PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between John Barnes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Edian Voandra (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.

Barnes
vs
Voandra

180 cm
19
220 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

203 cm
18
240 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

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 London, John Barnes!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Edian Voandra!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Bishop, Phil Schofield and James Ackerman.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Barnes looks to land a body kick but Voandra moved away.
Barnes throws a leg kick but Voandra moved away.
Voandra fails in his attempt to clinch.
Barnes closes this distance looking for a takedown but Voandra circles away.
Barnes misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Barnes.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for John Barnes. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Barnes swats away the attempt to clinch by Voandra.
Voandra moves to clinch but Barnes breaks away

and Barnes counters by moving into the clinch.
Voandra is struggling to control the position.
A hook to the body from Barnes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barnes is trying to drag Voandra to the mat but Voandra just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Barnes wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Barnes working hard to break the clinch.
Barnes jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Voandra walks away with a smile on his face. Barnes gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.

Barnes has managed to clinch.
Voandra missing with knees to the body.
Still in the clinch, Barnes scores with a nice short uppercut.
Voandra trying to stall but Barnes improves his position.
Barnes jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Voandra walks away with a smile on his face. Barnes gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.

Barnes darts in and clinches Voandra up against the cage.
Barnes could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Voandra throws an elbow but it misses.
Voandra is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Voandra missing with knees to the body.
Barnes fails to pull guard.
Voandra looking to slow down the pace here.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Voandra tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Barnes avoids it.
Barnes managing to block the knees to the body from Voandra.
Barnes on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Voandra looks winded!
Barnes wants a takedown but no success here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barnes working hard to break the clinch.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Voandra.
Barnes blocks an elbow strike from Voandra.
Voandra has Barnes pushed against the cage.
The referee is keeping an eye on Barnes - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Barnes tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Voandra tries a knee to the head but Barnes blocks it.
Voandra manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Voandra is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Voandra throws an elbow that misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Voandra trying to control the position but instead, Barnes has worked for underhooks and has pushed Voandra into the cage.
Barnes taking a breather.
Barnes tries to break the clinch but Voandra is controlling the position.
Barnes avoiding damage as Voandra throws knees to the body.
Voandra throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Barnes blocks it with crossed arms.
Voandra keeps control of Barnes as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Barnes on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Voandra is trying to maintain a safe position but Barnes gets an underhook and turns Voandra into the cage.

Barnes pulls guard effortlessly.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Voandra has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Barnes is proving hard to escape from.
Barnes is pulling down on Voandra's head to control his posture.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Edian Voandra will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Barnes closes the distance and clinches up with Voandra, looking for a takedown. Barnes pushes Voandra against the cage but Voandra circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Voandra closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.

It looks like Edian Voandra has been cut.
Voandra tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Barnes paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Voandra gets tackled into the cage by Barnes. Barnes maintains the clinch.
Voandra leaning his opponent against the cage.
Voandra connects with a nasty looking knee right to Barnes's face.
Voandra tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Barnes wants a takedown but no success here.
Barnes is trying to pull guard but Voandra turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for John Barnes. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Voandra throws an elbow but it misses.
Voandra is breathing heavily.
Voandra missing with knees to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Voandra pressing his opponent against the cage.
Barnes drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Voandra gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Barnes looking for a takedown.
Voandra looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Barnes fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Voandra is looking to control Barnes's arms but Barnes gets an underhook and turns him. Now Voandra has his back to the cage.
Barnes tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Voandra just stands there and leans against the cage.
Voandra throws an elbow but it misses.
Barnes wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
We are yet to see a takedown attempt from Voandra in the fight. On paper you would think he is the more dominant ground fighter so let's see if these unusual tactics pay off.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Barnes successfully pulls guard.
Voandra tries to stand but Barnes is controlling from the bottom.

Barnes has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Voandra can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Barnes working a defensive guard here.
Barnes wants to stand up but Voandra is controlling him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barnes is trying to keep Voandra in close.

Voandra gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Barnes circles away from the clinch attempt
and Barnes counters with a left and a right that stings Voandra.
Voandra tries to close the distance and clinch but Barnes swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Voandra is looking to clinch but Barnes is avoiding it.
Voandra moves in looking to clinch but Barnes pushes him off.
Voandra closes the distance looking to clinch
and Barnes counters with a left and a right that stings Voandra.
John Barnes is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sloppy strikes from Barnes. Those never looked like landing.
Barnes lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Edian Voandra seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Voandra looks to clinch

and Barnes counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Barnes.
Barnes working hard to break the clinch.
Voandra has Barnes pressed against the cage.
Voandra lands a knee to the head.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Barnes is looking for a takedown.
Barnes takes a knee to the side of the body.
Barnes on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Barnes dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Edian Voandra's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

A nice combination there by Barnes.

Voandra moves into range and clinches up with Barnes.
Voandra is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Barnes is defending well for now.
Voandra misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Barnes.
Voandra looking to slow down the pace here.
Voandra working Barnes over with knees to the body.
Barnes wants to break the clinch but can't.
Barnes jumps guard but Voandra turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Voandra takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Voandra gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Barnes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Voandra crunches a lovely knee into Barnes's ribcage.
Barnes wants to get back to striking at distance but Voandra won't allow it.
Barnes cracks Voandra with a nice body shot.
Barnes tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Voandra just stands there and leans against the cage.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for John Barnes. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Come on Voandra - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Voandra comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.

It looks like John Barnes has been cut.
Voandra is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Voandra.
Barnes is trying to force a seperation but Voandra has the dominant position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Voandra stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Voandra blocks the elbow strike.
Voandra keeps control of Barnes as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Voandra being controlled against the cage.
Edian Voandra seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Voandra throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Barnes on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Barnes has had enough of the clinch but Voandra keeps him there for the moment.
Knees in the clinch landing for Voandra.
Barnes fails to pull the fight into his guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Voandra with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Barnes wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Voandra has him pressed against the cage.
Voandra throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Barnes blocks it with crossed arms.
With the fighters up against the cage, Voandra throws an elbow but misses.
Barnes pushes off an throws an elbow but Voandra leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Barnes tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Voandra is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Barnes jumps guard but Voandra turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Voandra stalls.
Voandra crunches a lovely knee into Barnes's ribcage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Barnes has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Voandra avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Voandra with a knee to the head.
Barnes tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Voandra just stands there and leans against the cage.
Voandra has Barnes pressed against the cage.
Barnes tries to pull guard but Voandra holds him up against the cage and eventually Barnes drops back down to his feet.
Voandra is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Barnes can't break the clinch.
Voandra leaning against his opponent.

And that's the end of the fight!
Edian Voandra comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Voandra has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Daniel Bishop scores the fight 28:29
Judge Phil Schofield scores the fight 29:29
Judge James Ackerman scores the fight 29:28

The fight is ruled a draw!