PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Jally Joseph (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dan Vespa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Joseph
vs
Vespa

159 cm
18
141 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

169 cm
21
140 lbs
4 - 6 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Counter striker
Cuts easily

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Solid chin

THE STEEL PENN NUTRITION
THE STEEL PENN NUTRITION

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 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Jally Joseph!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 6 - 0, fighting out of London, Dan Vespa!
The judges for this bout are Paul Tew, Chris Edwards and Colin Fotheringham.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Joseph misses with a wild combination.
Vespa tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Joseph paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Vespa gets a clinch.

Vespa has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Joseph uses from the top position.
Joseph postures up.
Joseph throws a strike but Vespa rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Vespa prevents Joseph from getting back to his feet.
Vespa throwing strikes from guard but Joseph blocks nicely.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Joseph keeping full guard, as Vespa tries to pass.
Joseph wants to get back to his feet but Vespa is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

Joseph pushes Vespa off and gets back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vespa will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Joseph avoids a punch combination nicely.
Joseph stuffs the takedown attempt from Vespa. Vespa gets slowly back to his feet.
Joseph closes the distance but Vespa moves to the side

and Vespa counters with a takedown into side control.
Vespa is putting a hurting on Joseph here, landing some big shots from side control.
Vespa prevents Joseph from escaping the position.
Joseph on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Joseph tries to get out of the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Joseph knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Vespa on the ground.

Vespa tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Joseph tries to wriggle free to get back to his feet but he's given up his back! Oops.
Vespa punishes Joseph with strikes from the back mount.
Vespa tries to keep control of the position but Joseph is staying busy.

Vespa working for a choke but Joseph is defending well.
Vespa punches the canvas rather than the man.
Joseph is trying to get back to his feet but Vespa has full control of the position and if anything, Joseph has just worked his way into a worse spot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Joseph is breathing heavily.

Vespa patiently working for the choke. Which fighter will keep their nerve here?
Vespa biding his time, looking for the opening.
Joseph is covering up but some of the strikes from Vespa are getting through and doing damage.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
The crowd hopeful of a finish here - Vespa's supporters are on their feet, screaming for him to go for the rear naked choke.
Joseph holding both Vespa 's hands and preventing any damage.
Joseph covering up well under a barage of strikes.

Vespa is working really hard to secure the rear naked choke. Joseph defends successfully for a significant amount of time. Both fighters are looking very determined.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Joseph is trying to get back to his feet but he's not managed it yet.
Vespa struggling to land strikes to the head as Joseph covers up.
Joseph staying busy and making it hard for Vespa to control.
Joseph is trying to get back to his feet but Vespa has full control of the position and if anything, Joseph has just worked his way into a worse spot.
Joseph is very frustrated here, being controlled quite effectively by Vespa.
Joseph has the hand control, trying to stop the rear naked choke.
Joseph has his hands over his head blocking the strikes from Vespa.
Joseph is trying to get back to his feet but Vespa has full control of the position and if anything, Joseph has just worked his way into a worse spot.
Will Vespa go for the finish here or will he try and keep control of the position?

Joseph fending off the submission attempt from Vespa.
Joseph trying to control the action but Vespa just sinks the hooks in.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dan Vespa dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Vespa shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Joseph pinned against the cage. Joseph gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Joseph keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.

Vespa clinches with his opponent.
Joseph changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Vespa fights it off and pushes away nicely.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Joseph darts in trying to clinch
and Vespa counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Joseph avoids the head kick by Vespa.
Dan Vespa seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Joseph darts in trying to clinch
enabling Vespa to counter with a crisp jab.
Joseph looks to land a combination but Vespa avoids it well.
Vespa throws an overhand right that lands on Joseph's shoulder, as Joseph tries to avoid the shot.

Vespa closes the distance and pushes Joseph back into the cage.

Vespa pulls guard effortlessly.
Joseph scores with a decent looking elbow strike.

Vespa is looking for a triangle but Joseph pushes his legs off easily.
Vespa working a defensive guard here.
Vespa throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Vespa wants to sweep here but Joseph controlling him for the moment.
Joseph postures up in Vespa's guard and throws a big left but Vespa blocks it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Joseph postures up in Vespa's guard and throws a big left but Vespa blocks it.
Vespa looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Joseph connects with a couple of short punches.
Vespa is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
It looks like Vespa is going to stand back up.
Joseph is trying to stand.

Vespa is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Joseph has managed to free his arm - good work.
Vespa is stalling here. Joseph is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Vespa seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Joseph has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vespa is working to avoid the ground and pound but Joseph connects with a decent elbow.
Vespa regains half guard.
Joseph is thwarting Vespa's attempts to control the position.
Vespa gets back to full guard.

Vespa uses the cage to get back to his feet.
Joseph tries to grapple but his opponent circles

so Vespa counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Vespa is working Joseph over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Joseph is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Vespa is controlling him.

Vespa drops back looking for a leg! Joseph is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Joseph manages to kick Vespa off! Vespa jumps back into Joseph's guard.
Vespa prevents Joseph from getting back to his feet.
Joseph working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Vespa.
Vespa thows a big elbow that misses.
Vespa throwing strikes from guard but Joseph blocks nicely.
Vespa lands a couple of decent looking shots.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Vespa circles away from the clinch attempt.
Vespa shoots in for a takedown but Joseph shows good takedown defense.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dan Vespa showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Vespa misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Vespa tries to close the distance and clinch but Joseph swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Joseph darts in trying to clinch

and Vespa moves into the clinch.
Vespa is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Joseph is keeping busy.
Joseph wants a takedown but no success here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Joseph wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Vespa has him pressed against the cage.
Vespa looking to slow down the pace here.
Vespa is trying to drag Joseph to the mat but Joseph just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Joseph working aggressively here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Vespa pulls guard effortlessly.
Joseph is in close to Vespa's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Vespa is looking to stand up but Joseph isn't so interested in that idea.
Joseph loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Joseph postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

Joseph has a momentary lapse of concentration, allowing Vespa to throw up a leg and lock on what appears to be a pretty tight triangle! Joseph is fighting it off but it's all too little too late - Vespa pulls down on the head and he's put Joseph to sleep! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:53 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle). Dan Vespa!