PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Itchy Rash (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Francis Kennedy (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.

Rash
vs
Kennedy

187 cm
25
178 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

190 cm
21
177 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

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 London, Itchy Rash!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Francis Kennedy!
The judges for this bout are James Atkins, Steven Brown and Paul Tew.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Rash drives through with a takedown into guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rash working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Rash stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Kennedy swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Kennedy has his foot on Rash's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Rash works his way back into a safe position though.
Kennedy looking to control.
Kennedy is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Rash is controlling him.
Rash passes Kennedy's left leg - he's now in half guard.

Kennedy pushes Rash off and gets back to his feet.

Rash takes the fight into the clinch.
Kennedy is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Kennedy blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Kennedy tries for a takedown but Rash manages to get underhooks.
Rash manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Kennedy has had enough of the clinch but Rash keeps him there for the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kennedy goes for a takedown in the clinch but Rash prevents it.

Rash jumps into guard, dragging Kennedy to the mat.
Rash looking for a sweep. Not yet Rash, not yet.
Rash is working hard here to advance position.
Kennedy trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Kennedy wanted to stand there but Rash had control of the position.
Kennedy loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Rash is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

Kennedy decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Kennedy looks gassed!
Kennedy missing with a left hand there. Rash was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.

Rash shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Kennedy napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Rash lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Kennedy down.
Rash trying to control the position but Kennedy is working away.
A lull in the action here as Rash stalls from top position.
Kennedy is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Rash 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.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rash scoring with punches from side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rash moves into full mount!
Rash lands a big shot there that rocks Kennedy but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Rash putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
The referee warns Kennedy that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Rash controlling the pace for now.
Rash with shots to the head and body - Kennedy looks very uncomfortable down there.
Rash with a couple of short strikes.
Rash cracks Kennedy with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rash lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Rash lands a heavy elbow.
Rash in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Rash lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Rash is in the full mount, landing strikes.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!

Rash goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Kennedy is on top in guard.
Kennedy is looking to work some ground and pound but Rash has wrist control.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Rash pushes Kennedy off and gets back to his feet.
Rash is looking to clinch but Kennedy is avoiding it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Itchy Rash dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Kennedy with a jab.
Itchy Rash is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Rash has Kennedy up against the cage in a clinch.
Kennedy tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Rash has Kennedy pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Kennedy manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Kennedy fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Rash drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Kennedy tries to pull guard but Rash holds him up against the cage and eventually Kennedy drops back down to his feet.
Itchy Rash has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Francis Kennedy.
Kennedy tries to pull guard but Rash holds him up against the cage and eventually Kennedy drops back down to his feet.
Kennedy fails to pull guard.

Rash gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Rash trying to control the action but Kennedy is working from the bottom.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kennedy looks like he's trying to stand up.
Rash drops an elbow to the side of Kennedy's head.
Kennedy keeping control of the position.
Rash not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Rash lands with a punch from half guard.
Rash working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Rash winds up and cracks Kennedy with a swinging punch to the side of the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Rash takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Rash looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
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. Rash connects with a nice short shot to Kennedy's temple.
Kennedy gets full guard.
Rash throws a big right hand that misses.

Rash is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Kennedy keeping moving, preventing Rash from controlling successfully.
Kennedy working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Rash.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kennedy bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Rash's guard.
Rash keeping moving, preventing Kennedy from controlling successfully.
Kennedy missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Kennedy accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Kennedy wants to get up but he can't break Rash's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

Kennedy drops back, looking for a kneebar! Rash looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Rash looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Rash!
Rash is working Kennedy over with some ground and pound from side control.

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.
Rash happy to just control the position for now.

Rash tries for a kimura but Kennedy is defending well.
Kennedy manages to work his way to half guard, despite Rash's best efforts.
Kennedy is staying active underneath Rash, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Kennedy trying to control here.
Rash wants to control but Kennedy is keeping him busy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Itchy Rash dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Kennedy throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

Rash shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Rash showed some decent athleticism there.
Rash working the head and body with strikes.
Kennedy is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Rash controlling the action here.

Kennedy kicks Rash off and gets back to his feet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Kennedy clinches but Rash breaks the clinch

and Rash counters by moving into the clinch.

Rash gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rash with a nice head shot there.
Rash thows a big elbow that misses.
Kennedy is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Kennedy has his hands on Rash's head, controlling the position.
Rash trying to control the position from guard on top but Kennedy is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Kennedy is trying to keep Rash in close.
Rash in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Rash trying to control but Kennedy is working from the bottom.

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

Rash scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Kennedy wants to get back to his feet.
Rash lands strikes from half guard.
Rash wants to control but Kennedy is keeping him busy.
Rash lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.

Rash is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Kennedy sees it coming and defends easily.
Rash slips a nice elbow through Kennedy's hands, connecting with Kennedy's forehead.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rash working Kennedy over with strikes.
Kennedy trying to control from the bottom.
Rash seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Rash wants to lay and pray for a moment but Kennedy keeps working.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Kennedy wants to get back to full guard.
Kennedy on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Rash lands a nice short elbow.
Rash trying to pass the guard but Kennedy defending well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Kennedy is trying to get back to full guard.
Ground and pound from Rash.
Rash not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Itchy Rash is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Rash content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Kennedy is not content to let Rash control the position.
Rash content to control rather than advance.

And that's the end of the fight!
Itchy Rash showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Rash, 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 James Atkins scores the fight 30:27
Judge Steven Brown scores the fight 30:27
Judge Paul Tew scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Itchy Rash!