PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Chris Gale (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tom Harris (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Gale
vs
Harris

190 cm
22
195 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

185 cm
22
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

Good wrestler
Brawler
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Chris Gale!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Tom Harris!
The judges for this bout are Eliza Hachem, Damien Edna and Winston Howard.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Excellent takedown into side control there by Harris.
Harris lands a decent elbow from side control.
Gale trying his best to control but Harris has mounted him.
Harris looking to finish with strikes here!
Gale is desperately trying to improve his position but Harris has a good base and remains in mount.
Harris with the ground and pound from mount.
Gale regains half guard.
Harris looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Harris takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Nice strikes from Harris there.
Gale on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Harris lands a nice short elbow.
Harris winds up and cracks Gale with a swinging punch to the side of the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gale manages to get to full guard.
Gale wants to get back to his feet but Harris is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Gale is trying to keep Harris in close.
Harris with a nice head shot there.
Harris postures up and lands a big shot to Gale's brow.
Harris working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Harris working some strikes from top position.
Harris working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Harris postures up.
Harris postures up in Gale's guard and throws a big left but Gale blocks it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Harris postures up in Gale's guard and throws a big left but Gale blocks it.
Harris is looking to work some ground and pound but Gale has wrist control.
Harris must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Harris missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Harris accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Harris throwing strikes from guard but Gale blocks nicely.
Harris throws a big right hand that misses.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Harris scores with a takedown into Gale's guard.
Harris with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Gale utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Harris throws a strike but Gale rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Harris is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gale trying to control the position from guard on top but Harris is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Gale prevents Harris from getting back to his feet.
Harris throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Gale postures up.
Gale with a flurry of punches that miss.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Harris throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Gale's waist but Gale gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Harris off to one side.
Gale is trying hard to land a takedown here. Harris sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Harris shoots and misses
and Gale counters with a left and a right that stings Harris.
Harris looks gassed!
Harris tries for a takedown but Gale circles away easily

and Gale counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Harris!
Chris Gale has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Tom Harris.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gale throws some wild stikes that Harris manages to avoid easily.
Gale throwing strikes here but Harris is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Harris sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Gale wants to take a breather but Harris is having none of it.
Harris is looking for a sweep. Gale is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Gale prevents Harris from standing back up.
Gale throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Gale wants to lay and pray for a moment but Harris keeps working.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Harris missing with punches from the bottom.
Harris keeping hold of Gale's head, controlling as best he can.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tom Harris dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

No luck with that takedown attempt from Gale.
Harris fails with a takedown attempt.
Harris has his takedown stuffed
and Harris takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Gale looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

Gale shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Harris makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Harris.
Harris is looking to stand up but Gale isn't so interested in that idea.
Gale tries to free his leg and advance position but Harris is retaining full guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harris has control of Gale's left arm, preventing Gale from doing any damage.
Gale stops Harris from standing up.
Gale won't allow Harris to sweep him here.
Gale stops Harris from standing up.
Gale controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Harris can do anything to dispel that myth.
Harris wants to stand but Gale is controlling the position.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Harris takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Harris tries to close the distance and clinch up but Gale swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Gale clinches up against the cage.

Gale pulls guard effortlessly.
Harris with a nice head shot there.
Harris in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Gale working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Harris.
Tom Harris has got the better of the ground game so far.
Harris thows a big elbow that misses.
Gale is trying to keep Harris in close.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Harris accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Harris chips away with some ground and pound.
Harris throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Harris is looking to work some ground and pound but Gale has wrist control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Gale shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Gale tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Harris swivels and escapes.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Chris Gale. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Nice sprawl there from Gale as Harris shoots in.

Harris drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Gale bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Harris's guard.
Gale trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Harris wants to sweep here but Gale controlling him for the moment.
Harris is pulling down on Gale's head. It's preventing any offense from Gale, at least for the moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gale trying to control but Harris is working from the bottom.
Harris wants to stand but Gale is controlling the position.
Gale postures up.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Gale tries to clinch up.
Harris shoots and misses

and Gale counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Gale.
Harris is trying to control the position but Gale postures up.
Gale prevents Harris from getting back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Chris Gale dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. 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.

Gale gets the takedown into side control.
Harris wants to control but Gale postures up.
Harris throwing some weak shots from the bottom that do no damage.

Harris bucks up and manages to escape back to his feet!
Gale tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Harris swivels and escapes.
Harris doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Gale counters by moving into the clinch.
Gale goes for a takedown in the clinch but Harris prevents it.
Gale looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Gale prevents the takedown attempt.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Gale is trying to maintain a safe position but Harris gets an underhook and turns Gale into the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harris working hard to break the clinch.
Harris wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Gale wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Harris has him pressed against the cage.
Gale gets underhooks to prevent Harris's takedown attempt.
Chris Gale has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Tom Harris.
Harris looking for a takedown.

Gale jumps guard and drags Harris to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Harris chips away with some ground and pound.
Harris scoring with some ground and pound.
Gale is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

Harris avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Harris with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Harris postures up and lands a big shot to Gale's brow.
Harris postures up and lands a big shot to Gale's brow.
Harris thows a big elbow that misses.
Harris is looking to work some ground and pound but Gale has wrist control.
Gale is trying to control the position but Harris postures up.
Harris postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Gale avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Harris stands up over Gale, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gale has a closed guard, preventing Harris from standing up.
Gale is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Harris scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Gale not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Harris throwing strikes but missing.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Harris feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Harris scoring with some ground and pound.
Harris throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Gale is trying to keep Harris in close.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Harris's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Harris lands a couple of elbows.
Harris throwing strikes but missing.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gale trying to control the position.
Harris postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Harris postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Harris throws a big right hand that misses.
Harris is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Gale working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Harris.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tom Harris comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Harris 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 Eliza Hachem scores the fight 28:29
Judge Damien Edna scores the fight 28:29
Judge Winston Howard scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tom Harris!