PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Optimus Prime (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Asa Sharp (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Prime
vs
Sharp

185 cm
34
180 lbs
20 - 10 - 0

175 cm
35
168 lbs
27 - 16 - 2

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Granite chin

Excellent grappler
Dangerous knees
Good gas tank

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 20 - 10 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Optimus Prime!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 27 - 16 - 2, fighting out of New York, Asa Sharp!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, Frank Antenori and Don Winkell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Sharp closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Prime is looking for a sweep.
Sharp scores with a couple of short elbows.
Sharp is working Prime over with some ground and pound from side control.
Prime tries to bench press Sharp off him but Sharp keeps the position.
Prime manages to get back to half guard.
Prime punching from the bottom.
Prime tries to roll over but Sharp keeps him under control.
Sharp slips a nice elbow through Prime's hands, connecting with Prime's forehead.
Sharp missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Sharp wants to control but Prime is keeping him busy.
Prime trying to control but Sharp postures up.
Sharp tries to stand but his arm is trapped.
Prime is trying to control but can't.
Sharp is trying to control. Prime wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Prime slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Prime 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.
Prime is working hard here to advance position.
Prime working a defensive guard but Sharp passes into half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Prime slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Sharp passes Prime's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Sharp controlling the pace.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Prime moves into full guard.
Sharp tries to free his leg and advance position but Prime is retaining full guard.
Prime looking to hit a scissor sweep but Sharp is one step ahead there.
Prime not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Sharp looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Sharp trying to control the position from guard on top but Prime is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Prime lands a couple of shots from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Prime looking for a sweep. Not yet Prime, not yet.
Prime trying to control the position here.
Prime looking for a sweep. Not yet Prime, not yet.
Sharp tries to free his leg and advance position but Prime is retaining full guard.

Prime has an active guard here but Sharp has managed to pass into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Prime trying to control but Sharp postures up.
Prime is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Sharp controlling the action here.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Prime is looking to improve his position.
Sharp trying to control from Prime's half guard. Prime has other ideas though and has regained full guard.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Prime lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Prime looking to sit in guard and control but Sharp gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

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

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

Prime throws a low kick, looking for Sharp's leg but Sharp calmly moves out of range.
Sharp drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Prime defends it well.
Sharp takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Prime looks to land a combination but Sharp avoids it well.
Sharp moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Nice takedown defense from Sharp. No joy for Prime on that attempt.

Prime moves into range and clinches up with Sharp.
Prime has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Sharp avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.

Sharp manages to break the clinch.

Prime gets a clinch.
Prime has had enough of the clinch but Sharp keeps him there for the moment.
Sharp gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Prime.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Optimus Prime. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sharp has Prime pressed against the cage, preventing Prime from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

Prime gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Sharp is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Sharp has control of Prime's left arm, preventing Prime from doing any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Prime stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Sharp swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Sharp working for a triangle but Prime defends it easily.
Prime with a flurry of punches that miss.
Prime throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Sharp looking for a sweep. Not yet Sharp, not yet.
Sharp keeping moving, preventing Prime from controlling successfully.
Prime postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Prime trying to control the position from guard on top but Sharp is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Prime stands up over Sharp, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Prime in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Prime throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Prime slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Sharp looking for a sweep. Not yet Sharp, not yet.
Prime wants to control from the top but Sharp keeps moving.
Sharp trying to keep a closed guard but Prime is proving a slippery customer.
Prime looking to sit in guard and control but Sharp gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Prime wants to sweep but no luck.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sharp passes Prime's right leg, so he's now in half guard.

Prime looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Prime tries to roll over but Sharp keeps him under control.
Sharp is trying to control the action in half guard but Prime is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Prime is trying to get back to full guard.
Sharp trying to control the pace.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sharp works his way into full mount!
Prime is desperately trying to improve his position but Sharp has a good base and remains in mount.
Prime regains half guard.
Prime is looking for a sweep. Sharp is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Sharp performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Prime wants to control the action here but instead Sharp manages to pass to full mount!
Asa Sharp has got the better of the ground game so far.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Sharp working the ground and pound effectively.
Prime is desperately trying to improve his position but Sharp has a good base and remains in mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Asa Sharp will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Prime throws a leg kick that is checked
and Sharp counters with a stiff right hand.
Prime loads up on a big right hand but Sharp slips the punch.
Prime tries to close the distance and clinch up but Sharp swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Prime looks to score with a jab to the body but Sharp is just out of range.
Prime throws a shot from downtown. Sharp moves away and avoids it.
Prime throws an off balance right hand
and Sharp counters with a one-two to the body.
Sharp keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Prime on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Prime swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sharp slips under a jab from Prime.
Sharp shoots in for a takedown but Prime shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Prime misses with a lunging right hand

and Sharp counters with a nice double leg into guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Sharp postures up.
Prime will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Sharp won't allow Prime to sweep him here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sharp is fighting to break Prime's control of his arms but Prime is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Prime keeping full guard, as Sharp tries to pass.
Sharp postures up.
Sharp won't allow Prime to sweep him here.
Sharp stays in close to Prime's body and controls the position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Sharp slips under a jab.

Prime instigates a clinch.
Prime is trying to maintain a safe position but Sharp gets an underhook and turns Prime into the cage.
Sharp drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Prime gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Sharp is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sharp prevents a takedown attempt there.
Sharp managing to block the knees to the body from Prime.

Sharp has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Prime regains guard immediately.
Sharp engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Prime is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Prime looks to land a strike but Sharp avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
Prime not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Sharp looking for a sweep. Not yet Sharp, not yet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Prime trying to control but Sharp is working from the bottom.
Sharp working a defensive guard here.
Sharp wants to stand but Prime is controlling the position.
Prime being controlled here momentarily.

Prime avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Prime content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.

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.
Prime looking to sit in guard and control but Sharp gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Prime is trying to control the position but Sharp postures up.
Prime keeping moving, preventing Sharp from controlling successfully.
Prime is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Optimus Prime has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Prime missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Prime thows a huge punch but Sharp dodges it nicely.
Prime misses with a head shot. Sharp uses the momentum to regain guard.
Prime throws a big elbow that misses.
Asa Sharp is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Prime throws a big right hand that misses.

And that's the end of the fight!
Asa Sharp comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Sharp 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 Jack Bonds scores the fight 28:29
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 27:30
Judge Don Winkell scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Asa Sharp!
A relieved looking Asa Sharp thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.