PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Mikel Millar (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dwight Howard (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Millar's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Gangnam Style. Howard has chosen Superman as his entrance music. Mikel Millar looks tired to me. Hopefully he has got enough gas left in the tank to put in a good performance.

Millar
vs
Howard

195 cm
25
185 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

201 cm
22
185 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

Global Empire MMA Gear

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 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Mikel Millar!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Dwight Howard!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Yamamoto, Sosuke Kotani and Yuuki Gou.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Millar shoots in looking for a takedown but Howard manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Millar's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Millar stuffs the takedown.

Millar gets caught flat footed, as Howard shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.

Howard stands up and waves to Millar to follow him.
Nice takedown defense from Millar. No joy for Howard on that attempt.
Millar avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Millar shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Howard counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Howard sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Millar really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Millar is doing well to control the position and prevent Howard from advancing to side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Millar has hold of Howard's hands but Howard slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Howard trying to control the pace.
Millar is controlling Howard's trapped leg to prevent Howard from advancing to side control.

Dwight Howard has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.

Millar closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Howard to the mat! Howard manages to get full guard.
Millar is breathing heavily.
Millar prevents Howard from getting back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Millar stopping the sweep attempt from Howard.

Millar stands up and waves to Howard to follow him.
Millar throws a head kick but Howard moves out of range.
Howard shoots in for a double leg but Millar sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Mikel Millar has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Dwight Howard.
Millar fails to land the takedown.

Millar gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Howard to score an easy takedown into full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Howard trying to control the position from guard on top but Millar is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Howard keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Millar's head.
Howard trying to stand up but can't free himself from Millar's guard.
Millar is adopting a defensive guard.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Millar looking to hit a scissor sweep but Howard is one step ahead there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Howard wants to stand but Millar has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Howard wants to control from the top but Millar keeps moving.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Dwight Howard.
Millar tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dwight Howard dominated that round.
That's time! Millar's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Howard throws a wild body kick that Millar sees coming a mile off.

Howard scores with a takedown into Millar's guard.
Millar tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Millar trying to strike off his back.
Millar pulls Howard in close to prevent any damage.
Millar doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Millar is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Dwight Howard has got the better of the ground game so far.
Howard looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Dwight Howard.
Millar looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

Howard shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Millar is looking to control Howard's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Millar avoid being mounted?

Millar looking for submissions off his back.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Millar wants to get back to full guard.
Howard looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Howard tries to pass to full mount but Millar defends it.

Howard stands up out of the half guard.

Howard moves into the clinch.
Howard is trying to pull guard but Millar has him pressed against the cage.
Howard tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Millar's elbow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Howard is looking to take this one to the mat.
Howard keeps control of Millar as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Millar throws a head punch that misses.
Howard is looking for a takedown.
Mikel Millar has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Dwight Howard.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Millar.
Howard trying to stall but Millar improves his position.
Millar gets underhooks to prevent Howard's takedown attempt.
Millar is trying to drag Howard to the mat but Howard just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Howard is looking to break free of the clinch but Millar has double underhooks.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Millar drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Howard gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Howard scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Millar is positioning himself well to prevent Howard advancing to mount.
Howard looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Howard wants to lay and pray for a moment but Millar keeps working.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dwight Howard showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Millar throws a sloppy head kick and Howard moves out of range easily.
Millar fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Howard tries to clinch there but Millar circles away.
Millar on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Millar tries a head kick but it misses.
Millar keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.

Howard manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Millar on his heels. He'll look to pass Millar's guard now, I'm sure.
Millar is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Howard is controlling him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Howard is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Howard trying to control but Millar is working from the bottom.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Dwight Howard hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Howard has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Howard there as he acknowledges the shot.
Howard fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Millar shoots in for a takedown but Howard shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Howard fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Millar to the ground. Howard is now in Millar's guard.
Howard preventing the sweep.
Millar keeping moving, preventing Howard from controlling successfully.
Millar controls Howard momentarily but Howard frees himself.

Howard stands up from guard. Let's bang!

Millar rushes Howard and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Howard manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Millar stands and steps away. Howard gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Mikel Millar is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Howard shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Millar sprawls well. Millar wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Howard gets slowly back to his feet.
Mikel Millar has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Dwight Howard.
Howard looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Millar shoots in for a takedown but Howard shows good takedown defense.
Millar walks into a left hand.
Millar dives in and grabs Howard's left leg, looking for a takedown. Howard pushes down on Millar's head and hops out.
Howard is looking to clinch.
Howard shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Millar sprawls well. Millar wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Howard gets slowly back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Howard misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Howard takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Nice sprawl there from Howard as Millar shoots in.
Howard fails with a takedown attempt.
Horrible takedown by Howard or perhaps it was just good defense by Millar which made him look bad.
Mikel Millar has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Dwight Howard is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Howard misses with a takedown attempt
and Millar counters with a big head kick but Howard shrugs it off.

And that's the end of the fight!
Dwight Howard comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Howard 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 Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 27:30
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 27:30
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Dwight Howard!
A relieved looking Dwight Howard thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.