PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Domenic Calderon (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Alex Shaw (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). I'm sure you'll be fascinated to know that I was talking to some pointless Z list celebrity before the fight and he thought that Alex Shaw was going to win. Let's see if he was right.

Calderon
vs
Shaw

176 cm
18
214 lbs
2 - 5 - 0

155 cm
18
230 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Domenic Calderon!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Alex Shaw!
The judges for this bout are Chris Downing, Frank Dennis and Wesley Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Shaw forces Calderon back against the cage and clinches.
Shaw throws a head punch that misses.
A nice left hand lands by Shaw.
Calderon can't break the clinch.
Calderon blocks an uppercut.
Calderon blocks an elbow strike from Shaw.
Shaw scores with a nice hook to the head.
Calderon trying to control the position but instead, Shaw has worked for underhooks and has pushed Calderon into the cage.
Shaw misses with the head strike.

Calderon escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
The fight stays on the outside here - Shaw looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Shaw wants to clinch.
Calderon keeps the fight on the outside.

Shaw gets in close and instigates a clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Calderon breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Shaw tries to clinch up but Calderon circles away and keeps his distance.
Calderon avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Shaw tries to close the distance and clinch but Calderon swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Calderon avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Calderon seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.

Shaw has managed to clinch.
Shaw working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Shaw jumps guard but Calderon stands there with Shaw around his waist. Shaw gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Shaw is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Shaw lands an uppercut.
A short left from Shaw.

It looks like Domenic Calderon has been cut.
Shaw leaning his opponent against the cage.
Shaw lands with a short head shot on the inside.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Shaw prevents a takedown attempt there.
Shaw lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Calderon backwards.

Calderon is rocked!
Calderon blocking some punches.
Oh Calderon is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Shaw has a couple of punches blocked by Calderon.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Shaw ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Shaw no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Shaw will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Shaw avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Calderon throwing strikes but missing.

Shaw working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Calderon has passed into half guard!
Shaw misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Calderon is breathing heavily.
Shaw gets back to full guard.
Calderon seems to have got his legs back now.
Shaw throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Shaw will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Calderon could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Calderon stops Shaw from standing up.
Shaw striking off his back but it's not causing Calderon any problems.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Shaw has an active guard here but Calderon has managed to pass into half guard.
Calderon sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Shaw defending well though.
Shaw wants to get back to his feet.
Shaw is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Calderon 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.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Nice strikes from Calderon there.
Shaw wants to get back to full guard.
Calderon throwing shots but Shaw is blocking nicely.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
The fighters are battling for position here. Shaw manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Shaw throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Calderon won't allow Shaw to sweep him here.

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

Shaw fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Calderon, pushing him back against the cage.

Calderon manages to break the clinch.
Shaw misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Calderon dives in for a single leg takedown but Shaw sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Shaw! But no joy.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Domenic Calderon. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Shaw wants to clinch up but Calderon keeps it at a distance.
Shaw tries to clinch up.
Shaw lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Shaw moves in looking to clinch but Calderon pushes him off.

Shaw darts in and clinches Calderon up against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Shaw defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Calderon.

Shaw closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Shaw drags the fight down to the ground.
Shaw wants to control the position but Calderon says "no thanks buddy" and passes to half guard.
Shaw throws a sloppy strike from the bottom. He's now off balance and Calderon manages to pass to side control.
Shaw misses with an elbow from the bottom.
A control attempt from Shaw but he's now mounted!
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Shaw is wriggling around trying to escape.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shaw throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
Shaw is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Shaw has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Shaw is breathing heavily.
Shaw flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.
Calderon blocks Shaw's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Shaw tries to reverse the position but Calderon maintains control.
Shaw tries to lock up and control but Calderon gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Shaw keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Shaw keeps trying to improve his position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Shaw swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.
Calderon lands a heavy elbow.
Shaw keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Shaw throwing hammer fists to the chest of Calderon. What's that going to do exactly?
Calderon scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Shaw?
Calderon unloading with bombs!
Calderon lands a couple of good shots and Shaw has given up his back, trying to escape the position!
Calderon is hanging on to Shaw's back as he tries to escape.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Calderon lands punches and elbows.
Shaw is covering up but some of the strikes from Calderon are getting through and doing damage.
Calderon controlling well, preventing Shaw from escaping the position.
Calderon lands with a hammerfist to the side of Shaw's head.
Calderon scores with punches to the body.
Shaw tries to roll but Calderon sticks to his back.
Calderon not allowing Shaw to control his hands.
Calderon loading up with punches from the back mount - how long can Shaw hold on?
Shaw can't escape the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Calderon lands a shot to the body.
Calderon lands a punch that was close to the back of the head but the ref thinks it's OK.
You can see the frustration on Shaw's face… He knows he is in trouble unless he improves his position sooner rather than later.
Calderon punishes Shaw with strikes from the back mount.
Shaw is trying to break free.
Shaw trying to control the hands but Calderon breaks the grip.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Shaw might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Calderon haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Calderon is working the ground and pound here and the referee is taking a close look at Shaw. He must escape soon or this one will be stopped.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Calderon misses with a wild combination.
The fight stays on the outside here - Shaw looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Shaw doesn't manage to clinch there - Calderon circles away.
Shaw is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Calderon seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.

Calderon clinches up against the cage.
Calderon blocks the elbow strike.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Shaw breaks the clinch.
Shaw tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
A counter left hand to the body from Calderon misses its target.
Shaw is looking to clinch but Calderon is avoiding it.
Shaw wants to clinch up but Calderon keeps it at a distance.
Shaw wants to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Shaw is defended easily by Calderon.

Calderon clinches up with Shaw and pushes him back against the cage.
Shaw is pressed up against the cage. Calderon has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Shaw down to the mat. Shaw avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

Shaw instigates a clinch.
Calderon looking to slow down the pace here.
Shaw can't break the clinch.
Shaw misses with a short punch on the inside.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Calderon has Shaw pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Shaw manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Shaw lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
A short uppercut from Shaw.
Shaw lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Calderon backwards.
Shaw is struggling to control the position.
Shaw prevents Calderon from breaking the clinch.
Shaw lands an uppercut.
Shaw creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Shaw lands a body punch in the clinch.
Shaw lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Calderon blocks an elbow strike from Shaw.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Shaw trying to control the position but instead, Calderon has worked for underhooks and has pushed Shaw into the cage.
A short right from Shaw.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Calderon blocks the elbow strike.
Shaw is trying to break the clinch but Calderon has him pressed against the cage.
With the fighters up against the cage, Shaw throws an elbow but misses.
Shaw lands with a short shot to the head.
Shaw is pushing Calderon up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Shaw softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Shaw is trying to pull guard but Calderon turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.

Calderon manages to break the clinch.
Shaw tries to close the distance and clinch but Calderon swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Domenic Calderon is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Shaw forces Calderon back against the cage and clinches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Shaw tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Calderon just stands there and leans against the cage.
Domenic Calderon has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Alex Shaw.
Still in the clinch, Shaw scores with a nice short uppercut.
Shaw softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Shaw tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Calderon's elbow.
Shaw swings wildly with an uppercut but Calderon uses good head movement to avoid it.
Calderon blocking some punches.
Calderon is struggling to control the position.
Calderon wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Shaw has him pressed against the cage.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Calderon breaks from the clinch.

Calderon gets tackled into the cage by Shaw. Shaw maintains the clinch.
Calderon looking for a takedown.

And that's the end of the fight!
Alex Shaw comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Shaw 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 Chris Downing scores the fight 28:29
Judge Frank Dennis scores the fight 28:29
Judge Wesley Smith scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Alex Shaw!