PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Conor McCallum (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rylan Gardner (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gardner has chosen Goodtimes as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Conor McCallum has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

McCallum
vs
Gardner

185 cm
23
270 lbs
4 - 3 - 0

191 cm
21
265 lbs
5 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Dangerous knees
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Good gas tank

Steel Terror-Trition: Video Proven 160Q
Steel Terror-Trition: Video Proven 160Q

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Conor McCallum!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Rylan Gardner!
The judges for this bout are Gwen Towbar, Stewart Dunkirk and Daniel Franklin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gardner moves out of range as McCallum strikes.
Gardner avoids a kick to the body.
McCallum stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and McCallum wants it to stay on the feet.
Gardner on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
McCallum throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Gardner takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
McCallum moves in looking to clinch but Gardner pushes him off.
McCallum misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Rylan Gardner seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

McCallum drives through and clinches with Gardner against the cage.
Knees to the body from McCallum.
McCallum misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Gardner.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
McCallum tries to clinch but Gardner is having none of it.
McCallum ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Gardner moves away.
McCallum shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Gardner as he avoids it easily.
McCallum scores with a punch to the head.
McCallum goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
McCallum fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
McCallum keeps Gardner at a distance using the push kick.
McCallum thuds a left hand into Gardner's body.

Gardner shoots in and bounces McCallum off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Gardner trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Gardner trying to control but McCallum is working from the bottom.
Gardner throws a strike but McCallum rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
McCallum wants to control from the top but Gardner keeps moving.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
McCallum forces his way into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
McCallum not landing any meaningful shots this time.
McCallum is looking to advance position but Gardner won't allow it.
McCallum not doing much here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gardner won't allow McCallum to pass to mount.

Conor McCallum has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
McCallum throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
McCallum throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Gardner checks a leg kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Conor McCallum dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

McCallum moves in looking to clinch but Gardner pushes him off.
McCallum keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Gardner uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.

Gardner gets a takedown into half guard.
Gardner misses with a head shot. McCallum uses the momentum to regain guard.
McCallum keeping moving, preventing Gardner from controlling successfully.
Gardner stops McCallum from standing up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gardner trying to control the position from guard on top but McCallum is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Gardner trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Gardner must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
McCallum utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Gardner postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
McCallum wants to stand and escape but Gardner is having none of it.
Gardner in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
McCallum keeping moving, preventing Gardner from controlling successfully.
Gardner won't allow McCallum to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gardner throwing strikes from guard but McCallum blocks nicely.
Gardner scoring with some ground and pound.
Gardner looking to sit in guard and control but McCallum gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
McCallum trying to control the position from guard on top but Gardner is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gardner looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
McCallum dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Gardner keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
McCallum misses the shot to the body.
McCallum works the jab nicely.
Gardner moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
McCallum is looking to wear down Gardner with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

McCallum darts in and clinches Gardner up against the cage.
Gardner looking to slow down the pace here.
McCallum trying to stall but Gardner improves his position.
McCallum tries to land knees in the clinch but Gardner avoids the damage to the body.
McCallum landing knees to the head.

It looks like Rylan Gardner has been cut.
Gardner blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
McCallum using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Gardner has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

Gardner has moved round to his opponent's back and is looking for a suplex! Oh snap! He's tossed McCallum clear over his head and slammed him to the mat!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
McCallum is trying to get back to his feet but Gardner has full control of the position and if anything, McCallum has just worked his way into a worse spot.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
McCallum wriggles onto his back under a barage of strikes.
Gardner looking to finish with strikes here!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rylan Gardner showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Rylan Gardner's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

McCallum tries to close the distance and clinch but Gardner swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Gardner scores with a shot to the body.
McCallum looks to land a right hand but Gardner moved out of range.
McCallum uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Gardner looks to land a left hand but McCallum moved out of range nicely.
Gardner needs to keep his hands up - McCallum had a free shot at his head there.
McCallum slaps away a takedown attempt from Gardner, before circling back to the center of the mat.
McCallum with a hook.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Gardner moves into range and clinches up with McCallum.
Gardner is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but McCallum is keeping busy.
Gardner takes a knee right on the jaw!
Gardner is looking for a takedown up against the cage. McCallum gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Gardner blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
McCallum missing with knees to the body.
McCallum keeps control of Gardner as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Gardner avoiding damage as McCallum throws knees to the body.
Gardner is trying to break the clinch but McCallum is controlling him.
Gardner dodges an elbow strike from McCallum.
Gardner goes for a takedown attempt but McCallum pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Conor McCallum has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rylan Gardner.
Gardner takes a swing at McCallum's ribcage but misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
McCallum throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Gardner counters with a left to the body.
McCallum lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from McCallum lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Gardner has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Gardner and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.
Gardner shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has McCallum pinned against the cage. McCallum gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
An inside leg kick lands from McCallum.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gardner swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and McCallum connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Gardner thows a body shot but no joy.
Nice defenses there by McCallum.
McCallum tries to clinch up.
Gardner uses good head movement to avoid the hook from McCallum.
McCallum misses with a looping left.
Gardner slips a jab from McCallum.
Conor McCallum is winning the standup battle so far.
McCallum is trying hard to land a takedown here. Gardner sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gardner throws a left and a right that both miss
and McCallum counters with a straight right hand.
Gardner takes a swing at McCallum's ribcage but misses.
Gardner tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but McCallum swivels and escapes.
Gardner has his takedown stuffed
and McCallum counters with a lovely straight right hand!
McCallum ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Gardner gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and McCallum counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Conor McCallum.
I think McCallum 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 Gwen Towbar scores the fight 29:28
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 29:28
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Conor McCallum!