PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Craig Harper (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Colt Cannon (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Harper's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Spitfire. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Harper
vs
Cannon

168 cm
20
155 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

173 cm
21
155 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Craig Harper!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Colt Cannon!
The judges for this bout are Alec Ball, Trevor Gratis and William Peck.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nice takedown defense from Harper. No joy for Cannon on that attempt.
Harper looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!
Harper circles away from the clinch attempt.
Cannon misses with a jab, cross combination.
Harper scores with a one two! Cannon had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Nice takedown defense from Harper. No joy for Cannon on that attempt.
Harper tries to clinch up but Cannon circles away and keeps his distance.
Cannon is looking to clinch but Harper is avoiding it.
Harper throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Cannon throws a sloppy head kick and Harper moves out of range easily.
Colt Cannon seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Cannon lands with a nice body kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A combination from Cannon does no damage.

Cannon pushes Harper up against the cage in a clinch.
Harper looking to throw knees to the head but Cannon is blocking nicely.

Cannon breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Harper misses with a low kick as Cannon jumps back.
Cannon throws a head kick but Harper moves out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harper is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Nice shot by Cannon.
Cannon is looking to clinch but Harper is avoiding it.
Cannon looks to score with a jab to the body but Harper is just out of range.
Cannon shoots in for a double leg but Harper sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Craig Harper has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Colt Cannon.
Cannon closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Cannon wants to clinch up but Harper keeps it at a distance.
Cannon misses with a jab, cross combination.
Cannon rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Harper moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Cannon wants to clinch.
Cannon digs a good body shot into Harper's ribs.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cannon tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Harper swivels and escapes.
Cannon is looking to clinch but Harper is avoiding it.

Cannon changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Harper looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.
Harper is looking to reverse the position.
Harper takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Harper trying to remain calm as Cannon controls from the top position.
Harper sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.

Cannon stands up out of the half guard.
Cannon lands a high kick!
Harper misses with a two punch combination.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cannon misses with a jab, cross combination.
Cannon tries to clinch up but Harper circles away and keeps his distance.
Nice takedown defense from Harper. No joy for Cannon on that attempt.
Cannon throws a series of punches but Harper moves out of range.
Cannon throws a hook but Harper blocks it.
Harper explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.
Cannon shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Harper as he jumps to the side.
Cannon is looking to clinch.
Cannon tries to clinch up but Harper circles away and keeps his distance.
Harper tries to clinch but Cannon moves out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

Cannon has taken the fight to the clinch.
Cannon avoiding damage as Harper throws knees to the body.
Harper throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Cannon blocks it with crossed arms.

Cannon breaks the clinch.
Cannon tries to clinch up but Harper circles away and keeps his distance.

Cannon drives through and clinches with Harper against the cage.
A short uppercut from Cannon.
Cannon is trying to stall.

Cannon breaks the clinch.
Cannon thuds his shin into the meat of Harper's side.
Cannon moves in looking to clinch but Harper pushes him off.
Harper keeps the fight on the outside.
Harper fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Colt Cannon dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Cannon tries to clinch but Harper moves away
and Harper counters with a thumping low kick.
Cannon fails with an attempt to clinch.
Cannon shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Harper pinned against the cage. Harper gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Cannon tries to bum rush Harper with a series of wild strikes but Harper uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

Cannon rushes Harper and presses him up against the cage.

Cannon escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Cannon looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Harper comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Cannon.
Cannon misses with a kick to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cannon wants to clinch up but Harper keeps it at a distance.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Cannon.
Craig Harper has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Colt Cannon.
Harper scoring well with a low kick there.
Cannon wants to clinch
and Harper counters with a one-two to the body.
Harper tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Cannon swivels and escapes.
Harper avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Cannon lunges at Harper with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Harper's hand.
Craig Harper is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Cannon bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Harper keeps the fight on the outside.
Cannon tries to clinch up.
Harper dodges the punch combination from Cannon.

Cannon closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Harper to the mat! Harper manages to get full guard.
Cannon throws a big right hand that misses.

Cannon gets to his feet - Harper follows without any prompting.
Harper stuffs the takedown.
Cannon darts in trying to clinch
and Harper counters with a two punch combo.
Harper is looking to clinch but Cannon is avoiding it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Cannon forces Harper back against the cage and clinches.

Cannon manages to break the clinch.
Cannon tries to close the distance and clinch up but Harper swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Cannon closes the distance and clinches.
Harper throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Cannon blocks it with crossed arms.
Cannon stops a takedown attempt from Harper.

Cannon breaks from the clinch.
Cannon tries for a takedown but Harper sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Cannon looks to clinch

and Harper moves into the clinch.
Harper using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Cannon has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

Cannon breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Cannon misses with a takedown attempt - Harper sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Harper throws a series of strikes that have Cannon backpedaling.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A head kick by Cannon misses

and Harper holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Cannon lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.

Cannon breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Cannon looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Harper is fending him off so far but Cannon persists. Nope, Harper circles away and we're back to standing.
Harper wants to clinch.
Cannon throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Harper tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Cannon paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Cannon closes the distance and clinches up with Harper, looking for a takedown. Cannon pushes Harper against the cage but Harper circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Harper throws a series of punches but Cannon moves out of range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Colt Cannon showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Cannon shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Harper pinned against the cage. Harper gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Harper fails to land the takedown.
Cannon throws a nice looking combination but Harper bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Harper takes one on the button.
Cannon fails in his attempt to clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cannon tries to clinch
and Harper counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Cannon tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Harper paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Harper misses with a series of wild punches.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harper throws a left and a right that both miss
and Cannon counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Harper is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Cannon shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Cannon tries to clinch up but Harper circles away and keeps his distance.
Harper swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Cannon counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Cannon takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Cannon shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Cannon looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Craig Harper has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Colt Cannon.
Cannon closes the distance and clinches up with Harper, looking for a takedown. Cannon pushes Harper against the cage but Harper circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Some bone on bone action there as Cannon checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Harper blocks a head kick by Cannon.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Cannon looks to land a combination but Harper avoids it well.
Harper swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Cannon counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Cannon tries to clinch up.
Harper stuffs the takedown.
Cannon shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Harper but Harper pushes him off and we're back to square one.

Harper closes the distance and clinches.
Good body shot from Cannon.
Cannon lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!

It looks like Craig Harper has been cut.
Cannon is stalling here.

Cannon breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Cannon tries to clinch there but Harper circles away.
Cannon wants to clinch but Harper slips to the side

so Harper counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cannon throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Cannon manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Cannon working the ground and pound effectively.
Cannon dominating with strikes here.
Craig Harper has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Cannon has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Cannon dominating with strikes here.
Harper tries to lock up and control but Cannon gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Harper is in all sorts of trouble here.
Cannon throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
BOOM! Cannon connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Cannon looking to control and managing it successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Harper is trying desperately to improve position.
Harper is working hard here to advance position.
Harper is squirming around, avoiding Cannon's attempts to control the action.
Cannon breaks from Harper's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Cannon landing shots from mount.
Harper is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Cannon trying to control but Harper is having none of it.
Harper is working to get back to half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Colt Cannon comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Cannon 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 Alec Ball scores the fight 27:30
Judge Trevor Gratis scores the fight 27:30
Judge William Peck scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Colt Cannon!