PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Mark Bulman (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Shawn Shurk (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Bulman's entrance music is Opposite of Adults. A fine choice. Shurk has chosen Achy Breaky Heart as his entrance music. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Bulman
vs
Shurk

180 cm
23
153 lbs
12 - 9 - 0

170 cm
24
155 lbs
7 - 7 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Basic striking
Very strong

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Mark Bulman!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Shawn Shurk!
The judges for this bout are Cecil Peabody, Gwen Towbar and George Francis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Bulman misses with a lunging right hand
enabling Shurk to counter with a crisp jab.
A looping hook to the body misses from Bulman. Shurk does a little dance to reset his feet.

Shurk moves into the clinch.
Shurk is pressed up against the cage. Bulman has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Shurk down to the mat. Shurk avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Bulman.
Bulman ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Bulman shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Shurk connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mark Bulman. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A nice combination there by Bulman.
Shurk slips a jab and a cross from Bulman.
Bulman throws a combination that misses
and Bulman takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Bulman misses with a series of wild punches.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bulman jabbing away but nothing is landing.
A slow jab from Shurk misses its intended target.
Bulman shoots in looking for a takedown. Shurk tries to sprawl out of it but Bulman keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Shurk manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Nice shot by Shurk.
Mark Bulman seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Shurk takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Shurk's corner calls for a 1-2. Shurk obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Bulman misses with a wild body shot.
Bulman with a poor takedown
and Shurk counters with a nice body shot.
Bulman throws a nice looking combination but Shurk bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Bulman throws a hook but Shurk avoids it easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Shurk slips a jab from Bulman.
Bulman lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Shurk digs a good body shot into Bulman's ribs.
Shurk throws a lazy right hand but Bulman sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Bulman will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Bulman throws a hook to the side of Shurk's head but Shurk sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Shurk keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Shurk throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Bulman counters with a series of strikes. Shurk will be more careful next time no doubt.
Shurk throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Bulman sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Shurk tests Bulman's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Shurk steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Bulman.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shurk throws a body punch but Bulman moves out of range.
Shurk ducks under a wild hook from Bulman.
Shurk uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Bulman.
Bulman misses the shot to the body.
Shurk tries to clinch up but Bulman circles away and keeps his distance.
Shurk throws a hook but Bulman avoids it easily.
Shurk throws an off balance right hand
and Bulman counters with a left to the body.
Shurk stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Shurk wants it to stay on the feet.

Bulman shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Bulman cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Bulman misses with a head shot.
Bulman prevents Shurk from getting the reversal.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bulman lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Bulman is landing with some decent strikes but Shurk is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Bulman misses with a head shot.
Bulman throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Bulman sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Shurk blocking the ground and pound.
Bulman looking to ground and pound but Shurk is blocking nicely.
Shurk is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Bulman trying to control but he's not successful this time.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Shurk tries to hold on but Bulman pushes him away.
Shurk is desperately trying to improve his position but Bulman has a good base and remains in mount.
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 Mark Bulman will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Bulman closes this distance looking for a takedown but Shurk circles away.
Bulman stalks Shurk and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Shurk's face. Shurk staggers backwards, shaken.
Shurk is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Bulman.
Shawn Shurk seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Bulman loads up on a big right hand but Shurk slips the punch.
Shurk clobbers Bulman with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Bulman misses with a jab, cross combination.
Nice sprawl there from Shurk as Bulman shoots in.
Shurk lunges at Bulman with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Bulman's hand.
No joy there for Bulman, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Bulman throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Shurk.
Shurk tries to clinch up but Bulman circles away and keeps his distance.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Shurk, as that shot connected.
Shurk pushing out the jab but it's not landing.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Shurk clinches up against the cage.
Shurk is defending well against a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mark Bulman. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Shurk stops a takedown attempt from Bulman.
Shurk content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Shurk gets underhooks to prevent Bulman's takedown attempt.
Bulman wants to take the fight to the mat but Shurk manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Bulman tries a body shot but Shurk blocks it.
Shurk just leaning against Bulman, taking a breather.
Shurk keeps control of Bulman as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Shurk misses with a short punch on the inside.
Bulman is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Shurk is defending well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Bulman tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
A bit of stalling here from Shurk.
Bulman is looking to break free of the clinch but Shurk has double underhooks.
Bulman is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Shurk pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Shurk leaning against his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Shawn Shurk.
Shurk scores with a jab to the jaw.
Shurk throws the left hand but Bulman avoids the punch easily.

Bulman changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Shurk looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Sloppy strikes there by Bulman.
Shurk is trying to get back to half guard.
Shurk dodges the ground and pound from Bulman.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Shurk wants to control but Bulman postures up.
Shurk tries to bench press Bulman off him but Bulman keeps the position.
Shurk is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bulman trying to control the position but Shurk is working away.
Shurk manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Shurk is trying to control the action in half guard but Bulman is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Bulman is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Shurk's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Shurk's back!
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!
Shurk breaks Bulman's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
Shurk looking to pass the guard.
Shurk wants to control from the top but Bulman keeps moving.
Bulman seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Bulman has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Bulman looking to hit a scissor sweep but Shurk is one step ahead there.
Shurk is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Shawn Shurk showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Donk. Shurk catches Bulman right on the button with a cross.
Bulman shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Shurk sprawls well. Shurk wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Bulman gets slowly back to his feet.
Bulman throws the left hand but Shurk avoids the punch easily.
Shurk throws a body punch but Bulman moves out of range.
A looping hook to the body misses from Bulman. Shurk does a little dance to reset his feet.
Shurk missing with a left hand there. Bulman was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Bulman throws a right and a left that Shurk avoids nicely.
A combination from Bulman does no damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Bulman gets tackled into the cage by Shurk. Shurk maintains the clinch.
Shurk lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Bulman backwards.
Shurk will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Bulman up against the cage.
Shurk lands a hook to the side of the head.
Shurk trying to control the position but instead, Bulman has worked for underhooks and has pushed Shurk into the cage.

Bulman works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Shurk seems keen to control Bulman's posture.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bulman trying to control but Shurk is working from the bottom.
Shurk preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Bulman trying to control but Shurk is working from the bottom.
Shurk is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Bulman shoots in for a double leg but Shurk sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Bulman shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Shurk but Shurk pushes him off and we're back to square one.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mark Bulman. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Shurk throws a shot to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shurk displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Bulman.
Bulman throws an overhand right that lands on Shurk's shoulder, as Shurk tries to avoid the shot.
Shurk throws a poor cross that misses
and Bulman counters with a nice body shot.
Bulman misses with a looping left.
The fight stays on the outside here - Shurk looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Shurk tries to close the distance and clinch up but Bulman swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Shurk has Bulman up against the cage in a clinch.
Bulman drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Shurk gets the underhooks and prevents it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Shurk prevents a takedown attempt there.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Shurk takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Bulman is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Bulman wants a takedown but no success here.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
The referee is keeping an eye on Shurk - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Shurk prevents a takedown attempt there.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Shawn Shurk.
I think Shurk 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 Cecil Peabody scores the fight 28:29
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 28:29
Judge George Francis scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Shawn Shurk!
Shawn Shurk decided to go for the less than humble approach in his post fight interview, telling everyone how he is going to conquer the world. The crowd seemed to like it when really that sort of approach could have gone either way.