PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between John Howard (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Chuck Liddell (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Liddell has chosen It's Dark and Hell Is Hot as his entrance music. Both fighters will be looking to make this an exciting fight for the fans, I'm sure!

Howard
vs
Liddell

178 cm
35
200 lbs
21 - 18 - 0

190 cm
37
207 lbs
15 - 22 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Experienced

BJJ Purple Belt
Good kicks
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 21 - 18 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, John Howard!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 22 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Chuck Liddell!
The judges for this bout are Albert Achterberg, Patrick Alders and Daniel Blasius.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Liddell closes this distance looking for a takedown but Howard circles away.
Howard lands a really nice looking cross but Liddell seems unphased.

It looks like Chuck Liddell has been cut.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Howard misses with a shot to the kidneys.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Liddell.
Liddell wants a takedown.

Liddell breaks the clinch.

Howard moves into range and clinches up with Liddell.
Liddell is trying to maintain a safe position but Howard gets an underhook and turns Liddell into the ropes.
Howard working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Liddell lands an uppercut.

Liddell pulls guard effortlessly.
Howard looking to sit in guard and control but Liddell gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Liddell not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Howard holds on and takes a little breather.
Howard being controlled here, momentarily.
Howard is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Howard wants to sweep here but Liddell controlling him for the moment.
Liddell controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

We're going to have a standup here because John Howard wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Liddell takes a shot right to the bread basket.

Howard clinches up against the ropes.
Liddell wants to take the fight to the mat but Howard manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
John Howard has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Chuck Liddell.
Howard trying to stall but Liddell improves his position.
Liddell prevents Howard from breaking the clinch.
Howard lands a right hand that snaps the head of Liddell backwards.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Liddell stalling in the clinch but Howard improves position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Howard is looking to control Liddell's arms but Liddell gets an underhook and turns him. Now Howard has his back to the ropes.

Liddell breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Howard has managed to clinch.
Liddell prevents a body shot from Howard.
Howard has a couple of punches blocked by Liddell.
Howard is trying to break the clinch but Liddell is controlling him.
Come on Howard - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Howard misses with a body punch.
Howard looking to stall.
Liddell tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Liddell using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Howard has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Howard throws a punch but it's blocked by Liddell.

Liddell's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Liddell shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Howard pinned against the ropes. Howard gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Nice takedown defense from Howard. No joy for Liddell on that attempt.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Howard jabs at Liddell's body.
Liddell looks winded!
Liddell keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
No joy there for Howard, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Howard dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Chuck Liddell's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Liddell instigates a clinch.
Howard misses with a short punch on the inside.
Howard looking to slow down the pace here.
Howard can't find room to land a body shot as Liddell controls the action.
Howard wants to stall.
Liddell blocks a body shot from Howard.
Howard pushes Liddell back against the ropes and unloads with a body punch.
Liddell misses with a knee to the head.
Howard tries to stall but Liddell uses the opportunity to gain a better position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Howard digs a right hand underneath Liddell's ribcage. Liddell let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Howard wants to stall.
Howard lands an uppercut.
Howard pressing his opponent against the ropes.
Howard misses with a body punch.
Liddell tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Howard misses with a punch to the body.
Howard lands a body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Howard tries to work over Liddell's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Howard avoids a wild elbow strike from Liddell.
Howard misses with a punch to the body.
Howard lands a body shot.
Liddell keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Howard's efforts to push away.
Liddell gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
A shot in the inside from Howard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Howard's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
John Howard has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Liddell blocking some punches.
Liddell blocking some punches.
Howard throws a head punch that misses.
Howard misses with a punch to the body.
Howard goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Howard blocks an elbow strike from Liddell.
Liddell stalling in the clinch but Howard improves position.
Liddell is looking for a takedown up against the ropes. Howard gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Howard throws a punch but it's blocked by Liddell.
A nice left hand lands by Howard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Liddell looking to slow down the pace here.
Liddell fails to pull guard.
Howard tries to break the clinch but Liddell is controlling the position.

Liddell breaks the clinch.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
A short right from Howard on the inside.
Howard throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Howard lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Howard goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Howard dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Chuck Liddell's cut.
That's time! Howard's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Howard pushes Liddell up against the ropes in a clinch.
Liddell looking to throw knees to the head but Howard is blocking nicely.
Howard trying to control the position but instead, Liddell has worked for underhooks and has pushed Howard into the ropes.
Howard misses with a punch to the body.
Howard lands a hook to the side of the head.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Howard.
A nice left hand lands by Howard.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Howard leaning his opponent against the ropes.
A nice left hand lands by Howard.

Liddell breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Howard keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

Liddell moves into the clinch successfully.
Howard misses with a short punch on the inside.
It really doesn't seem like the step up in weight is hurting Howard here at all. He's more than holding his own against the bigger man.
Howard's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Howard softening up his opponent with strikes, against the ropes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Liddell looking to throw knees to the head but Howard is blocking nicely.
Howard misses with the head strike.
Liddell lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Howard gets through Liddell's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Howard throws a head punch that misses.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Howard lands a body punch.
Howard working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Howard lands with a light punch inside.
Howard tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Chuck Liddell has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Liddell scores with a knee to the head.
Howard scores with a nice hook to the head.

Liddell manages to break the clinch.
Liddell fails with a takedown attempt.

Liddell gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Liddell tries to pull guard but Howard forces him back to his feet, against the ropes.
Liddell misses with a knee to the head.
Liddell with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Liddell lands a good knee to the midsection. Howard won't want to take too many of those.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
With the two fighters working up against the ropes, Liddell just misses with a elbow thrown towards Howard's brow.
Liddell blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Liddell tries to pull guard but Howard forces him back to his feet, against the ropes.
John Howard has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Chuck Liddell.
Howard has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Howard tries to work over Liddell's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Liddell misses with an elbow over the top.
Still in the clinch, Howard scores with a nice short uppercut.
Howard is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
A battle for position here, against the ropes.
John Howard is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
This has been an exciting period of action!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Liddell swings away with an uppercut that misses.

And that's the end of the fight!
John Howard showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Howard, 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 Albert Achterberg scores the fight 30:27
Judge Patrick Alders scores the fight 30:27
Judge Daniel Blasius scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... John Howard!