PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Gale Bush (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Muhammad Howard (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Muhammad Howard acknowledges the crowd's support as he enters the cage.

Bush
vs
Howard

222 cm
21
278 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

198 cm
25
266 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite 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 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Gale Bush!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Muhammad Howard!
The judges for this bout are Roger Salmon, Ryoma Takatsuka and Josh West.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

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

Howard jumps guard.
Bush throwing strikes from guard but Howard blocks nicely.
Bush scoring with some ground and pound.
Bush postures up.

Howard escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Bush gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Bush working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Howard's head.
Bush with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Howard controlling Bush's posture.
Bush won't allow Howard to get back to his feet.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bush scoring with punches to the head and body.
Howard looking to hit a scissor sweep but Bush is one step ahead there.
Howard has momentary wrist control but Bush slips an elbow through the middle.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bush postures up and lands a big shot to Howard's brow.
Bush connects with a couple of short punches.
Bush chips away with some ground and pound.
Bush is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Bush works over Howard with some ground and pound from guard.
Bush cracks Howard with a solid left hand.
Bush missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Bush scoring with punches to the head and body.
Bush chips away with some ground and pound.
Bush 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.
Bush scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Bush missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Bush postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Bush working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Howard's head.
Bush makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Bush throws a big elbow that misses.
Bush lands a couple of decent looking shots.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bush showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Bush scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Bush stands up over Howard, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Howard wants to sweep but no luck.
Bush lands a couple of digs.

Bush gets to his feet - Howard follows without any prompting.
Howard shoots in for a double leg but Bush sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Howard is trying hard to land a takedown here. Bush sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.

Howard closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Bush is controlling Howard's position as best he can from this difficult position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Howard is looking to pass Bush's guard but actually Bush recovers to full guard.

Bush has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Howard can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Howard looking to pass the guard.
Howard trying to control but Bush is working from the bottom.
Bush keeping full guard, as Howard tries to pass.
Howard throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Howard must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Bush pulls Howard in to control the position.
Howard wants to control from the top but Bush keeps moving.
Bush will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

Bush pushes Howard off and scrambles back to his feet.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Howard will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gale Bush dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Bush scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Howard throws a head kick that misses.
Howard darts in looking for a takedown but Bush gets double underhooks and turns Howard into the cage.

Howard changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Bush looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.

Bush throws his opponent off and manages to get back to his feet! Nicely done!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Bush avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Bush tries to clinch up.
Muhammad Howard seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

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

Howard decides to stand up.
Howard looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Howard closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Bush did well to prevent Howard getting side control.

Bush pushes Howard off and gets back to his feet.

Howard closes the distance and clinches.
Howard has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Bush is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Gale Bush has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Muhammad Howard.
Bush tries for a takedown but Howard manages to get underhooks.
Bush misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Howard.
Nice elbow from Howard.

It looks like Gale Bush has been cut.
Howard is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Howard breaks the clinch.
Bush is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Howard can do to turn this around?
Howard tries for a takedown but Bush circles away easily

and Bush counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Bush.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Bush wants a takedown.
Howard fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Howard tries for a takedown but Bush manages to get underhooks.
Howard prevents a takedown attempt there.
Bush has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Howard is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Howard tries to pull guard but Bush forces him back to his feet, against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Howard can't find room to land a body shot as Bush controls the action.
Howard tries to pull guard but Bush won't allow it.

Howard's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Bush tries to bum rush Howard with a series of wild strikes but Howard uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
A combination from Bush does no damage.
Bush displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Howard.
Bush tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Howard manages to circle out of the way.
Howard fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Bush seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Howard misses with a takedown

and Bush counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Bush.
Howard stalling in the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Howard tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Bush smiles and moves away.
Bush doesn't manage to clinch there - Howard circles away.
Bush avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Howard tries a head kick but it misses.

Howard pushes Bush up against the cage in a clinch.
Howard jumps guard but Bush stands there with Howard around his waist. Howard gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Bush has Howard pressed against the cage, preventing Howard from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Howard is working for takedown but Bush is calmly controlling the position for now.
Howard tries to break the clinch but Bush is controlling the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gale Bush dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Gale Bush's cut.
That's time! Bush's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Howard circles away from the clinch attempt.
Howard is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Nice takedown defense from Bush. No joy for Howard on that attempt.
Howard tries to clinch but Bush moves out of range.
Bush attempts a counter takedown but Howard avoids it well and moves away.
Howard looks to land a combination but Bush avoids it well.
Bush misses with the combination.

Howard darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.

Bush manages to create a bit of space in order to work his way back to his feet. Howard keeps hold of his opponent and drives him back against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Howard working hard to break the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Howard drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Howard drags the fight down to the ground.
Howard has momentary wrist control but Bush slips an elbow through the middle.
Bush slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Bush scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Howard can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Bush controls the pace.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bush with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Bush is looking to work some ground and pound but Howard has wrist control.
Bush chips away with some ground and pound.
Bush landing some decent shots from guard.
Bush landing with the ground and pound.
Bush postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Bush scoring with some ground and pound.
Bush scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Bush won't allow Howard to sweep him here.

Howard is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Bush is aware though and is defending well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Howard looking for a sweep. Not yet Howard, not yet.
Howard takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Howard has momentary wrist control but Bush slips an elbow through the middle.

Bush decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Howard tries to clinch up but Bush circles away and keeps his distance.
Bush tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Howard manages to circle out of the way.
Howard blocks a head kick by Bush.
Howard darts in looking for a takedown but Bush gets double underhooks and turns Howard into the cage.
As Howard looks to move away, Bush throws a big counter combo bu Howard just gets out of the way.
Gale Bush has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Muhammad Howard.
A right-left combo lands from Bush.
The fight stays on the outside here - Howard looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Bush throws a sloppy head kick and Howard moves out of range easily.
Nice sprawl there from Bush as Howard shoots in.
Bush throws a head kick that misses.
Gale Bush is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Howard throws the left hand but Bush avoids the punch easily.
Howard fails with the takedown.
Bush throws a half hearted mid kick.
The fight stays on the outside here - Bush looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Bush moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Howard tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Bush paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Bush appears to be looking for a big counter.
Howard moves in looking to clinch but Bush pushes him off.

And that's the end of the fight!
Gale Bush showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Bush has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Roger Salmon scores the fight 30:27
Judge Ryoma Takatsuka scores the fight 30:27
Judge Josh West scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Gale Bush!