PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Jenson Button (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and John Wilter (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.

Button
vs
Wilter

180 cm
22
170 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

194 cm
20
180 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Decent wrestler
Basic striking
Very quick

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Jenson Button!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, John Wilter!
The judges for this bout are Ivan Kurochkin, Viktor Lagutenko and Sergei Dronov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Horrible takedown by Wilter or perhaps it was just good defense by Button which made him look bad.

Button shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Button was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Button lands a heavy elbow.
Wilter slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Button throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Button missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Wilter blocking the ground and pound attempt from Button.
Wilter is trying to control but can't.
Button not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.

Wilter is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Button pulls his head out easily.
Button thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Nice strikes from Button there.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Button shoots in and bounces Wilter off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Button works over Wilter with some ground and pound from guard.
Wilter utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Button stops Wilter from standing up.
Button throwing strikes from guard but Wilter blocks nicely.
Wilter is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Wilter is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Wilter looks gassed!
Button working some strikes from top position.
Wilter is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Wilter is trying to keep Button in close.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Button shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Wilter manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Wilter is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Button working some strikes from top position.
Button is looking to work some ground and pound but Wilter has wrist control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wilter is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Button landing with the ground and pound.
Button postures up and lands a big shot to Wilter's brow.
Button cracks Wilter with a solid left hand.
Button thows a big elbow that misses.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Button fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Wilter sprawls well initially but Button persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Wilter wants to get back to his feet.
Button lands strikes from half guard.

Wilter actively working from the bottom here.
Button working over Wilter with some ground and pound. Wilter looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Button takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Button lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Button landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Wilter controlling the position well.
Button not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Button throwing shots but Wilter is blocking nicely.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Button shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Button was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Wilter tries to lock up and control but Button gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Wilter tries to buck Button off but he can't manage it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Button landing strikes from the mount.
Button lands with some strikes.
Wilter wants to hold on but Button pushes him away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Button prevents Wilter from getting the reversal.
Button lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Wilter wants to hold on but Button pushes him away.
Button with the ground and pound from mount.
Wilter is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Button lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Button lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Button with the ground and pound from mount.
Wilter tries to hold on but Button postures up.
Button looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Wilter wants to hold on but Button pushes him away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jenson Button dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Button scores a takedown into full mount!
Button looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Button lands a nice shot to the head.
BOOM! Button connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Wilter really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Button lands a heavy elbow.
Button lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Wilter regains half guard.
Wilter trying to hold on to Button's head to control him but Button postures up.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Wilter is looking to improve his position.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Button connects with a nice short shot to Wilter's temple.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Wilter trying to control from the bottom.
Button lands with a punch from half guard.
Button slips a nice elbow through Wilter's hands, connecting with Wilter's forehead.
Button thows a huge punch but Wilter dodges it nicely.
Wilter moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Button postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Wilter is trying to control the position but Button postures up.
Button throws a big right hand that misses.
Button postures up.
Button postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Wilter trying to control the position.
Button might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Button fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Button fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Some wild striking there from Wilter.
Wilter throws a right and a left that both miss.

Button changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Wilter looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Jenson Button overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Wilter takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Button scoring with punches and elbows.
Wilter is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Button off and has taken his back!
A lull in the action here.
Wilter missing with strikes from the back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Wilter somehow managing to miss with a strike from the back.
Button avoids the strikes from Wilter.

Button is staying cool under pressure, defending well against the rear naked choke attempt from his opponent.
Wilter wants to control but Button manages to buck him off and is now in Wilter's guard! Nice work there by Button!

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.
Button cracks Wilter with a solid left hand.
Button keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Wilter's head.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Wilter moves in looking to clinch but Button pushes him off.
Jenson Button is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Button lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Wilter backs up against the cage.
Wilter misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

Button decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Wilter blocking the ground and pound attempt from Button.
Wilter trying to hold on to Button's head to control him but Button postures up.
Button missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Wilter wants to get back to his feet.
Wilter has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Button is working away from the top position though.
Wilter is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Button scores with a couple of nice shots.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jenson Button dominated that second 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. This is the final round!

Button lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Button keeps the fight on the outside.

Button shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Wilter napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Wilter holding on.
Button lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Button working the strikes but Wilter uses the opportunity to regain half guard.
Ground and pound from Button.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Button lands a nice short elbow.
Button is thwarting Wilter's attempts to control the position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Wilter fails with the takedown

and Button counters with a nice double leg into side control. Wilter won't be happy with that.
Wilter tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Button in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Wilter is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Button is controlling him well.
Button working the ground and pound.
Button landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Wilter regains half guard.
Button knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Wilter on the ground.
Button throwing shots but Wilter is blocking nicely.
Wilter moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Button with a nice head shot there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wilter 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.
Button cracks Wilter with a solid left hand.
Button postures up.
Button lands a couple of elbows.
Button postures up.
Wilter is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Button has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Button cracks Wilter with a solid left hand.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Wilter gets a clinch.
Button is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Wilter pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Button drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Wilter gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Button regains guard.
Wilter forces his way into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Wilter is working for a kimura but Button is defending it quite comfortably.
Wilter sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Button defending well though.
Jenson Button is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Wilter wants to take a breather but Button is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Button is trying to get back to full guard.
Button is refusing to be controlled, as Wilter sits in half guard.
Wilter content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Button won't allow Wilter to pass to mount.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Jenson Button.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Button, 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 Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 30:27
Judge Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight 30:27
Judge Sergei Dronov scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jenson Button!