PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Noah Sampson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Cormac Crady (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Sampson
vs
Crady

163 cm
18
140 lbs
0 - 4 - 0

170 cm
20
140 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 4 - 0, fighting out of London, Noah Sampson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Cormac Crady!
The judges for this bout are Donald Grub, Colin Fotheringham and Daniel Bishop.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Sampson closes the distance and clinches.
Crady misses with a punch to the body.
Crady is trying to break the clinch but Sampson is controlling him.
Sampson lands an elbow inside.
Crady is trying to push Sampson away but Sampson has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.

Crady has picked Sampson up - he's going for a ride! Crady dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.

Sampson is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Crady pulls his head out easily.
Sampson misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Sampson is staying active underneath Crady, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Sampson trying to control here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Crady scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Sampson is trying to get back to full guard.
Crady winds up and cracks Sampson with a swinging punch to the side of the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sampson is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Crady scores with a couple of nice shots.
Crady lands strikes from half guard.
Crady looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Sampson with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.

Crady is looking for a kimura but Sampson is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Crady to get the leverage.
Crady slips a nice elbow through Sampson's hands, connecting with Sampson's forehead.

Sampson is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Crady pulls his head out easily.
Crady is keen to just control but Sampson is a slippery customer.
Crady trying to control from Sampson's half guard. Sampson has other ideas though and has regained full guard.
Crady stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Sampson swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Crady stands up and waves to Sampson to follow him.
Crady has a takedown stuffed.
Sampson tries to clinch up.
Crady throws a series of punches but Sampson avoids them all with ease.

Sampson takes the fight into the clinch.
Crady avoids a wild elbow strike from Sampson.

Crady breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Crady throws a head kick but Sampson moves out of range.
Crady misses with a head kick.
Sampson avoids the head kick by Crady.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Crady with a lazy takedown attempt
and Sampson counters with a two punch combo.
Crady looks winded!

Crady clinches.
Crady is trying to force a seperation but Sampson has the dominant position.
Crady is trying to push Sampson away but Sampson has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Sampson's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Sampson stalling.

Sampson breaks the clinch.

Crady gets a double leg takedown into Sampson's guard.
Crady trying to control but Sampson is working from the bottom.
Sampson trying to control the position.
Sampson is really struggling to control Crady but he's trying to hold on to the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Crady is looking to stand up but Sampson won't let him.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Crady got a little sloppy there for a moment and Sampson has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Crady has managed to get both his arms back between Sampson's legs - danger averted.
Crady lands a couple of elbows.
Sampson working a defensive guard but Crady passes into half guard.

Crady is trying to work for a kimura but Sampson is defending well.
Crady has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Crady thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

Crady stands up out of the half guard.
Crady throws a body kick that misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Cormac Crady dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Crady moves into range and clinches up with Sampson.
Crady is trying to break the clinch but Sampson has him pressed against the cage.

Crady decides to pull guard.
Sampson has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Sampson stands up from Crady's guard - Sampson perhaps looking for a knockout.

Crady throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Sampson was covering up waiting for the punch and Crady finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Crady wants to control from the top but Sampson keeps moving.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sampson will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Crady has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Sampson wants to sweep here but Crady controlling him for the moment.
Sampson is trying to control the position but Crady postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Crady is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Crady with a nice head shot there.
Crady trying to control the position from guard on top but Sampson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Crady looking to pass the guard.
Sampson is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Crady is defending against the submission attempts here by Sampson.
Cormac Crady has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Crady is pressing down on Sampson's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Sampson throwing strikes but missing.
Crady trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!

Crady looking for a guillotine here but Sampson defends easily.
Crady is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sampson tries to stand but Crady is controlling from the bottom.
Crady wants to get back to his feet but Sampson is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Crady looking to hit a scissor sweep but Sampson is one step ahead there.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

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.

Sampson gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Sampson escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Sampson tries to close the distance and clinch but Crady swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Crady forces Sampson back against the cage and clinches.
Sampson slowing the pace effectively.

Crady pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Crady moves into the clinch successfully.
Sampson tries for a takedown but Crady manages to get underhooks.
Crady prevents a takedown attempt there.

Crady manages to break the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Cormac Crady showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Sampson's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Crady drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Crady trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Crady trying to control but Sampson is working from the bottom.
Crady is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Crady with a nice head shot there.
Sampson striking from his own guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Crady advances to half guard.
Sampson wants to control but Crady is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Crady uses his free foot to push down on Sampson's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Sampson.
Crady tries to control but Sampson wriggling away.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Crady looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Sampson tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Sampson is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Sampson is trying to escape the mount.
Crady in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.

Sampson is rocked!

Crady get's back to his feet.
Crady shoots in but Sampson avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Crady takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Crady misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
As Crady looks to move away, Sampson throws a big counter combo but Crady just gets out of the way.
Crady throws a front kick aimed at Sampson's knee but Sampson avoids it well.
Sampson is looking for a counter combo.
Crady fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Sampson avoids it really well and circles away.
Noah Sampson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Cormac Crady.

Crady gets a takedown into half guard.
Sampson has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Crady is working away from the top position though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Crady prevents Sampson from improving his position.
The fighters are battling for position here. Sampson manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

Sampson is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Crady defends well.
Crady keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Sampson's head.
Crady wants to control from the top but Sampson keeps moving.
Crady tries to free his leg and advance position but Sampson is retaining full guard.
Crady makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.

Sampson working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Crady doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Crady manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Sampson looking to hit a scissor sweep but Crady is one step ahead there.
Sampson is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

Crady drops back looking for a leg! Sampson is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Sampson manages to kick Crady off! Crady jumps back into Sampson's guard.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Crady postures up.

And that's the end of the fight!
Cormac Crady comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Crady 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 Donald Grub scores the fight 27:30
Judge Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 27:30
Judge Daniel Bishop scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Cormac Crady!