PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Jason High (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and harris stephenson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). harris stephenson is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

High
vs
stephenson

178 cm
22
175 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

190 cm
23
175 lbs
3 - 3 - 1

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Solid chin

House of Pain

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 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Jason High!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 3 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, harris stephenson!
The judges for this bout are George Francis, Gwen Towbar and Wesley Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nice sprawl there from High as stephenson shoots in.
High throws a combination but it was largely blocked by stephenson.
High misses with a takedown

so stephenson counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.

stephenson drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but High manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now stephenson has High in his guard.

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

High avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
High knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for stephenson on the ground.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
High wants to stand but stephenson has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

That's one minute gone in the round.
stephenson wants to hit a switch here but High passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for stephenson there!
High sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
stephenson gets back to half guard.
stephenson is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

stephenson looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
stephenson looks gassed!

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.
High prevents stephenson from improving his position.
High is looking to advance position but stephenson won't allow it.

stephenson actively working from the bottom here.
High seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

stephenson is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but High pulls his head out easily.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

High instigates a clinch.

High is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. stephenson can't fight it off and eventually High manages to take the fight to the floor. stephenson looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.
stephenson keeping full guard, as High tries to pass.
High not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

stephenson looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
High is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
stephenson has a closed guard, preventing High from standing up.

stephenson throws his legs up looking for a submission but High uses it to pass to side control.
High remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

harris stephenson 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.

High throws a sloppy head kick

and stephenson counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

stephenson 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.
High desperately trying to maintain half guard.

stephenson is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
stephenson is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
High makes his way to full guard. A much better position for High.

stephenson has gone for a leg lock! High slips out almost immediately though and dives into stephenson's guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

stephenson had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. High defends it easily.
High stands and throws stephenson's legs to the side, diving into side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

High decides to stand back up. High steps back and let's stephenson get back to his feet.
High throws a right and a left that both miss.

High drives through with a takedown into guard.

stephenson has an active guard here but High has managed to pass into half guard.
High prevents stephenson from improving his position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
High seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

stephenson looking for submissions off his back.
harris stephenson has got the better of the ground game so far.
High sitting and controlling from the half guard.

stephenson actively working from the bottom here.

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.
stephenson wants to get back to full guard.

stephenson looking for submissions off his back.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
High fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
A nice combination there by High.
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 Jason High will probably get the nod.
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!

The fight stays on the outside here - High looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

High gets in close and instigates a clinch.
stephenson stops a takedown attempt from High.
stephenson tries to pull guard but High holds him up against the cage and eventually stephenson drops back down to his feet.

High wants the takedown. stephenson is fighting it off but High persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in stephenson's guard against the cage.

stephenson is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. High is aware though and is defending well.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

stephenson looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

stephenson is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and High defends well.

That's one minute gone in the round.

stephenson isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. High stacks stephenson on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by High!
High controlling the position from side mount.
stephenson is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked High off and has taken his back!
High just trying to survive but stephenson is wriggling into a better position, looking to finish.

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.

stephenson looking for the choke but no joy.

stephenson is persistently looking for the submission but High is defending it well.

High defends a prolonged rear naked choke attempt and turns nicely into his opponent's guard.

High stands up and waves to stephenson to follow him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

stephenson tries to keep at a distance but High has taken the fight into the clinch.
High drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
High working hard to break the clinch.

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.
stephenson tries to pull guard but High won't allow it.

High breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
stephenson doesn't succeed with the takedown

and High counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Jason High has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of harris stephenson.
High drops down looking for an ankle pick but stephenson pulls his leg out and moves away.

High darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jason High showed his dominance in that final round.
I think High has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 29:28
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 29:28
Judge Wesley Smith scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jason High!