PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Doran Connell (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Frankie Edgar (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Connell's entrance music is Rob Kelly - Rockstar. A fine choice. Both these guys have solid standup skills and neither is particularly fantastic on the ground, so let's hope for a nice standup war!

Connell
vs
Edgar

184 cm
23
155 lbs
6 - 2 - 0

172 cm
22
155 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Tends to cut

Global Nutritional - ACME - (Q145 for $16)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, Doran Connell!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Frankie Edgar!
The judges for this bout are Chris Edwards, James Ackerman and James Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Connell drives through and clinches with Edgar against the cage.
Connell lands an elbow inside that Edgar shrugs off.

It looks like Frankie Edgar has been cut.
Edgar takes a knee right on the jaw!
Connell lands an elbow inside.
Connell lands an elbow inside.
Connell really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Nice elbow from Connell.
Connell connects with a nasty looking knee right to Edgar's face.
Connell lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Connell using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Edgar has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

Connell gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
Connell working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Connell working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Connell advances to half guard.
Edgar trying to control here.
Edgar tries to kick Connell off but Connell keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Connell thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Edgar is staying active underneath Connell, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Connell tries to clinch but Edgar is having none of it.
Edgar swats away the attempt to clinch by Connell.
Connell tries to clinch up but Edgar circles away and keeps his distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Connell drives through and clinches with Edgar against the cage.

Connell gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Connell will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Edgar tries to kick Connell off but Connell keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Connell trying to mount his opponent but Edgar defends it.
Edgar trying to control here.
Connell thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Edgar's head.
Connell performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Connell working over Edgar with some ground and pound. Edgar looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Connell prevents Edgar from standing back up.

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

Connell gets a clinch.
Edgar tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Connell just stands there and leans against the cage.
Edgar wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Edgar tries to circle away but Connell has him pinned against the cage.
Connell creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Edgar's defenses.
Edgar jumps guard but Connell stands there with Edgar around his waist. Edgar gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Edgar wants to get back to striking at distance but Connell won't allow it.
Nice elbow from Connell.
Connell lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!

Connell lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Connell lands a nice short elbow.
Connell works his way into full mount!
Connell has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Connell is breathing heavily.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Connell sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Connell avoids the attempt from Edgar to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Edgar is squirming around, avoiding Connell's attempts to control the action.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Connell working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Connell lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Connell landing strikes, looking to finish!

Connell looking to secure an arm triangle but Edgar defends it well.
Connell lands with some strikes.
Connell lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Connell scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Edgar?
Connell cracks Edgar with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Connell scoring with strikes but Edgar is staying in there.
Edgar sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Connell seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Edgar does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Connell lands a nice short elbow.
Connell working Edgar over with strikes.

Edgar actively working from the bottom here.
Connell wants to pass the guard but Edgar is defending well.
Connell is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Connell throwing shots but Edgar is blocking nicely.
Connell thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Edgar throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Connell gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Edgar wants to break the clinch but can't.
Connell lands an elbow inside that Edgar shrugs off.
Connell lands an elbow inside.
Connell lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Connell working Edgar over with knees to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Doran Connell dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Frankie Edgar's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Connell fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Edgar circles away from the clinch attempt.
Edgar avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Connell throws a head kick that misses.
Edgar works over Connell's head and body with a nice combination.
Edgar looks for a takedown but Connell sprawls well.
Connell tries to clinch up but Edgar circles away and keeps his distance.
Connell fails in his attempt to clinch.
Edgar tries to score a power double leg takedown but Connell sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Edgar somewhat.
Connell fails in his attempt to clinch.
Doran Connell seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Connell fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Edgar, pushing him back against the cage.
Edgar looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

Connell lands a takedown into guard.
Connell stops Edgar from standing up.
Connell trying to control but Edgar is working from the bottom.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Edgar utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Connell postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Connell seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.

Connell thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Edgar avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Connell throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

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

Connell closes the distance and pushes Edgar back into the cage.
Connell lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Connell throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Edgar blocks it with crossed arms.
Edgar has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Connell avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Doran Connell has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Frankie Edgar.
Connell with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Connell misses with a knee strike.
Edgar wants to break the clinch but can't.
Connell with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.

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.
Edgar misses with a knee to the head.
Connell misses with a knee to the head.
Edgar misses with some punches.
Edgar is looking to break free of the clinch but Connell has double underhooks.
Connell lands an elbow inside that Edgar shrugs off.
Knees to the body from Connell.
Connell lands an elbow inside.
Connell looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Edgar is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Edgar wants to get back to striking at distance but Connell won't allow it.
Connell lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Connell lands an elbow inside.
Edgar wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Connell has him pressed against the cage.
Edgar tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Connell smiles and moves away.

Connell takes the fight into the clinch.
Connell gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Connell lands an elbow inside that Edgar shrugs off.
Connell gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Connell lands a damaging elbow.
Connell lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Connell throws a knee to the head but misses.
Connell lands an elbow that stopped Edgar in his tracks for a moment.
Connell lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Edgar tries to pull guard but Connell won't allow it.
Edgar wants a takedown.
Edgar takes an elbow to the forehead.
Edgar takes an elbow to the forehead.

Connell breaks from the clinch.
Edgar circles away from the clinch attempt.
Connell fails in his attempt to clinch.
Edgar with a body punch. A glancing blow.

Connell has Edgar up against the cage in a clinch.

Connell gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Connell tries to pass the half guard into mount. Edgar knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Connell throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Connell wants to control but Edgar is keeping him busy.
Connell is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Connell not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Edgar looks like he's trying to stand up.
Edgar tries to get to full guard but Connell has control of the leg.
Connell trying to control the action but Edgar is working from the bottom.

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

Connell shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
BOOM! Connell connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Edgar tries to hold on but Connell postures up.
Connell dominating with strikes here.
Edgar tries to buck Connell off but he can't manage it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Edgar takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.

Connell is giving the impression that he's looking to ground and pound but he switches suddenly into a beautiful far side armbar! Edgar is forced to tap! Great finish!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:57 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Doran Connell!