PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Lawson Blackwood (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Alex Alex (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Blackwood
vs
Alex

189 cm
16
212 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

198 cm
25
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Lawson Blackwood!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Alex Alex!
The judges for this bout are Alyssa Summers, Dean Styles and Jorge Garcia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Horrible takedown attempt by Blackwood or perhaps it was just good defense by Alex, which made it look bad.
Blackwood tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Alex defends well and Blackwood ends up having to push Alex into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Blackwood looks to throw a body kick

and Alex counters with a nice double leg into side control. Blackwood won't be happy with that.
Blackwood knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Alex on the ground.
Blackwood tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Alex wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Blackwood gives up the full mount - oops, sloppy defensive grappling there!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Blackwood is trying desperately to improve position.

Alex looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Alex avoids the attempt from Blackwood to control.
Blackwood on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Blackwood tries to get out of the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Alex sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Blackwood is trying desperately to improve position.
Blackwood wants to hold on but Alex pushes him away.
Blackwood really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Blackwood is squirming around, avoiding Alex's attempts to control the action.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Alex looking to secure an arm triangle but Blackwood defends it well.
Alex cracks Blackwood with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Alex looking to control but Blackwood is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Alex controlling from the full mount.
Blackwood is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Alex blocks Blackwood's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Blackwood is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Blackwood is working to get back to half guard.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Blackwood wants to control but Alex is having none of it.
Blackwood is looking to improve his position but Alex isn't that keen on the idea.
Blackwood tries to hold on but Alex pushes him away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Alex fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Alex tries to control but Blackwood wriggling away.
Alex avoids the attempt from Blackwood to control.
Alex can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Blackwood is looking to escape.
Blackwood is trying to reverse the position but instead Alex has taken his back - oops!
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Blackwood wants to control his opponent's hands but Alex gets his hands free.
Blackwood wants to escape the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alex Alex dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

The fighters circle momentarily. Alex darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Alex dives in for a single leg takedown but Blackwood sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Blackwood misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Blackwood throws a head kick but Alex moves out of range.
Blackwood ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Alex moves away.
Alex displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Blackwood.
Blackwood tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Alex defends well and Blackwood ends up having to push Alex into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Alex is looking to clinch but Blackwood is avoiding it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Blackwood closes the distance and clinches.
Alex is working for takedown but Blackwood is calmly controlling the position for now.
Blackwood is looking to take this one to the mat.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Lawson Blackwood. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Alex blocks a body shot from Blackwood.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Blackwood is pressed up against the cage. Alex has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Blackwood down to the mat. Blackwood avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Blackwood darts in trying to clinch
and Alex counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Alex darts in looking for a takedown but Blackwood gets double underhooks and turns Alex into the cage.
The crowd cheers as Alex lands an impressive looking overhand right. Blackwood doesn't seem phased though.
Alex has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

Alex fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Blackwood to the ground. Alex is now in Blackwood's guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Alex stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Blackwood swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Alex is breathing heavily.
Blackwood pulls Alex in close to his closed guard and prevents Alex from doing any damage or advancing position.
Alex advances position into side control!

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Alex stands up and beckons Blackwood to his feet.
Blackwood fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

Alex closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Blackwood quickly recovers to half guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Blackwood wants to control but Alex is keeping busy.
Blackwood wants to improve his position but Alex is controlling well.
Blackwood is working hard here to advance position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Blackwood looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

Alex decides to return to a standing position.

Blackwood has taken the fight to the clinch.
Alex jumps guard but Blackwood stands there with Alex around his waist. Alex gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Blackwood stalling in the clinch.
Blackwood tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Alex just stands there and leans against the cage.

Blackwood breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Alex fails with an attempt to clinch.
Blackwood lifts his leg as if looking to counter with a high kick.

Blackwood has Alex up against the cage in a clinch.
Blackwood misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Alex is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Blackwood is keeping busy.
Alex wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

Blackwood escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Blackwood throws out a loose jab but Alex uses good head movement to avoid it.

Blackwood moves into the clinch.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Blackwood is looking to take this one to the mat.

Blackwood breaks from the clinch.
Alex lands a right hook to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Alex Alex will probably get the nod - 10:9.
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. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Blackwood gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Alex to score an easy takedown into full guard.

Blackwood is working an open guard so Alex takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Alex shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Blackwood but Blackwood pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Blackwood closes this distance looking for a takedown but Alex circles away.

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

Blackwood breaks the clinch.

Blackwood instigates a clinch.
Blackwood prevents Alex from breaking the clinch.
Blackwood slows down the pace here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Blackwood's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Blackwood checks the leg kick.

Alex shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Blackwood's guard.

Blackwood is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Alex defends well.
Alex Alex has got the better of the ground game so far.
Blackwood is looking to stand up but Alex isn't so interested in that idea.
Alex trying to control the position from guard on top but Blackwood is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Alex stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Blackwood swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Blackwood wants to stand but Alex is controlling the position.
Blackwood looking for a sweep. Not yet Blackwood, not yet.
Alex wants to control from the top but Blackwood keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Blackwood pulls Alex in to control the position.

Alex got a little sloppy there for a moment and Blackwood has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Alex has managed to get both his arms back between Blackwood's legs - danger averted.

Blackwood working for submissions but it's allowed Alex to get to half guard.

Alex stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.

Alex closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Alex lands in his opponent's guard.
Blackwood keeping moving, preventing Alex from controlling successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Alex trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Blackwood is adopting a defensive guard.

Alex gets to his feet. Blackwood looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Lawson Blackwood is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Blackwood drives through and clinches with Alex against the cage.
Lawson Blackwood has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Alex Alex is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Blackwood tries to land a knee to the head but Alex blocks with his arms.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Alex Alex.
I've got Alex winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Alyssa Summers scores the fight 28:29
Judge Dean Styles scores the fight 28:30
Judge Jorge Garcia scores the fight 27:30

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