PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Mark Mason (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Chuck Linnel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Mason
vs
Linnel

186 cm
24
265 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

173 cm
18
230 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Mark Mason!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Chuck Linnel!
The judges for this bout are Cecil Peabody, Robert Twigg and Chris Downing.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A swing and a miss from Mason.
Linnel tries to clinch but Mason moves out of range.
Mason scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Linnel should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Mason breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Mason rushes Linnel and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Mason escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Linnel throws a sloppy head kick and Mason moves out of range easily.

Mason clinches with his opponent.
Linnel fails to pull guard.

Mason pulls guard.
Mason is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Linnel is controlling him.
Mason managing to control the position.
Mason wants to stand up but Linnel is controlling him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mason seems keen to control Linnel's posture.
Mason manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Linnel manages to get himself to full guard.
Mason wants to control from the top but Linnel keeps moving.

Mason gets to his feet - Linnel follows without any prompting.
Mason shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Linnel pinned against the cage. Linnel gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Linnel takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Linnel looks winded!

Mason has taken the fight to the clinch.
Linnel is pressed up against the cage. Mason has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Linnel down to the mat. Linnel avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Linnel with a poor takedown
and Mason counters with a lovely shot to the body.
We're hearing some news coming in from back stage. It's official - Linnel has eaten all the pies!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Linnel gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Mason to score an easy takedown into full guard.

Mason gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Mason tries to land a leg kick but Linnel saw it coming and moves away.

Mason closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Mason gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
Mason in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Linnel striking off his back but it's not causing Mason any problems.
Mason wants to control from the top but Linnel keeps moving.
Mason keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Linnel's head.
Mason is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Mason postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Mason with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.

Mason stands up from Linnel's guard - Mason perhaps looking for a knockout.

Mason has managed to clinch.

Mason pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mason cracks the inside of Linnel's front leg.
Mason tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
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!
Mason with a nice cross.
Mason thuds a left hand into Linnel's body.

Linnel gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Mason to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Linnel really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Mason. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Mason trying to control but Linnel is working from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Mason trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Mason slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Mason 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.

Mason stands up and we're back to a striking position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mark Mason dominated that round.
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.

Mason darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Mason shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Linnel as he jumps to the side.
Mason lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!

It looks like Chuck Linnel has been cut.
Mark Mason seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Mason moves into the clinch.

Mason lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Mason missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Linnel is looking to improve his position.

Mason gets to his feet - back to striking we go!
Linnel connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Mason pushes Linnel up against the cage in a clinch.
Linnel is breathing heavily.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.

Mason breaks from the clinch.
Mason is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Linnel can do to turn this around?
Linnel has his takedown stuffed
and Mason counters with a leg kick.

Mason has Linnel up against the cage in a clinch.

Mason escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Mason pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Linnel tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Mason paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Mason rushes Linnel and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Mason's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Linnel takes a shot to the body in his stride.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
A bit of stalling here from Mason.

Mason breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Mason shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Linnel but Linnel pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Mason circles away from the clinch attempt.
Mason fails with an attempt to clinch.

Mason gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Mason lands a body shot in the clinch.
Mason taking a breather.

Mason escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Chuck Linnel is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Mason circles away from the clinch attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Horrible takedown by Mason or perhaps it was just good defense by Linnel which made him look bad.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mark Mason. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Mason clinches with his opponent.
Mason is looking to take this one to the mat.
Linnel wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Linnel drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Mason has moved round to his opponent's back and is looking for a suplex! Oh snap! He's tossed Linnel clear over his head and slammed him to the mat!

Mason is working for a rear naked choke. Linnel is not defending it well and Mason has tightened it up quickly! This could be all over! Linnel refuses to tap and goes to sleep, forcing the referee to intervene. A little trickle of blood came out of Linnel's nose as his head slumped to the floor. That is naaaasty!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:59 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Mark Mason!