PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Stu Harper (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Catfish Davis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Harper's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Long Way Round - Stereophonics. Stu Harper has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Harper
vs
Davis

184 cm
27
175 lbs
1 - 5 - 0

185 cm
29
175 lbs
3 - 8 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent elbows
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 5 - 0, fighting out of London, Stu Harper!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 8 - 0, fighting out of London, Catfish Davis!
The judges for this bout are Chris Edwards, Donald Grub and James Ackerman.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Davis shoots in for a double leg but Harper sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Harper cracks Davis with an open hand slap.
Davis scores with a one two! Harper had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.

It looks like Stu Harper has been cut.
Harper lands with a kick to the temple. Davis shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Harper is trying hard to land a takedown here. Davis sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Harper misses with a kick to the body.
Davis looks to land a body kick but Harper moved away.
Harper doesn't manage to clinch there - Davis circles away.
Harper fails with an attempt to clinch.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Harper is defended easily by Davis.
Harper fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Stu Harper. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Davis scores with a leg kick.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Harper tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Davis lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Davis throws a body punch but Harper moves out of range.

Davis closes the distance and clinches.
Harper tries to pull guard but Davis forces him back to his feet, against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Davis ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Davis no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Harper seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Davis is on top in guard.
Davis works over Harper with some ground and pound from guard.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Davis accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Harper wants to sweep but no luck.

Davis stands up from Harper's guard - Davis perhaps looking for a knockout.
Harper tries to clinch up but Davis circles away and keeps his distance.
Davis shoots in and drives through. Harper sprawls well.
Davis keeps the fight on the outside.
Davis throws a series of punches but Harper moves out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Davis closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Harper to the mat! Harper manages to get full guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Harper is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Harper wants to sweep here but Davis controlling him for the moment.

Davis is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Harper is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Harper has escaped and now he's on top!

Davis wriggles free and stands up.

Davis gets a clinch.
Davis has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Harper avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Harper wants to break the clinch but can't.

Davis breaks the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harper tries a head kick but it misses.
Harper tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Davis paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Davis throws a right and a left that Harper avoids nicely.
Harper throws a nice looking combination but Davis bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Harper fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Davis checks a low kick from Harper.

Harper fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Davis to the ground. Harper is now in Davis's guard.
Harper would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Harper is breathing heavily.

Davis is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.
Davis keeps control of Harper as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Harper is trying to pull guard but Davis has him pressed against the cage.

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

Davis gets the takedown into side control.
Davis has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Davis in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Harper managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Davis.
Harper takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Harper trying to control but Davis flips him over like a cheap hooker and has his back!
Harper is really stuck here.
Harper controlling the position well but he knows he's in a bad position.

Davis looking for the RNC.
I would not like to be Harper right now.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Davis throwing damaging strikes from the back! Harper could be in trouble here!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Catfish Davis dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Stu Harper's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Harper throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Davis.
Harper moves out of range of the body kick from Davis.
Harper takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Davis connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.

Davis gets a clinch.

Harper manages to break the clinch.

Davis moves into the clinch successfully.

Davis breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Davis on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Harper. Harper obviously looking to wear him down.

Harper clinches.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Harper just misses with a elbow thrown towards Davis's brow.
Harper is trying to stall.

Harper breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Davis connects with a nice looking jab.
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!
Left hook, right uppercut from Davis.
Davis fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harper fails to land with a series of punches.
Harper will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Davis throws a nice looking combination but Harper bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
A punch combination from Harper misses.
Harper falls off balance throwing a combination
enabling Davis to counter with a crisp jab.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Davis tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Harper is able to avoid easily.
Catfish Davis seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Davis lands with a shot to the body.
Harper takes a swing at Davis's ribcage but misses.
Davis lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.

Davis gets a clinch.

Harper successfully pulls guard.
Davis trying to control the position from guard on top but Harper is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Davis throwing strikes from guard but Harper blocks nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Davis throws a big elbow that misses.
Davis wants to pass the guard but Harper is keeping the position.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Davis is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Davis is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Davis landing some decent shots from guard.
Harper looking for a sweep. Not yet Harper, not yet.
Davis postures up.
Harper keeping full guard, as Davis tries to pass.
Davis loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Davis postures up in Harper's guard and throws a big left but Harper blocks it.
Davis throwing strikes from guard but Harper blocks nicely.
Harper is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Davis is controlling him.
Davis working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Harper's head.
Davis scoring with some ground and pound.
Davis missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Davis throws a big elbow that misses.
Harper trying to keep a closed guard but Davis is proving a slippery customer.
Davis is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Harper keeping moving, preventing Davis from controlling successfully.
Davis scoring with some ground and pound.
Davis works over Harper with some ground and pound from guard.
Davis lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Davis is looking to work some ground and pound but Harper has wrist control.
Davis trying to control but Harper is working from the bottom.
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!
Davis looking to pass the guard.
Harper wants to stand but Davis is controlling the position.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Davis landing some decent shots from guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Catfish Davis showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Stu Harper's cut.
That's time! Harper's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

A head kick by Harper misses
and Davis counters with a three punch combo that has Harper backing up. Harper nods at Davis to acknowledge the strikes.

Davis darts in and clinches Harper up against the cage.
Davis leaning against his opponent.
Harper wants to break the clinch but can't.
A frustrated look appears on Harper's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Harper tries to break free but Davis pushes him back against the cage.

Davis breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Nice body kick there by Davis.
Davis misses with a wild combination.
Davis throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Harper's waist but Harper gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Davis off to one side.
Stu Harper seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Nice uppercut lands for Harper. That snapped Davis's head back.
Davis throws a nice looking combination but Harper bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Davis swats away the attempt to clinch by Harper.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Davis 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 Harper has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Harper and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harper tries for a takedown but Davis sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

Harper closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Davis to the mat! Davis manages to get full guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Davis wants to get back to his feet but Harper is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Harper throws a big elbow that misses.
Davis wants to sweep but no luck.
Harper is fighting to break Davis's control of his arms but Davis is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Catfish Davis has got the better of the ground game so far.
Harper stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Davis swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Davis manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Harper manages to get himself to full guard.
Davis keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Harper's head.
Davis lands a couple of decent looking shots.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Harper wants to sweep here but Davis controlling him for the moment.
Davis scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Davis trying to move into half guard but instead Harper has managed to sweep!
Harper trying to control but Davis is working from the bottom.
Davis preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Davis is on top in guard.
Harper is pulling down on Davis's head. It's preventing any offense from Davis, at least for the moment.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Davis trying to control the position from guard on top but Harper is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Davis working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harper is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Davis scoring with some ground and pound.
Davis throws a big right hand that misses.
Davis pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Harper is keeping the position for now.
Davis with a flurry of punches that miss.
Davis stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Harper swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Davis works over Harper with some ground and pound from guard.
Davis postures up and lands a big shot to Harper's brow.
Davis trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Davis avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Stu Harper has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Davis is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Davis landing some decent shots from guard.
Catfish Davis is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

Davis avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Davis's corner is telling him to maintain position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Catfish Davis comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Davis has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Chris Edwards scores the fight 27:30
Judge Donald Grub scores the fight 27:30
Judge James Ackerman scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Catfish Davis!