PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Lala John (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and David Matthews (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). David Matthews is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

John
vs
Matthews

172 cm
22
175 lbs
0 - 0 - 1

174 cm
18
170 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Determined

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 0 - 0 - 1, fighting out of St Petersburg, Lala John!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, David Matthews!
The judges for this bout are Ivan Kurochkin, Valeri Chadov and Aleksandr Martynov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
John tries to clinch up but Matthews circles away and keeps his distance.
Matthews fails to land the takedown.
John fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Matthews shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and John counters with a big head kick but Matthews shrugs it off.

Matthews is rocked!
The fight stays on the outside here - Matthews looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Matthews is still on wobbly legs! Can John finish him?
John lands with a kick to the temple. Matthews shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"

Matthews closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming John to the mat! John manages to get full guard.
Matthews throwing strikes from guard but John blocks nicely.
Matthews seems to have recovered his senses.
John pulls Matthews in close to prevent any damage.
Matthews is pushing down on John's leg trying to pass to half guard. John is fighting to maintain full guard but Matthews has managed to sneak the leg through.
Matthews looks gassed!

John has one foot on Matthews's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Matthews tries for a takedown but John circles away easily
and John counters with a head kick.
Lala John has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of David Matthews.
Matthews circles away from the clinch attempt.
John throws a sloppy head kick and Matthews moves out of range easily.
John lands a high kick to the side of Matthews's head that stuns him and send him tumbling down to the canvas! John dives into guard, looking to finish.

It looks like David Matthews has been cut.
John is pushing down on Matthews's leg trying to pass to half guard. Matthews is fighting to maintain full guard but John has managed to sneak the leg through.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

John gets to his feet - back to striking we go!

Matthews gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
John is trying to break free.
John tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Matthews smiles and moves away.

John darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
John is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
John seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.
Matthews works his way to full guard. Good work.
John has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Matthews throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.

Matthews looking for a guillotine here but John defends easily.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Matthews tries to land a sweep but no joy.
John throws a big right hand that misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Matthews is trying to control the position but John postures up.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Matthews has an active guard here but John has managed to pass into half guard.
Matthews is trying to maintain the position but John is very close to passing his half guard.
John tries to stand but his arm is trapped.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
John is looking to clinch.
Matthews fails with the takedown

and John holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

John escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
John throws a head kick but Matthews moves out of range.

Matthews decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Matthews drops an elbow to the side of John's head.
John is trying to control but Matthews manages to pass to mount!
Matthews looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.

Matthews looking for a guillotine from mount but John is having none of it.
Matthews controlling his opponent.
Matthews working away from the top, dropping strikes.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Matthews lands a nice shot to the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Lala John will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on David Matthews's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Matthews bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
John wants to get back to his feet.

Matthews looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
John wants to get back to his feet.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
John tries to improve position but can't.
John is working hard here to advance position.
David Matthews has got the better of the ground game so far.
John is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Matthews on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by John. John obviously looking to wear him down.
John lands a jab-cross combination.
Lala John is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
John chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Matthews shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and John counters with a nice body kick.
Matthews circles away from the clinch attempt.
Matthews fails in his attempt to clinch.
Matthews misses with a takedown
and John counters with a nice body kick.
John tries to clinch but Matthews moves out of range.
John shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Matthews as he avoids it easily.
John connects with a high kick.
John wants to clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
John throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Matthews.
John shoots in for a takedown but Matthews shows good takedown defense.
John shoots and misses

so Matthews counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Lala John. That's going to take a lot out of him.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
John is looking to stand up but Matthews isn't so interested in that idea.
Matthews sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Matthews forces his way into half guard.
Matthews perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Matthews is trying to control the action in half guard but John is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
John is positioning himself well to prevent Matthews advancing to mount.
Matthews stops John from getting back to his feet.
Matthews passes to side control.
John pushes Matthews away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Matthews gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Matthews trying to control the position but John is working away.
John is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.
John regains half guard.
John flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.

That's four 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.
John is trying to stand up here but Matthews is controlling him well.
Matthews seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but John does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
John lands a high kick!
Matthews tries to close the distance and clinch but John swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Matthews tries to clinch but John is having none of it.
John shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Matthews counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Matthews stands up over John, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.

Matthews drops back looking for a leg! John is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and John manages to kick Matthews off! Matthews jumps back into John's guard.
Matthews wants to pass the guard but John is keeping the position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Matthews stands up and waves to John to follow him.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

David Matthews showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on David Matthews's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Matthews shoots in and bounces John off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
John is looking to stand up but Matthews isn't so interested in that idea.

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

John pushes Matthews off and scrambles back to his feet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
John looks to land a combination. Matthews sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.

Matthews shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Matthews won't let John get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.
John is trying to reverse the position but instead Matthews has taken his back - oops!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Matthews missing with strikes.
A lull in the action here.
John holding both Matthews 's hands and preventing any damage.
John tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!

John somehow manages to escape the mount and get back to his feet!
John clinches but Matthews breaks the clinch

and Matthews counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Matthews.

Matthews ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Matthews no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Matthews can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as John controls the pace.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
John wanted to stand there but Matthews had control of the position.
Matthews controls John momentarily but John frees himself.
John wants to pass the guard but Matthews is keeping the position.
Matthews trying to control the position.
John wants to get up but he can't break Matthews's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

Matthews scrambles and gets back to his feet.
John throws a sloppy head kick

and Matthews counters with a shoot takedown. John fights it but they end up in guard.
John preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
John keeping moving, preventing Matthews from controlling successfully.
John working a defensive guard but Matthews manages to pass into side control anyway.
John is looking to get back to his feet here but Matthews is keeping cool and he's managed to take John's back.
John looking to stop the rear naked choke attempt by controlling the hands.

John is staying cool under pressure, defending well against the rear naked choke attempt from his opponent.
Matthews thows a huge left but connects with the canvas and not his opponent.

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.
Matthews trying to control momentarily.

Matthews looking for the choke but no joy.

John is looking to stand back up. He's having to work hard to escape but eventually he manages it.
John throws a sloppy head kick and Matthews moves out of range easily.
John with a lazy takedown attempt

and Matthews counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Matthews scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Matthews pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. John is keeping the position for now.
John tries to land a sweep but no joy.

And that's the end of the fight!
David Matthews comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Matthews 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 Ivan Kurochkin scores the fight 28:29
Judge Valeri Chadov scores the fight 28:29
Judge Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... David Matthews!