PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Sterling Archer (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dave Sherk (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Sherk has chosen Divinations by Mastodon 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.

Archer
vs
Sherk

198 cm
26
205 lbs
9 - 10 - 0

185 cm
20
209 lbs
5 - 5 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Solid boxing
Very strong

Decent wrestler
Decent boxing
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 9 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Sterling Archer!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Dave Sherk!
The judges for this bout are Tiny Johnson, Chris Downing and Frank Dennis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Sherk looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Archer!
Archer is pushing Sherk's head away, looking to escape. Sherk manages to hold on to the position though.
Sherk working the ground and pound.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Archer sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Archer is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Archer works his way to full guard. Good work.

Archer kicks Sherk off and gets to his feet.
Archer closes the distance and clinches up with Sherk, looking for a takedown. Archer pushes Sherk against the cage but Sherk circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

Sherk gets in close and instigates a clinch.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Sherk manages to pull guard.
Sherk told us pre-fight that he has been working on his escapes in training. Let's see if he can call on some of his new skills to get back to his feet.
Archer will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Archer trying to control the position from guard on top but Sherk is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Archer stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Archer shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Sherk sprawls well. Sherk wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Archer gets slowly back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Archer lands a really nice looking cross but Sherk seems unphased.
Dave Sherk seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Sherk throws a lazy head kick
and Archer counters with a nice uppercut.
Sherk throws the kick towards the body but Archer avoids it.
Archer moves out of range as Sherk throws a body kick.

Sherk shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Archer's guard.

Archer is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Sherk is aware though and is defending well.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Archer has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Sherk off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Archer shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Sherk pinned against the cage. Sherk gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Sterling Archer. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sherk slaps away a takedown attempt from Archer, before circling back to the center of the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Archer fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Sherk fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Archer manages to avoid it.

Archer forces Sherk back against the cage and clinches.
Sherk prevents the takedown attempt.

Sherk breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Sherk misses with a head kick.

Archer gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.

Archer is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Sherk is aware though and is defending well.
Sherk trying to control but Archer is working from the bottom.
Archer wants to sweep but no luck.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Archer had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Sherk defends it easily.

Archer is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Sherk is aware though and is defending well.
Archer keeping full guard, as Sherk tries to pass.
Sherk trying to stand up but can't free himself from Archer's guard.

Sherk avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Archer is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

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

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Archer utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
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!
Sherk is looking to stand up but Archer won't let him.
Sherk distracts Archer with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Sherk connects with a couple of short punches.
Sherk won't allow Archer to get back to his feet.

Sherk stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Sherk throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Sherk fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Sherk fails to land with a series of punches.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!

Sherk scores with a takedown into Archer's guard.
Archer looking to hit a scissor sweep but Sherk is one step ahead there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Sterling Archer will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Archer tries to close the distance and clinch but Sherk swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Archer fails with the takedown.
Archer shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Sherk sprawls well. Sherk wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Archer gets slowly back to his feet.
Sherk throws a head kick that misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A looping hook to the body misses from Sherk. Archer does a little dance to reset his feet.
Sherk throws a leg kick that is checked
and Archer cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

It looks like Dave Sherk has been cut.
Archer wants to clinch.
Sterling Archer is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Archer ducks under a wild hook from Sherk.

That's one minute gone in the round.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Archer.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Sterling Archer. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sherk misses with a jab, cross combination.
Sherk misses with a shot to the body

and Archer counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Archer.
Sherk is pressed up against the cage. Archer has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Sherk down to the mat. Sherk avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

Sherk darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Archer pushes Sherk off looking to stand but Sherk dives back in and keeps control.
Archer is staying active underneath Sherk, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Sherk really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Archer. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

Archer manages to create a bit of space in order to work his way back to his feet. Sherk keeps hold of his opponent and drives him back against the cage.
Sherk stalling the fight.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Archer prevents Sherk from breaking the clinch.
A frustrated look appears on Sherk's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Sherk is trying to push Archer away but Archer has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.

Archer has picked Sherk up - he's going for a ride! Archer dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Sherk tries to roll over but Archer keeps him under control.

Archer is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.

Archer is trying to work for a kimura but Sherk is defending well.
Sherk is trying to stand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Archer seems to be looking for submissions.
Sherk won't allow Archer to pass to mount.

Sherk is defending against the submission attempts here by Archer.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Sherk can do anything to dispel that myth.
Archer tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Sherk.
Nice strikes from Archer there.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Sherk trying to control here.
Archer seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Sherk does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Archer is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Sherk defends it well.
Sherk avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Archer.

Archer escapes and gets back to his feet.

Sherk forces Archer back against the cage and clinches.
Sherk is trying to maintain a safe position but Archer gets an underhook and turns Sherk into the cage.
Archer tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Archer is trying to stall.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Sherk gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Sterling Archer overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Archer wants to get back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sterling Archer dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Dave Sherk's cut.
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. This is the final round!

Archer avoids the body shot from Sherk.
Sherk throws a head kick that misses.
Sherk tries a head kick but it misses.
Sherk pulls out of a head kick attempt.
A low kick from Sherk is predictable there
and Archer counters with a stiff right hand.
Sherk swats away the attempt to clinch by Archer.
The fight stays on the outside here - Archer looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Archer doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Sherk counters with a left and a right that stings Archer.
Sherk fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Sherk thows a leg kick but Archer checks it
and Archer counters with a body kick that stops Sherk in his tracks momentarily.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Sherk throws a head kick but Archer moves out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Archer moves into the clinch.
Sherk takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Sherk pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Archer has his takedown stuffed
letting Sherk counter with a right hand.
Sherk moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.

Sherk gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Sherk controlling the action here for a moment.

Archer manages to break the clinch.
Sherk is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Archer rather than just go for the knockout.

Sherk throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Archer tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Sherk is in Archer's guard.

Sherk looking to improve position, pressing down on Archer's thigh with his hand. Archer seems to be working to lock up a guilotine though... is Sherk paying attention? Apparently not! He's locked it up tight! Sherk's face has turned purple! Will he tap? Will he! YES! He's tapped! Archer picked his opening and made it count! Great finish!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:55 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Guillotine). Sterling Archer!
A less than humble Sterling Archer misjudged his post fight interview somewhat and came across a little too arrogant whilst trying to hype up his own abilities.