PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Julian Assange (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sam Rourke (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Assange's entrance music is Date Rape. A fine choice. Both fighters look pumped up here. Let's hope this is a good fight!

Assange
vs
Rourke

188 cm
20
195 lbs
6 - 4 - 0

172 cm
26
185 lbs
7 - 6 - 0

Good wrestling
Brawler
KO power

Good takedowns
Basic striking
Granite chin

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 6 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Julian Assange!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Sam Rourke!
The judges for this bout are , Timothy Bukovac and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Assange throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Rourke stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Assange throws a shot from downtown. Rourke moves away and avoids it.

Rourke moves into the clinch successfully.
Rourke is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Assange is defending well.
Rourke is trying to drag Assange to the mat but Assange just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Rourke is working for takedown but Assange is calmly controlling the position for now.
Julian Assange has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Sam Rourke.

Rourke gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Assange trying to control from the bottom.
Assange is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.
Assange is trying to control but can't.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Rourke missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Rourke lands a nice short elbow.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rourke not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Rourke not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Rourke missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Assange is trying to maintain the position but Rourke is very close to passing his half guard.
Rourke not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Rourke trying to control from half guard but Assange is working away.
Rourke scores with a couple of good hammerfists.

Rourke is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Assange doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Rourke.
Rourke thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rourke throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Rourke throwing shots but Assange is blocking nicely.
Rourke thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Rourke thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Assange is looking to control Rourke's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Assange avoid being mounted?
Rourke has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Rourke thows a huge punch but Assange dodges it nicely.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Rourke content to control rather than advance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rourke is trying to control the action in half guard but Assange is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Rourke sitting and controlling from the half guard.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Rourke throwing shots but Assange is blocking nicely.
Rourke moves into full mount! Assange won't be happy about that!
Rourke throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.

Rourke is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Assange to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Assange shrugs it off.
Rourke trying to control but he's not successful this time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rourke scoring with strikes but Assange is staying in there.

It looks like Julian Assange has been cut.
Rourke working the ground and pound effectively.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Assange working to try and regain half guard.
Rourke with good strikes from the mount here!

Julian Assange's cut is getting worse.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Rourke unloads with some shots from mount but Assange bucks and avoids them well.
Rourke throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.

Rourke moves into side control, trying to work for a kimura. That looks painful! Will he finish!!?? No, Assange has worked his arm free - good work by Assange!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sam Rourke dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Julian Assange's cut.
That's time! Assange's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Assange stuffs the takedown.
Donk. Assange catches Rourke right on the button with a cross.
Assange tries to score with a low kick but Rourke moves his leg out of the way.
Rourke doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Assange counters with a nice low kick that buckles Rourke's knee momentarily.
Decent striking displayed by Rourke there.
Rourke with a lazy takedown attempt
and Assange counters with a low kick, right behind Rourke 's knee.
Julian Assange has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Sam Rourke.
Rourke misses with a body shot.
Assange thows a body shot but no joy.
Rourke shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Assange but Assange pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Rourke looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Assange is fending him off so far but Rourke persists. Nope, Assange circles away and we're back to standing.
Rourke will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Rourke tries to clinch but Assange is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Assange chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Rourke is breathing heavily.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Rourke is defended easily by Assange.
Assange misses with a hook.
Sam Rourke is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Rourke tries to work over Assange's front leg with a kick but Assange checks it.
Assange misses with a head kick.
Rourke tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Assange manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Rourke checks a leg kick.
Assange bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Rourke's head.
Assange with a hook.
Rourke throws a nice outside leg kick.
Rourke misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Assange.
Assange throws a shot from downtown. Rourke moves away and avoids it.
Rourke tries to clinch up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Assange throws a head kick that misses.
Rourke uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Assange.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Rourke tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Assange manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Assange throws out a leg kick but Rourke moves out of range and Assange only half commits.
Julian Assange is winning the standup battle so far.
Rourke misses with a few strikes there.
Rourke doesn't manage to clinch there - Assange circles away.
Assange throws a head kick that half lands.
Assange misses with a hook

and Rourke counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Assange is trying to control the position but Rourke postures up.
Rourke looking to pass the guard.
Rourke trying to control but Assange is working from the bottom.
Assange is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rourke in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Rourke is in close to Assange's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Assange trying to control the position.
Rourke working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Rourke postures up and lands a big shot to Assange's brow.

Julian Assange's cut is bleeding quite badly. He's got to try and protect it.
Rourke working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Sam Rourke has got the better of the ground game so far.
Assange preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rourke looking to pass the guard.
Assange has a closed guard, preventing Rourke from standing up.
Rourke throwing strikes but missing.
Assange utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Assange is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Rourke trying to control but Assange postures up.
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!
Rourke moves into full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Julian Assange will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Julian Assange's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Rourke avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Assange tried to score with a low kick but Rourke checks it.
Rourke swings for the body but Assange moves out of range.
Assange throws a push kick but Rourke slaps the foot to one side.
Rourke fails with a takedown attempt.
Assange throws a low kick but it's checked well by Rourke.

Rourke closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rourke lands a nice forearm strike.
Rourke throwing strikes but Assange manages to buck up and roll into a nice reversal - now he's on top in side control!
Assange taking a break here but Rourke is having none of it and regains half guard.
Assange will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Assange working Rourke over with strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rourke is looking to improve his position.
Rourke wants to get back to his feet.
Rourke trying to hold on to Assange's head to control him but Assange postures up.
Rourke is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Assange's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Assange's back!

Rourke is looking for the choke from the back position but Assange is controlling his hands well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rourke missing with punches from the back.
Rourke avoiding Assange 's attempts to control his hands.
Assange turns into Rourke and is now in his guard.
Assange wants to control from the top but Rourke keeps moving.
Rourke looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Rourke is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Rourke seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Julian Assange has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Assange working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Assange engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Rourke darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Rourke missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Assange is controlling Rourke's position as best he can from this difficult position.
Rourke wants to pass to mount but Assange is defending the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Assange wants to control but Rourke is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Rourke is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Assange!
Assange keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Rourke postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Assange looks a forlorn figure.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Assange is wriggling around trying to escape.
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!
Assange is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Sam Rourke comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Rourke 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 Percy O'Donnell scores the fight for Sam Rourke!
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight for Sam Rourke!
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight for Sam Rourke!

Sam Rourke wins by unanimous decision!