PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Niel Seraphim (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Craig Ekart (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Craig Ekart has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Niel Seraphim's chin.

Seraphim
vs
Ekart

176 cm
25
144 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

165 cm
26
143 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Cuts easily

Good wrestler
Counter fighter
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Niel Seraphim!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Craig Ekart!
The judges for this bout are Michael Johnstone, Sandra Marshall and David Hoff.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A jab from Seraphim misses.
Ekart changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.

Seraphim darts in and clinches Ekart up against the cage.
Ekart goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Ekart on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Seraphim lands an elbow inside.

It looks like Craig Ekart has been cut.
Seraphim trying to stall but Ekart improves his position.
Seraphim misses with a knee strike.
Seraphim pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Ekart takes a knee to the side of the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Seraphim lands an elbow inside that Ekart shrugs off.
Ekart blocks an elbow strike from Seraphim.
Ekart is pressed up against the cage. Seraphim has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Ekart down to the mat. Ekart avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Ekart takes a swing at Seraphim's ribcage but misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A solid leg kick lands there for Seraphim.
Ekart has done a lot of speed work in the buildup to this fight.
Seraphim attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Seraphim slips under a jab.

Ekart shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Seraphim's guard.
Ekart preventing the sweep.
Ekart looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Seraphim wants to sweep here but Ekart controlling him for the moment.
Ekart throws a big right hand that misses.
Seraphim is trying to keep Ekart in close.
Ekart stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Seraphim swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ekart sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Seraphim's guard.
Nice strikes from Ekart there.
Seraphim definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Ekart in particular looking to stall.
Ekart's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Ekart is nestled in close to Seraphim, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Seraphim trying to hold on to Ekart's head to control him but Ekart postures up.
Seraphim is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Ekart is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Seraphim is trying to stand up here but Ekart is controlling him well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ekart scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Ekart perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Ekart lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Ekart looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Ekart takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Seraphim has hold of Ekart's hands but Ekart slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Nice strikes from Ekart there.
Ekart lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Ekart lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.

Seraphim is rocked!

Seraphim looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Oh Seraphim is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Ekart lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Seraphim tries to roll over but Ekart keeps him under control.
Seraphim seems to have got his legs back now.
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. Ekart connects with a nice short shot to Seraphim's temple.
Seraphim is trying to maintain the position but Ekart is very close to passing his half guard.
Ekart working over Seraphim with some ground and pound. Seraphim looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Ekart lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Seraphim knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Ekart on the ground.
Ekart working over Seraphim with some ground and pound. Seraphim looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Ekart working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Ekart with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Ekart slips a nice elbow through Seraphim's hands, connecting with Seraphim's forehead.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Craig Ekart dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Craig Ekart's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Seraphim scores with a jab to the jaw.
Seraphim scores with a push kick.
Ekart swats away the attempt to clinch by Seraphim.
The fight stays on the outside here - Seraphim looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Ekart with the counter takedown but Seraphim avoids it easily.
Seraphim tries to close the distance and clinch but Ekart swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Ekart feints the counter takedown.
Ekart shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Seraphim as he avoids it easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Seraphim tries a head kick but it misses.
Seraphim is looking to clinch.
Seraphim misses with a straight right.

Seraphim clinches up against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Seraphim misses with an elbow strike.
Ekart trying to stall but Seraphim improves his position.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Seraphim obliges.
Seraphim misses with a knee to the head.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.

Ekart breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Ekart scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Ekart tries to pass the half guard into mount. Seraphim knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ekart is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Ekart lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Seraphim trying to control from the bottom.
Seraphim on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Seraphim is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Ekart with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ekart working Seraphim over with strikes.
Ekart trying to control the pace.
Craig Ekart has got the better of the ground game so far.
Ekart is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Ekart prevents Seraphim from standing back up.
Seraphim is trying to control but Ekart passes into side control!
Seraphim wants to get back to his feet but Ekart is dominant here and he's now got Seraphim's back!
Ekart has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Ekart scores with punches and elbows.
Ekart connects with a big shot to the side of Seraphim's head.
You know, I was talking to some of our celebrities at ringside tonight and they were split right down the middle on who was going to win this fight.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Ekart patiently working for the choke. Which fighter will keep their nerve here?
Ekart cracks Seraphim with a big shot to body and one to the head - really punishing Seraphim from the back mount here, looking to soften him up.
Will Ekart go for the finish here or will he try and keep control of the position?
Ekart controlling the position well here. Seraphim rolled but Ekart kept the hooks locked in and stayed in the dominant position.
Ekart lands a shot to the body.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Seraphim tries to break free.
Ekart lands a shot to the head.
Seraphim trying to control the hands but Ekart won't let him.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Craig Ekart showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Craig Ekart's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Seraphim tries to close the distance and clinch up but Ekart swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Ekart with the counter takedown but Seraphim avoids it easily.
Seraphim fails to land with a series of punches.
Ekart on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Seraphim. Seraphim obviously looking to wear him down.
Ekart steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Seraphim.
Seraphim is looking to clinch but Ekart is avoiding it.
Ekart is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Ekart just misses with a punch to the body.
Seraphim tries to clinch but Ekart moves away

and Ekart counters with a single leg into guard. Seraphim didn't expect that.
Ekart works over Seraphim with some ground and pound from guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ekart works over Seraphim with some ground and pound from guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Ekart got a little sloppy there for a moment and Seraphim has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Ekart has managed to get both his arms back between Seraphim's legs - danger averted.
Ekart working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Seraphim's head.
Ekart lands a couple of elbows.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Ekart's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Seraphim is trying to control the position but Ekart postures up.
Ekart advances to half guard.
Seraphim trying to control but Ekart postures up.
Ekart is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Ekart working the head and body with strikes.
Ekart sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Seraphim is refusing to be controlled, as Ekart sits in half guard.
Ekart looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Ekart prevents Seraphim from standing back up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Seraphim won't allow Ekart to pass to mount.
Ekart has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Ekart is nestled in close to Seraphim, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Seraphim trying to control from the bottom.
Well, if Ekart is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Ekart drops an elbow to the side of Seraphim's head.
Ekart keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Ekart looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Ekart looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Ekart looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Seraphim with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Ekart is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ekart lands strikes from half guard.
Seraphim has hold of Ekart's hands but Ekart slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Ekart working the head and body with strikes.
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. Ekart connects with a nice short shot to Seraphim's temple.
Seraphim is looking to escape.
Seraphim taking some punishment here, with Ekart in his half guard.
Ekart is sitting in half guard. He's postured up and lands a nice elbow. Oh, Seraphim is hurt! He's hurt bad - Ekart fires away with more strikes and the referee jumps in to save Seraphim from any more punishment! Congratulations to Ekart! Great finish!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:55 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Craig Ekart!