PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Adam Nelson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ben Harper (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Harper comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Welcome To Jamrock kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Nelson
vs
Harper

170 cm
21
161 lbs
6 - 5 - 0

175 cm
21
165 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Powerful

啓発 Shaolin Nutrition

Convicted Trap House
Rastafarii Clothing

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 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Adam Nelson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Ben Harper!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, Stewart Dunkirk and Wesley Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Nelson closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Harper to the mat! Harper manages to get full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Nelson drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Harper dives on top into guard.
Harper wants to stand but Nelson is controlling his posture from full guard.

Nelson throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Nelson is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Harper wanted to stand there but Nelson had control of the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Nelson lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Harper!

Nelson has control of Harper's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Harper regains control of the situation pretty easily.
Nelson thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!

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.
Harper is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Nelson looking to control but Harper is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

Nelson goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Harper is on top in guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Harper wants to get up but he can't break Nelson's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nelson looking to hit a scissor sweep but Harper is one step ahead there.

Nelson throws his legs up looking for a submission but Harper uses it to pass to side control.

That's four 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.
Nelson struggling a bit here.
Harper is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.
Nelson trying his best to control but Harper has mounted him.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Adam Nelson 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.

Nelson tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Harper swivels and escapes.
Harper scores with a kick to the midsection.

Harper moves into the clinch.
Harper crunches a lovely knee into Nelson's ribcage.
Nelson jumps guard but Harper stands there with Nelson around his waist. Nelson gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Harper working Nelson over with knees to the body.
Harper connects with a knee to the head.

It looks like Adam Nelson has been cut.
Harper scores a nice knee to the body.
Nelson managing to block the knees to the body from Harper.
Harper is pushing Nelson up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Harper misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Nelson.
Harper using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Harper scores with a knee to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harper working Nelson over with knees to the body.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Harper landing knees to the head.

Harper breaks from the clinch.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Harper, right into the meat.
Harper is looking to slow Nelson down with leg kicks.
A head kick misses from Harper.
Harper lands with a thumping leg kick.
Nelson tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Harper paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Harper lands a nice looking body kick.
Harper dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Nelson. That did some damage!
Nelson takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Harper plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Harper goes for a high kick. It partially lands.

Harper rushes Nelson and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Harper utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Harper unloads a knee to the mid-section. Nelson lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Harper stalling the fight.
Harper unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Harper landing knees to the head.
Harper has Nelson pressed against the cage.

Harper's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Harper scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Nelson tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Harper throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Nelson's head.
Harper thows a body kick. Nelson tries to catch it but that hurt him.
Harper lands a nice leg kick that just misses Nelson's sensitive parts.
Harper throws a shot to the body.
A good leg kick by Harper.
Harper cracks the inside of Nelson's front leg.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Harper pushes Nelson up against the cage in a clinch.
Stalling in the clinch from Harper.
Harper connects with a nasty looking knee right to Nelson's face.
Harper with a knee to the head.
Nelson on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

Harper breaks from the clinch.
Ben Harper seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Harper lands with a slapping head kick.
Harper lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
A slapping leg kick lands for Harper.
Nelson takes a shot right to the bread basket.

Harper closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Harper escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Harper is looking to slow Nelson down with leg kicks.
Nelson blocks a head kick by Harper.
Harper with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Harper cracks the inside of Nelson's front leg.
Harper chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Harper is looking to slow Nelson down with leg kicks.

Harper fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Nelson, pushing him back against the cage.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Harper scores a nice knee to the body.
Harper just leaning against Nelson, taking a breather.
Harper landing knees to the head.
Nelson is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Harper takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Knees in the clinch landing for Harper.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Nelson drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ben Harper showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Adam Nelson's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Harper lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.
Nelson doesn't manage to clinch there - Harper circles away.
Harper tries to clinch up.
Harper is looking to slow Nelson down with leg kicks.
Harper scores with a head kick.
Harper looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Harper throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
Nelson takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
A head kick from Harper lands but Nelson takes it in his stride.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Harper throws a good cross that connects.
Harper moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Nelson takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Harper with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Nelson takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Thud! ouch! good body kick from Harper - that will leave a mark!

That's one minute gone in the round.
A thudding body kick lands there by Harper!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Harper throws a quick inside leg kick.

Nelson tries to keep at a distance but Harper has taken the fight into the clinch.
Harper crunches a lovely knee into Nelson's ribcage.
Harper landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
A right hand to the body from Harper.
Harper putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Nelson in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.

Harper manages to break the clinch.
Harper throws a leg kick which misses Nelson's front leg but catches the back leg as Nelson tries to avoid it.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Harper thows a body kick. Nelson tries to catch it but that hurt him.
Harper fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Nelson.
Harper with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Nice body kick there by Harper.
Harper has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Harper throws out a token jab with nothing on it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lazy left from Harper finds it's target.
Harper throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Nelson will be looking to protect his midsection after taking some solid kicks to the body.
Nelson takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Harper connects with a solid leg kick.
Harper is looking to slow Nelson down with leg kicks.

Harper closes the distance and pushes Nelson back into the cage.
Harper putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Nelson in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Harper landing some nice looking knees to the body.

Harper breaks the clinch.
Harper buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Harper cracks the inside of Nelson's front leg.
Harper jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Harper scores with a kick to the body.
Harper moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Harper thows a body kick. Nelson tries to catch it but that hurt him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harper looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.

Harper gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Harper using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Harper utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Harper lands a nice knee to the body.
Harper connects with a knee to the head.
Harper swings wildly with an uppercut but Nelson uses good head movement to avoid it.
Harper lands a good knee to the midsection. Nelson won't want to take too many of those.
Harper unloads a knee to the mid-section. Nelson lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Harper taking a breather.
Harper tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Nelson avoids it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Harper lands a nice knee to the body.
Harper taking a breather.
Harper misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Nelson.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Harper lands a knee to the head.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ben Harper comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Harper has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Daniel Franklin scores the fight 26:29
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 25:30
Judge Wesley Smith scores the fight 26:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ben Harper!