PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between James Harden (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Vincent Chase (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Harden
vs
Chase

176 cm
22
165 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

175 cm
21
164 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Prefers standup

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, James Harden!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Vincent Chase!
The judges for this bout are Frank Antenori, and Timothy Bukovac.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nice shot lands for Harden.
Chase shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Chase tries to clinch but Harden is having none of it.
Harden misses with a series of wild punches.
Chase shoots in but Harden avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Harden throws a nice looking combination but Chase bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Harden fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Chase looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Chase shoots for a double leg takedown but Harden sprawls well. He's pushed Chase's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
James Harden has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Vincent Chase.
Harden throws a series of punches but Chase avoids them all with ease.

Chase shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Harden gets back to full guard.
Harden tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Harden utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Chase is looking to work some ground and pound but Harden has wrist control.

Harden is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Harden avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Harden is looking to sweep but instead, Chase has passed into half guard.
Harden is looking to improve his position.
Harden makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Harden.
Chase wants to stand but Harden has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Chase trying to control but Harden is working from the bottom.

Chase avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Harden is breathing heavily.

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Chase decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Harden, up you get!
Nice takedown defense from Harden. No joy for Chase on that attempt.
Chase tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Harden stuffs the takedown.

Chase takes the fight into the clinch.
Harden goes for a takedown in the clinch but Chase prevents it.
Chase jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Harden walks away with a smile on his face. Chase gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Harden connects with a body shot.
Chase changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Harden tries to avoid it but Chase manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Harden to the ground. Harden escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harden works the jab nicely.
Chase fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Harden throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Harden connects with a good right hand that stumbles Chase. Chase circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Harden throws a head kick that misses.
Harden bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Chase's head.
Harden lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Chase backs up against the cage.

Chase gets a clinch.
Harden is looking to break free of the clinch but Chase has double underhooks.
Chase crunches a lovely knee into Harden's ribcage.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.

Chase breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
No luck for Chase with that takedown attempt.
Harden fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
James Harden is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Chase just misses with a punch to the body.
Harden jabs at Chase's body.

Chase gets a clinch.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Chase takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Harden is stalling here.
Harden is trying to break free.

Chase gets control of Harden's arms and successfully pulls guard. Chase will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Harden prevents Chase from getting back to his feet.
Chase thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Chase has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Chase is trying to control the position but Harden postures up.

Harden drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Harden jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James Harden dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Harden misses with a few strikes there.
Harden throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Chase tries to close the distance and clinch but Harden swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Chase has a takedown stuffed.
Harden moves into range and connects with a jab.
Harden misses with a jab, cross combination.
Harden throws an overhand right that lands on Chase's shoulder, as Chase tries to avoid the shot.
Harden misses with a low kick.
Chase moves out of range of the body kick from Harden.
Chase tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Harden paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Chase shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Harden pinned against the cage. Harden gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Chase fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
James Harden has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Vincent Chase.
A shot to de liver by Harden. Beautiful body shot.
Harden scores with a decent looking hook.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Chase tries to close the distance and clinch up but Harden swats him away and circles back towards the center.
The crowd cheers as Harden lands an impressive looking overhand right. Chase doesn't seem phased though.
Chase gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Harden lands a nice shot that snaps Chase's head back.

Chase shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Chase showed some decent athleticism there.

Harden looking for submissions off his back.
Harden is not content to let Chase control the position.
Harden works his way to full guard. Good work.

Harden has his foot on Chase's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Chase works his way back into a safe position though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Harden keeping full guard, as Chase tries to pass.

Harden working for a triangle but Chase defends it easily.

Chase is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Chase trying to control but Harden is working from the bottom.
Chase is looking to stand up but Harden won't let him.
Chase trying to control the position from guard on top but Harden is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Harden looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Chase loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Chase wants to stand but Harden is controlling his posture from full guard.

Chase is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.

Harden working for a triangle but Chase defends it easily.
Chase stands and throws Harden's legs to the side, diving into side control.

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.

Chase tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Chase misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Harden defending against the ground and pound.
Chase throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Harden manages to get back to half guard.
Chase is looking to advance position but Harden won't allow it.

Chase seems to be looking for submissions.

Harden looking for submissions off his back.

Chase wants to work for an arm triangle but Harden is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James Harden dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Chase clinches with his opponent.
Chase will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Harden up against the cage.
Harden effectively controlling the action here.

Chase breaks from the clinch.
Harden tries to land a leg kick but Chase saw it coming and moves away.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Chase on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Chase wants to clinch.
Chase jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Chase showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Harden.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harden tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Chase was well out of range. Poor timing from Harden.
Chase shoots in for a takedown but Harden shows good takedown defense.
Chase looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Harden is fending him off so far but Chase persists. Nope, Harden circles away and we're back to standing.
Harden fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Chase drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Chase takes a jab right on the kisser.
Harden throws a nice looking combination but Chase bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Harden swinging wilding here.
Harden throws a right and a left that both miss.
Chase looks for a takedown but Harden sprawls well.
James Harden has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Vincent Chase.
Harden stuffs the takedown attempt from Chase. Chase gets slowly back to his feet.
Chase tries to close the distance and clinch up but Harden swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Harden circles away from the clinch attempt.
Chase will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A left and a right from Harden both land. Nice combination.
Chase tries to clinch there but Harden circles away.
Harden fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Harden bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.

Chase rushes Harden and presses him up against the cage.
Chase stalls.
Chase tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Harden smiles and moves away.
Harden misses with a two punch combination.
Harden scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
A swing and a miss from Harden.
Chase fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Chase closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.

Harden actively working from the bottom here.

Harden looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Chase wants to get back to his feet.
Chase thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Harden's head.
Chase trying to control from half guard but Harden is working away.
Vincent Chase has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Chase wants to get back to his feet.
Harden makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Harden.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Chase trying to control the position from guard on top but Harden is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Harden moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Harden misses with a two punch combination.

Chase closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.

Chase is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Harden is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Harden throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Harden tries to regain full guard. Instead though, Chase has advanced to mount. Uh oh.
James Harden is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Poor strikes thrown by Chase there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Vincent Chase.
I think Harden has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Frank Antenori scores the fight 29:28
Judge Suge Night scores the fight 29:28
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... James Harden!