PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Johann Naboo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and James Ward (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Naboo's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, It's Not Unusual by Tom Jones. Johann Naboo has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Naboo
vs
Ward

181 cm
18
161 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

188 cm
19
163 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Cuts easily

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Johann Naboo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, James Ward!
The judges for this bout are Richard Clark, Sam Margolis and Paul Tew.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Naboo throws a leg kick but Ward sees it coming and moves out of range.
Naboo looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Naboo misses with a hook. Ward ducked under it nicely.
Ward checks a leg kick nicely.
Naboo is looking to score with low kicks.
Ward shoots in but Naboo avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Ward fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Ward shoots in but Naboo avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Johann Naboo has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of James Ward.
A shot to de liver by Naboo. Beautiful body shot.
Ward looks to land a combination but Naboo avoids it well.
Naboo throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Naboo throws a combination that misses

and Ward counters by clinching up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Naboo wants to break the clinch but can't.

Ward breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Ward keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Ward bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Ward uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Naboo.
Ward tries to close the distance and clinch up but Naboo swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Naboo closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Ward gets back to half guard.
Ward gets full guard.
Ward is looking to sweep but instead, Naboo has passed into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Ward wants to control but Naboo is keeping busy and won't allow it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ward tries to get to full guard but Naboo has control of the leg.
Ward looks gassed!
Ward regains full guard. Nicely done.
Naboo wants to stand but Ward has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Ward is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Naboo is looking to stand up but Ward won't let him.
Naboo postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ward controlling the position.
Ward wants to sweep but no luck.
Ward has a closed guard, preventing Naboo from standing up.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Ward looking to control.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Naboo fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Naboo is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Ward.
Naboo connects with the punch.
Naboo closes the distance looking to clinch

and Ward counters with a single leg into guard. Naboo didn't expect that.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ward wants to pass the guard but Naboo is keeping the position.
Ward trying to control but Naboo is working from the bottom.
Naboo wants to get back to his feet but Ward is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Naboo trying desperately to get back to his feet here but he's not having any joy at all. He's going to tire himself out if he's not careful.
Ward tries to free his leg and advance position but Naboo is retaining full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Johann Naboo will probably get the nod.
That's time! Naboo's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Naboo lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Naboo scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Ward misses with a takedown attempt - Naboo sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Ward scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Ward passes to full mount!
Ward looking to control but Naboo is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Naboo is trying to escape but when you're mounted that's not too easy.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Ward controlling from mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Naboo really wants to buck Ward off and get back to his feet.
Ward can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Naboo is looking to escape.
Ward throws some wild stikes that Naboo manages to avoid easily.
Ward trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Naboo wants to control but Ward is having none of it.

That's two 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.
Ward punching from mount but Naboo doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Naboo is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Ward tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Ward misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Ward landing strikes from the mount.
Naboo is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.
Naboo is squirming around, avoiding Ward's attempts to control the action.
Ward misses with some ground and pound and Naboo recovers position to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Naboo is staying active underneath Ward, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Ward tries to pass to full mount but Naboo defends it.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Ward drops his hands momentarily and Naboo takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Naboo fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Ward looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Ward circles away from the clinch attempt.
Naboo throws a wild body kick that Ward sees coming a mile off.
Naboo works over Ward's head and body with a nice combination.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Naboo does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Naboo scores with a jab to the head.
Ward changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Naboo tries to avoid it but Ward manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Naboo to the ground. Naboo escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Ward gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Naboo swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Ward counters with a one-two to the body.
Naboo looks to throw the jab but Ward is out of range.
Ward shoots in for a double leg but Naboo sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Johann Naboo has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of James Ward.
Naboo connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
A punch combination from Naboo misses.
Ward throws a nice looking combination but Naboo bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Naboo lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Johann Naboo dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Naboo throws a left and a right that both miss

and Ward counters with a nice double leg into side control. Naboo won't be happy with that.
Ward advances to mount.
Ward is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Ward controlling from mount.
Naboo is trying to stand.
Ward controlling the position easily from mount.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Naboo is trying to get back to his feet but can't.
Ward working the ground and pound effectively.
Ward controlling from mount.
Ward can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Naboo is looking to escape.
Naboo wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.

That's two 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.
Ward sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Ward wants to control the pace but Naboo is squirming around nicely.

Ward looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Naboo is squirming around, avoiding Ward's attempts to control the action.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ward might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Naboo kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.

Despite being in the dominant position, James Ward just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Naboo shoots and misses

and Ward counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Naboo's guard now.
Ward loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
James Ward has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Naboo knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Ward on the ground.
Ward not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Ward trying to control but Naboo is working from the bottom.
Ward throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

Ward drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Naboo manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Ward has Naboo in his guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ward trying to keep a closed guard but Naboo is proving a slippery customer.
Ward wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Naboo is now in half guard.
Johann Naboo is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Ward trying to control from the bottom.
Naboo wants to stand up but Ward is controlling the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
James Ward comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Naboo has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Richard Clark scores the fight 29:28
Judge Sam Margolis scores the fight 29:28
Judge Paul Tew scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Johann Naboo!