PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Granville Ballard (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Wandile Ngubane (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Ballard
vs
Ngubane

190 cm
24
215 lbs
1 - 4 - 0

180 cm
25
200 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Can Moonwalk

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Granville Ballard!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Wandile Ngubane!
The judges for this bout are Roger Salmon, Josh West and Paul Gruel.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Ngubane moves into the clinch successfully.

Ngubane breaks the clinch.
Ngubane blocks a head kick by Ballard.
Ngubane throws a front kick aimed at Ballard's knee but Ballard avoids it well.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Ngubane breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Ngubane works the jab nicely.

It looks like Granville Ballard has been cut.

Ngubane decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Ngubane is pressing down on Ballard's thigh, looking to free his foot. Ballard is holding on for now.
Ballard is trying to control but can't.
Ballard gets back to full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ballard is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Ballard avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Ngubane is in close to Ballard's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Ngubane trying to stand up but can't free himself from Ballard's guard.
Ngubane engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Ballard wants to sweep but no luck.

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

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.
Ngubane would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

Ngubane decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Ballard, up you get!

Ngubane fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Ballard, pushing him back against the cage.
Ballard fails to pull guard.
Ballard wants a takedown but no success here.
Ballard tries to pull guard but Ngubane forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Granville Ballard. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Ngubane creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Ballard's defenses.

Ngubane is trying to trip Ballard. He has hold of a leg but Ballard is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Ngubane persists though and gets the takedown into guard.

Ballard is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Ngubane working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Ballard's head.
Ballard looking to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ngubane pushes down on Ballard's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Ngubane tries to stand but can't do so whilst Ballard controls his leg.
Ngubane working the head and body with strikes.
Ballard is looking for a sweep. Ngubane is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Ngubane thows a huge punch but Ballard dodges it nicely.
Ngubane stalling away here and it's allowed Ballard to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Ngubane wants to pass the guard but Ballard is keeping the position.

Ngubane stands up from guard. Let's bang!

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Ngubane darts in and clinches Ballard up against the cage.
Ballard wants a takedown.

Ngubane has clasped his hands together around Ballard's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
Ngubane working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Ballard sneaks back into half guard.
Ngubane wants to stand but Ballard has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.
Ngubane stalling.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Wandile Ngubane dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Granville Ballard's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Ngubane feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Ngubane wants to control from the top but Ballard keeps moving.
Ballard lands a couple of shots from the bottom.
Ngubane trying to control but Ballard is working from the bottom.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ngubane wants to pass the guard but Ballard is keeping the position.
Ballard bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Ngubane's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ngubane being controlled here, momentarily.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Ballard's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Ballard slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Ngubane throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Ngubane looking for a sweep. Not yet Ngubane, not yet.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Ballard sitting in guard here, content to control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Ngubane 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.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Ballard landing with the ground and pound.
Ballard works over Ngubane with some ground and pound from guard.
Ngubane throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Ballard sitting in guard here, content to control.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

Ngubane rushes Ballard and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Ngubane gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Ballard regains full guard. Nicely done.
Ballard is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ballard controlling Ngubane's posture.
Ngubane stopping the sweep attempt from Ballard.
Ngubane keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Ballard's head.

Ballard looking for a guillotine here but Ngubane defends easily.
Ngubane wants to control from the top but Ballard keeps moving.
Ballard trying to keep a closed guard but Ngubane is proving a slippery customer.
Ngubane really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Ballard. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

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.
Ngubane wants to pass the guard but Ballard is keeping the position.
Ngubane won't allow Ballard to sweep him here.

Ngubane drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Ballard dives on top into guard.

Ballard stopping the sweep attempt from Ngubane.
Ballard is standing up over Ngubane. Ngubane looks to escape but Ballard dives into side control.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Ballard staying calm.
Ngubane tries to improve position but can't.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Wandile Ngubane will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Granville Ballard's cut.
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!

Ngubane takes the fight into the clinch.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Ngubane takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.

Ngubane pulls guard effortlessly.
Ballard stays in close to Ngubane's body and controls the position.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Ngubane can do anything to dispel that myth.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ballard's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Ngubane 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.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ballard is stalling in the full guard.
Further stalling from Ballard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Ngubane drives through with a takedown into guard.
Ngubane wants to pass the guard but Ballard is keeping the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ballard bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Ngubane's guard.

Ngubane has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Ballard controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

Ngubane has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Ballard can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Wandile Ngubane has got the better of the ground game so far.
Ngubane takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Ballard working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Ballard is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
If it seems like I'm not saying a lot, it's just because Ballard is stinking the place up with his stalling.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Ngubane holds on and takes a little breather.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ballard controlling from the top position.

Ngubane looking for a guillotine here but Ballard defends easily.
Ballard lands a couple of elbows.

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.
Ballard won't allow Ngubane to get back to his feet.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Ngubane throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Wandile Ngubane is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Ballard fails in his attempt to clinch.

Ngubane gets the takedown into side control.
Ballard gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Ballard manages to get to full guard.
Ngubane must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Ballard is pulling down on Ngubane's head to control his posture.
Granville Ballard has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Wandile Ngubane is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Ballard looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Wandile Ngubane.
Well Ngubane has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Roger Salmon scores the fight 28:30
Judge Josh West scores the fight 27:30
Judge Paul Gruel scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Wandile Ngubane!