PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Joey Walsall (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mark Wrend (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The fight MMA fans around the world have waited their entire lives for!

Walsall
vs
Wrend

174 cm
22
166 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

177 cm
21
181 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Good chin

Good wrestler
Basic striking
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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Joey Walsall!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of London, Mark Wrend!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Bishop, Colin Fotheringham and James Ackerman.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Walsall is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Wrend is looking for the big counter here.
Walsall rushes in with a sloppy looking punch

and Wrend counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Wrend.
Wrend sitting in guard here, content to control.
Wrend looking to pass the guard.
Walsall preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Walsall is trying to control the position but Wrend postures up.
Walsall can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Wrend controls the pace.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Wrend with a flurry of punches that miss.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Wrend showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Wrend's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Wrend passes Walsall's left leg - he's now in half guard.
We've been hearing good reports from Walsall's training camp. Apparently he has been rolling around with some good quality BJJ practitioners and has been sharpening his skills. Let's see if that has an impact on the fight today.
Wrend missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Wrend is trying to control the action in half guard but Walsall is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Walsall tries to roll over but Wrend keeps him under control.
Wrend thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

Wrend is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Walsall doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Wrend.
Wrend takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Wrend thows a huge punch but Walsall dodges it nicely.
Wrend passes to side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wrend misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Wrend throws an elbow but Walsall slips to the side and avoids it well.
Wrend takes a little break here. Walsall wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.
Wrend working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Walsall is breathing heavily.
Wrend is looking to take a break and control but Walsall is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Wrend misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Wrend wants to control but Walsall is keeping him busy.
Wrend tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Wrend remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
You can see the frustration on Walsall's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Walsall seems a little lost for a moment, as Wrend dominates the positioning.
Wrend working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Wrend trying to control the position but Walsall is working away.
Wrend has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for Walsall!
Wrend throwing strikes here but Walsall is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Wrend scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Walsall?

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wrend can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Walsall is looking to escape.
Wrend controlling the pace for now.
Wrend throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Wrend looking to finish Walsall with some ground and pound. This is bad for Walsall!
Wrend scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Wrend can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Walsall is looking to escape.
A nice elbow there by Wrend.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Wrend is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Walsall is surviving well by controlling Wrend's body position as best he can.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Wrend throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Nice shot lands for Wrend.
Wrend lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Wrend lands a lovely overhand right.
Wrend scores with a jab to the jaw.
Walsall takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.

Walsall closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Walsall trying to control the action but Wrend is working from the bottom.

Wrend looking for submissions off his back.
Wrend is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Wrend moves into full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Walsall trying to control the position from guard on top but Wrend is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Wrend is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Walsall is controlling him.
Walsall wants to pass the guard but Wrend is keeping the position.

Wrend escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Walsall gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Wrend is looking to stand up but Walsall isn't so interested in that idea.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Wrend can do anything to dispel that myth.
Wrend bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Walsall's guard.

Wrend trying to control but Walsall is working from the bottom.
Wrend is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Wrend trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Wrend in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Wrend in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Wrend loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Wrend has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Wrend wants to control from the top but Walsall keeps moving.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Wrend lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Walsall circles away quickly and effectively.
Walsall takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Wrend lands a jab to the nose.
Wrend throws a head kick but Walsall moves out of range.
Wrend scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.
Walsall throws a series of punches but Wrend avoids them all with ease.
Wrend's jab looks to have found its range, popping Walsall under the eye.
Wrend moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Mark Wrend seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Wrend.
Wrend throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Walsall takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
A jab lands there for Wrend.
Wrend slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Jab by Wrend.
Wrend cracks Walsall with a good jab.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wrend connects with a nice looking jab.
Walsall looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Wrend is fending him off so far but Walsall persists. Nope, Wrend circles away and we're back to standing.
Walsall walks into a left hand.
Wrend misses with a head kick.
Walsall fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Walsall wants to clinch up but Wrend keeps it at a distance.
Wrend lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
The crowd cheers as Wrend lands an impressive looking overhand right. Walsall doesn't seem phased though.
A lazy left from Wrend finds it's target.
Wrend connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Wrend cracks Walsall with an open hand slap.

Walsall is rocked!

Wrend gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Oh Walsall is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Wrend scores with a nice hook to the head.
A hook to the body from Wrend.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mark Wrend showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

A left lands for Wrend.
Walsall seems to have got his legs back now.
Walsall on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Wrend shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Walsall eats them both and turns towards Wrend to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Sloppy strikes from Wrend. Those never looked like landing.
Walsall is trying to close the distance and clinch up, after that failed offence from Wrend.
Wrend connects with a jab.
Walsall takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Wrend lands a really nice looking cross but Walsall seems unphased.
Good shot there by Wrend.
Walsall shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
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!
Walsall walks straight into a right hand from Wrend - that's dropped him! Wrend jumps into mount and starts pounding away - can he finish?! More strikes go undefended and the referee has to dive in to save Walsall from any more punishment! Walsall complains about the stoppage but falls over as he tries to stand back up, so it was clearly a good stoppage.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:38 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Punches). Mark Wrend!