PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Abraham Safforn (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dan Ross (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ross has chosen Superbeast as his entrance music. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Safforn
vs
Ross

205 cm
24
279 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

185 cm
24
249 lbs
6 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Olympic wrestler
World class 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 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Abraham Safforn!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Dan Ross!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, Don Winkell and Jack Bonds.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ross darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Ross will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Ross doesn't manage to clinch there - Safforn circles away.
A looping hook to the body misses from Ross. Safforn does a little dance to reset his feet.
Ross throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Safforn keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Ross.
Ross swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Ross swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Nice body kick there by Safforn.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Ross checks a leg kick.
Safforn tries to clinch but Ross is having none of it.
A big left from Ross misses.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Ross crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Safforn - the referee stops the clock and Ross gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Safforn. Ross manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
A head kick misses from Safforn.
Safforn swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Safforn throws a leg kick but Ross sees it coming and moves out of range.
Ross misses the jab.
Safforn missing with a left hand there. Ross was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ross wants to clinch.
Safforn fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Safforn steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Ross.
Ross rushes in with a sloppy looking punch

and Safforn counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Ross's guard now.
Safforn trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Safforn looking to pass the guard.
Safforn controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Safforn throws a big right hand that misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ross wants to get back to his feet but Safforn is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Safforn working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Ross keeping moving, preventing Safforn from controlling successfully.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Safforn wants to pass the guard but Ross is keeping the position.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Safforn misses with a body kick.
Ross throws a poor cross that misses

and Safforn counters with a shoot takedown. Ross fights it but they end up in guard.
Safforn trying to control the position from guard on top but Ross is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Safforn missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Safforn throws a big right hand that misses.
Safforn trying to control but Ross is working from the bottom.
Ross is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Safforn is controlling him.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Safforn loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ross keeping moving, preventing Safforn from controlling successfully.
Safforn landing with the ground and pound.
Safforn throws a strike but Ross rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Safforn looking to hit a scissor sweep but Ross is one step ahead there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Abraham Safforn dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Safforn fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Ross manages to avoid it.
Ross misses with a hook. Safforn ducked under it nicely.
Ross throws a nice looking combination but Safforn bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.

Safforn closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Ross did well to prevent Safforn getting side control.
Ross is looking to escape.
Safforn sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Ross defending well though.
Well, if Safforn is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Safforn missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Safforn throws a strike but Ross avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Safforn throwing strikes but missing.
Safforn postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Safforn loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Safforn stops Ross from standing up.
Safforn will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Ross working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Safforn.
Safforn throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Ross works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Safforn is looking to work some ground and pound but Ross has wrist control.
Abraham Safforn overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Ross has momentary wrist control but Safforn slips an elbow through the middle.
Safforn prevents Ross from getting back to his feet.
Safforn trying to control but Ross is working from the bottom.
Safforn in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Safforn prevents Ross from getting back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Safforn trying to control the position from guard on top but Ross is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Abraham Safforn just wasn't active enough.
Safforn wants to clinch.
Ross checks a low kick from Safforn.
Dan Ross is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Safforn throws a low kick, looking for Ross's leg but Ross calmly moves out of range.
Safforn is looking to land body kicks.
Ross bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
A looping hook to the body misses from Safforn. Ross does a little dance to reset his feet.
Ross misses with a straight right.
Jab by Ross.
Ross tries to clinch up.
Ross moves out of range of the body kick from Safforn.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Safforn lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Ross tries to clinch there but Safforn circles away.
Safforn closes the distance but Ross moves to the side
and Ross counters with a stiff right hand.
Ross throws a big shot that misses.
Safforn swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Ross throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Safforn lands a nice looking kick to the body. Ross takes a step back to recover.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Ross throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Safforn sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Ross lands a two punch combo.
Ross ducks under a wild hook from Safforn.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Safforn misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Safforn throws a hook to the side of Ross's head but Ross sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Ross is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Safforn.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Abraham Safforn dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Safforn misses with a looping right.
Safforn avoids a punch combination nicely.
Ross swings widly with a right hand

and Safforn counters with a takedown into side control.
Safforn working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
The strikes coming from Safforn are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Ross takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Safforn working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Safforn fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Safforn controlling the position from side mount.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Safforn wants to take a breather but Ross manages to regain guard - a lesson learnt for Safforn.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Safforn postures up in Ross's guard and throws a big left but Ross blocks it.
Safforn trying to control but Ross is working from the bottom.
Safforn trying to move into half guard but instead Ross has managed to sweep!
Dan Ross has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Safforn lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Ross!
Safforn scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Ross?
Safforn looking to finish with strikes here!
Safforn trying to control but he's not successful this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Safforn misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Ross wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Safforn.
Safforn punching from mount but Ross doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Safforn misses with some ground and pound and Ross recovers position to half guard.
Safforn content to control rather than advance.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ross wants to get back to his feet.
Safforn thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Ross's head.
Abraham Safforn is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Safforn is nestled in close to Ross, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Safforn is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Ross can do to turn this around?
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Safforn trying to mount his opponent but Ross defends it.

Ross looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Abraham Safforn showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Safforn has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 30:27
Judge Don Winkell scores the fight 30:27
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Abraham Safforn!
Abraham Safforn seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.