PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between James House (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Nick Pederson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Pederson is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Avenged Sevenfold - Natural Born Killer. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

House
vs
Pederson

173 cm
22
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

170 cm
23
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Cuts easily

Powerful takedowns
Basic striking
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, James House!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Nick Pederson!
The judges for this bout are Bruno Hogan, Donatello Bradman and Eliza Hachem.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
House misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

House looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Pederson!
House wants to control the pace but Pederson is squirming around nicely.
Pederson blocking the ground and pound.
Pederson wants to get back to his feet.

House goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Pederson is on top in guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pederson advances position into side control!
Pederson working the ground and pound.
Pederson tries to score with some ground and pound. House controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Pederson landing a few strikes.
Pederson working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Pederson tries to move to full mount but House actually manages to regain half guard.
Pederson lands strikes from half guard.
House slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pederson distracts House with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Pederson pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. House is keeping the position for now.
Pederson slips nicely into half guard.
The fighters are battling for position here. House manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Pederson postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Pederson throws and elbow that misses. House uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Pederson's guard. Nice move by House!
House wants to pass the guard but Pederson is keeping the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
House wants to control from the top but Pederson keeps moving.

House stands up from guard. Let's bang!

House drives through with a takedown into guard.
House trying to control the position from guard on top but Pederson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
House is breathing heavily.
House wants to stand and escape but instead Pederson has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pederson is looking to work some ground and pound but House has wrist control.
House avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Pederson wants to pass the guard but House is keeping the position.
Pederson working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Pederson tries to free his leg and advance position but House is retaining full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
House looking to control.
Pederson postures up in House's guard and throws a big left but House blocks it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Nick Pederson will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Pederson misses with a takedown

and House counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
House trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
House connects with a couple of short punches.
Pederson is looking to stand back up... there's a bit of a scramble and House dives into side control.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Pederson can do anything to dispel that myth.

House is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Pederson is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

House swings around for an armbar but Pederson sees it coming a mile off and turns beautifully into House's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pederson stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. House swivels though and keeps the full guard.
House controls Pederson momentarily but Pederson frees himself.
House is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Pederson is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.

That's two 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.
Pederson pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. House is keeping the position for now.
Pederson is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Pederson throws a strike but House rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
House forces his way into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

House wants to work for an arm triangle but Pederson is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.

Pederson is defending against the submission attempts here by House.
Pederson looks like he's trying to stand up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
House missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

House is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Pederson defends it well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James House dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

House fails with a takedown attempt.

House fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Pederson, pushing him back against the cage.
Pederson goes for a takedown in the clinch but House prevents it.
House looking for a takedown.
Pederson prevents the takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for James House. That's going to take a lot out of him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Pederson has clasped his hands together around House's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
House is trying to control Pederson's posture but Pederson avoids it.
House is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Pederson off and has taken his back!

That's one minute gone in the round.

House looking for the RNC.

Pederson defends a prolonged rear naked choke attempt and turns nicely into his opponent's guard.
House looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Pederson with a nice head shot there.
Pederson missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Pederson makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Pederson lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
House is trying to control the position but Pederson postures up.
Pederson lands a couple of decent looking shots.
House is trying to control the position but Pederson postures up.
Pederson pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. House is keeping the position for now.
Pederson working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of House's head.
House looking to hit a scissor sweep but Pederson is one step ahead there.
Pederson throws a big right hand that misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pederson keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of House's head.
Pederson sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed House's guard.
Pederson is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
A nice elbow there by Pederson.
Pederson landing strikes from the mount.
House taking shots to the head.
House tries to get back to half guard but can't.
A nice elbow there by Pederson.
Pederson breaks from House's wrist control and lands an elbow.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pederson lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Pederson cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
House is trying to escape the mount.
Pederson with shots to the head and body - House looks very uncomfortable down there.
House manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Pederson not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
House wants to get back to his feet.
Pederson is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Pederson working House over with strikes.

And that's the end of the fight!
Nick Pederson comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Pederson has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Bruno Hogan scores the fight 28:29
Judge Donatello Bradman scores the fight 28:29
Judge Eliza Hachem scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Nick Pederson!