PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Blake Steadhem (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Michael Rourk (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Well, I have no idea who's going to take this one!

Steadhem
vs
Rourk

181 cm
23
180 lbs
7 - 4 - 0

190 cm
21
176 lbs
6 - 4 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
KO power

Powerful takedowns
Counter striker
Granite chin

[CBK] Smashwear Clothing

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 7 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Blake Steadhem!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Michael Rourk!
The judges for this bout are Kenichi Hosakawa, Shigeki Fujiwara and Yuuki Gou.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Steadhem with a jab.

Rourk closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Steadhem did well to prevent Rourk getting side control.
Steadhem controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.
Rourk throwing shots but Steadhem is blocking nicely.
Steadhem is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Rourk's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Rourk's back!

Steadhem is staying calm and holding on to the back position, whilst working on a rear naked choke. Rourk is defending well though. Steadhem let's go of the attempt for now.

Steadhem working for a choke but Rourk reverses nicely into Steadhem 's guard.
Steadhem keeping full guard, as Rourk tries to pass.

Steadhem escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Rourk gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rourk is looking to work some ground and pound but Steadhem has wrist control.
Rourk trying to control the position from guard on top but Steadhem is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Rourk works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Rourk passes to full mount!

Rourk wants to finish this one by submission but Steadhem is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Rourk.
Steadhem tries to reverse the position but Rourk maintains control.
Rourk tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Rourk's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Rourk looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Steadhem tries to lock up and control but Rourk gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Steadhem is looking to improve his position but Rourk isn't that keen on the idea.
Rourk thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.

Rourk is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Steadhem has managed to escape the submission attempt.
Steadhem keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Steadhem tries to hold on but Rourk postures up.

Rourk is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Steadhem to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Steadhem shrugs it off.
Rourk dominating with strikes here.
Rourk looking to control but Steadhem is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Rourk scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Steadhem?
Rourk avoids the attempt from Steadhem to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Rourk looking to secure an arm triangle but Steadhem defends it well.
Steadhem is squirming around, avoiding Rourk's attempts to control the action.
Steadhem is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Rourk throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Steadhem tries to lock up and control but Rourk gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Rourk trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Rourk controlling from the full mount.
Steadhem is looking to improve his position but Rourk isn't that keen on the idea.

That's five minutes gone in the round.
Rourk wants to control the pace but Steadhem is squirming around nicely.
Steadhem is working to get back to half guard.
Rourk looking to control and managing it successfully.
Steadhem is squirming around, avoiding Rourk's attempts to control the action.

That's six minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Rourk controlling the position easily from mount.

Michael Rourk has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Steadhem clobbers Rourk with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Steadhem looks to score with a jab to the body but Rourk is just out of range.
Nice shot by Steadhem.
Rourk takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Steadhem scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Nice sprawl there from Steadhem as Rourk shoots in.
Rourk takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Rourk tries to score a power double leg takedown but Steadhem sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Rourk somewhat.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Steadhem.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.

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

Steadhem working for a triangle but Rourk defends it easily.
Rourk looking to pass the guard.
Rourk wants to control from the top but Steadhem keeps moving.

Steadhem throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Steadhem wants to sweep but no luck.
Rourk wants to control from the top but Steadhem keeps moving.

That's eight minutes gone in the round.

Steadhem throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Rourk escapes and throws Steadhem's legs to the side, diving into side control!

Rourk is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Steadhem is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Rourk tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Rourk trying to control the position but Steadhem is working away.
Steadhem sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Steadhem blocking the ground and pound attempt from Rourk.
Rourk is thwarting Steadhem's attempts to control the position.
Steadhem gets full guard.

That's nine minutes gone in the round.

Steadhem working for a triangle but Rourk defends it easily.

Rourk got a little sloppy there for a moment and Steadhem has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Rourk has managed to get both his arms back between Steadhem's legs - danger averted.
Steadhem is breathing heavily.
Rourk not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Rourk stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Steadhem swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Steadhem keeping moving, preventing Rourk from controlling successfully.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Steadhem is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Rourk is controlling him.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Michael Rourk dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Steadhem misses with a body shot.
Steadhem throws a sloppy body shot

and Rourk counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Rourk.
Steadhem keeping moving, preventing Rourk from controlling successfully.

Rourk avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Rourk wants to control from the top but Steadhem keeps moving.
Rourk passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Michael Rourk has got the better of the ground game so far.
Steadhem struggling a bit here.
Steadhem is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Rourk asserts his dominance and retains side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rourk wants to control but Steadhem is keeping him busy.
You can see the frustration on Steadhem's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

Rourk has hold of Steadhem's arm here. He's working for an Americana. It looks like he might have it! Steadhem tries to escape but he's just digging himself in deeper - Rourk cranks the arm and Steadhem screams in pain! The ref makes a decision and ends the fight before the tap - no complains from Steadhem, who is just happy to have his arm attached to his body.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:59 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Americana). Michael Rourk!