PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Andrea Alvarado (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bobby Ward (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Alvarado
vs
Ward

159 cm
23
194 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

188 cm
23
195 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Andrea Alvarado!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Bobby Ward!
The judges for this bout are Chris Dean, Summer Carpenter and Winston Howard.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Alvarado tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Ward paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Ward throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Alvarado showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Ward.
Ward wants to land a leg kick but Alvarado is out of range.
Ward throws a right and a left that Alvarado avoids nicely.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Ward.
Alvarado dodges the punch combination from Ward.
Alvarado wants to clinch.
Ward unleashes a big counter combination but Alvarado bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ward throws a wild body kick that Alvarado sees coming a mile off.
Alvarado takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Alvarado is looking for a counter combo.
Bobby Ward seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Ward lands a nice looking kick to the body. Alvarado takes a step back to recover.
Ward jabs Alvarado right on the nose. Alvarado blinks but takes it well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A nice leg kick lands there from Ward.
Ward keeps Alvarado at a distance using the push kick.
Ward lands a nice looking body kick.
Alvarado moves out of range of the body kick.
Alvarado could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Ward swinging wildly here.
A lazy body kick from Ward

and Alvarado counters with a takedown into side control.
Alvarado slows the pace down.
Alvarado working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Alvarado lands a nice forearm strike.
Ward really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Alvarado. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Alvarado working the ground and pound from side control.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Ward is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Alvarado asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Alvarado working the head and body with strikes.

Alvarado tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Alvarado has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Alvarado trying to control the action but Ward is working from the bottom.
Ward takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ward dodges the ground and pound from Alvarado.
Alvarado takes a little break here. Ward wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.
Ward taking a bit of punishment here - Alvarado scoring with strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Alvarado grinds an elbow into Ward's temple.
Alvarado in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Ward wants to get back to his feet.

Alvarado goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Ward rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Alvarado's guard! Nice work there by Ward!
Ward wants to stand but Alvarado is controlling his posture from full guard.
Alvarado throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Ward stands up from Alvarado's guard - Ward perhaps looking for a knockout.
Alvarado is looking to clinch but Ward is avoiding it.
Ward misses with a double jab

and Alvarado holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Alvarado goes for a takedown attempt but Ward pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bobby Ward dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Ward misses with the body kick
and Alvarado counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Ward throws a solid leg kick but Alvarado takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Ward.
Alvarado is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Ward misses with a body kick.
Alvarado throws a big counter combination but Ward scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.
Ward jabbing away but nothing is landing.
As Ward looks to move away, Alvarado throws a big counter combo but Ward just gets out of the way.
Ward has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
No joy there for Ward, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Ward throws a combination that misses
and Alvarado counters with a left and a right that stings Ward.
Ooooh, nice body kick lands from Ward. Alvarado shrugs it off though.
Ward fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Bobby Ward seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Ward goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Alvarado went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
Ward misses with a two punch combination.
It looked like Alvarado was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Ward jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Andrea Alvarado is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Alvarado slips a straight right by Ward.
Ward misses with a series of wild punches.
Alvarado is looking for a counter combo.
Ward is breathing heavily.
Alvarado wants to clinch up but Ward keeps it at a distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ward misses with the body kick
and Alvarado makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Ward will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

Alvarado gets a clinch.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Ward as Alvarado tries to tie him up.
Alvarado looking to slow down the pace here.

Alvarado pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Ward swats away the attempt to clinch by Alvarado.
Alvarado is looking to clinch but Ward is avoiding it.
Ward lands a nice shot that snaps Alvarado's head back.
Alvarado walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Alvarado takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Alvarado avoids a kick to the body.
Ward is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Alvarado tries to close the distance and clinch but Ward swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
A jab lands there for Ward.
Alvarado has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Ward finds it's way round the side to connect with Alvarado's head.
Nice body kick there by Ward.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Alvarado takes one on the chin but seems OK.

Alvarado forces Ward back against the cage and clinches.
Ward is trying to break free.
Ward working hard to break the clinch.

Alvarado's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Jab by Ward.
Alvarado gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Ward.
Some bone on bone action there as Alvarado checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
As Ward looks to move away, Alvarado throws a big counter combo but Ward just gets out of the way.
Ward uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Alvarado.
Ward throws a hook to the side of Alvarado's head but Alvarado sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Alvarado moves out of range of the body kick from Ward.
A slapping leg kick lands for Ward.
Ward misses with a left hand
and Alvarado counters with a right hand to the body.
Ward throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Ward swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.

Alvarado moves into the clinch.

Alvarado's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Alvarado takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Ward has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Ward throws a series of punches but Alvarado avoids them all with ease.
Alvarado fails in his attempt to clinch.
Bobby Ward is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Ward misses with a series of wild punches.

Alvarado throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Ward tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Alvarado is in Ward's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Alvarado decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Alvarado will be looking to protect his midsection after taking some solid kicks to the body.
The fight stays on the outside here - Alvarado looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Alvarado tries to clinch up.
Ward unleashes a big counter combination but Alvarado bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Ward prevents the takedown attempt.
Ward is trying to break the clinch but Alvarado has him pressed against the cage.
Ward wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Alvarado using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.

Alvarado breaks from the clinch.
Ward loads up on a big right hand but Alvarado slips the punch.
Ward misses with a leg kick.
Alvarado is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Ward tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Alvarado is able to avoid easily.
Alvarado tries a head kick but it misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bobby Ward showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Ward goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Alvarado blocks the body kick.
Ward misses with a kick to the body.
It looked like Alvarado was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Alvarado tries to close the distance and clinch up but Ward swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Ward avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
The fight stays on the outside here - Alvarado looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Alvarado checks a leg kick.
Alvarado lifts his leg as if looking to counter with a high kick.
Ward throws a right and a left that both miss.
Alvarado checks the leg kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Alvarado tries to clinch but Ward is having none of it.
Ward lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Ward.
Alvarado wants to clinch up but Ward keeps it at a distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ward throws a series of punches but Alvarado moves out of range.
Alvarado is looking for a counter combo.
Ward takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Ward throws the left hand but Alvarado avoids the punch easily.
The fight stays on the outside here - Alvarado looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Ward goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Alvarado is looking for a counter combo.

Alvarado closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Ward to the mat! Ward manages to get full guard.
Alvarado forces his way into half guard.
Alvarado landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Alvarado looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Ward with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Alvarado winds up and cracks Ward with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Alvarado not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Alvarado lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Ward on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Alvarado in particular looking to stall.

Alvarado looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Alvarado working over Ward with some ground and pound. Ward looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Alvarado slows the pace down in half guard.
Ground and pound from Alvarado.
Alvarado working the head and body with strikes.
Alvarado seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Well, if Alvarado 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.

Alvarado is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Ward has managed to free his arm - good work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Alvarado lands a nice short elbow.
Ward is in trouble now - Alvarado has advanced to mount!
Alvarado sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

And that's the end of the fight!
Andrea Alvarado showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Ward 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 Chris Dean scores the fight 28:29
Judge Summer Carpenter scores the fight 28:29
Judge Winston Howard scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Bobby Ward!