allow it.
Messinger trying to control but Cartside postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Despite being in the dominant position, Rick Cartside just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Messinger bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Messinger wants to stand but Cartside has his arm trapped.
Cartside regains half guard.
Messinger is breathing heavily.
Cartside keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.
Messinger tries to pass the half guard into mount. Cartside knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Messinger throwing shots but Cartside is blocking nicely.
Cartside is controlling Messinger's position as best he can from this difficult position.
Cartside moves into full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cartside pulls Messinger in to control the position.
Cartside looking for a sweep. Not yet Cartside, not yet.
Cartside controlling Messinger's posture.
Cartside is trying to keep Messinger in close.
Cartside wants to sweep here but Messinger controlling him for the moment.
Messinger with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.

Cartside is looking for a triangle but Messinger pushes his legs off easily.
Messinger is fighting to break Cartside's control of his arms but Cartside is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Messinger wants to stand and escape but instead Cartside has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Rick Cartside will probably get the nod.
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.

Cartside shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Messinger but Messinger pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Messinger tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Messinger tries for a takedown but Cartside circles away easily

and Cartside counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Cartside wants to control from the top but Messinger keeps moving.
Cartside controlling from the top position.
Let's hope that Cartside has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Messinger trying to keep a closed guard but Cartside is proving a slippery customer.
Cartside trying to control but Messinger is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Despite being in the dominant position, Rick Cartside just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Cartside shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Cartside was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Messinger tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Cartside wants to control the pace but Messinger is squirming around nicely.
Cartside controlling the pace for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Cartside is going olschool here, as he tries to force Messinger to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Messinger shrugs it off.
Messinger is looking to get to half guard.
Cartside controlling the position easily from mount.
Messinger really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Cartside looking to control and managing it successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cartside is looking to work his way around to Messinger's back. He needs to be careful though, as he's in danger of losing this dominant position.
Messinger is squirming around, avoiding Cartside's attempts to control the action.
Cartside controlling the position easily from mount.

Despite being in the dominant position, Rick Cartside just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Messinger scores with a jab. Cartside acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Cartside closes the distance and clinches up with Messinger, looking for a takedown. Cartside pushes Messinger against the cage but Messinger circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

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.
Messinger wants to clinch

and Cartside counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Messinger's guard now.
Cartside pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Messinger is keeping the position for now.
Messinger being controlled here, momentarily.
Rick Cartside has got the better of the ground game so far.
Cartside tries to free his leg and advance position but Messinger is retaining full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rick Cartside 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. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Cartside drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Cartside moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.
Cartside trying to control the position but Messinger is working away.
Cartside takes advantage of some sloppy striking from Messinger to pass into mount.
Cartside tries to control but Messinger wriggling away.

Despite being in the dominant position, Rick Cartside just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Cartside misses with a takedown attempt - Messinger sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Messinger swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Messinger gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Cartside counters with a nice double leg into side control. Messinger won't be happy with that.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
The referee asks Cartside politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Cartside prefers to stall for the moment though.
Messinger is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Cartside's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
The fighters are battling for position here. Messinger manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Cartside stays in close to Messinger's body and controls the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cartside pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Messinger is keeping the position for now.
Cartside slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Despite being in the dominant position, Rick Cartside just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Messinger defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Cartside.

Cartside shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Messinger is trying to stand.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Cartside in particular looking to stall.

Cartside looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cartside takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Will Messinger has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Rick Cartside is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Cartside frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rick Cartside comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Cartside 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 Donatello Bradman scores the fight 27:30
Judge Damien Edna scores the fight 27:30
Judge Steve Erwin scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rick Cartside!