PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Wayne Craven (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mike Ricci (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Mike Ricci will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Craven
vs
Ricci

164 cm
25
166 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

180 cm
23
180 lbs
0 - 2 - 1

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Wayne Craven!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 1, fighting out of London, Mike Ricci!
The judges for this bout are James Glass, Daniel Bishop and Phil Schofield.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ricci moves out of range as Craven strikes.
Ricci scores to the head and body with a nice combination!

It looks like Wayne Craven has been cut.
Ricci misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Ricci ducks under a wild hook from Craven.
Craven misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Ricci.
Ricci fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Craven's jab looks to have found its range, popping Ricci under the eye.
Ricci closes the distance and clinches up with Craven, looking for a takedown. Ricci pushes Craven against the cage but Craven circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Craven throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Ricci tries to bum rush Craven with a series of wild strikes but Craven uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Craven throws out a loose jab but Ricci uses good head movement to avoid it.
A big right from Craven misses.
Ricci throws a right hand that Craven ducks under and follows up with a left that Craven also avoids with ease.
Craven keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Craven misses with a straight right.
Craven stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Ricci.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Craven shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Ricci's guard.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Craven throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Craven with a flurry of punches that miss.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Ricci can do anything to dispel that myth.

Craven drops back, looking for a kneebar! Ricci looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Ricci looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Ricci!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ricci scores with a couple of short elbows.
Ricci working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Craven looks to move to half guard but instead Ricci has passed into mount! Damn!

Ricci jumps to the side looking to secure the arm triangle…. Ooooh, that looks tight… Craven is gargling but he's managed to escape! Nice work there by Craven and Ricci has given up the dominant position trying to land that submission.
Ricci is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.
Craven knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Ricci on the ground.
Ricci connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Craven some visible discomfort.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ricci trying to control the position but Craven is working away.
Craven tries to bench press Ricci off him but Ricci keeps the position.
Ricci taking a breather here.
Craven is not content to let Ricci control the position.
Craven might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Ricci is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Check out the look on Ricci's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Craven is trying to get back to half guard.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
The strikes coming from Ricci are missing the target in this wave of attacks.

Ricci has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
Craven doesn't manage to clinch there - Ricci circles away.
Craven looks to land a combination but Ricci avoids it well.
Ricci tries for a takedown but Craven sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Craven keeps the fight on the outside.
Craven scores with a sloppy right hand. Ricci should have avoided that one.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A decent looking cross lands there for Craven.
Ricci walks into a jab.
Craven finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Craven moves out of range of the leg kick from Ricci.
Craven throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Nice cross by Ricci.
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!
Ricci throws a right and a left that Craven avoids nicely.
Ricci shoots in for a takedown but Craven shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Wayne Craven has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mike Ricci.
Ricci looks gassed!
Craven doesn't manage to clinch there - Ricci circles away.
Craven with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Ricci takes a jab right on the kisser.
Craven throws a good cross that connects.
Craven is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Craven connects with a body shot that sends Ricci's belly button to the back.
Craven looks to land a right hand but Ricci moved out of range.
Ricci throws a series of punches but Craven avoids them all with ease.
Craven goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Craven tries to clinch there but Ricci circles away.
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 Wayne Craven will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Wayne Craven's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Nice cross by Craven.
Ricci fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Ricci is looking to clinch.
Mike Ricci is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Ricci takes one to the side of the head.
Craven lands a nice shot to the body.

Craven closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Ricci quickly recovers to half guard.
Ricci is looking to escape.
Craven is trying to control. Ricci wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Craven is taking a breather. Ricci says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Craven tries to stand but can't do so whilst Ricci controls his leg.
Craven trying to control from Ricci's half guard. Ricci has other ideas though and has regained full guard.
Ricci is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Craven throws a strike but Ricci rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Craven keeping full guard, as Ricci tries to pass.
Ricci throws a big right hand that misses.
Ricci postures up in Craven's guard and throws a big left but Craven blocks it.
Ricci working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Ricci wants to control from the top but Craven keeps moving.
Ricci in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ricci preventing the sweep.
Craven utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Ricci wants to pass the guard but Craven is keeping the position.
Ricci throwing strikes from guard but Craven blocks nicely.
Ricci pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Craven is keeping the position for now.
Ricci throws a big right hand that misses.
Ricci throws a big right hand that misses.
Mike Ricci has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ricci wants to control from the top but Craven keeps moving.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Ricci tries to free his leg and advance position but Craven is retaining full guard.
Craven is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Craven walks into a jab.
Ricci swinging wildly here.
Craven fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

Craven looking to score a takedown here. Ricci is defending well but Craven drives through and ends up in Ricci's guard.
Craven throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Ricci works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Ricci wants to sweep here but Craven controlling him for the moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Craven wants to control from the top but Ricci keeps moving.

Ricci had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Craven defends it easily.
Craven throws a strike but Ricci rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Ricci wants to pass the guard but Craven is keeping the position.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Craven trying to control the position.
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 Wayne Craven will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Wayne Craven's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Ricci looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Ricci walks into a left hand.
Ricci has his takedown stuffed
and Ricci takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Ricci throws a shot from downtown. Craven moves away and avoids it.
Craven misses with a hook.
Craven leaves Ricci with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.

Ricci shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Craven napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Ricci throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Craven tries to improve position but can't.

Ricci tries for a kimura but Craven is defending well.
Ricci takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Craven tries to get back to half guard but can't.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Craven is not content to let Ricci control the position.
Craven tries to bench press Ricci off him but Ricci keeps the position.
Ricci trying to control the position but Craven is working away.

Ricci decides to stand up, so the ref orders Craven to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ricci throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Ricci misses with a two punch combination.
Craven cracks Ricci with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Ricci shoots for a takedown but Craven saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Wayne Craven has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mike Ricci.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Still in the clinch, Craven scores with a nice short uppercut.
Craven lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Ricci or not.
Craven taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Craven seems to have come into the fight with the intention of avoiding any damage in the clinch, rather than actually showing any aggression.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Craven misses with a knee to the head.
Ricci being controlled against the cage.
Craven lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Ricci backwards.
Still in the clinch, Craven scores with a nice short uppercut.
Ricci is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Still in the clinch, Craven scores with a nice short uppercut.
Craven lands with a right to the head.
Ricci tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Craven just stands there and leans against the cage.
Craven lands with a right to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Craven lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Ricci backwards.

Craven escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Craven ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Ricci moves away.
Ricci looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Craven looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Craven lands with a hook. Ricci tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Sloppy strikes from Craven. Those never looked like landing.
Craven lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Ricci will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Craven digs a good body shot into Ricci's ribs.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Craven throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Ricci needs to keep his hands up - Craven had a free shot at his head there.
Mike Ricci has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Wayne Craven is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Craven closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.

And that's the end of the fight!
Wayne Craven showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Craven, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 James Glass scores the fight 29:28
Judge Daniel Bishop scores the fight 30:28
Judge Phil Schofield scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Wayne Craven!