PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Riley Higgins (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and James Carrow (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). This should be fireworks!

Higgins
vs
Carrow

175 cm
20
164 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

175 cm
25
163 lbs
5 - 4 - 1

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Inexperienced

Good takedowns
Decent boxing
Knockout power

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Riley Higgins!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 4 - 1, fighting out of New York, James Carrow!
The judges for this bout are Jorge Garcia, Joseph Jones and Bruno Lombardi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Higgins misses with an uppercut. Carrow saw that one coming.
Higgins throws out a loose jab but Carrow uses good head movement to avoid it.
A slapping body kick lands there for Higgins.
Higgins is looking to land body kicks.
Higgins lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Higgins.
Higgins ducks under a wild hook from Carrow.
Higgins lands with a shot to the body.
Carrow steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Higgins. That one must have hurt.
Higgins scores with a nice head shot.
Higgins throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Carrow.
Carrow needs to keep his hands up - Higgins had a free shot at his head there.
Higgins buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Carrow on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Higgins. Higgins obviously looking to wear him down.
That kick from Higgins tenderised Carrow's leg. Carrow is trying to keep his angry face on.
Higgins throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Carrow keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Higgins.
Higgins throws a leg kick which misses Carrow's front leg but catches the back leg as Carrow tries to avoid it.
Carrow misses with a looping left.
Carrow avoids a kick to the body.

Carrow drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Carrow misses with the ground and pound.
Carrow is looking to take a break and control but Higgins is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Carrow looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Higgins is avoiding damage well.
Higgins is trying to get back to half guard.
Higgins dodges the ground and pound from Carrow.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Carrow working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Carrow works to advance to full mount. Higgins defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
Higgins in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Carrow cracks Higgins with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Higgins knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Carrow on the ground.
Higgins holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Carrow tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
Higgins holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Carrow tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
Carrow has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Carrow landing strikes from the mount and Higgins is in trouble!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Carrow unloads with some shots from mount but Higgins bucks and avoids them well.

Higgins bucks up and throws Carrow to the side - he's got back to his feet. Great escape!
Higgins takes one on the button.
Higgins leaves Carrow with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Carrow looks to throw the jab but Higgins is out of range.
Higgins throws a nice head kick!
Higgins throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Carrow cracks Higgins with an open hand slap.
Riley Higgins seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Higgins lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Higgins.
Higgins misses with a looping right.
Carrow throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Higgins swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Carrow counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Carrow fails to land the takedown.
Higgins misses with a head kick.
Riley Higgins is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Nice takedown defense from Higgins. No joy for Carrow on that attempt.
Riley Higgins has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of James Carrow.
Higgins throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
Higgins punishes Carrow's body with a nice straight punch.
Carrow misses with a takedown attempt - Higgins sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Higgins throws a head kick that misses.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Carrow uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Higgins.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Riley Higgins will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Higgins thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Carrow if he has to take too many more of those.
Higgins buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Carrow circles away from the clinch attempt.
Higgins scores with a nice head shot.
Higgins sizes up Carrow with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Carrow lands a jab to Higgins's midsection.
Higgins throws a left and a right that both miss

and Carrow counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Carrow missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Carrow wants to take a breather but Higgins is having none of it.
Higgins is trying is best to control the position here.

Carrow is trying to work for a kimura but Higgins is defending well.
Higgins avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Carrow.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Carrow not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Carrow misses with a head shot. Higgins uses the momentum to regain guard.

Carrow drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Higgins manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Carrow has Higgins in his guard.

Carrow throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Carrow trying to control the position.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Carrow lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Higgins!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Carrow scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Higgins wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
Higgins in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.

Carrow looking to secure an arm triangle but Higgins defends it well.
Carrow unloads with some shots from mount but Higgins bucks and avoids them well.
Higgins is really trying hard to get back to his feet.
Carrow lands a big shot there that rocks Higgins but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Carrow working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Higgins blocking the ground and pound.

Carrow goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Higgins is on top in guard.
Higgins wants to control from the top but Carrow keeps moving.
Carrow tries to land a sweep but no joy.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Carrow looking for a guillotine here but Higgins defends easily.
Carrow looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Higgins puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
The fighters are battling for position here. Carrow manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Higgins postures up.
Carrow trying to strike off his back.
James Carrow has got the better of the ground game so far.
Carrow can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Higgins controls the pace.

Carrow is working an open guard so Higgins takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Higgins lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Higgins lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Higgins tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Carrow paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Higgins looks to land a right hand but Carrow moved out of range.
Higgins pulls out of a head kick attempt.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Carrow chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Higgins can pounce on him.
Higgins does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Higgins throws a quick inside leg kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James Carrow 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. This is the final round!

Carrow slips a jab and a cross from Higgins.
Carrow throws an overhand right that lands on Higgins's shoulder, as Higgins tries to avoid the shot.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Higgins.
A left lands for Carrow.
Higgins falls off balance throwing a combination
and Carrow counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Higgins swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Carrow counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Carrow moves out of range as Higgins throws a body kick.
Carrow's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Higgins throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Higgins throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Higgins dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Higgins chopping away at his opponent's legs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Carrow throws a front kick aimed at Higgins's knee but Higgins avoids it well.
Higgins throws a sloppy head kick
and Carrow counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Carrow ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Carrow avoids the head kick by Higgins.
Carrow takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
A head kick from Higgins lands but Carrow takes it in his stride.
Higgins throws a low kick but it's checked well by Carrow.
Carrow checks the leg kick.
Higgins has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Carrow finds it's way round the side to connect with Higgins's head.
No luck for Carrow with that takedown attempt.
Carrow takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Higgins lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Higgins is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Higgins connects with an inside leg kick.
Higgins looks to land a right hand but Carrow moved out of range.
Higgins misses the jab.
Higgins loads up on a big right hand but Carrow slips the punch.
Carrow looks to land a right hand but Higgins moved out of range.
Carrow scores with a sloppy right hand. Higgins should have avoided that one.
Higgins throws a leg kick which misses Carrow's front leg but catches the back leg as Carrow tries to avoid it.
Riley Higgins is winning the standup battle so far.
Carrow throws out a loose jab but Higgins uses good head movement to avoid it.
Higgins throws out a loose jab but Carrow uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Higgins scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Higgins misses with a head kick.
Carrow swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Higgins counters with a good low kick that Carrow was not able to check.
Higgins checks a low kick from Carrow.
Higgins throws a head kick that Carrow semi-blocks.
Carrow uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Higgins.
Higgins misses with a kick to the body.

Carrow scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Carrow not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Carrow not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Carrow wants to free his trapped foot but Higgins is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Carrow lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Carrow wants to pass the guard but Higgins is defending well.
Carrow is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Higgins avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Carrow.
Carrow throwing shots but Higgins is blocking nicely.
Higgins keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Higgins keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Carrow wants to pass to mount but Higgins is defending the position.
Higgins is looking to escape.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Riley Higgins.
I think Higgins 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 Jorge Garcia scores the fight 27:30
Judge Joseph Jones scores the fight 29:29
Judge Bruno Lombardi scores the fight 28:30

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... James Carrow!