PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between John Locke (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Demian Maia (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The key to victory for John Locke has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Locke
vs
Maia

180 cm
20
200 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

185 cm
22
199 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Big heart

Good takedowns
Brawler
Enjoys gardening

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, John Locke!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Demian Maia!
The judges for this bout are Bruno Hogan, Steve Erwin and Eliza Hachem.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Locke throws a sloppy head kick and Maia moves out of range easily.

Locke scores with a takedown into Maia's guard.
Maia is controlling Locke's posture.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Maia looking for a sweep. Not yet Maia, not yet.
Locke throwing strikes but missing.
Locke wants to stand and escape but instead Maia has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Locke knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Maia on the ground.
Maia controls from within his opponent's guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Maia stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Locke tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

Maia has taken the fight to the clinch.
Locke blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.

Locke pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Maia changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Locke tries to avoid it but Maia manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Locke to the ground. Locke escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
A head kick misses from Locke.

Maia shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Maia showed some decent athleticism there.
Maia is pressing down on Locke's thigh, looking to free his foot. Locke is holding on for now.
Locke has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Maia is working away from the top position though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maia controlling the action here.
Maia looks gassed!
Maia tries to stand but can't do so whilst Locke controls his leg.
Locke striking from the bottom.
Locke throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Maia stops Locke from getting back to his feet.
Locke punching from the bottom.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Maia closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Maia wants to control but Locke is keeping him busy.
Locke wants to get back to full guard.
Locke moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maia wants to pass the guard but Locke is keeping the position.
Locke wants to stand but Maia is controlling the position.
Locke 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.
Locke is looking to stand up but Maia isn't so interested in that idea.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Locke is trying hard to land a takedown here. Maia sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.

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.
Locke with a poor takedown

and Maia counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

Locke looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

Maia gets to his feet - back to striking we go!
Locke tries a head kick but it misses.
Maia misses with a head kick.
Maia throws a head kick but Locke moves out of range.
Locke throws a sloppy head kick and Maia moves out of range easily.
Maia tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Locke paws at him with a jab and circles away.
A head kick misses from Locke.
Maia tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Locke pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Maia dives in and grabs Locke's left leg, looking for a takedown. Locke pushes down on Maia's head and hops out.
Locke misses with a kick to the body.
John Locke seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Locke wants to clinch

and Maia counters with a nice double leg into side control. Locke won't be happy with that.
Demian Maia has got the better of the ground game so far.
Locke wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Maia takes a little break here. Locke wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.
Locke is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Maia is controlling him well.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Locke gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Maia passes to full mount!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Locke throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
Locke gets back to half guard.
Locke works his way to full guard. Good work.

Locke pushes Maia off and scrambles back to his feet.
Maia walks forward, straight into a front kick from Locke.
Locke throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Maia tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Maia shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Locke as he jumps to the side.
Maia throws a leg kick but Locke sees it coming and moves out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Locke throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Locke bobs and weaves and then throws a good body kick.
Maia is looking to clinch.
Locke tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

Maia shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Locke's guard.
Locke wants to stand and escape but Maia is having none of it.
Maia trying to control the position from guard on top but Locke is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Locke scrambles and gets back to his feet.

Maia decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maia prevents Locke from standing back up.
Locke lands a couple of sideways elbows.
Maia is trying to control the action in half guard but Locke is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Maia not doing much here.
Maia is looking to take a break and control but Locke is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Maia might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Locke kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Maia wants to pass to mount but Locke is defending the position.

That's four 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.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Locke pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Maia throws a sloppy head kick

and Locke counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Locke.

Locke breaks from the clinch.
Locke tries a head kick but it misses.
Maia throws a series of punches but Locke avoids them all with ease.
Maia shoots and misses

and Locke counters with a shoot takedown. Maia fights it but they end up in guard.
John Locke has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Demian Maia.
Locke trying to control the position from guard on top but Maia is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Locke lands a couple of elbows.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Locke drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Maia manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Locke has Maia in his guard.
Locke is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that John Locke will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Locke closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Maia regains full guard. Nicely done.
Maia tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Locke wants to stand but Maia is controlling his posture from full guard.
Maia is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.

Locke decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Maia, up you get!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Locke moves out of range as Maia strikes.
Locke pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Locke staying out of range there.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Locke gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Locke breaks from the clinch.
Locke moves out of range of the strikes.
Locke throws a nice head kick!
Locke misses with a takedown attempt

and Maia counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Maia.
Maia tries to work over Locke's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Locke jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Maia walks away with a smile on his face. Locke gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Maia.
Locke tries to wriggle free to get back to his feet but he's given up his back! Oops.

Locke manages to escape to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maia closes the distance but Locke moves to the side

and Locke counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Locke thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Locke seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.
Maia gets full guard.
Locke in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Locke has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Maia wants to sweep here but Locke controlling him for the moment.

Maia has thrown up a leg looking for a triangle. Locke doesn't defend quickly enough and Maia has managed to lock this one up! Can Locke escape?! NO! He's tapping out! Damn, that was a quick submission - congrats to Maia on a fantastic submission victory.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:55 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle). Demian Maia!