PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Elijah Carter (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and James McGrath (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Carter
vs
McGrath

223 cm
18
177 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

198 cm
18
178 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Elijah Carter!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, James McGrath!
The judges for this bout are Jonathan Paton, Steve Montenegro and Jorge Garcia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
McGrath keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

McGrath takes the fight into the clinch.
McGrath lands a left hand.

McGrath jumps guard and drags Carter to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
McGrath not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
McGrath wants to sweep here but Carter controlling him for the moment.
McGrath trying to keep a closed guard but Carter is proving a slippery customer.
Carter trying to stand up but can't free himself from McGrath's guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Carter throwing strikes from guard but McGrath blocks nicely.
Carter trying to control but McGrath is working from the bottom.
McGrath wants to sweep but no luck.

That's one minute gone in the round.
McGrath pulls Carter in close to prevent any damage.
Carter will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Carter wants to stand and escape but instead McGrath has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.

Carter wants to stand and escape but McGrath is having none of it.
McGrath trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
McGrath stands up over Carter, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Carter trying to strike off his back.
Carter controlling the position.
McGrath wants to control from the top but Carter keeps moving.
Carter avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Carter is working an open guard so McGrath takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Elijah Carter is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

McGrath gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Carter prevents a takedown attempt there.
Carter has McGrath pressed against the cage, preventing McGrath from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Carter really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Carter tries to pull guard but McGrath holds him up against the cage and eventually Carter drops back down to his feet.

McGrath escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
McGrath is trying hard to land a takedown here. Carter sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Carter is trying to close the distance and clinch up, after that failed offence from McGrath.
McGrath keeps the fight on the outside.
Carter throws a right and a left that both miss.

McGrath clinches up with Carter and pushes him back against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

McGrath manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
McGrath keeping moving, preventing Carter from controlling successfully.
McGrath has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Carter trying to control but McGrath is working from the bottom.
Carter would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
McGrath has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

McGrath looking for a guillotine here but Carter defends easily.
McGrath looking to hit a scissor sweep but Carter is one step ahead there.

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.

Carter stands up from guard. Let's bang!
McGrath with a lazy takedown attempt
and Carter counters with a nice uppercut.
Elijah Carter has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of James McGrath.
McGrath dives in for a single leg takedown but Carter sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
McGrath looks winded!
Carter scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
McGrath throws a leg kick but Carter checks it.

Carter gets tackled into the cage by McGrath. McGrath maintains the clinch.
Carter tries to pull guard but McGrath holds him up against the cage and eventually Carter drops back down to his feet.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
McGrath is trying to break the clinch but Carter has him pressed against the cage.
Carter jumps guard but McGrath stands there with Carter around his waist. Carter gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James McGrath dominated that round.
That's time! Carter's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

The fight stays on the outside here - Carter looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
McGrath with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
McGrath misses with a takedown attempt - Carter sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from McGrath.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
McGrath shoots for a double leg takedown but Carter sprawls well. He's pushed McGrath's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Elijah Carter has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of James McGrath.
Carter stuffs the takedown attempt from McGrath. McGrath gets slowly back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Carter doesn't manage to clinch there - McGrath circles away.

Carter clinches up against the cage.

Carter pulls guard.
Carter trying to strike off his back.
Carter will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
McGrath has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

McGrath thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
McGrath is breathing heavily.
Carter is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Carter keeping moving, preventing McGrath from controlling successfully.
McGrath controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Carter keeping moving, preventing McGrath from controlling successfully.
Carter trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
McGrath misses with a jab, cross combination.

Carter forces McGrath back against the cage and clinches.

Carter decides to pull guard.

McGrath stands and steps away. Carter gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
McGrath misses with a head kick.
Carter swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Carter looks to land a combination but McGrath avoids it well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
McGrath dives in and grabs Carter's left leg, looking for a takedown. Carter pushes down on McGrath's head and hops out.

Carter has taken the fight to the clinch.

Carter jumps guard.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Carter holds on and takes a little breather.
McGrath throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Carter works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
McGrath is stalling in the full guard.
Carter wants to stand up but McGrath is controlling him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Carter is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. McGrath is aware though and is defending well.
McGrath is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Carter throws some sloppy strikes off his back.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

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

Elijah Carter dominated that second round.
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. This is the final round!

McGrath throws a right hand that Carter ducks under and follows up with a left that Carter also avoids with ease.
McGrath tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Carter defends well and McGrath ends up having to push Carter into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
McGrath keeps the fight on the outside.
McGrath is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
McGrath changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Carter tries to avoid it but McGrath manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Carter to the ground. Carter escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Carter moves in looking to clinch but McGrath pushes him off.
McGrath shapes to counter with a head kick.

McGrath shoots in and gets a takedown into Carter's guard.

Carter is scooting his butt against the cage and has managed to get back to his feet. McGrath presses him back against the cage, presumably looking to take the fight back to the mat.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Carter tries to pull guard but McGrath forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Carter is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables McGrath to keep the fight standing.
Carter is trying to pull guard but McGrath has him pressed against the cage.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Elijah Carter. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Carter fails to pull guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

McGrath is trying to trip Carter. He has hold of a leg but Carter is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. McGrath persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
McGrath trying to control but Carter is working from the bottom.
McGrath stands up over Carter, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Carter working a defensive guard here.
Carter doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Carter controls McGrath momentarily but McGrath frees himself.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
McGrath circles away from the clinch attempt.
McGrath changes levels for a counter takedown but doesn't follow through with his attempt.
Jab, jab by Carter - just one landing.

McGrath has Carter up against the cage in a clinch.
McGrath controlling the action here for a moment.

McGrath jumps guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
McGrath wants to sweep but no luck.
Carter trying to control but McGrath is working from the bottom.
Carter is fighting to break McGrath's control of his arms but McGrath is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
McGrath keeping moving, preventing Carter from controlling successfully.
Carter postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Carter controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Carter stopping the sweep attempt from McGrath.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.

Carter gets to his feet. McGrath looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Carter blocks a head kick by McGrath.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.

McGrath moves into the clinch successfully.
Carter avoiding damage as McGrath throws knees to the body.

Carter jumps guard.

Carter working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. McGrath doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. McGrath manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
McGrath showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Carter wants to hit a switch here but McGrath passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for Carter there!

And that's the end of the fight!
James McGrath comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think McGrath 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 Jonathan Paton scores the fight 28:29
Judge Steve Montenegro scores the fight 28:29
Judge Jorge Garcia scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... James McGrath!