PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Matthew Godbolt (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Scott Fleming (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Godbolt might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Trenches by Pop Evil. The crowd seem to be enjoying Fleming's choice of entrance music: T.N.T.. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Godbolt
vs
Fleming

186 cm
27
202 lbs
13 - 8 - 1

172 cm
31
195 lbs
16 - 15 - 0

Great wrestler
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Excellent grappler
World class MT
Good gas tank

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 13 - 8 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Matthew Godbolt!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 16 - 15 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Scott Fleming!
The judges for this bout are George Francis, Gwen Towbar and Stewart Dunkirk.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Godbolt closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Fleming is holding Godbolt down, trying to stall.
Fleming can't do much from the bottom here.
The strikes coming from Godbolt are missing the target in this wave of attacks.

Godbolt tries for a kimura but Fleming is defending well.
Fleming sneaks back into half guard.
Fleming is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Fleming keeps trying to improve his position.
Godbolt trying to control the action but Fleming is working from the bottom.
Godbolt thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Fleming's head.
Godbolt will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Fleming is defending against the submission attempts here by Godbolt.
Fleming is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Fleming trying to control here.
Fleming tries to roll over but Godbolt keeps him under control.
Godbolt 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.
Godbolt 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.
Fleming trying to control but Godbolt postures up.
Fleming makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Fleming.
Fleming is trying to keep Godbolt in close.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Fleming looking for a guillotine here but Godbolt defends easily.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Fleming seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Godbolt trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Fleming is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Fleming can't keep his opponent in guard - Godbolt advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Godbolt seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Fleming does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Godbolt is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Fleming doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Godbolt.
Godbolt scores with a couple of good hammerfists.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fleming is looking to improve his position.
Fleming works his way to full guard. Good work.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Fleming has his hands on Godbolt's head, controlling the position.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Godbolt trying to control but Fleming is working from the bottom.
Godbolt controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Fleming looking to control.
Godbolt forces his way into half guard.
Fleming tries to roll over but Godbolt keeps him under control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Godbolt is keen to just control but Fleming is a slippery customer.
Fleming is looking to control Godbolt's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Fleming avoid being mounted?
Godbolt passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Fleming!

Godbolt is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Fleming has managed to escape the submission attempt.
Fleming is looking to improve his position but Godbolt isn't that keen on the idea.
BOOM! Godbolt connects with a massive shot to the dome!
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.
Godbolt is landing with some decent strikes but Fleming is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Fleming regains half guard.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Godbolt in particular looking to stall.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matthew Godbolt dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Godbolt cracks Fleming with an open hand slap.
Left hook, right uppercut from Godbolt.
Fleming tries to clinch but Godbolt moves away

and Godbolt counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Godbolt missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Godbolt keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Fleming's head.
Fleming is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Fleming working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Godbolt.
Godbolt stands up over Fleming, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Godbolt postures up.
Fleming utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Fleming pulls Godbolt in close to prevent any damage.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Godbolt working some strikes from top position.
Godbolt throws an elbow that misses. Fleming uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Godbolt's guard. Nice move by Fleming!
Godbolt lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fleming looking to hit a scissor sweep but Godbolt is one step ahead there.
Fleming pulls Godbolt in to control the position.
Fleming lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.
Godbolt looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Fleming with a nice head shot there.
Matthew Godbolt overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Godbolt escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Fleming gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Fleming passes easily into side control. Nice work.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Fleming working his ground and pound in the gym. So far it seems to be working well.
Fleming misses with the ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Godbolt tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Fleming wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
You can see the frustration on Godbolt's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Fleming lands some shots froms side control.
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!
Godbolt tries to bench press Fleming off him but Fleming keeps the position.
Fleming is chipping away with strikes.

Fleming looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Fleming working away.
Fleming working the ground and pound but Godbolt is defending the strikes.
Godbolt tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Fleming wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Fleming working the head and body with strikes.
Fleming looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Godbolt is avoiding damage well.
Godbolt takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Fleming working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Godbolt takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.

Fleming thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Godbolt sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Fleming not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Fleming thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Godbolt's head.
Godbolt tries to roll over but Fleming keeps him under control.
Godbolt is refusing to be controlled, as Fleming sits in half guard.
Fleming working Godbolt over with strikes.
Fleming lands with a punch from half guard.
Godbolt is doing well to control the position and prevent Fleming from advancing to side control.
Fleming stalling away here and it's allowed Godbolt to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Fleming's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Godbolt is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Fleming working some strikes from top position.
Godbolt is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Godbolt is on top in guard.
Godbolt trying to control but Fleming is working from the bottom.
Fleming looking to hit a scissor sweep but Godbolt is one step ahead there.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Fleming trying to control the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Scott Fleming will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. And we move into the final round!

Godbolt scores with a nice right hand.
Fleming fails to land the takedown.
No joy there for Fleming, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

Godbolt drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Fleming takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Fleming tries to buck Godbolt off but Godbolt is having none of it.
Godbolt works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.

Fleming is rocked!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Fleming looks to move to half guard but instead Godbolt has passed into mount! Damn!
Fleming is still in real trouble! Can Godbolt finish him?

Godbolt is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Fleming to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Fleming shrugs it off.
Godbolt unloads with some vicious shots from mount and Fleming wants out - he looks towards the referee who steps in to save him! Godbolt celebrates on the cage and the crowd goes wild!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:55 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Matthew Godbolt!
A relieved looking Matthew Godbolt thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.