PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Max Bear (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Patrick Willis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Willis is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Hometown Hero. Max Bear has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Bear
vs
Willis

199 cm
32
255 lbs
23 - 27 - 0

185 cm
30
250 lbs
15 - 18 - 1

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

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 23 - 27 - 0, fighting out of London, Max Bear!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 18 - 1, fighting out of London, Patrick Willis!
The judges for this bout are Chris Edwards, Steven Brown and Sam Margolis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Bear changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Willis looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Willis is looking for a sweep.

Bear is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Willis is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.

Bear goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Willis rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Bear's guard! Nice work there by Willis!
Bear controlling the position.
Willis sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Bear's guard.
Willis stops Bear from getting back to his feet.
Willis trying to control from half guard but Bear is working away.
Bear is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Willis's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Willis's back!

Bear is staying calm and holding on to the back position, whilst working on a rear naked choke. Willis is defending well though. Bear let's go of the attempt for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Good control from Bear.
Bear missing with strikes.

Bear is looking to finish the fight by rear naked choke. Willis knows exactly what he's got planned though, so he's defending well. Maybe a few strikes would soften Willis for a finish.

Bear has his opponent's back and is working for the choke.
Willis is in bad spot here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bear softening up his opponent with strikes here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Bear has Willis flattened out and is raining down punches.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Bear struggling to keep hold of the position.
Willis tries to escape the position.

Bear has got his arm under Willis's chin working for the choke… has he got it? It looks pretty tight! Oh! Willis has spun round into Bear's guard beautifully! Well done that man!
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Willis wants to pass the guard but Bear is keeping the position.
Willis passes Bear's left leg - he's now in half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Willis lands a nice short elbow.
Willis wants to control but Bear is keeping him busy.
Nice strikes from Willis there.

Bear actively working from the bottom here.
Bear is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Willis is trying to control the action in half guard but Bear is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Bear gets full guard.
Bear throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
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!
Bear pulls Willis in close to prevent any damage.
Bear working a defensive guard here.
Bear avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bear is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Willis is controlling him.
Bear bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Willis's guard.
Willis wants to sweep but no luck.
Bear wants to control from the top but Willis keeps moving.
Willis looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Bear stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Willis swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Bear will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Bear wants to stand but Willis is controlling his posture from full guard.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Willis keeping moving, preventing Bear from controlling successfully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Max Bear dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Nice body kick there by Willis.
Max Bear is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Bear shoots in for a takedown but Willis shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Bear tries to clinch but Willis is having none of it.
Bear slaps away a takedown attempt from Willis, before circling back to the center of the mat.

Willis dives in and scores a takedown into Bear's guard.
Willis lands a couple of elbows.
Bear trying to control the position.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Willis looking to pass the guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Willis working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Bear not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Willis wants to pass the guard but Bear is keeping the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bear trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Willis working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Bear's head.
Bear looking for a sweep. Not yet Bear, not yet.
Willis throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Willis stopping the sweep attempt from Bear.
Bear is working hard here to advance position.
Willis scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Willis stopping the sweep attempt from Bear.

Bear has his foot on Willis's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Willis works his way back into a safe position though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bear wants to stand and escape but Willis is having none of it.
Willis lands a couple of elbows.
Bear keeping full guard, as Willis tries to pass.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Willis's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Willis lands a couple of digs.
Bear working a defensive guard here.
Willis in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Willis scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Bear wants to get back to his feet but Willis is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Bear keeping moving, preventing Willis from controlling successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Willis postures up and lands a big shot to Bear's brow.
Bear keeping full guard, as Willis tries to pass.
Bear is pulling down on Willis's head to control his posture.
Willis scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Willis throwing strikes but missing.
Willis looking to pass the guard.
Bear looking to hit a scissor sweep but Willis is one step ahead there.

Bear looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bear working a defensive guard here.
Bear lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Willis!
Bear avoids the attempt from Willis to control.
Willis wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Bear.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Bear can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Willis is looking to escape.
Willis tries to lock up and control but Bear gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Patrick Willis showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Bear wants to clinch.

Bear scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Willis sneaks back into half guard.
Willis moves into full guard.
Willis can't keep his opponent in guard - Bear advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Willis is looking to improve his position.
Nice strikes from Bear there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bear is trying to control the action in half guard but Willis is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Willis avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Bear.
Willis is looking to control Bear's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Willis avoid being mounted?
Willis slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Bear makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Bear wants to control from the top but Willis keeps moving.
Bear preventing the sweep.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bear trying to control but Willis is working from the bottom.
Willis looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Max Bear has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.

Bear closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Willis's guard.
Max Bear overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bear works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Willis gets back to full guard.
Willis manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Bear manages to get himself to full guard.
Bear looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Bear has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Willis can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Willis missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Bear looking for a sweep. Not yet Bear, not yet.
Bear is looking to sweep but instead, Willis has passed into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Willis trying to control from half guard but Bear is working away.
Willis lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Bear wants to get back to his feet.
Bear trying to control from the bottom.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Willis thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Bear's head.
Bear tries to roll over but Willis keeps him under control.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Bear has hold of Willis's hands but Willis slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Willis is trying to control. Bear wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Max Bear.
I think Bear has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Chris Edwards scores the fight 29:29
Judge Steven Brown scores the fight 29:28
Judge Sam Margolis scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Max Bear!
Max Bear took to the microphone after his victory and thanked his sponsors, GTI - 1337 sponsors VERSUS for their support in the buildup to the fight.