PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Nate Weasel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Hank Houston (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Weasel
vs
Houston

180 cm
20
190 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

182 cm
22
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Nate Weasel!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Hank Houston!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, Timothy Bukovac and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Weasel wants to clinch.
Nate Weasel seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Houston gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Houston jumps guard and drags Weasel to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Houston seems keen to control Weasel's posture.
Weasel preventing the sweep.
Houston is trying to keep Weasel in close.
Weasel trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Houston 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.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Weasel tries to free his leg and advance position but Houston is retaining full guard.
Houston seems keen to control Weasel's posture.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Houston can do anything to dispel that myth.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Houston throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
A thudding body kick lands there by Weasel!
Weasel will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

Houston moves into range and clinches up with Weasel.
Weasel throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Houstons head.
Houston gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Weasel.
A right hook to the body lands for Houston.
Weasel comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Weasel misses with a knee to the head.

Houston manages to break the clinch.
Weasel tries to clinch up but Houston circles away and keeps his distance.

Weasel clinches.
Houston can't get the takedown.
With the fighters up against the cage, Weasel throws an elbow but misses.
Houston blocks a punch to the side of the head.

Houston escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Houston has closed the distance and engaged Weasel in a clinch.
Houston is pressed up against the cage. Weasel has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Houston down to the mat. Houston avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Nate Weasel. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Weasel clinches but Houston breaks the clinch

and Houston moves into the clinch.
Houston prevents Weasel from breaking the clinch.
Weasel is breathing heavily.

Houston has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Weasel uses from the top position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Houston manages to escape and get back to his feet.

Weasel shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Weasel was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Houston is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Houston tries to get back to half guard but can't.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Weasel punching from mount but Houston doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Houston is desperately trying to improve his position but Weasel has a good base and remains in mount.
Houston is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Weasel looking to control but Houston is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Houston is desperately trying to improve his position but Weasel has a good base and remains in mount.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Weasel trying to control but Houston is having none of it.
Houston bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Houston postures up.
Houston stopping the sweep attempt from Weasel.
Weasel looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Houston puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Weasel is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's four 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.
Weasel is trying is best to control the position here.
Houston looks to land a strike but Weasel avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
Weasel wants to stand up but Houston is controlling him.

Weasel looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Weasel looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Houston stopping the sweep attempt from Weasel.
Houston sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Weasel's guard.
Houston prevents Weasel from standing back up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hank Houston dominated that 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.

Weasel tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Houston counters with a takedown into side control.
Weasel is working to avoid the ground and pound but Houston connects with a decent elbow.
Houston wants to control but Weasel is keeping him busy.
Weasel tries to contro but end up mounted... ooooh, that's bad.
Houston dominating with strikes here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Houston has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Weasel's face.
Houston landing shots from mount.
Houston can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Weasel is looking to escape.
Weasel is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Weasel is in all sorts of trouble here.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Houston tries to control but Weasel wriggling away.
Houston lands a nice shot to the head.
Houston landing shots from mount.
Houston has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Weasel's face.
Houston content just to control the position here.
Weasel tries to hold on but Houston postures up.

Houston looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
Houston lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Houston sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Weasel keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Houston has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Weasel's face.
Houston landing strikes from the mount and Weasel is in trouble!
Houston is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Houston lands a nice shot to the head.
Weasel is trying desperately to improve position.

Houston is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Weasel has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Weasel!
Weasel showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Weasel trying to control the position from guard on top but Houston is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Weasel postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Houston preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Weasel preventing the sweep.
Weasel controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Weasel looking to sit in guard and control but Houston gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Houston stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Weasel swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Weasel tries for a takedown but Houston circles away easily

and Houston counters with a takedown into side control.
Weasel is looking to regain half guard here but Houston keeps moving and retains side control.
Weasel manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Weasel not doing much here.
Houston moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Houston seems keen to control Weasel's posture.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Houston wants to sweep but no luck.
Houston looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Houston 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.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hank Houston showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Houston looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Houston lands with a punch from half guard.
Houston with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Houston tries to stand but his arm is trapped.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Houston in particular looking to stall.
Houston trying to control the action but Weasel is working from the bottom.
Houston is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Houston prevents Weasel from improving his position.
Houston content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Despite being in the dominant position, Hank Houston just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Houston scores with a takedown into Weasel's guard.
Houston trying to control the position from guard on top but Weasel is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Hank Houston has got the better of the ground game so far.
Houston might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Weasel kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Houston is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Houston is fighting to break Weasel's control of his arms but Weasel is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.

Weasel looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Houston throwing strikes from guard but Weasel blocks nicely.

Weasel looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

Weasel looking for a guillotine here but Houston defends easily.
Weasel working a defensive guard here.
Weasel working a defensive guard but Houston passes into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Houston perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Weasel is in trouble now - Houston has advanced to mount!
Houston with the ground and pound from mount.
Houston looking to control but Weasel is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

Despite being in the dominant position, Hank Houston just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Houston.
Houston scores with a three punch combo!
Houston shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Weasel as he jumps to the side.

Houston closes the distance and clinches.

Houston wants the takedown. Weasel is fighting it off but Houston persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Weasel's guard against the cage.
Houston is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Weasel is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Weasel looking to hit a scissor sweep but Houston is one step ahead there.

And that's the end of the fight!
Hank Houston comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Houston has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Jack Bonds scores the fight 27:30
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 27:30
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Hank Houston!