PBP Commentary

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

york
vs
Fitch

194 cm
23
164 lbs
1 - 6 - 0

173 cm
22
153 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Basic striking
Very strong

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Determined

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 1 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, James york!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Joe Fitch!
The judges for this bout are Trevor Gratis, Gregory Folan and William Peck.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
york connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Fitch misses with a looping right.
york avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
york shoots in but Fitch avoids the takedown attempt easily.
york avoids the head kick by Fitch.
Left hook, right uppercut from Fitch.
york shoots in but no luck this time.
york shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Fitch sprawls well. Fitch wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. york gets slowly back to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for James york. That's going to take a lot out of him.
york smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Fitch pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Fitch tries to close the distance and clinch up but york swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Fitch shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Fitch thowing shots but they're missing.
Fitch looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fitch throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
Fitch looking to ground and pound but york is blocking nicely.
Fitch looks gassed!
york avoids a strike by Fitch and manages to complete a very nice reversal in the process, to end up in Fitch's guard! Fantastic escape!
Fitch keeping moving, preventing york from controlling successfully.
Fitch preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
york landing some decent shots from guard.
york postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
york landing some decent shots from guard.
york trying to control but Fitch is working from the bottom.
york 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.
Fitch preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
york trying to control the position from guard on top but Fitch is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
york with a flurry of punches that miss.
york working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
york postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Fitch keeping moving, preventing york from controlling successfully.
york lands a couple of digs.
york stopping the sweep attempt from Fitch.
york lands a couple of elbows.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

york drops back looking for a leg! Fitch is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Fitch manages to kick york off! york jumps back into Fitch's guard.

Fitch looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Fitch really doesn't want to stay on the ground with york. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
york content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Fitch keeping moving, preventing york from controlling successfully.
york makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Fitch not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
york will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
york advances position into side control!
york really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

york tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

york tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Fitch prevents york from improving position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Fitch is trying to buck york off.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James york dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Fitch walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
york takes a head kick and keeps coming.
york gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Fitch counters with a single leg into guard. york didn't expect that.
york is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Fitch is controlling him.
Fitch wanted to stand there but york had control of the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Fitch throws a strike but york rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fitch has momentary wrist control but york slips an elbow through the middle.
york postures up and lands a big shot to Fitch's brow.
york stopping the sweep attempt from Fitch.
york keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Fitch's head.
york is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
york scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Fitch is trying to keep york in close.
york postures up and lands a big shot to Fitch's brow.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fitch looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
york with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Fitch keeping moving, preventing york from controlling successfully.
york slips nicely into half guard.
Fitch tries to kick york off but york keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Fitch has hold of york's hands but york slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Ground and pound from york.
york working over Fitch with some ground and pound. Fitch looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fitch is trying to stand up here but york is controlling him well.
Fitch is staying active underneath york, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
york misses with a takedown attempt
and Fitch counters with an inside leg kick.
Fitch tries to clinch but york is having none of it.
Fitch stuffs the takedown attempt from york. york gets slowly back to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for James york. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Good shot there by york.
James york seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Fitch is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in york's half guard.
Fitch with the ground and pound but york uses the opportunity to regain guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Fitch controls from within his opponent's guard.
James york overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Fitch throws a strike but york rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Fitch wants to stand up but york is controlling him.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Joe Fitch showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Fitch throws a nice looking combination but york bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
york lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Fitch takes one to the side of the head.
york tries for a takedown but Fitch circles away easily
and Fitch counters with a head kick. That will keep york thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
york fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
york doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Fitch counters with a flying knee. Nice.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for James york. That's going to take a lot out of him.
york moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
york uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
york is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
Fitch slaps away a takedown attempt from york, before circling back to the center of the mat.
No luck for york with that takedown attempt.
york looks for a takedown but Fitch sprawls well.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Fitch wants to clinch up but york keeps it at a distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
york shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Fitch tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

york shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than york was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
york trying to control but he's not successful this time.
york lands a big elbow.
Fitch tries to lock up and control but york gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
york lands a heavy elbow.
Fitch keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
york lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Fitch is trying to stand up.
york landing punches.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fitch squirming around on the bottom, looking to escape.
Fitch is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Fitch wants to try and get back to his feet.
york looking to finish Fitch with some ground and pound. This is bad for Fitch!
Fitch tries to hold on but york pushes him away.
You get the feeling that Fitch really doesn't like being in this position too much.
york is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Fitch is trying to stand.
york landing strikes, looking to finish!
Fitch is trying to escape but when you're mounted that's not too easy.
york looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fitch really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Fitch is bucking up trying to escape but york cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Fitch is trying desperately to improve position.
Fitch takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Fitch throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
york dominating with strikes here.
Fitch throwing hammer fists to the chest of york. What's that going to do exactly?
york lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Fitch throwing hammer fists to the chest of york. What's that going to do exactly?
You get the feeling that Fitch really doesn't like being in this position too much.

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.
Fitch can't escape the position.
Fitch sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Fitch is looking to escape.
york scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Fitch is trying to stand back up but york is controlling him
Fitch misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Fitch is trying to stand back up but york is controlling him
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
york scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Fitch tries to kick york off but york keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Fitch connects with a high kick.

And that's the end of the fight!
James york showed his dominance in that final round.
I think york has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Trevor Gratis scores the fight 29:28
Judge Gregory Folan scores the fight 29:28
Judge William Peck scores the fight 29:28

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