PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Connor Freeman (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tyson Clay (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Freeman
vs
Clay

169 cm
24
140 lbs
13 - 6 - 0

170 cm
28
147 lbs
12 - 7 - 1

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Granite chin

Excellent grappler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

Fury Nutrition Inc.

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 13 - 6 - 0, fighting out of London, Connor Freeman!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 7 - 1, fighting out of Montreal, Tyson Clay!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, Frank Antenori and Jack Bonds.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Freeman ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Freeman moves in looking to clinch but Clay pushes him off.
Clay scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Freeman shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Clay defends it nicely.
Freeman is looking to clinch but Clay is avoiding it.
A little jabbing left from Clay on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
We can't be sure of the tactics at this early stage but we have heard that Clay has been working on his takedowns a lot in the buildup to the fight and we can only assume he's going to look to take this to the mat.

Freeman rushes Clay and presses him up against the cage.
Clay dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Clay blocks an uppercut.
Freeman looking to stall.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Clay blocks an uppercut.
Clay tries for a takedown. No joy.
Freeman lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Freeman lands an uppercut.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Freeman.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Clay lands with a short punch from the clinch.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Clay.
Clay is trying to drag Freeman to the mat but Freeman just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Freeman gets through Clay's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.

Clay pulls Freeman into guard.
Freeman is looking to work some ground and pound but Clay has wrist control.
Clay is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Freeman throwing strikes from guard but Clay blocks nicely.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Freeman pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Clay is keeping the position for now.
Freeman 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 two minutes gone in the round.
Clay 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.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Freeman throwing strikes from guard but Clay blocks nicely.
Freeman passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Clay tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Freeman wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Clay can't do much from the bottom here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Freeman trying to control the position but Clay is working away.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Clay is looking to reverse the position.
Clay manages to get back to half guard.
Freeman seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Clay does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Freeman is looking for the mount but instead finds himself back in full guard.
Clay seems keen to control Freeman's posture.
Clay looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Clay avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Freeman closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Freeman lands in his opponent's guard.
Freeman trying to control but Clay is working from the bottom.
Freeman engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Freeman is pushing down on Clay's leg trying to pass to half guard. Clay is fighting to maintain full guard but Freeman has managed to sneak the leg through.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Freeman trying to pass the guard but Clay defending well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Clay ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Freeman moves away.
Clay lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Freeman tries to close the distance and clinch but Clay swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Clay swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

Freeman rushes Clay and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Clay successfully pulls guard.

Clay looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Clay can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Freeman controls the pace.
Freeman is looking to advance position but Clay has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!

Clay looking to ground and pound but Freeman is blocking nicely.
Clay thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Freeman wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
Clay lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Clay throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Freeman is bucking up trying to escape but Clay cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Clay wants to control the pace but Freeman is squirming around nicely.
Clay throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Freeman trying desperately to get to his feet.

Clay goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Freeman is on top in guard.
Freeman preventing the sweep.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Freeman is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Freeman wants to control from the top but Clay keeps moving.
Freeman is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Freeman throws a strike but Clay rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Clay postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Clay trying to control the position from guard on top but Freeman is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Clay throwing strikes from guard but Freeman blocks nicely.
Clay is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Clay wants to pass the guard but Freeman is keeping the position.
Clay missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

Freeman manages to escape and get back to his feet.
Freeman misses with a takedown
and Clay counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Clay pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
A jab from Clay misses.
Clay throws a body kick that misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Freeman looks for a takedown but Clay sprawls well.
Clay looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Clay throws a body punch but Freeman moves out of range.
Freeman avoids a punch combination nicely.
Clay throws a body punch but Freeman moves out of range.
Freeman is looking to counter punch.
The fighters circle momentarily. Freeman darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Freeman defending well as Clay loads up on a big left hand.
Clay has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Clay there as he acknowledges the shot.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Freeman stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Freeman moves in looking to clinch but Clay pushes him off.
Freeman ducks under a wild hook from Clay.
Tyson Clay is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Freeman tries for a takedown but Clay circles away easily
letting Clay counter with a right hand.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tyson Clay showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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!

Freeman tries to close the distance and clinch up but Clay swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Clay avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Clay's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Clay duly obliges.
Clay misses with a wild combination.
Freeman misses with a takedown

and Clay counters by clinching up.

Freeman has hold of one of Clay's legs. Clay is fighting the takedown attempt but Freeman gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
Freeman trying to control but Clay is working from the bottom.
Tyson Clay has got the better of the ground game so far.
Freeman wants to pass the guard but Clay is keeping the position.
Freeman trying to control but Clay is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Clay looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Freeman passes into side control.
Clay is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Freeman off and has taken his back!
Clay missing with strikes from the back.
Freeman manages to escape to a better position under a series of strikes. Clay is now in side control.
Clay misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sloppy strikes there by Clay.
Clay trying to control the position but Freeman is working away.
Clay is chipping away with strikes.
The ground and pound from Clay seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
The ground and pound from Clay seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Clay in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Clay lands a few punches from side control.
Sloppy strikes there by Clay.
Sloppy strikes there by Clay.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Freeman wants to get back to his feet.
Clay tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
Freeman wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Freeman is working to avoid the ground and pound but Clay connects with a decent elbow.
Clay prevents Freeman from escaping the position.
Clay working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Freeman is pushing Clay's head away, looking to escape. Clay manages to hold on to the position though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Clay wants to lay and pray for a moment but Freeman keeps working.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Clay throws a body shot but no joy.
Freeman moves forwards but Clay connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Freeman tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Freeman stuffs the takedown attempt from Clay. Clay gets slowly back to his feet.
Clay is trying hard to land a takedown here. Freeman sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Freeman feinted with a counter takedown.
Connor Freeman seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Freeman fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Clay misses with a left hand
and Freeman counters with a right hand to the body.
A punch combination from Clay misses.
Freeman tries to clinch up.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tyson Clay comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Clay has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 28:29
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 28:29
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tyson Clay!
Tyson Clay seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.