PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Norman Pederson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Butch Harris Jr (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Pederson
vs
Harris Jr

195 cm
24
220 lbs
3 - 8 - 0

186 cm
22
225 lbs
5 - 5 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Good gas tank

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 3 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Norman Pederson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Butch Harris Jr!
The judges for this bout are Matheus Silva, Felipe Paraventi and Paulo Santos.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pederson tries to clinch but Harris Jr is having none of it.

Pederson gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Harris Jr drags the fight down to the ground.
Pederson being controlled here momentarily.
Harris Jr preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Pederson wants to control from the top but Harris Jr keeps moving.
Pederson controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Harris Jr looking to hit a scissor sweep but Pederson is one step ahead there.
Pederson is looking to work some ground and pound but Harris Jr has wrist control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pederson chips away with some ground and pound.
Harris Jr is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Pederson is controlling him.
Pederson throws a big elbow that misses.
Pederson postures up in Harris Jr's guard and throws a big left but Harris Jr blocks it.
Pederson looking to sit in guard and control but Harris Jr gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Harris Jr is stalling in the full guard.
Pederson looking to control but Harris Jr passes into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pederson is looking for a sweep. Harris Jr is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Harris Jr controlling the action here.
Harris Jr winds up and cracks Pederson with a swinging punch to the side of the head.

Harris Jr gets to his feet - back to striking we go!

Harris Jr moves into range and clinches up with Pederson.
Harris Jr tries to break the clinch but Pederson is controlling the position.

Harris Jr breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harris Jr throws a good cross that connects.

Harris Jr gets the takedown into side control.
Pederson is looking to regain half guard here but Harris Jr keeps moving and retains side control.
Pederson trying his best to control but Harris Jr has mounted him.
Pederson tries to hold on but Harris Jr postures up.
Harris Jr sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Harris Jr avoids the attempt from Pederson to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Harris Jr controlling from the full mount.
Pederson keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Harris Jr controlling the pace for now.
Pederson working to try and regain half guard.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Harris Jr controlling from mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Butch Harris Jr dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Harris Jr rushes Pederson and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Pederson takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Pederson swings wildly with an uppercut but Harris Jr uses good head movement to avoid it.
Pederson tries to score a body lock takedown but Harris Jr shows good agility there to stay on his feet.

Harris Jr tightens his grip and picks Pederson up, before dumping him to the ground. Pederson manages to land in guard.
Harris Jr pushing down on Pederson's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Harris Jr passes the guard and advances to mount!
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Harris Jr controlling from mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harris Jr tries to control but Pederson wriggling away.
Pederson is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Harris Jr controlling from the full mount.
Harris Jr prevents Pederson from getting the reversal.
Harris Jr controlling from mount.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

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.
Pederson regains half guard.
Pederson moves into full guard.
Pederson throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Harris Jr trying to control but Pederson is working from the bottom.

Harris Jr stands up from Pederson's guard - Harris Jr perhaps looking for a knockout.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Harris Jr rushes Pederson and presses him up against the cage.
Pederson misses with a short punch on the inside.
Harris Jr throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Pedersons head.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Harris Jr.
Pederson swings away with an uppercut that misses.

Harris Jr decides to pull guard.
Pederson won't allow Harris Jr to sweep him here.
We've been hearing good reports from Pederson's training camp. Apparently he has been rolling around with some good quality BJJ practitioners and has been sharpening his skills. Let's see if that has an impact on the fight today.
Harris Jr preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Harris Jr trying to keep a closed guard but Pederson is proving a slippery customer.
Harris Jr controlling Pederson's posture.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pederson trying to control but Harris Jr is working from the bottom.
Pederson sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Harris Jr's guard.
Harris Jr avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Pederson.
Pederson is thwarting Harris Jr's attempts to control the position.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Pederson missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Harris Jr is trying is best to control the position here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Butch Harris Jr showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Harris Jr changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.

Harris Jr moves into range and clinches up with Pederson.
Pederson is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Harris Jr gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.

Harris Jr manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Pederson is looking to work some ground and pound but Harris Jr has wrist control.
Pederson trying to move into half guard but instead Harris Jr has managed to sweep!

Harris Jr is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Pederson pulls Harris Jr in close to prevent any damage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Harris Jr sitting in guard here, content to control.
Harris Jr pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Pederson is keeping the position for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pederson looking for a sweep. Not yet Pederson, not yet.
Harris Jr sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Pederson is trying to keep Harris Jr in close.
Harris Jr is stalling in the full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.

Pederson throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Harris Jr stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Pederson swivels though and keeps the full guard.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Some wild striking there from Harris Jr.
Pederson on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.

Pederson pushes Harris Jr up against the cage in a clinch.
Harris Jr has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harris Jr tries to pull guard but Pederson won't allow it.
Pederson doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Harris Jr is trying to drag Pederson to the mat but Pederson just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Pederson will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Harris Jr up against the cage.
Butch Harris Jr is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Harris Jr tries to pull guard but Pederson won't allow it.
Norman Pederson has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Butch Harris Jr.
Harris Jr working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Pederson avoiding damage.

Harris Jr manages to break the clinch.
Norman Pederson has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Pederson closes the distance and clinches.
Butch Harris Jr seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Harris Jr drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Pederson leaning his opponent against the cage.
Harris Jr content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Pederson misses with a knee strike.
A head punch on the inside from Pederson fails to land.

Harris Jr breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

And that's the end of the fight!
Butch Harris Jr comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Harris Jr 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 Matheus Silva scores the fight 27:30
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 27:30
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 27:30

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