PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Jim Halpert (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mick Lovin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Halpert
vs
Lovin

173 cm
20
169 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

177 cm
22
160 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Very quick

Powerful takedowns
Decent boxing
Powerful

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Jim Halpert!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Mick Lovin!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Halpert throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Lovin has a takedown stuffed.
Lovin shoots in for a takedown but Halpert shows good takedown defense.
Lovin throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Lovin misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Lovin throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Lovin throws a series of punches but Halpert avoids them all with ease.
Lovin swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Lovin throws a hook to the side of Halpert's head but Halpert sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Lovin bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Lovin ducks under a wild hook from Halpert.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lovin misses with a two punch combination.
Lovin looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Jim Halpert has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mick Lovin.
Halpert checks a leg kick nicely.
Lovin looks for a takedown but Halpert sprawls well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lovin takes one to the side of the head.
Halpert misses with a takedown attempt - Lovin sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Lovin throws a series of punches but Halpert avoids them all with ease.
Halpert shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Halpert with a jab.
Mick Lovin seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A punch combination from Lovin misses.
Halpert fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Lovin misses with a hook.
Halpert tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Lovin was well out of range. Poor timing from Halpert.
Lovin is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Halpert.
Halpert scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Lovin doesn't seem bothered though.
Lovin looks to throw the jab but Halpert is out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A shot to the body from Lovin misses

and Halpert counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Lovin!
Halpert trying to control but Lovin is having none of it.
Lovin wants to try and get back to his feet.
Halpert throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Lovin because Halpert loaded up on that one.
Halpert lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Lovin hang on?
Lovin tries to reverse the position but Halpert maintains control.
Halpert landing shots from mount.
Halpert prevents Lovin from getting the reversal.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Halpert thowing shots but they're missing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Halpert sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Halpert postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Lovin looks a forlorn figure.
Lovin tries to hold on but Halpert pushes him away.
Lovin is trying to get back to his feet but can't.
Halpert cracks Lovin with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Halpert looking to ground and pound but Lovin is blocking nicely.
Lovin tries to hold on but Halpert pushes him away.
Halpert trying to control but Lovin is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lovin's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.
Halpert unloads with some shots from mount but Lovin bucks and avoids them well.
Lovin really wants to buck Halpert off and get back to his feet.
Halpert sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Halpert throws some wild stikes that Lovin manages to avoid easily.
Halpert landing shots from mount.
Lovin's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.
Lovin tries to get back to half guard but can't.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jim Halpert dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Lovin swings away with a body shot that misses

and Halpert decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Lovin's guard.
Halpert passes Lovin's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Halpert trying to mount his opponent but Lovin defends it.
Halpert wants to take a breather but Lovin is having none of it.
Halpert throwing shots but Lovin is blocking nicely.
Halpert seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Halpert is trying to control. Lovin wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Halpert frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Halpert prevents Lovin from getting the reversal.
Lovin tries to lock up and control but Halpert gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Halpert throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Lovin is looking to get to half guard.
Halpert misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Lovin is in a horrible position here. Halpert smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.

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.
Halpert trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Lovin is looking to get to half guard.
Halpert tries to control but Lovin wriggling away.
Halpert lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Lovin is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.
Halpert throws some wild stikes that Lovin manages to avoid easily.
Lovin wants to control but Halpert is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Halpert with a couple of short strikes.
Lovin is looking to get to half guard.
Halpert pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Lovin is desperately trying to improve his position but Halpert has a good base and remains in mount.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Lovin avoids a strike by Halpert and manages to complete a very nice reversal in the process, to end up in Halpert's guard! Fantastic escape!
Halpert keeping full guard, as Lovin tries to pass.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Halpert is on top in guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Halpert trying to control but Lovin is working from the bottom.
Halpert trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Halpert throws a big right hand that misses.
Lovin bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Halpert's guard.
Lovin stopping the sweep attempt from Halpert.

Lovin thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jim Halpert dominated that second round.
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!

Lovin misses with a takedown

and Halpert counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Halpert.
Lovin looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Halpert landing some decent shots from guard.
Halpert pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Lovin is keeping the position for now.
Lovin is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Halpert trying to control the position from guard on top but Lovin is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Halpert stops Lovin from standing up.
Halpert passes into half guard.
Halpert moves nicely into side control.
Jim Halpert overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Lovin tries to control but Halpert manages to take his back.
Halpert is hanging on to Lovin's back as he tries to escape.
Halpert is working the ground and pound here and the referee is taking a close look at Lovin. He must escape soon or this one will be stopped.
Jim Halpert is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lovin rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.
Lovin is refusing to be controlled, as Halpert sits in half guard.
Halpert content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Halpert seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Lovin for as long as he can get away with.
Halpert trying to control from Lovin's half guard. Lovin has other ideas though and has regained full guard.
Mick Lovin has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lovin has his hands on Halpert's head, controlling the position.
Halpert wants to control from the top but Lovin keeps moving.
Lovin wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Halpert trying to control but Lovin is working from the bottom.

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.
Halpert sitting in guard here, content to control.
Halpert trying to control but Lovin is working from the bottom.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Jim Halpert just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
A combination from Lovin does no damage.
Mick Lovin is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Lovin closes the distance and clinches.
Halpert has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Lovin is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Halpert gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Lovin.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jim Halpert showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Halpert, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Andi Peters scores the fight 30:27
Judge Gordon Ramsey scores the fight 30:27
Judge Frank Skinner scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jim Halpert!