PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between John Bear (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and John Rice (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The key to victory for John Bear has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Bear
vs
Rice

184 cm
23
177 lbs
12 - 7 - 0

186 cm
22
177 lbs
7 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
KO power

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Powerful

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 12 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, John Bear!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, John Rice!
The judges for this bout are Chris Downing, Tiny Johnson and Cecil Peabody.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Bear fails with a takedown attempt.
Bear looks to land a right hand but Rice moved out of range.
Bear tries to bum rush Rice with a series of wild strikes but Rice uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
John Bear seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rice steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Bear.
A slapping leg kick lands for Rice.
Rice doesn't manage to clinch there - Bear circles away.
Bear looks to clinch

and Rice counters by moving into the clinch.
Rice lands a nice knee to the body.

Rice pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Rice tries to clinch up but Bear circles away and keeps his distance.

Rice scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Rice is trying to ground and pound but Bear uses the momentary lack of control by Rice to regain half guard.
Rice throws a strike but Bear avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Rice thows a big elbow that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bear wants to stand but Rice is controlling the position.

Bear pushes Rice off and gets back to his feet.

Rice closes the distance and clinches.
Bear wants to get back to striking at distance but Rice won't allow it.

Rice escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Bear throws a nice looking combination but Rice bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Bear looks for a takedown but Rice sprawls well.
Bear tries to clinch up

and Rice counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Rice.
Rice connects with a nasty looking knee right to Bear's face.

Rice breaks the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bear throws a right hand that Rice ducks under and follows up with a left that Rice also avoids with ease.
Bear throws a right hand that Rice ducks under and follows up with a left that Rice also avoids with ease.
Bear blocks a head kick by Rice.
Bear misses with a wild combination.
Rice tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Bear looks to land a right hand but Rice moved out of range.
Bear tries to clinch but Rice moves away

and Rice counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Rice.
Rice blocks a body shot from Bear.
Bear has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

Rice pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Bear slaps away a takedown attempt from Rice, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Bear avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Bear fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Bear tries to clinch

and Rice counters with a shoot takedown. Bear fights it but they end up in guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rice tries to stand but Bear is controlling from the bottom.
Bear can't keep his opponent in guard - Rice advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Rice not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.

Rice decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.

Rice has closed the distance and engaged Bear in a clinch.
Rice tries to land a knee to the head but Bear blocks with his arms.
Rice jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Bear walks away with a smile on his face. Rice gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Rice throws a sloppy head kick and Bear moves out of range easily.
Bear shoots in and drives through. Rice sprawls well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for John Bear. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rice misses with a jab, cross combination.
Bear takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rice uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Bear.
Bear misses with a hook. Rice ducked under it nicely.
Bear throws a combination that misses

and Rice moves into the clinch.
Rice digs a right hand into Bear's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Bear's gas tank.
Bear is breathing heavily.

Rice pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Bear darts in trying to clinch
and Rice counters with a left and a right that stings Bear.
A looping hook to the body misses from Bear. Rice does a little dance to reset his feet.
Rice showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Bear.
Bear swats away the attempt to clinch by Rice.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Bear misses with a combination

and Rice moves into the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Rice dominated that round.
That's time! Bear's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Bear tries to clinch up

and Rice counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Rice.
Bear throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Rices head.

Rice breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Bear moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Rice misses with a head kick.
Bear throws a right and a left that both miss.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Rice.

Rice gets a clinch.
Bear throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Rices head.
Rice can't break the clinch.
Rice is pressed up against the cage. Bear has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Rice down to the mat. Rice avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Bear clinches but Rice breaks the clinch

and Rice moves into the clinch.
Bear utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rice wants to stall.
Bear jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Rice walks away with a smile on his face. Bear gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Bear shoots in for a double leg but Rice sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for John Bear. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Bear throws a leg kick

and Rice counters by clinching up.

Bear breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Rice shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Bear's guard.

Bear kicks Rice off and gets to his feet.

Rice has Bear up against the cage in a clinch.
Bear stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Bear blocks a body shot from Rice.
Bear on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Bear prevents the takedown attempt.
Rice is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Bear gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Rice is trying to drag Bear to the mat but Bear just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Rice tries to stall but Bear uses the opportunity to gain a better position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rice blocks the elbow strike.

