PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Ricky Sparks (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Firus Williams (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Williams is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Fuel-Hemorrhage. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Sparks
vs
Williams

179 cm
28
165 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

178 cm
25
165 lbs
5 - 4 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter striker
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Counter striker
Knockout power

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 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Ricky Sparks!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Firus Williams!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Yamamoto, Kenichi Hosakawa and Yukihiro Shimada.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Williams moves out of range as Sparks strikes.

Sparks closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Williams quickly recovers to half guard.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Sparks is taking a breather. Williams says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Sparks thows a huge punch but Williams dodges it nicely.
Williams moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Sparks trying to control the position from guard on top but Williams is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Sparks is fighting to break Williams's control of his arms but Williams is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Sparks wants to control from the top but Williams keeps moving.
Williams is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sparks missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Williams manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Sparks manages to get himself to full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Williams tries to free his leg and advance position but Sparks is retaining full guard.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Ricky Sparks wasn't doing enough on the ground.
A swing and a miss from Sparks.
Williams displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Sparks throws out the jab.
Sparks throws a shot from downtown. Williams moves away and avoids it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sparks misses with a right hand
and Williams counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Sparks is lucky that one didn't land flush.

Sparks scores a takedown into full mount!
Sparks throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Sparks avoids the attempt from Williams to control.
Sparks landing strikes, looking to finish!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Williams tries to reverse the position but Sparks maintains control.
Williams is bucking up trying to escape but Sparks cracks him with another couple of good strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sparks trying to control but Williams is having none of it.
Williams is trying to escape the mount.
Williams regains half guard.

Sparks looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Sparks not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Williams wants to control but Sparks is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Sparks thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Williams's head.
Williams trying to control here.
Sparks lands strikes from half guard.
Williams moves into full guard.
Williams bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Sparks's guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Williams is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ricky Sparks dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Sparks misses with an uppercut. Williams saw that one coming.
Sparks loads up on a big right hand but Williams slips the punch.
Williams pulls out of a head kick attempt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Williams moves out of range as Sparks strikes.
Sparks throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sparks missing with a left hand there. Williams was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Williams throws a sloppy head kick and Sparks moves out of range easily.
Sparks swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.

Sparks drives through with a takedown into guard.
Williams keeping moving, preventing Sparks from controlling successfully.
Sparks working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Sparks trying to control but Williams is working from the bottom.
Sparks is fighting to break Williams's control of his arms but Williams is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sparks trying to control but Williams is working from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Ricky Sparks wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Williams throws a head kick but Sparks moves out of range.

Williams drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Williams stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Sparks swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sparks controls Williams momentarily but Williams frees himself.

We're going to have a standup here because Ricky Sparks wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Williams looks to land a body kick but Sparks moved away.
Both fighters are looking to counter, which isn't making for the most exciting fight in the world.

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.
Williams bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.

Sparks gets a double leg takedown into Williams's guard.
Sparks slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Sparks missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Sparks trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Sparks throws an elbow that misses. Williams uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Sparks's guard. Nice move by Williams!
Williams trying to control but Sparks is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Sparks stuffs the takedown.
Sparks stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Sparks wants it to stay on the feet.
Williams jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Williams misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Williams ducks under a wild hook from Sparks.

Sparks looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sparks slips a nice elbow through Williams's hands, connecting with Williams's forehead.
Sparks is just content to waste time from the top position. Williams takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.
Sparks working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Williams's head.
Sparks in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Sparks throwing strikes but missing.
Sparks trying to control the position from guard on top but Williams is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Sparks in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Williams trying to control the position.

Sparks has gone for a leg lock! Williams slips out almost immediately though and dives into Sparks's guard.

Williams stands up and waves to Sparks to follow him.
A telegraphed right hand from Sparks misses the target.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fighters circling - Sparks throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Williams pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Williams.
Sparks takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Horrible takedown by Williams or perhaps it was just good defense by Sparks which made him look bad.
Ricky Sparks has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Firus Williams.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Williams shoots for a takedown but Sparks saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Williams shoots for a takedown but Sparks saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Williams slips a jab from Sparks.
Williams throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Sparks misses with a looping right.
Firus Williams has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Ricky Sparks is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Sparks misses with a straight left.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ricky Sparks showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Sparks 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 Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 30:27
Judge Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 30:27
Judge Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ricky Sparks!