PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Michael Angelo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Aaron Gardner (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gardner comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Stavesacre - Minuteman kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Aaron Gardner has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Angelo
vs
Gardner

168 cm
24
156 lbs
8 - 6 - 1

163 cm
27
161 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

Decent wrestler
Solid boxing
Experienced

Good wrestler
Counter striker
Knockout power

Milwaukee's Best 160 -$100 SALE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 6 - 1, fighting out of New York, Michael Angelo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Aaron Gardner!
The judges for this bout are Joseph Jones, David Schapiro and Alyssa Summers.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Angelo is looking to clinch but Gardner is avoiding it.
No luck for Gardner with that takedown attempt.
Angelo lands with a nice combination. Gardner backs away looking to recover.

It looks like Aaron Gardner has been cut.
Angelo blocks a jab.

Angelo has closed the distance and engaged Gardner in a clinch.
Angelo tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Gardner swings wildly with an uppercut but Angelo uses good head movement to avoid it.
Angelo lands a knee to the head.
Gardner managing to block the knees to the body from Angelo.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Gardner manages to break the clinch.
Gardner looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Angelo is fending him off so far but Gardner persists. Nope, Angelo circles away and we're back to standing.
The fight stays on the outside here - Angelo looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Gardner throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Angelo sees it coming and avoids it easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Gardner shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Gardner stops Angelo from getting back to his feet.
Gardner sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Angelo defending well though.
Angelo blocking the ground and pound attempt from Gardner.
Gardner missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Angelo is looking for a sweep. Gardner is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gardner thows a huge punch but Angelo dodges it nicely.
Gardner thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Angelo's head.
Gardner is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Gardner is trying to control the action in half guard but Angelo is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

Angelo kicks off Gardner and gets to his feet.

Gardner darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Gardner wants to lay and pray for a moment but Angelo keeps working.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gardner sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Angelo defending well though.
Gardner missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Gardner seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Gardner not doing much here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gardner works his way into full mount!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gardner postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Angelo looks a forlorn figure.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Poor strikes thrown by Gardner there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Aaron Gardner dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Aaron Gardner's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Angelo misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Gardner throws a right and a left that both miss.
Gardner checks a low kick from Angelo.

Angelo moves into the clinch.
Gardner leaning his opponent against the cage.
Angelo creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Gardner will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Angelo up against the cage.
Gardner is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Angelo is keeping busy.
Gardner dodges an elbow strike from Angelo.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Angelo creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Angelo throws a knee to the head but misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Angelo tries to land a knee to the head but Gardner blocks with his arms.
Gardner blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Angelo lands a damaging elbow.
Gardner looking to stall.
Gardner is trying to slow the pace down but that's a couple of times in a row that he's tried to get underhooks and Angelo has denied him.
Angelo gets underhooks to prevent Gardner's takedown attempt.
Angelo lands a damaging elbow.
Gardner takes a knee right on the jaw!
Angelo creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Gardner is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Angelo looking to throw knees to the head but Gardner is blocking nicely.
Angelo tries a knee to the head but Gardner blocks it.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Gardner.
Gardner throws a punch but it's blocked by Angelo.
The referee is keeping an eye on Gardner - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Aaron Gardner.
Gardner fails to land with a series of punches.
Angelo tries to clinch up.
Angelo tries to clinch there but Gardner circles away.
A head kick misses from Angelo.
Gardner shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Angelo sprawls well. Angelo wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Gardner gets slowly back to his feet.
Gardner chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Angelo can pounce on him.
A combination from Gardner does no damage.
Angelo throws a sloppy head kick and Gardner moves out of range easily.
Angelo lands with a kick to the temple. Gardner shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Angelo lands with a kick to the temple. Gardner shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Gardner misses the jab.

Angelo takes the fight into the clinch.
Angelo scores with a knee to the head.
Angelo lands an elbow inside.
Gardner holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Gardner blocks an elbow strike from Angelo.
Gardner wants to take the fight to the mat but Angelo manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Michael Angelo has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Aaron Gardner.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Angelo with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Angelo gets underhooks to prevent Gardner's takedown attempt.
Angelo misses with an elbow strike.
Angelo throws an elbow but it misses.
Angelo with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Angelo throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Gardner blocks it with crossed arms.
Gardner misses with a short punch on the inside.
Gardner drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Angelo gets the underhooks and prevents it.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Angelo throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Gardner takes an elbow to the temple.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Angelo throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Gardner blocks an elbow strike.
Angelo trying to land knees to the body.
Gardner blocks an elbow strike.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Gardner.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Michael Angelo dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Aaron Gardner'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. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Gardner misses with a double jab

and Angelo moves into the clinch.
Angelo tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Angelo throws a knee to the head but misses.
Angelo connects with a knee to the head.
Gardner wants to stall.
Angelo throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Gardner blocks it with crossed arms.
Angelo lands a nice elbow.
Angelo misses with an elbow over the top.
Gardner trying to stall but Angelo improves his position.

Gardner works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Gardner has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Gardner pushing down on Angelo's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Gardner keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gardner not landing any meaningful shots this time.

Gardner is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Angelo is just riding it out for now. Gardner eventually gives up the hold.
Gardner throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gardner controlling the pace.
Gardner seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Angelo does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Gardner scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Gardner thows a huge punch but Angelo dodges it nicely.
Gardner looks to land a strike but Angelo avoids it nicely and regains full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gardner trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Gardner slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Gardner in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Gardner wants to control from the top but Angelo keeps moving.
Aaron Gardner has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Aaron Gardner has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Gardner swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Gardner moves away from the strike by Angelo.
Michael Angelo seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Angelo moves into the clinch successfully.
Angelo tries a knee to the head but Gardner blocks it.
Gardner is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Angelo is keeping busy.
Angelo trying to land knees to the body.
Angelo lands an elbow inside that Gardner shrugs off.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Angelo connects with a nasty looking knee right to Gardner's face.

That has opened up Aaron Gardner's cut even more.
Angelo tries to land knees in the clinch but Gardner avoids the damage to the body.
Gardner misses with a short punch on the inside.
Angelo using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Gardner has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

And that's the end of the fight!
Aaron Gardner comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Gardner 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 Joseph Jones scores the fight 28:29
Judge David Schapiro scores the fight 28:29
Judge Alyssa Summers scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Aaron Gardner!
An out of breath Aaron Gardner thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.