Rice breaks the clinch.
John Bear is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
A head kick misses from Rice.
Bear misses with a head kick.

Bear instigates a clinch.
Rice looking to throw knees to the head but Bear is blocking nicely.
Rice working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Rice is looking to control Bear's arms but Bear gets an underhook and turns him. Now Rice has his back to the cage.
Bear tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Rice avoids it.

Bear pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Bear tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Rice counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Bear is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Bear misses with a double jab

and Rice counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Rice is trying to break free.
Bear scores with a nice hook to the head.
Rice blocks an elbow strike from Bear.
Bear looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Bear has had enough of the clinch but Rice keeps him there for the moment.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Rice creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rice pushes Bear back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Bear throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Bear digs a right hand underneath Rice's ribcage. Rice let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Rice taking a breather.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Bear.
Rice trying to land knees to the body.
Bear lands with a short shot to the head.
Rice tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Bear drops down looking for an ankle pick but Rice pulls his leg out and moves away.
Bear wants to clinch
and Rice counters with a big head kick but Bear shrugs it off.
Rice takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Bear with a poor takedown

and Rice counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
A short left from Rice.
A head punch on the inside from Bear fails to land.
Rice lands an elbow just above Bear 's eye.
Bear jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Rice walks away with a smile on his face. Bear gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.

Bear tries to keep at a distance but Rice has taken the fight into the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bear lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Rice backwards.
John Rice seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Bear takes an elbow to the forehead.

Bear's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Bear wants to clinch

and Rice counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Rice.
Rice managing to block the knees to the body from Bear.
Rice jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Bear walks away with a smile on his face. Rice gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Bear looks to clinch

and Rice counters by clinching up.
Rice blocks the elbow strike.
Rice blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Bear gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.

Rice breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Rice wants to clinch but Bear slips to the side

and Bear counters with a nice double leg into guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Bear working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Rice kicks Bear off and gets to his feet.
Bear takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Bear wants to clinch
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but John Rice will probably get the nod - 10:9.
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!

Bear avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Bear tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Rice counters with a one-two to the body.
Bear closes the distance looking to clinch

and Rice counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Rice.
Rice blocks an elbow strike from Bear.

Rice breaks from the clinch.
Rice shoots in but Bear avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Bear tries to clinch but Rice moves away
and Rice counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Bear clinches but Rice breaks the clinch
and Rice counters with a big head kick but Bear shrugs it off.
Bear closes the distance looking to clinch
and Rice counters with a big head kick but Bear shrugs it off.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rice throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Bear stuns Rice with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Bear thows a leg kick but Rice checks it

and Rice holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

Rice manages to break the clinch.
Rice misses with a head kick.
A head kick from Rice lands but Bear takes it in his stride.

Bear throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Rice was covering up waiting for the punch and Bear finishes the takedown easily into guard.

Bear decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Bear tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Rice counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Rice.
John Bear has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
John Rice is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rice tries for a takedown. No joy.
Bear is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Bear's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Rice drives through and clinches with Bear against the cage.

Bear drags the fight down to the ground.
Rice wants to stand but Bear is controlling his posture from full guard.
Bear is looking to stand up but Rice isn't so interested in that idea.
Rice wants to get up but he can't break Bear's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rice throws a strike but Bear rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Rice utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

Rice scrambles and gets back to his feet.
Rice is looking to clinch but Bear is avoiding it.
Bear tries for a takedown but Rice sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Bear throws a leg kick that is checked

and Rice counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Rice.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Rice.

Rice escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bear throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Bear throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Rice.
Rice wants to lay and pray for a moment but Bear keeps working.
Bear is trying to get back to his feet.
Rice tries to move into full mount but can't pass Bear's legs.
Bear on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Bear tries to get out of the position.
Rice throwing strikes but Bear manages to buck up and roll into a nice reversal - now he's on top in side control!

And that's the end of the fight!
John Rice comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Rice has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Chris Downing scores the fight 27:30
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 27:30
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... John Rice!