PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Samuel French (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and James Merrick (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). James Merrick has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Samuel French's chin.

French
vs
Merrick

176 cm
18
193 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

180 cm
25
185 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

Decent wrestler
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Samuel French!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, James Merrick!
The judges for this bout are Alyssa Summers, Bruno Lombardi and Eddie Farnsworth.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
French tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Merrick manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
French slaps away a takedown attempt from Merrick, before circling back to the center of the mat.
French moves in looking to clinch but Merrick pushes him off.
French tries to clinch but Merrick is having none of it.

Merrick clinches.

Merrick has hold of one of French's legs. French is fighting the takedown attempt but Merrick gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Merrick tries to free his leg and advance position but French is retaining full guard.
Merrick controls from within his opponent's guard.
Merrick stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. French swivels though and keeps the full guard.
French is trying to control the position but Merrick postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
French is really struggling to control Merrick but he's trying to hold on to the position.
Merrick looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Samuel French wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Merrick dives in for a single leg takedown but French sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
A frustrated look appears on French's face as he tries to break the clinch.

Merrick decides to pull guard.
French throws a strike but Merrick rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Merrick won't allow French to sweep him here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
French controls Merrick momentarily but Merrick frees himself.
Merrick stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. French swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Merrick stays in close to French's body and controls the position.
French could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
French is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Merrick not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Samuel French.
Merrick circles away from the clinch attempt.
French defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Merrick.
Samuel French has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of James Merrick.
Merrick takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.

French has Merrick up against the cage in a clinch.
French is trying to break the clinch but Merrick is controlling him.
French prevents a takedown attempt there.
Merrick looks winded!
French drops down looking for an ankle pick but Merrick pulls his leg out and moves away.
French wants to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Merrick is defended easily by French.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from French.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
French tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Merrick forces French back against the cage and clinches.
We've been informed that Merrick has been working hard on his conditioning in the buildup to the fight.

Merrick breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Merrick misses with a body shot.

Merrick clinches.
Merrick lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of French backwards.

It looks like Samuel French has been cut.
French jumps guard but Merrick stands there with French around his waist. French gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
French is trying to drag Merrick to the mat but Merrick just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
French wants a takedown but no success here.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Samuel French. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Merrick's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
French slaps away a takedown attempt from Merrick, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Merrick swats away the attempt to clinch by French.
French tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Merrick manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts French, as that shot connected.

Merrick fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with French, pushing him back against the cage.
French is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Merrick is defending well.
French misses with a body punch.
Merrick is pushing French up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
French tries to land knees in the clinch but Merrick avoids the damage to the body.

Merrick pulls French into guard.
French won't allow Merrick to sweep him here.

Merrick is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. French is aware though and is defending well.
Merrick is breathing heavily.
French throws a strike but Merrick rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Merrick throwing strikes from guard but French blocks nicely.
French keeping full guard, as Merrick tries to pass.
French wants to sweep but no luck.
Merrick slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
French knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Merrick on the ground.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by James Merrick.

Merrick closes the distance and clinches.

Merrick breaks the clinch.
Merrick shoots in looking for a takedown but French manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Merrick's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
French keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
French pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
French pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
French pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Merrick loads up on a big right hand but French slips the punch.
Merrick fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
French fails with an attempt to clinch.
Merrick fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
A decent looking body kick lands there for French.
French tries to clinch but Merrick moves out of range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James Merrick showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Samuel French's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Merrick shoots in but no luck this time.

Merrick rushes French and presses him up against the cage.
French wants a takedown.
French is trying to stall.

Merrick jumps into guard, dragging French to the mat.
French throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Merrick works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
French loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Merrick has momentary wrist control but French slips an elbow through the middle.
James Merrick has got the better of the ground game so far.
French in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
French is looking to work some ground and pound but Merrick has wrist control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Merrick takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
French throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Merrick works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
French with a flurry of punches that miss.
French throws a big elbow that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as French accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Merrick avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Merrick looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Let's hope that Merrick has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Merrick is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Merrick is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Merrick throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
French throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Merrick works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Merrick trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
French throws an elbow that misses. Merrick uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in French's guard. Nice move by Merrick!
French is trying to keep Merrick in close.
Merrick content to stall in guard here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Merrick throws a head kick but French moves out of range.
French tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
James Merrick seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Merrick will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
French feints a jab promting Merrick to slip. French then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Merrick slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.
Merrick tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but French swivels and escapes.
Samuel French has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of James Merrick.

French has taken the fight to the clinch.
Merrick is pressed up against the cage. French has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Merrick down to the mat. Merrick avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
The fight stays on the outside here - French looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Merrick drives through and clinches with French against the cage.
French tries for a takedown but Merrick manages to get underhooks.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Merrick lands a nice uppercut.

Merrick has hold of one of French's legs. French is fighting the takedown attempt but Merrick gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
French manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
French raining down shots from the mount!
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!
French looking to finish with strikes here!
Merrick gets back to half guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Merrick wants to get back to full guard.
Samuel French has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
James Merrick is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
The fighters are battling for position here. Merrick manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to James Merrick.
I've got Merrick winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Alyssa Summers scores the fight 27:30
Judge Bruno Lombardi scores the fight 27:30
Judge Eddie Farnsworth scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... James Merrick!