PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between AJ Harvey (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kasey Ballard (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Harvey kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Dangerzone. The crowd seem to be enjoying Ballard's choice of entrance music: Eye of the Tiger. On his way into the cage it seems that AJ Harvey has been attacked by a crazed fan! It looks like it might have been the just bleed guy! Luckily AJ Harvey seems to be OK! I thought that lunatic was in prison!?

Harvey
vs
Ballard

170 cm
18
210 lbs
7 - 3 - 0

193 cm
18
215 lbs
5 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Powerful

Nature's Edge Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, AJ Harvey!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Kasey Ballard!
The judges for this bout are Damien Edna, Winston Howard and Skip Squint.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ballard stuffs the takedown.

Harvey has managed to clinch.
Harvey jumps guard but Ballard stands there with Harvey around his waist. Harvey gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Harvey tries to pull guard but Ballard holds him up against the cage and eventually Harvey drops back down to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for AJ Harvey. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Ballard has picked Harvey up - he's going for a ride! Ballard dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Harvey tries to get to full guard but Ballard has control of the leg.
Still in half guard, Ballard seems content to control.
Ballard tries to pass to full mount but Harvey defends it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ballard takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Kasey Ballard wasn't active enough on the ground.
Harvey with a poor takedown

and Ballard counters by clinching up.
Harvey is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Ballard is keeping busy.

Ballard ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Ballard no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Harvey prevents Ballard from getting back to his feet.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Ballard can do anything to dispel that myth.
Harvey loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Harvey might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

Ballard is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Harvey is aware though and is defending well.
Ballard 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.
Harvey landing some decent shots from guard.
Harvey really is a fat lump.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Harvey pushes down on Ballard's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Ballard is looking to escape.
Ballard trying to get back to full guard but Harvey takes advantage of the position and moves to full mount!
Ballard is desperately trying to improve his position but Harvey has a good base and remains in mount.
Ballard tries to lock up and control but Harvey gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Harvey lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Ballard really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Harvey. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Ballard is looking to improve his position but Harvey isn't that keen on the idea.
Ballard is squirming around, avoiding Harvey's attempts to control the action.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ballard wants to hold on but Harvey pushes him away.
Harvey content just to control the position here.

Harvey is standing up out of mount! Strange tactic there - he must really want this one on the feet!
Harvey throws a body kick that misses.
Harvey circles away from the clinch attempt.

Harvey closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Ballard did well to prevent Harvey getting side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Harvey trying to control from half guard but Ballard is working away.
Ballard wants to get back to his feet.
Harvey tries to pass the half guard into mount. Ballard knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Ballard is looking to escape.
Ballard has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Harvey is working away from the top position though.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
The fighters are battling for position here. Ballard manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

Ballard isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Harvey stacks Ballard on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Harvey!
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 AJ Harvey will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on AJ Harvey'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.

Harvey has managed to clinch.

Ballard breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Harvey displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Ballard.
Harvey throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Ballard throws a head kick that looked like it stung.

Harvey shoots in and gets a takedown into Ballard's guard.
Ballard looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Harvey wants to stand but Ballard is controlling his posture from full guard.
Ballard working a defensive guard but Harvey passes into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ballard is trying to control but can't.
Ballard keeps control of the position for the meantime.
Harvey thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Ballard's head.

Harvey wants to work for an arm triangle but Ballard is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Harvey tries to pass the half guard into mount. Ballard knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ballard trying to keep hold of his opponent's head but Harvey manages to pass to mount!
Harvey cracks Ballard with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Ballard wants to control but Harvey is having none of it.
Ballard is squirming around, avoiding Harvey's attempts to control the action.
Harvey avoids the attempt from Ballard to control.
Ballard is trying to avoid being dragged into an even worse position than he's already in but Harvey is staying active.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harvey trying to control but Ballard is having none of it.
Ballard is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.
Harvey controlling the pace for now.
Ballard is in a horrible position here. Harvey smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Harvey dominating with strikes here.
AJ Harvey overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Harvey gets to his feet and calls his opponent to stand. Here come the fireworks!
Harvey tries to score a power double leg takedown but Ballard sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Harvey somewhat.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Harvey shoots in for a takedown but Ballard shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Harvey throws a looping overhand right but Ballard ducks down to avoid it.
Harvey misses with a head kick.

Ballard rushes Harvey and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

AJ Harvey dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on AJ Harvey's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! And we move into the final round!

Harvey closes this distance looking for a takedown but Ballard circles away.

Ballard scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Well, if Ballard is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Ballard not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Harvey won't allow Ballard to pass to mount.
Ballard with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Kasey Ballard wasn't active enough on the ground.

Ballard shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Harvey is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ballard tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Harvey wants to hold on but Ballard pushes him away.
Harvey throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
Ballard wants to control the pace but Harvey is squirming around nicely.
Harvey is wriggling around trying to escape.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Harvey squirming around on the bottom, looking to escape.
Harvey is wriggling around trying to escape.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Ballard trying to control but Harvey is having none of it.
Harvey is trying to escape the mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Ballard stands up from the dominant position. He obviously fancies his chances standing.
Ballard lands a high kick!
Ballard scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Harvey doesn't seem bothered though.
Harvey looks to score with a jab to the body but Ballard is just out of range.
Nice sprawl there from Harvey as Ballard shoots in.
Ballard with a lazy takedown attempt

and Harvey counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Ballard's guard now.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Harvey lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Ballard keeping moving, preventing Harvey from controlling successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ballard wants to sweep here but Harvey controlling him for the moment.
Ballard not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Harvey stands and throws Ballard's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Ballard tries to buck Harvey off but Harvey is having none of it.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Ballard is trying to get back to his feet.

And that's the end of the fight!
Kasey Ballard comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Harvey has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Damien Edna scores the fight 29:28
Judge Winston Howard scores the fight 29:28
Judge Skip Squint scores the fight 29:29

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... AJ Harvey!
AJ Harvey very nearly forgot to thank Nature's Edge Nutrition amongst all the excitement of his win but just as the interview came to a close, he screamed their name. Hopefully he'll get a few nice freebies in the mail as a thank you.