PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Happy Jack (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mardo Samora (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Happy Jack could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Mardo Samora's chin.

Jack
vs
Samora

155 cm
21
143 lbs
3 - 4 - 1

170 cm
18
145 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Decent wrestler
Brawler
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 4 - 1, fighting out of New York, Happy Jack!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Mardo Samora!
The judges for this bout are Dean Styles, Alyssa Summers and David Schapiro.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Jack circles away from the clinch attempt.
Samora rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Jack moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

Samora gets tackled into the cage by Jack. Jack maintains the clinch.
Samora missing with knees to the body.
Jack keeps control of Samora as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Jack is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Samora pulls him back up using the underhooks.

Jack tightens his grip and picks Samora up, before dumping him to the ground. Samora manages to land in guard.
Jack throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Jack wants to control from the top but Samora keeps moving.
Jack throws a strike but Samora rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Jack throwing strikes off his back to little effect.

Jack is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Samora defends well.
Jack pulls Samora in close to his closed guard and prevents Samora from doing any damage or advancing position.
Jack tries to strike from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Samora slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Jack keeping moving, preventing Samora from controlling successfully.
Samora won't allow Jack to get back to his feet.

Jack working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Samora doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Samora manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Jack keeping moving, preventing Samora from controlling successfully.
Samora tries to free his leg and advance position but Jack is retaining full guard.

Jack is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Samora defends well.

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.

Jack throws his legs up looking for a submission but Samora uses it to pass to side control.
Samora works to advance to full mount. Jack defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
Jack on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Jack tries to get out of the position.
Jack is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Jack is arching his back trying to strike from the bottom but Samora turns him over and now has his back.

Samora is remaining active here, looking for the choke. The more discerning members of the crowd will appreciate his efforts.
Jack trying to control but he's just got himself in more trouble.
Samora is trying to stick to Jack's back but Jack is turning into Samora. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Samora's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Jack.
Samora is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Jack is controlling him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Samora is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Jack thows a big elbow that misses.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Samora is trying to control the position from the bottom.

Samora is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Jack defends well.
Jack postures up and lands a big shot to Samora's brow.
Samora is trying to control the position but Jack postures up.
Jack has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Jack stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Samora swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Samora bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Jack's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Jack keeping moving, preventing Samora from controlling successfully.

Jack has his feet on Samora's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.
Jack wants to clinch but Samora slips to the side

and Samora counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Jack's guard now.
Jack is breathing heavily.

Samora avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Samora wants to control from the top but Jack keeps moving.
Samora postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

Jack is working an open guard so Samora takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Jack shoots in but no luck this time.
Jack lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Samora darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Jack is trying to control but can't.
Samora is trying to control the action in half guard but Jack is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Jack is striking from the bottom but he's now found himself mounted! Oh dear - not enough focus on defense there.

Samora is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Jack has managed to escape the submission attempt.
Jack might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Samora can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Jack is looking to escape.
Samora manages to capitalize on a mistake by Jack to take his back!
Mardo Samora has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Samora lands with a couple of good shots - one to the side of the head and one questionable shot that could be viewed as to the back of the head but the referee lets it go.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Samora looking to soften up his opponent with punches.
Samora has the hooks sunk in and you can see the will to fight slowly draining out of Jack's body.
Samora trying to control momentarily.
I really don't envy Jack right now.

Samora looking for the choke from the back.
Samora is landing with strikes. Jack can't take much more of this.
The crowd hopeful of a finish here - Samora's supporters are on their feet, screaming for him to go for the rear naked choke.
Samora is trying to stick to Jack's back but Jack is turning into Samora. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Samora's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Jack.
Samora is breathing heavily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Samora is trying to control the position but Jack postures up.

Jack drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Samora dives on top into guard.
Samora trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Jack manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!
Jack postures up.
Jack throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Samora works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Jack postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Samora looking to control.
Jack makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Jack keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Samora's head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jack is in close to Samora's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Samora preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Samora utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Jack working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Jack in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Jack throws a strike but Samora rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Samora 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.
Samora seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Jack could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Jack lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Samora!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Jack working Samora over with strikes here.
Jack has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Samora's face.
Jack lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Jack controlling the pace for now.
Samora gets back to half guard.
Samora wants to control but Jack is keeping busy.
Jack working over Samora with some ground and pound. Samora looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Happy Jack will probably get the nod.
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!

Samora misses with a wild combination.

Jack clinches with his opponent.
Jack tries to land knees in the clinch but Samora avoids the damage to the body.
Jack is working for takedown but Samora is calmly controlling the position for now.
Samora jumps guard but Jack stands there with Samora around his waist. Samora gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.

Jack has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Samora regains guard immediately.
Jack trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Jack with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Jack throwing strikes but missing.
Samora is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Jack is controlling him.
Samora wants to sweep but no luck.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Jack drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Samora manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Jack has Samora in his guard.
Samora pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Jack is keeping the position for now.

Jack had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Samora defends it easily.
Samora trying to control but Jack is working from the bottom.
Jack keeping full guard, as Samora tries to pass.
Samora wants to control from the top but Jack keeps moving.

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.
Samora might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Jack kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Mardo Samora hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Samora throws a series of punches but Jack moves out of range.
A solid leg kick lands there for Jack.

Jack looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Samora!
Jack looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Jack with the ground and pound from mount.
Samora sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Samora tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
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. Jack connects with a nice short shot to Samora's temple.
Samora is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Jack is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Jack working over Samora with some ground and pound. Samora looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Ground and pound from Jack.
Samora regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Jack.
Samora is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Samora trying to control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Jack lands a couple of digs.
Jack keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Samora's head.
Samora throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Samora looking to hit a scissor sweep but Jack is one step ahead there.
Samora not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Samora has momentary wrist control but Jack slips an elbow through the middle.
Samora trying to keep a closed guard but Jack is proving a slippery customer.
Jack postures up and lands a big shot to Samora's brow.

And that's the end of the fight!
Happy Jack showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Jack has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Dean Styles scores the fight 29:29
Judge Alyssa Summers scores the fight 28:29
Judge David Schapiro scores the fight 29:29

The fight is ruled a majority draw!