PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Sylvester Ritter (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sam Wilson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Sylvester Ritter has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Ritter
vs
Wilson

190 cm
26
278 lbs
9 - 8 - 0

187 cm
29
240 lbs
15 - 7 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Very quick

Olympic wrestler
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Sylvester Ritter!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Sam Wilson!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Bishop, James Glass and Paul Tew.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Wilson thumps Ritter with a low kick.
Sylvester Ritter seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Ritter swings and misses with a hook to the body.
A slow jab from Ritter misses its intended target.
Wilson uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Ritter.

Ritter gets tackled into the cage by Wilson. Wilson maintains the clinch.
Nice body punch from Wilson.
Wilson throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Ritters head.
Wilson blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Ritter goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Ritter tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Ritter.
Wilson lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Ritter backwards.
I was talking to Ritter's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Ritter can't find room to land a body shot as Wilson controls the action.
Wilson scores with a nice hook to the head.
Ritter misses with a punch to the body.

Ritter turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Ritter throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Wilson has found himself in a tricky position here. He's been working his transitions in training so let's see if he can work his way out of it.
Wilson tries to buck Ritter off but Ritter is having none of it.
Ritter working away.
Ritter lands a decent elbow from side control.
Ritter trying to control the position but Wilson is working away.
Wilson is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Wilson can't do much from the bottom here.
Wilson is trying to improve his position.
Ritter taking a breather here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Wilson parries the strikes from Ritter easily there. Ritter is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Wilson to escape.
Ritter throws a strike aimed at the side of Wilson's head but Wilson avoids it well.
Wilson is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Ritter scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Wilson wants to get back to full guard but Ritter has passed into side control.
Wilson is trying to improve his position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ritter tries to move into full mount but can't pass Wilson's legs.
Ritter wants to control but Wilson is keeping him busy.
Ritter lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Ritter tries to score with some ground and pound. Wilson controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Wilson struggling a bit here.
Ritter landing a few strikes.
Ritter throws a strike aimed at the side of Wilson's head but Wilson avoids it well.
Ritter scores with punches from side control.
Ritter is looking to take a break and control but Wilson is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Wilson sneaks back into half guard.
Wilson is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Wilson wants to get back to full guard.
Ritter thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Ritter wants to pass the guard but Wilson is defending well.
Ritter slips a nice elbow through Wilson's hands, connecting with Wilson's forehead.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Ritter connects with a nice short shot to Wilson's temple.
Ritter is trying to advance to mount but he's lost his balance and Wilson reverses the position - he's now on top in Ritter's guard.
Wilson wants to control from the top but Ritter keeps moving.
Ritter wants to sweep but no luck.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Wilson content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Ritter is trying to control the position but Wilson postures up.
Wilson throwing strikes but missing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ritter is trying to keep Wilson in close.
Wilson landing with the ground and pound.
Wilson tries to free his leg and advance position but Ritter is retaining full guard.
Ritter is pulling down on Wilson's head to control his posture.
Ritter controls Wilson momentarily but Wilson frees himself.
Wilson lands a couple of digs.
Ritter controlling the position.
Wilson tries to free his leg and advance position but Ritter is retaining full guard.
Ritter looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Wilson trying to control the position from guard on top but Ritter is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Ritter is looking to chop away at Wilson's legs.
Ritter ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Wilson moves away.
Ritter misses with a jab, cross combination.
Ritter moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
A cross from Ritter lands.
Ritter misses with a body shot
and Wilson connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Wilson on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Ritter ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Wilson moves away.
Wilson uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Ritter.
A thudding body kick lands there by Wilson!
Wilson scores with a spinning back kick!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A solid body kick from Wilson.
Wilson throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Ritter rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Wilson counters with a leg kick.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
An inside leg kick lands from Wilson.
Wilson lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Ritter misses with an uppercut
and Wilson counters with an inside leg kick.

Wilson closes the distance and clinches.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A short uppercut from Wilson.
A nice right hand lands inside from Wilson.
A right handed body shot lands from Wilson.
Ritter misses with a hook to the ribs.
Wilson lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Wilson throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Wilson lands with a light punch inside.
Nice body punch from Wilson.
Wilson is leaning against Ritter and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Wilson makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Wilson softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
A shot in the inside from Wilson.
Wilson lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Ritter.
Wilson is working Ritter over against the cage.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Wilson has picked Ritter up - he's going for a ride! Wilson dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Wilson looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Wilson wants to take a breather but Ritter is having none of it.
Ritter on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
The step up in weight doesn't seem to be a problem for Wilson. He's performing admirably here against the bigger man.
Wilson lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wilson winds up and cracks Ritter with a swinging punch to the side of the head.

Wilson is trying to work for a kimura but Ritter is defending well.
Wilson trying to control from half guard but Ritter is working away.
Wilson lands with a punch from half guard.
Ritter is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Wilson has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Wilson trying to control the action but Ritter is working from the bottom.
Wilson is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.

Wilson is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Ritter is just riding it out for now. Wilson eventually gives up the hold.
Sylvester Ritter overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ritter trying to control but Wilson postures up.
The fighters are battling for position here. Ritter manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Wilson postures up.
Ritter keeping moving, preventing Wilson from controlling successfully.
Ritter is trying to keep Wilson in close.
Wilson won't allow Ritter to sweep him here.

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.
Wilson with a nice head shot there.
Wilson won't allow Ritter to sweep him here.
Ritter is trying to control the position but Wilson postures up.
Ritter being controlled here, momentarily.
Ritter looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Wilson pushes down on Ritter's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Wilson with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Wilson is nestled in close to Ritter, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Wilson looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Ritter with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Wilson thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Ritter's head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sam Wilson showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Wilson moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.

Wilson gets a clinch.

Ritter has clasped his hands together around Wilson's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
Wilson defending against the ground and pound.
Wilson has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Wilson is trying to improve his position.
Wilson regains half guard.
Wilson is looking to improve his position.
Ritter throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

Wilson looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ground and pound from Ritter.
Wilson is trying to control but can't.

Wilson looking for submissions off his back.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ritter not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.

Wilson looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Wilson wants to control but Ritter is keeping busy.
Wilson is looking for a sweep. Ritter is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Ritter takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Wilson moves into full guard.
Ritter looking to pass the guard.
Ritter scoring with punches to the head and body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ritter throws an elbow that misses. Wilson uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Ritter's guard. Nice move by Wilson!

Ritter is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Wilson preventing the sweep.
Wilson content to stall in guard here.
Ritter has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Wilson has passed into side control.
Wilson in side control, throwing shots but Ritter defends.
Check out the look on Wilson's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
The ground and pound from Wilson seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Ritter takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Wilson trying to control the action but Ritter is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ritter takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.

Wilson tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Wilson wants to control but Ritter is keeping him busy.
Ritter is looking for a sweep.
Wilson throws a strike aimed at the side of Ritter's head but Ritter avoids it well.

Wilson is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Ritter knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Wilson working away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Wilson working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Wilson working away.
Ritter sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Ritter trying to control but Wilson postures up.
Wilson wants to lay and pray for a moment but Ritter keeps working.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Ritter is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Wilson scores with a couple of nice shots.

And that's the end of the fight!
Sam Wilson comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Wilson 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 Daniel Bishop scores the fight 28:29
Judge James Glass scores the fight 28:29
Judge Paul Tew scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Sam Wilson!
A victorious Sam Wilson thanked his army of followers in his post fight interview, telling people to make sure they follow him on Twitter.