PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Jordon Buckner (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rick Ward (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). I'm sure you'll be fascinated to know that I was talking to some pointless Z list celebrity before the fight and he thought that Rick Ward was going to win. Let's see if he was right.

Buckner
vs
Ward

151 cm
18
214 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

185 cm
18
205 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Solid chin

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Jordon Buckner!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Rick Ward!
The judges for this bout are Robert Twigg, Frank Dennis and Stewart Dunkirk.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ward throws a hook to the side of Buckner's head but Buckner sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Buckner wants to clinch up but Ward keeps it at a distance.
Ward bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Buckner's head.
Buckner tries to clinch but Ward moves out of range.
Buckner could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Buckner is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Buckner.
The crowd cheers as Ward lands an impressive looking overhand right. Buckner doesn't seem phased though.
Buckner tries to clinch up.
Ward moves out of range as Buckner throws a body kick.
Buckner tries to clinch up but Ward circles away and keeps his distance.
Ward scores with a jab.
Buckner tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Ward manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Ward with a nice cross.
Ward misses the jab.
Buckner is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Buckner misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Buckner slips under a jab.
Buckner avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Ward looks to land a left hand but Buckner moved out of range nicely.
Ward swings and misses with a hook to the body.

Buckner clinches up against the cage.
Ward struggles to land a body shot inside as Buckner controls his hands.
Buckner taking a breather.
Buckner has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Ward is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Buckner blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Buckner is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jordon Buckner. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Buckner letting Ward take a breather here.
Buckner drops down looking for an ankle pick but Ward pulls his leg out and moves away.
Buckner checks a leg kick nicely.
Ward misses with an uppercut
and Buckner counters with a flying knee. Nice.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ward circles away from the clinch attempt

and Ward counters with a single leg into guard. Buckner didn't expect that.
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Ward wants to control from the top but Buckner keeps moving.
Ward throws a big elbow that misses.
Ward working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Buckner wants to stand up but Ward is controlling him.
Buckner trying to keep a closed guard but Ward is proving a slippery customer.
Buckner wants to stand and escape but Ward is having none of it.
Buckner is breathing heavily.
Ward tries to free his leg and advance position but Buckner is retaining full guard.
Ward is looking to advance position but Buckner has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!
Buckner sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ward is trying desperately to improve position.
Ward holds on to Buckner around his waist, trying desperately to prevent any attacks.
Ward regains half guard.
Ward tries to roll over but Buckner keeps him under control.

Buckner is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Ward sees it coming and defends easily.
Ward controlling the position well.
Ward is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Buckner scores with a couple of nice shots.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ward manages to get to full guard.
Buckner stopping the sweep attempt from Ward.
Ward has his hands on Buckner's head, controlling the position.
Ward utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Buckner being controlled here momentarily.
We've been informed that Ward has been working hard on his conditioning in the buildup to the fight.

Ward looking for a guillotine here but Buckner defends easily.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Buckner postures up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rick Ward dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Buckner tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
The fighters circle momentarily. Ward darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Ward misses with a straight left.
Buckner tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Ward manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Ward swats away the attempt to clinch by Buckner.

Ward closes the distance and clinches.
Buckner blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Ward.
Buckner goes for a takedown in the clinch but Ward prevents it.
Ward tries to throw a body punch but Buckner avoids it by throwing Ward back against the cage.
Ward misses with a hook to the ribs.
Buckner has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Buckner blocks a body shot from Ward.
Buckner tries for a takedown. No joy.
Buckner tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Ward just stands there and leans against the cage.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jordon Buckner. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Buckner blocking some punches.
Ward misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Buckner looking to slow down the pace here.
Ward misses with a punch to the body.
Ward lands a nice uppercut.

It looks like Jordon Buckner has been cut.
Ward keeps control of Buckner as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Buckner wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Ward has him pressed against the cage.
Ward lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Buckner fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Ward misses with a body punch.
Ward tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Buckner's elbow.
Ward lands a body punch.
Ward gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Buckner.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ward tries a body shot but Buckner blocks it.
Ward tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Ward lands a body punch in the clinch.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Ward lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Buckner backwards.

Ward breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Ward lands with a shot to the body.
Ward might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
Ward lands a really nice looking cross but Buckner seems unphased.
Ward is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Ward lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Buckner has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Buckner and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.
Ward works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Ward connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Buckner checks a low kick from Ward.
Ward avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
The fighters circle momentarily. Ward darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Buckner throws a head kick that misses.
Buckner on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nice body punch from Ward.
Ward fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Jordon Buckner is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Ward darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Buckner fails with an attempt to clinch.
Ward lands with a hook. Buckner tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Ward lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Buckner fails in his attempt to clinch.

Ward fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Buckner to the ground. Ward is now in Buckner's guard.

Ward got a little sloppy there for a moment and Buckner has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Ward has managed to get both his arms back between Buckner's legs - danger averted.
Buckner is trying to keep Ward in close.
Ward works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Rick Ward has got the better of the ground game so far.
Buckner won't allow Ward to pass to mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ward lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Ward is pressing down on Buckner's thigh, looking to free his foot. Buckner is holding on for now.
Buckner tries to kick Ward off but Ward keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Ward working the head and body with strikes.
Buckner has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Ward is working away from the top position though.
Buckner is trying to stand.
Ward frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Buckner in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Ward punishing his opponent with strikes.
Ward with the ground and pound from mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rick Ward showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Jordon Buckner's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Buckner drops his hands momentarily and Ward takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.

Buckner is rocked!
Ward fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Oh Buckner is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Ward steps in with a hook that catches Buckner right on the chin and knocks him to the floor! Ward follows him down with more strikes and that's all she wrote! Buckner looks absolutely devastated.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:11 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Rick Ward!