PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Von Dodson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jon Howard (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). There are an array of beautiful celebrities at ringside tonight! I wonder if any of them paid for their tickets.

Dodson
vs
Howard

216 cm
24
140 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

170 cm
22
140 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Solid 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 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Von Dodson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Jon Howard!
The judges for this bout are Aleksei Zolotukhin, Valeri Chadov and Konstantin Menshow.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Howard has taken the fight to the clinch.
Howard jumps guard but Dodson stands there with Howard around his waist. Howard gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.

Howard breaks from the clinch.

Howard closes the distance and pushes Dodson back into the cage.

Dodson pulls Howard into guard.
Dodson is looking to stand up but Howard isn't so interested in that idea.
Howard trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Howard in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Howard pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Dodson is keeping the position for now.
Howard preventing the sweep.
Dodson lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Dodson wants to stand but Howard has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dodson throwing strikes from guard but Howard blocks nicely.
Dodson preventing the sweep.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Howard looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Dodson is looking to work some ground and pound but Howard has wrist control.

Howard manages to escape and get back to his feet.

Howard has taken the fight to the clinch.
Howard is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Dodson is looking to take this one to the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Howard turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Howard manages to end up in side control.
Dodson is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.
Dodson being controlled for a moment.
Dodson is trying to control Howard's posture but Howard avoids it.

Howard decides to stand back up.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Dodson.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Von Dodson. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Howard shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Dodson as he avoids it easily.
Howard tries a head kick but it misses.
Dodson shoots in looking for a takedown. Howard tries to sprawl out of it but Dodson keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Howard manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
A clash of legs there as Dodson blocks the low kick.

Howard gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Howard is trying to pull guard but Dodson has him pressed against the cage.
Howard is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Howard misses with a punch to the body.

Howard pulls guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Howard is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Dodson is controlling him.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Dodson accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Dodson has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Dodson throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Dodson trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Dodson with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Howard is controlling Dodson's posture.
Howard really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Dodson. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Dodson loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Dodson stopping the sweep attempt from Howard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jon Howard dominated that round.
That's time! Dodson's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Howard shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Dodson misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Howard has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

Howard is working for a submission of some sort.
Dodson is trying to stand up here but Howard is controlling him well.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Howard wants to free his trapped foot but Dodson is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Dodson gets full guard.

Dodson has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Howard off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Dodson really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Howard wants to break the clinch but can't.
Howard wants to break free but Dodson has control.
Dodson has Howard pressed against the cage, preventing Howard from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Howard is trying to pull guard but Dodson turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Howard tries to break the clinch but Dodson is controlling the position.
Howard stalling in the clinch but Dodson improves position.
Dodson gets underhooks to prevent Howard's takedown attempt.
Dodson slowing the pace effectively.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Dodson tries to pull guard but Howard holds him up against the cage and eventually Dodson drops back down to his feet.
Howard can't break the clinch.
Howard is trying to force a seperation but Dodson has the dominant position.

Dodson breaks the clinch.
Howard defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Dodson.
Howard keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Von Dodson. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Howard has Dodson up against the cage in a clinch.

Howard breaks from the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dodson changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Howard tries to avoid it but Dodson manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Howard to the ground. Howard escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.

Howard gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Howard fails to pull guard.
Howard fails to pull guard.
Howard wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Dodson on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Dodson trying to stall but Howard improves his position.
Dodson is trying to pull guard but Howard turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Dodson has Howard pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Howard manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dodson has Howard pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Howard manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Howard tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Howard controlling the action here for a moment.
Howard content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Dodson holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Dodson tries to pull guard but Howard holds him up against the cage and eventually Dodson drops back down to his feet.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Howard escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jon Howard showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Dodson looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.

Howard kicks Dodson off and gets back to his feet.
Howard throws a sloppy head kick and Dodson moves out of range easily.
It looked like Dodson was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.

Howard forces Dodson back against the cage and clinches.
Dodson is trying to drag Howard to the mat but Howard just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Howard jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Dodson walks away with a smile on his face. Howard gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Howard gets caught napping as Dodson dives in and scores a takedown. Howard manages to retain guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Dodson postures up.
Dodson will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dodson loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Howard pulls Dodson in to control the position.
Howard wants to stand but Dodson is controlling the position.
Dodson throwing strikes but missing.
Dodson distracts Howard with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Dodson is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Dodson throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

The fighters are working up against the cage. Howard manages to wriggle his way back to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched against the cage.
A bit of stalling here from Howard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Howard's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Howard has his takedown stuffed
and Dodson counters with a one-two to the body.
Howard takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Dodson.

Howard gets the takedown into side control.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Dodson is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Dodson is trying to control Howard's posture but Howard avoids it.
Dodson is looking to regain half guard here but Howard keeps moving and retains side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dodson is working hard here to advance position.
Dodson is trying to control Howard's posture but Howard avoids it.
Howard lands an elbow.
Dodson is trying to control Howard's posture but Howard avoids it.
Dodson wants to get back to his feet.
Howard works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Jon Howard has got the better of the ground game so far.

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.
Howard landing a few strikes.
Howard wants to control but Dodson is keeping him busy.
Dodson is trying to get back to his feet.

Howard tries for a kimura but Dodson is defending well.
Dodson is trying to control Howard's posture but Howard avoids it.
Dodson gets back to half guard.
Dodson is trying to stand.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jon Howard comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Howard has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 27:30
Judge Valeri Chadov scores the fight 27:30
Judge Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jon Howard!