PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between James Connelly (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rob Tree (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). James Connelly has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Connelly
vs
Tree

179 cm
18
170 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

170 cm
18
175 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Counter striker
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Inexperienced

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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 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, James Connelly!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Rob Tree!
The judges for this bout are William Gold, Daniel Bishop and Donald Grub.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Tree tries to clinch but Connelly is having none of it.
Connelly looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!
Connelly throws a push kick but Tree slaps the foot to one side.
Tree tries to close the distance and clinch up but Connelly swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Tree is looking to clinch but Connelly is avoiding it.
Tree fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Tree tries to clinch but Connelly moves out of range.
Tree is looking to clinch.
Tree lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.

It looks like James Connelly has been cut.
Tree misses with a looping left.
Tree gets off balance looking for a body kick

and Connelly counters with a shoot takedown. Tree fights it but they end up in guard.
Connelly throwing strikes from guard but Tree blocks nicely.
Tree is looking to stand up but Connelly isn't so interested in that idea.
Tree controls Connelly momentarily but Connelly frees himself.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tree wants to stand up but Connelly is controlling him.

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.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Tree misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Tree darts in trying to clinch

and Connelly counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Tree avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Connelly.
Connelly missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Connelly thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Tree's head.
Tree tries to kick Connelly off but Connelly keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Tree is using up a lot of energy trying to get back to his feet. Perhaps he should improve his position first.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Connelly misses with a head shot. Tree uses the momentum to regain guard.
Connelly loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Tree closes the distance looking to clinch
letting Connelly counter with a right hand.
Tree doesn't manage to clinch there - Connelly circles away.
Tree throws a right hand that Connelly ducks under and follows up with a left that Connelly also avoids with ease.
Tree throws a head kick that misses.
Tree shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Connelly sprawls well. Connelly wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Tree gets slowly back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Tree shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Connelly defends it nicely.
James Connelly has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rob Tree.
Tree fails in his attempt to clinch.
Connelly stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Connelly wants it to stay on the feet.
Tree is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Tree tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Nice takedown defense from Tree. No joy for Connelly on that attempt.
Connelly keeps the fight on the outside.
Tree misses with a takedown

and Connelly counters by clinching up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James Connelly dominated that round.
The cut man is working on James Connelly's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Connelly shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Tree as he jumps to the side.
Connelly defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Tree.
Tree fails in his attempt to clinch.
Tree tries to close the distance and clinch but Connelly swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
The fight stays on the outside here - Tree looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Tree wants to clinch.
Nice takedown defense from Connelly. No joy for Tree on that attempt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tree throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Connelly's waist but Connelly gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Tree off to one side.
James Connelly has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rob Tree.
Tree tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Connelly paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Tree tries to clinch there but Connelly circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A head kick misses from Tree.
Tree throws a wild body kick that Connelly sees coming a mile off.
Tree shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Connelly.
Connelly is looking to take a break and control but Tree is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Connelly working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Connelly misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tree wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Connelly looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Tree is avoiding damage well.
Connelly trying to control the action but Tree is working from the bottom.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Tree tries to clinch but Connelly moves out of range.
James Connelly is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tree gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Connelly holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Tree tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Connelly takes a knee to the side of the body.
Connelly blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Connelly tries to score a body lock takedown but Tree shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Tree gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Connelly.
Connelly goes for a takedown in the clinch but Tree prevents it.
Connelly holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Tree tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Knees in the clinch landing for Tree.
Tree drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Tree tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Tree blocking some punches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tree crunches a lovely knee into Connelly's ribcage.
Tree keeps control of Connelly as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Connelly wants a takedown but no success here.
Tree gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Tree wants to stall.
Connelly can't get the takedown.
Tree lands a damaging elbow.
Tree with a knee to the head.
Connelly managing to block the knees to the body from Tree.
Tree using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Connelly has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Tree with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.

Connelly is trying to trip Tree. He has hold of a leg but Tree is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Connelly persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Connelly trying to control the position from guard on top but Tree is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Connelly working some strikes from top position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James Connelly dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on James Connelly's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Connelly has taken the fight to the clinch.
Tree looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Connelly takes a knee to the side of the body.
Tree working Connelly over with knees to the body.
Connelly gets underhooks to prevent Tree's takedown attempt.
Tree goes for a takedown attempt but Connelly pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Tree throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Tree closes this distance looking for a takedown but Connelly circles away.
James Connelly has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rob Tree.

Connelly shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Tree is trying to control but can't.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Connelly thows a big elbow that misses, also allowing Tree to regain full guard.
Tree utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Connelly pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Tree is keeping the position for now.
Connelly postures up in Tree's guard and throws a big left but Tree blocks it.
Connelly trying to control but Tree is working from the bottom.
Tree should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
Connelly missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Connelly throws a big right hand that misses.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Tree rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Connelly moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Tree darts in trying to clinch

and Connelly counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Tree lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Tree goes for a takedown attempt but Connelly pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

Connelly throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Tree was covering up waiting for the punch and Connelly finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Connelly loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tree wants to stand but Connelly is controlling the position.
Tree utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Connelly trying to control the position from guard on top but Tree is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Connelly postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Connelly missing there with some ground and pound from the 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.
Tree wants to get back to his feet but Connelly is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Connelly throwing strikes from guard but Tree blocks nicely.
Rob Tree has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Connelly tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Tree moves in looking to clinch but Connelly pushes him off.
Tree shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Connelly counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Connelly.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Tree tries to land knees in the clinch but Connelly avoids the damage to the body.
Connelly goes for a takedown attempt but Tree pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

Connelly gets a takedown into half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
James Connelly showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Connelly, 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 William Gold scores the fight 30:27
Judge Daniel Bishop scores the fight 30:27
Judge Donald Grub scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... James Connelly!