PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Hairy Bear (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and James House (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Bear
vs
House

180 cm
28
154 lbs
7 - 4 - 0

173 cm
24
148 lbs
4 - 4 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Knockout power

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 7 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Hairy Bear!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, James House!
The judges for this bout are Winston Howard, John Mangel and Summer Carpenter.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Bear moves into range and clinches up with House.
Bear fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Bear jumps guard but House stands there with Bear around his waist. Bear gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Bear tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. House just stands there and leans against the cage.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Hairy Bear. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Bear successfully pulls guard.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
House postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
House tries to free his leg and advance position but Bear is retaining full guard.
House wants to control from the top but Bear keeps moving.

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

Bear throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
House throwing strikes from guard but Bear blocks nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
House trying to control the position from guard on top but Bear is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
House preventing the sweep.
House wants to control from the top but Bear keeps moving.
House looking to pass the guard.
House trying to control but Bear is working from the bottom.
House has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. James House wasn't active enough on the ground.
Some wild striking there from Bear.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
House tries to close the distance and clinch but Bear swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Bear's corner calls for a 1-2. Bear obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.

It looks like James House has been cut.
House misses with a double jab
and Bear cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Hairy Bear seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

House shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
House trying to control the position from guard on top but Bear is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Bear looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
House looking to pass the guard.
House throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
House in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bear trying to keep a closed guard but House is proving a slippery customer.

Bear escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. House gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
House postures up in Bear's guard and throws a big left but Bear blocks it.
House sitting in guard here, content to control.
House missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
House wants to control from the top but Bear keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
House pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Bear is keeping the position for now.

House thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
House wants to control from the top but Bear keeps moving.
House looking to pass the guard.

Bear is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and House defends well.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Bear trying to control the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James House dominated that round.
The cut man is working on James House's cut.
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.

House needs to keep his hands up - Bear had a free shot at his head there.

House manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Bear on his heels. He'll look to pass Bear's guard now, I'm sure.
House looking to pass the guard.

Bear working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because House has passed into half guard!
Bear is trying to control but House manages to pass to mount!
Bear is trying to escape the mount.
Bear tries to hold on but House postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.

House goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Bear is on top in guard.
House controlling the position.
House looking for a sweep. Not yet House, not yet.
Bear wants to pass the guard but House is keeping the position.
House is pulling down on Bear's head to control his posture.

Bear postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! House is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Bear, into his guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
House postures up in Bear's guard and throws a big left but Bear blocks it.
House stands up over Bear, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.

Bear is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

Bear is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
House forces his way into half guard.
House thows a huge punch but Bear dodges it nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bear keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Nice strikes from House there.
House is keen to just control but Bear is a slippery customer.
Bear gets back to full guard.

House thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Bear is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
House stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Bear swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Bear keeping moving, preventing House from controlling successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bear looking to control.
House trying to control the position from guard on top but Bear is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. James House wasn't active enough on the ground.
House fails to land with a series of punches.

House closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Bear did well to prevent House getting side control.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
House stops Bear from getting back to his feet.

House is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
James House has got the better of the ground game so far.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Bear is trying to maintain the position but House is very close to passing his half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James House showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on James House's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Sloppy strikes from Bear. Those never looked like landing.
Bear fails in his attempt to clinch.
The fighters circling - Bear throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Bear throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck House on the side of the head.
House throws a head kick that misses
and Bear counters with a good, hard body kick but House shrugs it off.

House bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
House working the ground and pound but Bear is defending the strikes.
Bear is trying to control House's posture but House avoids it.
Bear is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on House's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.

House is looking for a kimura here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bear controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.
Bear avoiding damage under a succession of punches from House.
House trying to pass the guard but Bear defending well.

Bear is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but House pulls his head out easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

House is looking for a kimura here.
Bear wants to sweep but House has passed to side control!
Bear is trying to improve his position.

House tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no House has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
House in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bear is looking to regain half guard here but House keeps moving and retains side control.

House thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
House lands a decent elbow from side control.

House wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Bear, who protects the arm well.

House is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Bear has escaped the position, nice work there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bear wants to control but House postures up.
House looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Bear is avoiding damage well.

House is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Bear is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.

House thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Bear takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.

And that's the end of the fight!
James House comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got House winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Winston Howard scores the fight 27:30
Judge John Mangel scores the fight 27:30
Judge Summer Carpenter scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... James House!