PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Samual Powers (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Joe Swanson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Powers's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Saved by the Bell. Swanson has chosen Damian Marley-Road to Zion as his entrance music. Samual Powers has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Powers
vs
Swanson

179 cm
24
192 lbs
6 - 1 - 0

190 cm
27
195 lbs
8 - 7 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Solid Muay Thai
Very strong

Good wrestler
Brawler
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Samual Powers!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 7 - 0, fighting out of New York, Joe Swanson!
The judges for this bout are Jorge Garcia, Columbo Gatti and John Kavanagh.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Powers fails with a takedown attempt.
Swanson throws and low kick but Powers moves out of range easily.

Powers bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Powers trying to control the action but Swanson is working from the bottom.
Swanson is trying to get back to half guard.
Powers wants to control but Swanson is keeping him busy.
Powers is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Swanson misses with a strike from the bottom.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Swanson defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Powers.
Swanson misses with a straight left.
Powers closes the distance and clinches up with Swanson, looking for a takedown. Powers pushes Swanson against the cage but Swanson circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Samual Powers. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Powers shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Swanson but Swanson pushes him off and we're back to square one.

Powers gets a takedown into half guard.
Swanson is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Swanson is staying active underneath Powers, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Swanson tries to roll over but Powers keeps him under control.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Swanson flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Powers looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Powers misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Powers tries for a takedown but Swanson sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Swanson swings for the body but Powers moves out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Powers will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Swanson shoots in for a takedown but Powers shows good takedown defense.
Powers gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Swanson counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Swanson looks gassed!
Powers keeping moving, preventing Swanson from controlling successfully.

Powers looks to be working for a triangle here. Oh, it looks like he might have it! Swanson has picked Powers up and slammed him! Powers can't keep hold of the triangle and Swanson manages to pass to side control!
Powers is looking to reverse the position.
Powers might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Powers is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Swanson prevents Powers from improving his position.
Powers moves into full guard.
Powers working a defensive guard here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Powers is pulling down on Swanson's head. It's preventing any offense from Swanson, at least for the moment.
Swanson throwing strikes from guard but Powers blocks nicely.
Powers is trying to control the position but Swanson postures up.
Powers utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Powers is trying to keep Swanson in close.
Swanson stays in close to Powers's body and controls the position.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Powers lands a nice leg kick that just misses Swanson's sensitive parts.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Joe Swanson will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Swanson tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Powers was well out of range. Poor timing from Swanson.
Powers fails with a takedown attempt.
Swanson tries a head kick but it misses.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Powers.
Powers trying to control the action but Swanson is working from the bottom.
Swanson lands a little strike from the bottom.
Swanson misses with a strike from the bottom.
Powers is looking to take a break and control but Swanson is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Powers thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Powers trying to control the action but Swanson is working from the bottom.
Swanson is trying to improve his position.

Powers is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Swanson knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

Powers looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Swanson tries to improve position but can't.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Powers in side control, just content to control the action for now.
Swanson is not content to let Powers control the position.
Powers is pausing for a moment. What's he doing? It looks like he's clearing his nose. Oh dude! He's shot a load of snot all down Swanson's shoulder. That is not cool.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Swanson is not content to let Powers control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Powers misses with a takedown attempt

and Swanson counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Powers wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Powers trying to control the position.
Swanson slips nicely into half guard.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Swanson lands a nice short elbow.
Powers is trying to control but can't.
Swanson is looking to stall here but Powers recovers full guard.
Powers is trying to keep Swanson in close.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Swanson postures up and lands a big shot to Powers's brow.
Swanson throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Powers works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Powers looking for a sweep. Not yet Powers, not yet.
Swanson trying to control the position from guard on top but Powers is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Powers holds on and takes a little breather.

Swanson thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Swanson is breathing heavily.
Powers seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.

Swanson 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.

Joe Swanson showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Powers moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Powers doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Swanson counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Joe Swanson has got the better of the ground game so far.
Powers gets full guard.
Swanson missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Powers not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Swanson must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Swanson takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Powers manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Swanson manages to get himself to full guard.
Powers wants to control from the top but Swanson keeps moving.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Samual Powers just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.

Swanson shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Powers is pulling down on Swanson's head to control his posture.
Powers trying to keep a closed guard but Swanson is proving a slippery customer.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Powers holds on and takes a little breather.
Powers is trying to control the position but Swanson postures up.
Swanson pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Powers is keeping the position for now.
Powers trying to control the position.
Joe Swanson is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Swanson is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Powers keeping moving, preventing Swanson from controlling successfully.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Powers scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Powers thumps Swanson with a low kick.
Powers avoids a punch combination nicely.

Swanson gets caught flat footed, as Powers shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Powers trying to control but Swanson is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Powers trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Powers postures up.
Powers trying to control but Swanson is working from the bottom.
Swanson keeping full guard, as Powers tries to pass.
Swanson is pulling down on Powers's head. It's preventing any offense from Powers, at least for the moment.
Swanson looking to control but Powers passes into half guard.
Powers not doing much here.
Samual Powers has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

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.

Powers is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Swanson has his hands clasped together around Powers's back. He's all about the action.
Powers takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.

Powers is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Swanson has managed to free his arm - good work.
Swanson preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.

And that's the end of the fight!
Joe Swanson comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Swanson winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Jorge Garcia scores the fight 27:30
Judge Columbo Gatti scores the fight 27:30
Judge John Kavanagh scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Joe Swanson!