PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Luigi Bates (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Anselmo Harris (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). This should be fireworks!

Bates
vs
Harris

178 cm
25
177 lbs
8 - 6 - 0

184 cm
24
184 lbs
11 - 8 - 1

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Excellent grappler
Excellent MT
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 6 - 0, fighting out of London, Luigi Bates!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 8 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Anselmo Harris!
The judges for this bout are Gwen Towbar, Daniel Franklin and Stewart Dunkirk.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Harris shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Bates as he jumps to the side.
A slow jab from Harris misses its intended target.
Harris throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Bates seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.

Harris gets a double leg takedown into Bates's guard.
Bates controlling Harris's posture.
Harris trying to control the position from guard on top but Bates is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Bates is on top in guard.

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

Harris working for a triangle but Bates defends it easily.
Bates controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harris trying to control the position.
Bates controlling from the top position.
Harris trying to control the position.
Harris is controlling Bates's posture.

Harris looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Harris looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.

Harris is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Bates passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Harris wants to control but Bates postures up.
Harris is trying to improve his position.
Harris is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Bates controlling the action here.
Harris slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

Bates avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Bates pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Harris is keeping the position for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bates postures up.
Bates trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Bates has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Harris is proving hard to escape from.
Harris looking to control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Harris working for a triangle but Bates defends it easily.
Bates tries to free his leg and advance position but Harris is retaining full guard.
Bates postures up.

Harris working for a triangle but Bates defends it easily.
Bates stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Harris swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Bates not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Harris not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Bates advances to half guard.
Bates tries to pass the half guard into mount. Harris knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

Bates is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Well, if Bates is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Harris is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Luigi Bates will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Harris misses with an uppercut. Bates saw that one coming.
Harris wants to clinch.
A counter left hand to the body from Bates misses its target.
Bates drops his hands momentarily and Harris takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Harris connects with a jab.
Bates throws a hook but Harris avoids it easily.
Harris throws out a counter right but Bates avoids it with no problem.
Harris shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Bates as he avoids it easily.
Harris throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Bates sees it coming and avoids it easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Harris swinging wildly here.
Bates with a nice cross.
Harris tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Harris throws out a loose jab but Bates uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bates avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Bates throws a jab but it's blocked by Harris.
Harris shoots in looking for a takedown. Bates tries to sprawl out of it but Harris keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Bates manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Bates was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Harris paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Harris jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Harris throws an off balance right hand
and Bates counters with a straight right hand.
Nice defenses there by Harris.

Harris feints and as Bates raises his hands in defense, Harris changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Bates is pulling down on Harris's head to control his posture.
Bates is looking to stand up but Harris isn't so interested in that idea.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bates trying to keep a closed guard but Harris is proving a slippery customer.
Bates lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Bates seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Harris keeping moving, preventing Bates from controlling successfully.
Luigi Bates overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Bates looking to sit in guard and control but Harris gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Bates working a defensive guard here.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Harris accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bates tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Bates bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Harris's guard.

Harris has his hands on Bates's head, controlling the position.

Harris has his foot on Bates's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Bates works his way back into a safe position though.
Bates trying to control but Harris is working from the bottom.
Bates stopping the sweep attempt from Harris.
Bates wants to control from the top but Harris keeps moving.
Harris is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Harris trying to control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bates wants to control from the top but Harris keeps moving.
Bates is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Harris controls Bates momentarily but Bates frees himself.
Bates pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Harris is keeping the position for now.
Harris controls Bates momentarily but Bates frees himself.
Bates landing some decent shots from guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Harris escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Bates gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Bates controlling from the top position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Anselmo Harris will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Bates waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Harris.
Harris just misses with a punch to the body.
Harris might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
Bates slips a jab and a cross from Harris.
Harris bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Harris looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Bates swings and misses with a hook to the body.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Harris! But no joy.
Bates uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Harris.
Bates slips under a jab.
Harris takes a swing at Bates's ribcage but misses.
Bates was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Bates scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Bates steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Harris.
Harris throws a predictable looking body shot
and Bates counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Harris scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Bates enables Harris to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Bates manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Bates looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Bates tries to land a sweep but no joy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bates is trying to control the position but Harris postures up.
Bates has Harris pulled in close to control his posture.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Harris's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Harris makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Harris trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Bates controls Harris momentarily but Harris frees himself.
Bates has momentary wrist control but Harris slips an elbow through the middle.
Harris throwing strikes but missing.
Harris with a nice head shot there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Harris accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Bates wants to sweep but no luck.
Bates working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Harris.
Harris scoring with some ground and pound.
Harris wants to control from the top but Bates keeps moving.
Bates is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Bates managing to control the position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Harris lands a right hook to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bates looks to score with a jab to the body but Harris is just out of range.
Harris now looks to counter with a shot at the body.
Some wild striking there from Bates.
Harris lands a body shot.
Bates gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Bates misses the shot to the body.
Harris tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Bates looks to land a left hand but Harris moved out of range nicely.
Bates lands a really nice looking cross but Harris seems unphased.
Harris blocks a jab.
Harris with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Bates to score with a decent uppercut.
Harris throws a shot from downtown. Bates moves away and avoids it.
Bates swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Harris lands a slapping body shot.
Harris fails to land with a series of punches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Harris slips a straight right by Bates.
Harris lands a nice shot to the body.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Harris misses with a jab to the body
enabling Bates to counter with a crisp jab.
Harris throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Harris connects with the punch.
Harris throws a body shot but no joy.
Harris lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Bates.
Anselmo Harris seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Harris bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Bates swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Bates closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Bates lands a body shot.

Bates gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Harris misses with the head strike.

And that's the end of the fight!
Anselmo Harris comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Harris 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 Gwen Towbar scores the fight 28:29
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 28:29
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Anselmo Harris!