PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Joe Miller (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Samuel Axe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). This should be fireworks!

Miller
vs
Axe

190 cm
22
220 lbs
3 - 4 - 0

195 cm
19
240 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Joe Miller!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Samuel Axe!
The judges for this bout are Yves DeLean, Alec Ball and Gregory Folan.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Axe scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Axe with a lazy takedown attempt
and Miller connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Axe goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Axe tries for a takedown but Miller circles away easily
and Miller connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Nice sprawl there from Axe as Miller shoots in.
Miller shoots and misses

and Axe counters with a nice double leg into half guard.

Miller is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Axe pulls his head out easily.
Miller tries to get to full guard but Axe has control of the leg.
Miller is pressing down on Axe's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Miller looking to control.
Miller is controlling Axe's posture.

Miller looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

Miller escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Axe gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Miller is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Axe wanted to stand there but Miller had control of the position.
Axe must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

Miller working for a triangle but Axe defends it easily.
Axe stopping the sweep attempt from Miller.
Axe trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

Axe gets to his feet. Miller looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Miller shoots and misses

and Axe counters with a single leg into guard. Miller didn't expect that.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Joe Miller. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Axe stands and steps away. Miller gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.

Axe shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Axe showed some decent athleticism there.
Axe wants to get back to his feet.
Axe wants to pass to mount but Miller is defending the position.
Axe prevents Miller from standing back up.
Miller trying to control but Axe postures up.
Axe seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Axe wants to lay and pray for a moment but Miller keeps working.
Axe tries to stand but his arm is trapped.
Miller is not content to let Axe control the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Axe is trying to get back to his feet now but his leg is trapped.

Samuel Axe has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Axe is trying hard to land a takedown here. Miller sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Axe throws a sloppy head kick and Miller moves out of range easily.
Miller avoids a punch combination nicely.

Axe shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Axe showed some decent athleticism there.
Axe sitting and controlling from the half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Axe trying to pass the guard but Miller defending well.
Well, if Axe is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Samuel Axe wasn't active enough on the ground.
Axe throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Miller's waist but Miller gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Axe off to one side.
Axe scores with a jab. Miller acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Axe moves to clinch but Miller breaks away

and Miller decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Axe's guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Samuel Axe dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Axe closes the distance and clinches.
Miller tries for a takedown. No joy.
Miller changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Axe fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Axe doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Miller counters with a takedown into side control.
Axe gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Axe is looking to improve his position.

Axe manages to escape and get back to his feet!
Miller shoots and misses
and Axe counters with a two punch combo.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Joe Miller. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Axe displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.

Axe throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Miller tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Axe is in Miller's guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Axe wants to pass the guard but Miller is keeping the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Miller wants to sweep but no luck.

Axe stands up and waves to Miller to follow him.
Miller misses with a takedown

and Axe counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Axe has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Miller is proving hard to escape from.
Miller not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Miller has a closed guard, preventing Axe from standing up.
Axe missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Axe is stalling in the full guard.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.

Miller throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Axe escapes and throws Miller's legs to the side, diving into side control!
Miller tries to buck Axe off but Axe is having none of it.

Axe stands up and beckons Miller to his feet.
Axe scores with a push kick.
Miller takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
A right-left combo lands from Axe.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Axe lands with a hook. Miller tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Miller walks into a left hand.
Axe is looking to clinch.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Axe!
Axe tries to clinch there but Miller circles away.
Axe changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Samuel Axe seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Axe tries to clinch up.

Axe darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Axe is looking to advance position but Miller won't allow it.
Miller is looking to get full guard. It looks like he might be successful but at the last minute Axe jumps into side control!

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Axe decides to stand back up. Axe steps back and let's Miller get back to his feet.

Axe darts in and clinches Miller up against the cage.
The referee calls for Axe to work.
Axe with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Axe is trying to force a seperation but Miller has the dominant position.
Axe wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Axe is trying to push Miller away but Miller has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Axe dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.

Axe successfully pulls guard.

Miller drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Axe manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Miller has Axe in his guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Miller keeping full guard, as Axe tries to pass.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Samuel Axe showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Axe shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Miller is trying to defend but Axe finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.

Miller is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Axe pulls his head out easily.
Miller wants to get back to full guard but Axe has mounted him!
Axe sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Miller is working to get back to half guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Axe can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Miller is looking to escape.
Axe is dominating on the ground here - he's now on his opponent's back, looking to sink in the hooks. Miller is in real trouble.
The crowd hopeful of a finish here - Axe's supporters are on their feet, screaming for him to go for the rear naked choke.
Miller tries to escape the position.
Axe punches the canvas rather than the man.
Axe controls the position.

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.
Miller is trying to break free.
The crowd hopeful of a finish here - Axe's supporters are on their feet, screaming for him to go for the rear naked choke.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.

Axe has his opponent's back and is working for the choke.
Miller looking very determined here, making life difficult for Axe.
I really don't envy Miller right now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Miller is working hard here to advance position.
I would not like to be Miller right now.

Axe is working hard for the rear naked choke here.
Axe controlling the position well here. Miller rolled but Axe kept the hooks locked in and stayed in the dominant position.
Miller is really stuck here.
Will Axe go for the finish here or will he try and keep control of the position?
Samuel Axe is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

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.
Axe has the hooks sunk in and you can see the will to fight slowly draining out of Miller's body.
Miller is keeping busy.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Samuel Axe hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Miller moves out of range as Axe throws a body kick.
Axe fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Miller looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.

Axe shoots in and gets a takedown into Miller's guard.
Axe wants to get up but he can't break Miller's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Axe is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Joe Miller has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Miller working for a triangle but Axe defends it easily.

And that's the end of the fight!
Samuel Axe comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Axe 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 Yves DeLean scores the fight 27:30
Judge Alec Ball scores the fight 27:30
Judge Gregory Folan scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Samuel Axe!