PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Anas Giou (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and David Sharpe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). David Sharpe acknowledges the crowd's support as he enters the cage.

Giou
vs
Sharpe

190 cm
18
177 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

190 cm
18
177 lbs
1 - 8 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Solid chin

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 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, Anas Giou!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 8 - 0, fighting out of London, David Sharpe!
The judges for this bout are Phil Schofield, Richard Clark and James Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sharpe shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Giou sprawls well. Giou wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Sharpe gets slowly back to his feet.
As Sharpe tries to get set, Giou tries to push him back and clinch up but Sharpe manages to avoid the attempt.
Sharpe looks really tired already! That doesn't bode well for a good, competitive fight!
Sharpe fails with the takedown.
Giou keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Anas Giou has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of David Sharpe.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sharpe shoots in but Giou avoids the takedown attempt easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Giou leaves Sharpe with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Giou throws a big counter combination but Sharpe scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.

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

Giou pulls guard.
Giou controls Sharpe momentarily but Sharpe frees himself.

Giou has his foot on Sharpe's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Sharpe works his way back into a safe position though.
Giou is trying to keep Sharpe in close.
Sharpe must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sharpe tries to stand but Giou is controlling from the bottom.
Sharpe throws a strike but Giou rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Giou missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Giou trying to control but Sharpe is working from the bottom.
Giou is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sharpe is looking to stand back up... there's a bit of a scramble and Giou dives into side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Giou wants to lay and pray for a moment but Sharpe keeps working.

Giou is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Sharpe knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Giou trying to control the position but Sharpe is working away.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Sharpe is looking to regain half guard here but Giou keeps moving and retains side control.
Sloppy strikes there by Giou.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Giou is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Sharpe has escaped the position, nice work there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Anas Giou dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Sharpe gets a clinch.
Sharpe looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Giou is trying to pull guard but Sharpe turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Giou misses with a body punch.
Giou is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Sharpe is defending well.
Giou goes for a takedown attempt but Sharpe pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Anas Giou. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sharpe throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Giou's waist but Giou gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Sharpe off to one side.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sharpe throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Giou has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Sharpe is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Giou is trying to pull guard but Sharpe has him pressed against the cage.
Giou tries to pull guard but Sharpe forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Sharpe looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Sharpe is looking to take this one to the mat.

Giou manages to pull guard.
Giou seems to have improved his submission grappling technique since last time we saw him. Let's see if he can pull off a submission.
Sharpe preventing the sweep.
Giou is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Sharpe can do to turn this around?

Giou had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Sharpe defends it easily.
Giou lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Giou trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Giou won't allow Sharpe to sweep him here.
Giou slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

Giou stands up and waves to Sharpe to follow him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Sharpe moves into the clinch.
Giou is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Sharpe gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Giou is working for takedown but Sharpe is calmly controlling the position for now.
Sharpe lands a shoulder strike.
Giou gets underhooks to prevent Sharpe's takedown attempt.
Giou avoids a wild elbow strike from Sharpe.

Giou pulls guard effortlessly.

Sharpe gets to his feet - Giou follows without any prompting.
Sharpe darts in looking for a takedown but Giou gets double underhooks and turns Sharpe into the cage.
Anas Giou is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sharpe throws a nice looking combination but Giou bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Sharpe fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
As Sharpe tries to get set, Giou tries to push him back and clinch up but Sharpe manages to avoid the attempt.
Sharpe with a lazy takedown attempt
and Giou counters with a flying knee. Nice.

Sharpe clinches up against the cage.
Sharpe looking for a takedown.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Giou jumps guard but Sharpe stands there with Giou around his waist. Giou gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Sharpe tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Giou avoids it.
Giou drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Sharpe gets the underhooks and prevents it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

David Sharpe showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Sharpe gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Giou tries to pull guard but Sharpe won't allow it.
Sharpe prevents the takedown attempt.
Giou has Sharpe pressed against the cage, preventing Sharpe from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Sharpe tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Giou just stands there and leans against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Giou tries for a takedown but Sharpe manages to get underhooks.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Anas Giou. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Giou wants a takedown but no success here.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Sharpe stalls.
Sharpe is trying to break free.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sharpe is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.

Giou gets control of Sharpe's arms and successfully pulls guard. Giou will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Giou looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Sharpe gets to his feet - Giou follows without any prompting.

Sharpe gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Giou manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Sharpe throws a big right hand that misses.

Sharpe gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Sharpe doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Giou counters by moving into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sharpe goes for a takedown attempt but Giou pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

Sharpe darts in and clinches Giou up against the cage.
Giou tries to stall but Sharpe uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Sharpe stalling in the clinch.

Giou pulls guard.

Sharpe stands up and waves to Giou to follow him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sharpe throws a body kick that misses.
Giou seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Giou stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Giou wants it to stay on the feet.
Giou looked to counter with a high kick but didn't commit.

Giou gets tackled into the cage by Sharpe. Sharpe maintains the clinch.
Giou tries to pull guard but Sharpe forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
David Sharpe seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Sharpe stops a takedown attempt from Giou.
Giou jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Sharpe walks away with a smile on his face. Giou gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.

Giou gets tackled into the cage by Sharpe. Sharpe maintains the clinch.
Sharpe stalling against the cage.
Sharpe prevents a takedown attempt there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Giou lands a good knee to the midsection. Sharpe won't want to take too many of those.
Giou managing to block the knees to the body from Sharpe.
Sharpe wants to take the fight to the mat but Giou manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Sharpe is looking to take this one to the mat.
Giou fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Sharpe tries to land knees in the clinch but Giou avoids the damage to the body.
Giou is working for takedown but Sharpe is calmly controlling the position for now.

Giou pulls guard.
Sharpe wants to stand but Giou has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Sharpe accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to David Sharpe.
I think Sharpe 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 Phil Schofield scores the fight 28:29
Judge Richard Clark scores the fight 28:29
Judge James Glass scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... David Sharpe!
David Sharpe decided to hype himself up post fight. It was going well but he went on about it a bit too long and the crowd turned on him a little.