PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Rico Starr (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Axel Excel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Excel comes into a darkened arena with his song building. No Shelter kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Starr
vs
Excel

190 cm
20
220 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

205 cm
21
254 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Sinners Fight Wear

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Rico Starr!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Axel Excel!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, and Jack Bonds.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Starr looks frusrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Axel Excel seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Starr.
Excel is looking to regain half guard here but Starr keeps moving and retains side control.
Starr wants to control but Excel is keeping him busy.
Excel is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Starr is controlling him well.
Starr trying to control the action but Excel is working from the bottom.
Excel is looking to reverse the position.
Excel can't do much from the bottom here.
Excel is looking to regain half guard here but Starr keeps moving and retains side control.
Excel wants to get back to his feet but Starr drags him back down.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Starr shoots in but no luck this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Starr shoots in but Excel avoids the takedown attempt easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rico Starr. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Excel misses with a wild combination.

Starr shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Starr was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Excel is desperately trying to improve his position but Starr has a good base and remains in mount.
Starr lands a big elbow.
Excel is looking to improve his position but Starr isn't that keen on the idea.
Starr wants to control the pace but Excel is squirming around nicely.
Excel tries to lock up and control but Starr gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Starr sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Excel doing his best to control the position. Can he escape?
Starr is breathing heavily.
Excel is squirming around, avoiding Starr's attempts to control the action.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Excel is looking to get to half guard.
Excel tries to hold on but Starr postures up.
Excel can't escape the position.
Starr breaks from Excel's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Starr throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Excel working to try and regain half guard.
Excel gets back to half guard.
Excel looks like he's trying to stand up.
Starr wants to take a breather but Excel is having none of it.
Excel throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Excel is trying to get back to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Starr is looking to take a break and control but Excel is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Excel is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Starr is nestled in close to Excel, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.

Excel actively working from the bottom here.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Starr feints and as Excel raises his hands in defense, Starr changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Excel is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Starr has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Excel wants to stand and escape but Starr is having none of it.
Excel tries to strike from the bottom.

Excel uses the cage to get back to his feet.
Excel throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

Starr drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Starr pushing down on Excel's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Starr has decided to stand back up but his arm is trapped. Whilst he's worrying about his arm, Excel works to full guard.
Excel is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Excel working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Starr doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Starr manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Starr tries to stand but Excel is controlling from the bottom.
Excel looking to hit a scissor sweep but Starr is one step ahead there.
Starr trying to control but Excel is working from the bottom.
Excel trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Excel keeping full guard, as Starr tries to pass.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Excel darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rico Starr dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Excel lands an overhand right.
Excel looks for a takedown but Starr sprawls well.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Starr crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Excel - the referee stops the clock and Starr gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Excel. Starr manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.

Starr shoots in for a takedown and gets it.

Starr is trying to work for a kimura. He's got his hands clasped together - this could be trouble! No, Excel has managed to free his arm - good work.
Starr wants to take a breather but Excel is having none of it.
Excel makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Excel.
Starr pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Excel is keeping the position for now.
Starr won't allow Excel to sweep him here.
Starr has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Excel is proving hard to escape from.
Excel is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Starr scoring with punches to the head and body.
Starr showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Starr wants to control from the top but Excel keeps moving.
Starr is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Excel is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Excel tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Excel is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Starr is controlling him.
Excel keeping full guard, as Starr tries to pass.
Starr is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Starr working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Starr trying to control but Excel is working from the bottom.

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.
Starr stands up over Excel, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Excel manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Starr manages to get himself to full guard.
Starr seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Excel postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Starr looking for a sweep. Not yet Starr, not yet.
Starr is looking to stand up but Excel isn't so interested in that idea.
Excel cracks Starr with a solid left hand.
Excel stops Starr from standing up.
Excel working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Excel stopping the sweep attempt from Starr.

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

Excel bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Starr is looking for a sweep.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Excel working away.
Excel is chipping away with strikes.
Excel landing strikes.

Starr is rocked!
Starr throws an elbow to the body but it doesn't land.
Starr might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

Excel stands up and we're back to a striking position.
Starr shoots in and drives through. Excel sprawls well.

Excel closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Oh Starr is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Excel prevents Starr from standing back up.
Starr seems to have got his legs back now.
Excel working over Starr with some ground and pound. Starr looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Excel working the head and body with strikes.
Excel is pressing down on Starr's thigh, looking to free his foot. Starr is holding on for now.
Excel throwing shots but Starr is blocking nicely.
Excel looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Excel content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Excel is looking to take a break and control but Starr is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Excel decides to stand and escape the position.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Starr gets the takedown into side control.
Excel regains half guard.

Starr escapes and gets back to his feet.

Excel fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Starr sprawls well initially but Excel persists and gets the takedown into half guard.

Starr looking for submissions off his back.
Excel thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Excel is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Starr won't allow Excel to pass to mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Axel Excel showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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. This is the final round!

Starr fails to land the takedown.
Excel misses with a looping left.
Starr fails to land the takedown.
Starr is looking to clinch.
Excel shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Starr shoots in but Excel avoids the takedown attempt easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rico Starr. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Left hook, right uppercut from Excel.
Excel with a lazy takedown attempt

and Starr counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Excel wants to sweep but no luck.
Excel bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Starr's guard.
Starr trying to keep a closed guard but Excel is proving a slippery customer.

Excel gets to his feet. Starr looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Starr misses with a takedown
and Excel counters with a lovely straight right hand!

Starr gets caught flat footed, as Excel shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Excel gets to his feet - Starr follows without any prompting.
Starr closes this distance looking for a takedown but Excel circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Starr gets cracked there but stands up to it.

Starr shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Excel's guard.
Starr pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Excel is keeping the position for now.
Starr throwing strikes from guard but Excel blocks nicely.
Starr chips away with some ground and pound.
Starr looking to pass the guard.
Starr trying to stand up but can't free himself from Excel's guard.
Starr trying to control but Excel is working from the bottom.
Excel manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Starr manages to get himself to full guard.
Excel slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Excel works to advance to full mount. Starr defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
Excel tries to control but Starr wriggling away.
Excel controlling the position easily from mount.
Axel Excel has got the better of the ground game so far.
Excel looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Excel working the ground and pound effectively.
Excel scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Starr?
Excel landing strikes from the mount.
Starr is really trying hard to get back to his feet.
Excel looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Excel looking to finish Starr with some ground and pound. This is bad for Starr!
Excel landing strikes from the mount.

Excel working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Starr tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Excel looking to finish Starr with some ground and pound. This is bad for Starr!
Excel is trying to control here but Starr has managed to regain half guard.
Starr avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Excel.
Excel misses with a head shot. Starr uses the momentum to regain guard.
Starr controlling Excel's posture.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Excel stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Starr swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Excel makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.

Excel stands and steps away. Starr gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Excel circles and sees the opportunity to plant his feet and throw a really nice straight left hand that drops Starr to the canvas! Starr doesn't know where he is but he's trying to survive - Excel keeps piling on the pressure and forces the referee to step in! This one is aaaaaall over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:32 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Axel Excel!