PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Riley Whitney (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ivan Locke (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.

Whitney
vs
Locke

162 cm
22
215 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

190 cm
23
211 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

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 Montreal, Riley Whitney!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Ivan Locke!
The judges for this bout are Elvis Blanc, Alec Ball and Gregory Folan.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Locke misses with a two punch combination.
Whitney wants to clinch up but Locke keeps it at a distance.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Locke.
No joy there for Locke, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
No joy there for Locke, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Locke thumps Whitney with a low kick.
Locke throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

Whitney moves into the clinch.
Locke stops a takedown attempt from Whitney.
Whitney has Locke pressed against the cage, preventing Locke from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

Locke breaks the clinch.
A looping hook to the body misses from Locke. Whitney does a little dance to reset his feet.
Locke throws a big shot that misses.

Locke drives through and clinches with Whitney against the cage.

Locke's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Locke looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Whitney!

That's one minute gone in the round.
You can see the frustration on Whitney's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Whitney is trying to get back to half guard.
Whitney might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Whitney is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Locke's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!

Whitney is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Locke pulls his head out easily.
Whitney is trying to control but can't.

Whitney looking for submissions off his back.
Locke seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.
Whitney is looking for a sweep. Locke is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

Locke decides he's had enough of the ground and stands up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Locke gets a takedown into half guard.
Whitney really is a fat lump.
Locke wants to get back to his feet.
Locke looks winded!
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!
Whitney moves into full guard.
Locke wants to get up but he can't break Whitney's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Whitney 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.
Whitney is working hard here to advance position.
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.
Whitney has a closed guard, preventing Locke from standing up.
Whitney tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Locke passes Whitney's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Whitney is looking to control Locke's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Whitney avoid being mounted?
Whitney is not content to let Locke control the position.
Whitney landing strikes from the bottom.
Whitney is looking to control Locke's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Whitney avoid being mounted?
Whitney gets full guard.
Locke trying to control but Whitney is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Whitney keeping full guard, as Locke tries to pass.
Whitney is trying to control the position but Locke postures up.

Locke decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Whitney, up you get!

Whitney shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Locke manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
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!
Locke has his hands on Whitney's head, controlling the position.
Whitney is looking to work some ground and pound but Locke has wrist control.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Locke trying to control the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ivan Locke dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Whitney tries to close the distance and clinch but Locke swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Locke scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.

Locke decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Locke misses with a wild combination.
Some wild striking there from Locke.

Whitney gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Whitney wants the takedown. Locke is fighting it off but Whitney persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Locke's guard against the cage.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Whitney stands up from Locke's guard - Whitney perhaps looking for a knockout.
Locke is breathing heavily.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Whitney tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Locke manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Ivan Locke seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Whitney takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Locke lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.

It looks like Riley Whitney has been cut.
Locke lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Whitney at a distance.

Whitney closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Locke on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Locke avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Whitney.
Whitney throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Riley Whitney overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Whitney missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Whitney stops Locke from getting back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Whitney misses with a head shot. Locke uses the momentum to regain guard.
Whitney is working Locke over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Locke has momentary wrist control but Whitney slips an elbow through the middle.
Whitney is looking to work some ground and pound but Locke has wrist control.

Whitney stands up and waves to Locke to follow him.
Locke paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Whitney tries for a takedown but Locke sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Locke misses with a wild body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Locke misses with a combination

and Whitney counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Whitney connects with a nice short shot to Locke's temple.

Whitney is trying to work for a kimura but Locke is defending well.

Locke kicks Whitney off and gets back to his feet.
Locke misses with a straight left.
A punch combination from Locke misses.

Whitney drives through and clinches with Locke against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Whitney has Locke pushed against the cage.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Whitney tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Locke smiles and moves away.
Locke lands the left hand.
Locke fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Locke misses with a combination

and Whitney counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Locke's guard now.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Locke utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

Whitney stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Whitney tries to clinch up but Locke circles away and keeps his distance.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Riley Whitney dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Riley Whitney's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Locke tries to clinch but Whitney is having none of it.
Locke keeps the fight on the outside.
Locke tests Whitney's chin there with a solid looking shot.
A nice combination there by Locke.
Whitney fails with an attempt to clinch.
Whitney tries to clinch up but Locke circles away and keeps his distance.

Locke gets tackled into the cage by Whitney. Whitney maintains the clinch.
Whitney is trying to pull guard but Locke has him pressed against the cage.
Locke wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Whitney is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Locke gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.

Locke breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Locke throws a right and a left that Whitney avoids nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Locke leaves Whitney with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Riley Whitney. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Whitney fails in his attempt to clinch.

Locke gets a takedown into half guard.
Locke wants to pass to mount but Whitney is defending the position.
Whitney wants to get back to full guard.

Locke is working for a submission of some sort.
Locke has decided to stand back up but his arm is trapped. Whilst he's worrying about his arm, Whitney works to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Whitney bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Locke's guard.
Whitney postures up.
Locke wants to get back to his feet but Whitney is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

Whitney decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Whitney feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.

Whitney stands up and waves to Locke to follow him.

Locke throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Whitney was covering up waiting for the punch and Locke finishes the takedown easily into guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Locke trying to stand up but can't free himself from Whitney's guard.
Whitney is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Whitney seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Whitney not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Whitney thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Locke's head.

Whitney stands up and beckons Locke to join him on the feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Locke fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Locke throws out a loose jab but Whitney uses good head movement to avoid it.
Whitney tries to close the distance and clinch but Locke swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Locke is looking to clinch but Whitney is avoiding it.

Whitney closes the distance and pushes Locke back into the cage.

Whitney is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. Locke can't fight it off and eventually Whitney manages to take the fight to the floor. Locke looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Whitney gets to his feet - Locke follows without any prompting.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Locke fails to land with a series of punches.

And that's the end of the fight!
Riley Whitney showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Whitney has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Elvis Blanc scores the fight 29:28
Judge Alec Ball scores the fight 29:28
Judge Gregory Folan scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Riley Whitney!