PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Horacio Carver (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Conor McGregor (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.

Carver
vs
McGregor

164 cm
24
140 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

173 cm
25
145 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Horacio Carver!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Conor McGregor!
The judges for this bout are Wesley Smith, Cecil Peabody and Alan Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A jab lands there for McGregor.
Carver throws a head kick that misses
and McGregor makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. Carver really felt that one!

McGregor closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Carver's guard.
Carver wants to get back to his feet but McGregor is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Carver is pulling down on McGregor's head to control his posture.
McGregor trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Carver seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
McGregor tries to stand but Carver is controlling from the bottom.
McGregor trying to control but Carver is working from the bottom.
McGregor must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Carver avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Carver.

McGregor shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
McGregor looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
McGregor won't allow Carver to get back to his feet.
Carver keeping moving, preventing McGregor from controlling successfully.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Carver avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Carver looking to hit a scissor sweep but McGregor is one step ahead there.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Carver is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Conor McGregor was stalling too much, according to the referee.

McGregor closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - McGregor lands in his opponent's guard.
Carver looking to hit a scissor sweep but McGregor is one step ahead there.
Carver pulls McGregor in close to prevent any damage.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Carver looking for a sweep. Not yet Carver, not yet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Carver has a closed guard, preventing McGregor from standing up.
McGregor postures up in Carver's guard and throws a big left but Carver blocks it.
McGregor is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
McGregor checks a leg kick.
McGregor is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

McGregor decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Carver is refusing to be controlled, as McGregor sits in half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Carver is controlling McGregor's trapped leg to prevent McGregor from advancing to side control.
McGregor wants to lay and pray for a moment but Carver keeps working.
Carver gets back to full guard.
McGregor preventing the sweep.
Carver pulls McGregor in close to prevent any damage.

Carver scrambles and gets back to his feet.
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!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

McGregor closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - McGregor lands in his opponent's guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Conor McGregor dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Carver gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows McGregor to score an easy takedown into full guard.
McGregor trying to control but Carver is working from the bottom.
Carver is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
McGregor is fighting to break Carver's control of his arms but Carver is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Carver looking to hit a scissor sweep but McGregor is one step ahead there.
Carver has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.

That's one minute gone in the round.

We're going to have a standup here because Horacio Carver wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
McGregor uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Carver.

McGregor changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Carver looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
McGregor postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
You can see the frustration on Carver's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Carver sneaks back into half guard.
Carver trying to control here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
McGregor is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Carver is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
McGregor stops Carver from getting back to his feet.
Carver preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.
Carver taking some punishment here, with McGregor in his half guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Carver is refusing to be controlled, as McGregor sits in half guard.
Conor McGregor has got the better of the ground game so far.
Carver gets back to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Carver bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in McGregor's guard.
McGregor working a defensive guard here.
Carver throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as McGregor works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
McGregor working a defensive guard here.
Carver landing with the ground and pound.
Carver lands a couple of elbows.
Carver missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
McGregor is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Carver postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
McGregor can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Carver controls the pace.
Carver is looking to work some ground and pound but McGregor has wrist control.
Carver landing with the ground and pound.
Carver keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of McGregor's head.
Carver connects with a couple of short punches.
Carver has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
McGregor working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Carver.
This has been an exciting period of action!
McGregor utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Carver throws a strike but McGregor rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
McGregor wants to control from the top but Carver keeps moving.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Horacio Carver 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. And we move into the final round!

McGregor goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.

McGregor decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Carver wants to get back to full guard.
Carver slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
McGregor is fighting to break Carver's control of his arms but Carver is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
McGregor missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

Carver has managed to wall walk up one of the corner posts to get back to his feet. McGregor is pushing him up against the cage, looking to control the position.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.

McGregor manages to break the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
McGregor fails with an attempt to clinch.

McGregor fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Carver, pushing him back against the cage.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
McGregor working aggressively here.
Carver is stalling here.
Carver tries to pull guard but McGregor forces him back to his feet, against the cage.

Carver manages to break the clinch.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Carver enables McGregor to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Carver manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Carver tries to land a sweep but no joy.
McGregor trying to control but Carver is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Carver thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Carver keeping moving, preventing McGregor from controlling successfully.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.

Conor McGregor has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
McGregor misses with a jab, cross combination.
McGregor takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Carver swats away the attempt to clinch by McGregor.
McGregor tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Carver counters with a slapping leg kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

McGregor scores with a takedown into Carver's guard.
Carver is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
McGregor preventing the sweep.
McGregor looking to sit in guard and control but Carver gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Carver postures up and lands a big shot to McGregor's brow.
Carver content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
McGregor is controlling Carver's posture.
Carver with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Carver working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Carver in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

McGregor escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Carver gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Carver scoring with punches to the head and body.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Carver throwing strikes but missing.
Carver showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Carver lands a couple of elbows.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Carver content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
McGregor is trying to control the position from the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Conor McGregor.
Well McGregor has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Wesley Smith scores the fight 28:29
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 28:29
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Conor McGregor!