PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Mark Early (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gordie Randal (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gordie Randal has the eye of the tiger tonight.

Early
vs
Randal

185 cm
22
180 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

187 cm
19
178 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Likes ground

Fight 4 America
Hulk Supplementz

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 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Mark Early!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Gordie Randal!
The judges for this bout are George Francis, Gwen Towbar and Wesley Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Early misses with a head kick.
Early moves out of range of the strikes.

Randal looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Randal looking to sit in guard and control but Early gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Early won't allow Randal to sweep him here.
Randal is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Early is defending against the submission attempts here by Randal.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Early is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Randal's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Randal's back!

Early is persistently looking for the submission but Randal is defending it well.
Early biding his time, looking for the opening.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Randal is defending well here and trying to improve his position.
Randal turns into Early and is now in his guard.
Randal trying to control but Early is working from the bottom.
Randal stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Early swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Randal looking to sit in guard and control but Early gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Early scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Early pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Randal is keeping the position for now.

Randal is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Randal looks gassed!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Early postures up.
Randal can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Early controls the pace.
Early trying to control the position from guard on top but Randal is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Randal looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Early passes into half guard.

Randal looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Early takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Randal is trying to get back to full guard.
Randal tries to regain full guard. Instead though, Early has advanced to mount. Uh oh.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Randal can't escape the position.
Early pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Randal working to try and regain half guard.
Randal regains half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Randal trying to control but Early postures up.
Randal is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Randal is looking to get full guard. It looks like he might be successful but at the last minute Early jumps into side control!
Randal is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Early's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Randal gets full guard.
Early passes Randal's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Randal manages to get to full guard.
Randal looking to hit a scissor sweep but Early is one step ahead there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Gordie Randal will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Randal scores a takedown into full mount!
Early is looking to get to half guard.
Randal wants to take his opponent's back but he's not managed it.
Early bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Randal thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.

Randal throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Early is looking to work some ground and pound but Randal has wrist control.

Early drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Early jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Randal working a defensive guard here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Randal looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Early puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Randal is looking for a sweep. Early is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Early trying to control the pace.
Randal is looking for a sweep. Early is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Early slows the pace down in half guard.
Randal is looking for a sweep. Early is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Randal works his way to full guard. Good work.

Randal looking for a guillotine here but Early defends easily.
Randal is breathing heavily.
Randal is trying to keep Early in close.

That's two 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.
Early 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.

Early gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Mark Early is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Early fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

Early decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Early prevents Randal from improving his position.

Early stands, ready to strike. The ref makes him back up and allows Randal to get to his feet.

Randal feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.

Randal drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Early dives on top into guard.
Early looking to pass the guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Early throwing strikes but missing.

Randal throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Early escapes and throws Randal's legs to the side, diving into side control!
Randal struggling a bit here.
Mark Early overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Randal is trying to improve his position.
Early working the ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Randal is trying to buck Early off.
Randal manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Randal on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Randal wants to get back to full guard.
Randal trying to control but Early postures up.
Early is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Early looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Randal with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Early passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Randal!
Randal in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Randal is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mark Early dominated that second round.
That's time! Early's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Randal fails with the takedown

and Early counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Randal is looking to improve his position.
Randal makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Randal.

Randal had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Early is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Randal Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Early's back instead.
Early manages to reverse the position and now he's in Randal's guard. Nice work there by Early.
Early tries to free his leg and advance position but Randal is retaining full guard.
Randal looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Early puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Randal is staying active underneath Early, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Randal tries to roll over but Early keeps him under control.
Early performing his best blanket impression for a moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Early wants to control but Randal is keeping him busy.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Randal manages to escape and get back to his feet!

Early feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Early pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Randal is keeping the position for now.

Randal looking for a guillotine here but Early defends easily.
Randal wants to control the position but Early says "no thanks buddy" and passes to half guard.
Randal wants to control but Early is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Randal is pressing down on Early's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Early trying to control but Randal is working from the bottom.
Early stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Randal swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Randal looking to control.
Early working some strikes from top position.
Randal wants to sweep but no luck.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Early feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Early controls from within his opponent's guard.
Early stopping the sweep attempt from Randal.
Randal wants to stand and escape but Early is having none of it.
Early sitting in guard here, content to control.
Early in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Early working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Randal's head.
Randal keeping full guard, as Early tries to pass.

Randal is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

Randal working for a triangle but Early defends it easily.
Early postures up.
Early stays in close to Randal's body and controls the position.

Randal has his foot on Early's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Early works his way back into a safe position though.

That's four 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.

Randal is looking for a triangle but Early pushes his legs off easily.
Early controls from within his opponent's guard.

Randal is working an open guard so Early takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Randal doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Early counters with a left and a right that stings Randal.
Randal shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Early counters with a slapping leg kick.
Mark Early has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Gordie Randal.
Randal shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Early counters by moving into the clinch.
Randal tries to pull guard but Early won't allow it.

Early decides to pull guard.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Early is on top in guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Randal is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mark Early showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Early 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 George Francis scores the fight 29:28
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 29:28
Judge Wesley Smith scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mark Early!