PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between John Clarke (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mehsin Mohamed (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.

Clarke
vs
Mohamed

178 cm
25
264 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

220 cm
20
245 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, John Clarke!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Mehsin Mohamed!
The judges for this bout are Bart Greer, Peter Branson and Daniel Franklin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

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

Clarke is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.
With the fighters up against the cage, Clarke throws an elbow but misses.

Mohamed has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Clarke uses from the top position.
Clarke throwing strikes from guard but Mohamed blocks nicely.
Clarke knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Mohamed on the ground.
Mohamed controlling Clarke's posture.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Mohamed has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Clarke can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Mohamed will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mohamed can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Clarke controls the pace.
Mohamed wants to sweep but no luck.

Clarke decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Mohamed, up you get!
Mohamed is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Mohamed tries to clinch there but Clarke circles away.

Clarke has closed the distance and engaged Mohamed in a clinch.
Clarke wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Mohamed has him pressed against the cage.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.

Clarke manages to break the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Mohamed moves into the clinch successfully.
Mohamed is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Clarke cracks Mohamed with a nice body shot.
Mohamed is trying to pull guard but Clarke turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.

Clarke manages to pull guard.
Clarke is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.

Clarke working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Mohamed doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Mohamed manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Clarke on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Clarke tries to get out of the position.

Clarke pushes Mohamed off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.

Clarke has closed the distance and engaged Mohamed in a clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Clarke is trying to pull guard but Mohamed turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Mohamed wants to take the fight to the mat but Clarke manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Clarke on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Clarke tries for a takedown but Mohamed manages to get underhooks.
Mohamed is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Clarke is defending well.
John Clarke has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mehsin Mohamed.

Clarke breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Clarke keeps the fight on the outside.
Clarke slaps away a takedown attempt from Mohamed, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Mohamed looks winded!
Clarke closes the distance and clinches up with Mohamed, looking for a takedown. Clarke pushes Mohamed against the cage but Mohamed circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Clarke tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mohamed fails with a takedown attempt.
Mohamed tries to close the distance and clinch up but Clarke swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Mohamed shoots in for a double leg but Clarke sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Mohamed does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Mohamed tries to clinch but Clarke is having none of it.
Clarke seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Clarke shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Mohamed sprawls well. Mohamed wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Clarke gets slowly back to his feet.
Mohamed tries for a takedown but Clarke circles away easily

and Clarke counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

Clarke manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Clarke tries to land a sweep but no joy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Clarke dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Clarke closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Mohamed is trying to push Clarke away but Clarke has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.

Clarke decides to pull guard.
John Clarke overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Clarke will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Clarke might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

Clarke has his foot on Mohamed's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Mohamed works his way back into a safe position though.
Mohamed is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Mohamed trying to control the position from guard on top but Clarke is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Clarke is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Mohamed can do to turn this around?
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Clarke has control of Mohamed's left arm, preventing Mohamed from doing any damage.
Mohamed wants to control from the top but Clarke keeps moving.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Clarke has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Mohamed can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Mohamed advances position into side control!
What's Clarke going to do here then? He's in a bit of a pickle.
Clarke tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Mohamed wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Clarke is not content to let Mohamed control the position.
Clarke is trying to get back to half guard.
Clarke is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Mohamed is controlling him well.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Clarke closes the distance and clinches.
Mohamed is trying to pull guard but Clarke turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Clarke avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Mohamed tries for a takedown but Clarke circles away easily
and Clarke counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Mohamed is breathing heavily.

Clarke moves into the clinch.
Mohamed wants to break free but Clarke has control.

Clarke manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Clarke lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Clarke decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Mohamed, up you get!
Mohamed fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Clarke avoids it really well and circles away.
John Clarke has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mehsin Mohamed.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mohamed shoots in for a takedown but Clarke shows good takedown defense.
Clarke shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Mohamed defends it nicely.
Mohamed stuffs the takedown attempt from Clarke. Clarke gets slowly back to his feet.
Mohamed counters with a body kick.
Clarke throws a low kick but it's checked well by Mohamed.

Clarke looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Mohamed!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Clarke thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
The referee asks Clarke politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Clarke prefers to stall for the moment though.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Clarke dominated that second round.
That's time! Clarke's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Clarke shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Mohamed sprawls well. Mohamed wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Clarke gets slowly back to his feet.
Mohamed shoots in looking for a takedown. Clarke tries to sprawl out of it but Mohamed keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Clarke manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Mohamed fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

Clarke has Mohamed up against the cage in a clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Mohamed avoids the elbow strike from Clarke, against the cage.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Clarke content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Mohamed wants to take the fight to the mat but Clarke manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
John Clarke has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mehsin Mohamed.
Mohamed takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Mohamed wants to get back to striking at distance but Clarke won't allow it.
Clarke slows down the pace here.
Mohamed is trying to pull guard but Clarke has him pressed against the cage.
Clarke is struggling to control the position.
Mohamed looking for a takedown.

Clarke pulls guard.
Clarke is controlling Mohamed's posture.
Clarke looking to hit a scissor sweep but Mohamed is one step ahead there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Clarke is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Mohamed is looking to stand up but Clarke won't let him.

Clarke looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Clarke looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Mohamed has gone for a leg lock! Clarke slips out almost immediately though and dives into Mohamed's guard.

Mohamed avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Clarke postures up in Mohamed's guard and throws a big left but Mohamed blocks it.

Mohamed is working an open guard so Clarke takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.

Clarke moves into the clinch.
Mohamed stops a takedown attempt from Clarke.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Mohamed gets control of Clarke's arms and successfully pulls guard. Mohamed will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Clarke has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Clarke is stalling in the full guard.
Mohamed is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Mohamed keeping full guard, as Clarke tries to pass.
Clarke slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Mehsin Mohamed has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
John Clarke is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Mohamed working for submissions but it's allowed Clarke to get to half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
John Clarke showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Clarke 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 Bart Greer scores the fight 30:27
Judge Peter Branson scores the fight 30:27
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... John Clarke!