PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between John Punk (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Travis Sharpe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The atmosphere really building for this one as we go over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Punk
vs
Sharpe

190 cm
19
185 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

180 cm
23
175 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Granite chin

Good takedowns
Brawler
Determined

Steel Penn\'s Laundry 80% LAUNDRY IS AVAILABLE

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, John Punk!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Travis Sharpe!
The judges for this bout are Micheangelo Fripello, Paul Gruel and Jeff Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Sharpe drives through with a takedown into Punk's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Sharpe in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Punk is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Sharpe postures up in Punk's guard and throws a big left but Punk blocks it.
Punk has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.
Punk wants to sweep here but Sharpe controlling him for the moment.
Sharpe looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Sharpe stops Punk from standing up.
Sharpe not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Punk controls Sharpe momentarily but Sharpe frees himself.

John Punk has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Sharpe fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Sharpe fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
No luck for Sharpe with that takedown attempt.
Punk feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Sharpe's calf.

Sharpe looking to score a takedown here. Punk is defending well but Sharpe drives through and ends up in Punk's guard.
Punk keeping moving, preventing Sharpe from controlling successfully.
Punk has momentary wrist control but Sharpe slips an elbow through the middle.
Punk keeping moving, preventing Sharpe from controlling successfully.
Sharpe controlling from the top position.
Sharpe postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sharpe with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Sharpe is looking to work some ground and pound but Punk has wrist control.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Sharpe postures up in Punk's guard and throws a big left but Punk blocks it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Punk being controlled here, momentarily.
Punk looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Sharpe missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Sharpe trying to control but Punk is working from the bottom.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
A good leg kick by Punk.
Sharpe on the wrong end of a kick to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sharpe tries to clinch there but Punk circles away.
Punk throws a push kick but Sharpe slaps the foot to one side.
Sharpe blocks the body kick.
Punk scores with a leg kick.
Punk lands a head kick. Sharpe smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Punk looks for the body kick but Sharpe saw that one coming.
Punk throws the kick towards the body but Sharpe avoids it.
John Punk is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Sharpe drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Sharpe working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Punk wants to get back to his feet but he's too absorbed in his own little project and Sharpe manages to pass to side control.

Sharpe is trying to work for a kimura but Punk is defending well.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Sharpe tries to pass to full mount but Punk defends it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Punk gets full guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Sharpe postures up in Punk's guard and throws a big left but Punk blocks it.
Punk can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Sharpe controls the pace.
Sharpe throws a big right hand that misses.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Sharpe wants to control from the top but Punk keeps moving.
Sharpe postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Travis Sharpe dominated that round.
That's time! Punk's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Punk lands a nice looking body kick.
John Punk seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Punk tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Punk feints and then cracks Sharpe's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Sharpe down.

Sharpe decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Sharpe trying to pass the guard but Punk defending well.
Sharpe is trying to control the action in half guard but Punk is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Punk wants to control but Sharpe is keeping busy.
Sharpe looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.

Sharpe is trying to work for a kimura but Punk is defending well.
Punk trying to control here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Punk wants to get back to full guard.
Sharpe lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Sharpe is trying to control. Punk wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Punk wants to get back to full guard.
Sharpe wants to lay and pray for a moment but Punk keeps working.
Sharpe wants to free his trapped foot but Punk is holding on for dear life with his legs.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sharpe looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Punk with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Punk wants to improve his position but Sharpe is controlling well.
Punk keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Punk is refusing to be controlled, as Sharpe sits in half guard.
Punk tries to roll over but Sharpe keeps him under control.
Sharpe tries to pass the half guard into mount. Punk knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Punk wants to control but Sharpe is keeping busy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sharpe stops Punk from getting back to his feet.
Punk is in trouble now - Sharpe has advanced to mount!
Sharpe scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Sharpe has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Sharpe throwing strikes here but Punk is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Sharpe is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Punk wants to hold on but Sharpe pushes him away.
Sharpe content just to control the position here.
Punk knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Sharpe on the ground.
Sharpe can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Punk is looking to escape.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Sharpe working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Sharpe prevents Punk from getting the reversal.
Punk is squirming around, avoiding Sharpe's attempts to control the action.
The referee warns Punk that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Sharpe with the ground and pound from mount.
Sharpe controlling his opponent.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Travis Sharpe showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Punk looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
A nice leg kick lands there from Punk.
Travis Sharpe is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Punk displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Sharpe.
Sharpe tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Punk swivels and escapes.
Ooooh, nice body kick lands from Punk. Sharpe shrugs it off though.
Punk dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Sharpe. That did some damage!
Sharpe fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
John Punk has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Travis Sharpe.
Sharpe avoids a kick to the body.
A kick lands to the mid section there for Punk.
Punk fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Punk scores with a kick to the body.

Punk gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Punk has control of Sharpe's left arm, preventing Sharpe from doing any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Punk utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Sharpe not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Punk is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

We're going to have a standup here because John Punk wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.

Punk gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Punk working a defensive guard here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sharpe trying to control the position from guard on top but Punk is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Sharpe throwing strikes but missing.
Sharpe content to stall in guard here.
Sharpe trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sharpe wants to control from the top but Punk keeps moving.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Travis Sharpe was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Punk pushes Sharpe away with a front kick.
Crunch! Punk slams his shin into Sharpe's torso.
Sharpe on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Punk. Punk obviously looking to wear him down.

Sharpe decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Sharpe is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Sharpe sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Punk defending well though.
Sharpe lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Punk avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Sharpe.
Sharpe trying to control the pace.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Punk taking some punishment here, with Sharpe in his half guard.
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!
Sharpe is stalling here. Punk is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Sharpe seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Punk has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
Sharpe is looking to regain half guard here but Punk keeps moving and retains side control.
Sharpe is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Punk's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Sharpe tries to roll over but Punk keeps him under control.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Sharpe has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Punk is working away from the top position though.
John Punk has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Travis Sharpe is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

And that's the end of the fight!
Travis Sharpe comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Sharpe 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 Micheangelo Fripello scores the fight 27:30
Judge Paul Gruel scores the fight 27:30
Judge Jeff Smith scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Travis Sharpe!