PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Rick Rawse (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mark Florence (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rawse's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Hustlin'. Rick Rawse could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Mark Florence's chin.

Rawse
vs
Florence

170 cm
24
181 lbs
5 - 4 - 0

195 cm
26
170 lbs
8 - 9 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
KO power

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Rick Rawse!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Mark Florence!
The judges for this bout are , Timothy Bukovac and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Florence stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Florence wants it to stay on the feet.
Rawse wants to clinch.
Rawse tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Rick Rawse seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Rawse closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Florence did well to prevent Rawse getting side control.
Ground and pound from Rawse.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rawse performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Rawse thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Florence's head.
Rawse seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.

Florence actively working from the bottom here.
Florence is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Rawse looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Florence with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rawse slips a nice elbow through Florence's hands, connecting with Florence's forehead.
Rawse is trying to control the action in half guard but Florence is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Rawse scoring with strikes to the body and head.
The fighters are battling for position here. Florence manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Rawse trying to control but Florence is working from the bottom.
Florence looking to hit a scissor sweep but Rawse is one step ahead there.
Rawse chips away with some ground and pound.
Florence is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Florence is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Rawse 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.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rawse with a nice head shot there.
Florence looks gassed!
Rawse slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Rawse scoring with punches from side control.
Rawse grinds an elbow into Florence's temple.
Florence takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Rawse scores with a couple of short elbows.
Rawse connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Florence some visible discomfort.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Rawse scores with punches from side control.
Florence is not content to let Rawse control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Rawse working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Florence is looking to reverse the position.

Rawse tries for a kimura but Florence is defending well.

Rawse goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Florence rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Rawse's guard! Nice work there by Florence!

Rawse working for a triangle but Florence defends it easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rawse pulls Florence in close to his closed guard and prevents Florence from doing any damage or advancing position.
Rawse keeping full guard, as Florence tries to pass.

Rawse is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Florence defends well.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rawse pulls Florence in close to his closed guard and prevents Florence from doing any damage or advancing position.
Florence trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rick Rawse dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Florence circles away from the clinch attempt.
Rawse tries to clinch but Florence moves out of range.
Rawse tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Florence swivels and escapes.
Rawse swinging wildly here.
Florence circles away from the clinch attempt.
Florence keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Rawse.
An inside leg kick lands from Florence.
Florence scores with a head kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rawse looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Florence is fending him off so far but Rawse persists. Nope, Florence circles away and we're back to standing.
Florence keeps the fight on the outside.
Florence tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Florence is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Rawse.
Rawse shoots for a takedown but Florence saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rick Rawse. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Rawse is defended easily by Florence.
Rawse moves in looking to clinch but Florence pushes him off.
Good leg kick by Florence there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Florence chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Nice uppercut lands for Florence. That snapped Rawse's head back.
Rawse shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Florence defends it nicely.
Florence misses with a head kick.
Rawse looks for a takedown but Florence sprawls well.
Florence goes for a high kick. It partially lands.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Florence throws a nice inside leg kick.
Florence scores with a shot to the body.
Rawse tries to bum rush Florence with a series of wild strikes but Florence uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

Rawse fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Florence, pushing him back against the cage.
Florence is trying to maintain a safe position but Rawse gets an underhook and turns Florence into the cage.
Florence has had enough of the clinch but Rawse keeps him there for the moment.
Rawse stalls.

Florence's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Florence works the jab nicely.
Rawse wants to clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Florence scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Florence throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Rawse's waist but Rawse gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Florence off to one side.
Rawse with a lazy takedown attempt
and Florence counters with a series of strikes. Rawse will be more careful next time no doubt.
Florence connects with a nice looking jab.
Florence is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Rawse will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Rawse avoids a punch combination nicely.
Florence will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Rawse misses with a takedown

and Florence counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Florence.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rawse is trying to control the position but Florence postures up.
Rawse throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Rawse trying to keep a closed guard but Florence is proving a slippery customer.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Florence tries to stand but Rawse is controlling from the bottom.
Rawse tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Florence trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

Rawse had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Florence defends it easily.
Rawse bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Florence's guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rawse connects with a couple of short punches.
Rawse distracts Florence with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Mark Florence will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back 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.

Florence circles away from the clinch attempt.
Rawse throws a right hand that Florence ducks under and follows up with a left that Florence also avoids with ease.
Danga de danga de dang - Florence scores with a four punch combination!

Florence has taken the fight to the clinch.
Rawse can't break the clinch.
Florence lands with a light punch inside.
Rawse tries to score a body lock takedown but Florence shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Florence looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Florence gets underhooks to prevent Rawse's takedown attempt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Florence tries to break free but Rawse pushes him back against the cage.

Rawse manages to break the clinch.
No joy there for Florence, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

Rawse scores a takedown into full mount!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Florence is squirming around, avoiding Rawse's attempts to control the action.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Rawse landing strikes, looking to finish!
Rawse trying to control but he's not successful this time.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rawse lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Florence wants to hold on but Rawse pushes him away.
Rawse punishing his opponent with strikes.
Rawse looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Florence is working to get back to half guard.
Rawse controlling from mount.
Rawse dominating with strikes here.
Rawse with good strikes from the mount here!
Rawse unloading with bombs!
Rawse controlling from mount.
Rawse tries to control but Florence wriggling away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rawse with a couple of short strikes.

Rawse with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
A nice elbow there by Rawse.
Florence is trying desperately to improve position.
Rawse landing strikes from the mount and Florence is in trouble!
Rawse punishing his opponent with strikes.
Rawse with the ground and pound from mount.
Rick Rawse overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rawse lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.

Florence is rocked!
Oooooh, big shot lands for Rawse! Florence is hurt baaadly! Rawse is firing away with more strikes - Florence is covering up... the ref is warning him to do something. He's just covering up though still and the ref has to step in to end the fight! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:27 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Strikes). Rick Rawse!