PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Patrick Harrell (ranked 25024 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bobby Whittaker (ranked 5685 p4p, 579 weight class). Both fighters really staring each other down here, as Bobby Whittaker enters the cage!

Harrell
vs
Whittaker

193 cm
24
193 lbs
1 - 5 - 0

183 cm
25
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Intelligent

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Patrick Harrell!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Bobby Whittaker!
The judges for this bout are Chris Dean, Hugh Johnson and Darius Henderson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A right-left combo lands from Whittaker.
Harrell shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Whittaker as he avoids it easily.
Harrell keeps the fight on the outside.
Harrell appears to be looking for a counter takedown.

Harrell decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Harrell throwing shots but Whittaker is blocking nicely.
Harrell missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Harrell sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Whittaker defending well though.
Harrell not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Harrell thows a huge punch but Whittaker dodges it nicely.
Harrell thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Harrell not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Whittaker on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Harrell thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Whittaker's head.
Whittaker wants to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harrell not doing much here.
Harrell drops an elbow to the side of Whittaker's head.
Nice strikes from Harrell there.
Harrell is looking to stall here but Whittaker recovers full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Harrell lands a couple of elbows.
Whittaker keeping moving, preventing Harrell from controlling successfully.
Whittaker is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Harrell is controlling him.
Harrell is looking to work some ground and pound but Whittaker has wrist control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Harrell throwing strikes but missing.
Harrell postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
No joy there for Whittaker, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Harrell moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
A nice combination there by Whittaker.
Harrell swats away the attempt to clinch by Whittaker.

Harrell rushes Whittaker and presses him up against the cage.

Harrell manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The fighters are working up against the cage. Harrell manages to wriggle his way back to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched against the cage.
Whittaker looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

Whittaker is fighting off a takedown attempt but Harrell is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Whittaker to the mat. Whittaker regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.

The fighters are working up against the cage. Whittaker manages to wriggle his way back to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched against the cage.

Whittaker manages to break the clinch.
Sloppy strikes from Whittaker. Those never looked like landing.
Whittaker tries to clinch up but Harrell circles away and keeps his distance.
Harrell tries to clinch but Whittaker is having none of it.
Whittaker keeps the fight on the outside.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Harrell gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Harrell managing to block the knees to the body from Whittaker.
Harrell tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Whittaker avoids it.

Harrell jumps guard.
Whittaker preventing the sweep.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Harrell is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Harrell drops an elbow to the side of Whittaker's head.
Whittaker avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Harrell.
Harrell winds up and cracks Whittaker with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Whittaker blocking the ground and pound attempt from Harrell.
Harrell missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Harrell missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Harrell winds up and cracks Whittaker with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Whittaker wants to get back to his feet.

Whittaker kicks Harrell off and gets back to his feet.

Harrell clinches up against the cage.
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 Patrick Harrell will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Whittaker gets tackled into the cage by Harrell. Harrell maintains the clinch.
Whittaker tries to circle away but Harrell has him pinned against the cage.
Harrell is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Whittaker is defending well.
Whittaker wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Harrell has him pressed against the cage.
Harrell jumps guard but Whittaker turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Harrell is looking to break free of the clinch but Whittaker has double underhooks.
Whittaker is trying to maintain a safe position but Harrell gets an underhook and turns Whittaker into the cage.
Harrell changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Whittaker fights it off and pushes away nicely.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Patrick Harrell. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Harrell fails in his attempt to clinch.
Whittaker thinks about the counter body kick.
Nice sprawl there from Whittaker as Harrell shoots in.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Whittaker misses with a series of wild punches.
Whittaker turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Whittaker pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Harrell is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Whittaker fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Harrell looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Harrell wants to clinch.
Harrell dives in for a single leg takedown but Whittaker sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Harrell tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Whittaker paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Whittaker is looking to clinch.

Harrell moves into the clinch successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Whittaker lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Harrell or not.
Harrell drops down looking for an ankle pick but Whittaker pulls his leg out and moves away.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Whittaker throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
Whittaker throws a series of strikes that have Harrell backpedaling.
Whittaker throws a right and a left that Harrell avoids nicely.
It looked like Harrell was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Whittaker.
Bobby Whittaker seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Whittaker swats away the attempt to clinch by Harrell.
Whittaker misses with a double jab.
Whittaker looks to land a combination but Harrell avoids it well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harrell showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Whittaker.
Whittaker avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
The fight stays on the outside here - Harrell looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Whittaker's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Whittaker duly obliges.
Bobby Whittaker is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
The fight stays on the outside here - Harrell looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Harrell doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Whittaker throws a nice looking combination but Harrell bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Harrell fires out a quick counter leg kick but Whittaker just manages to avoid it.
Whittaker will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Whittaker circles away from the clinch attempt.
Whittaker throws a right hand that Harrell ducks under and follows up with a left that Harrell also avoids with ease.
Left hook, right uppercut from Whittaker.
Whittaker throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Harrell.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Harrell closes the distance and clinches.

Harrell pulls guard.

Harrell manages to escape and get back to his feet.
Whittaker throws a series of punches but Harrell avoids them all with ease.
Harrell wants to clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bobby Whittaker 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! This is the final round!

Harrell fails with an attempt to clinch.
Harrell tries to clinch but Whittaker is having none of it.
Whittaker throws a head kick that misses.
Whittaker tries to clinch but Harrell moves out of range.
Harrell drops down looking for a counter takedown but Whittaker sprawls and moves away.
Whittaker keeps the fight on the outside.

Harrell manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Whittaker on his heels. He'll look to pass Whittaker's guard now, I'm sure.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Harrell chips away with some ground and pound.
Harrell lands a couple of decent looking shots.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Harrell postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Whittaker avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Harrell trying to control the position from guard on top but Whittaker is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Whittaker avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Patrick Harrell overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harrell trying to control the position from guard on top but Whittaker is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Harrell lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Harrell missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Whittaker preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Harrell in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Harrell scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Harrell scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Whittaker takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Whittaker preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Harrell tries to clinch but Whittaker moves out of range.

That's two 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.
Harrell wants to clinch but Whittaker slips to the side
and Whittaker makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Harrell wants to clinch.
Whittaker stuffs the takedown.
Whittaker keeps the fight on the outside.
Whittaker throws a counter combo.
A kick lands to the mid section there for Whittaker.
Whittaker throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Whittaker falls off balance throwing a combination

and Harrell holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Harrell struggles to land a body shot inside as Whittaker controls his hands.
Harrell drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Whittaker gets the underhooks and prevents it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harrell drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Whittaker gets the underhooks and prevents it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Patrick Harrell. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Harrell tightens his grip and picks Whittaker up, before dumping him to the ground. Whittaker manages to land in guard.
Whittaker avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

Whittaker kicks Harrell off and gets to his feet.
Bobby Whittaker seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Harrell has his takedown stuffed
and Whittaker counters with a two punch combo.
Whittaker rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Harrell moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Whittaker throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Whittaker avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Harrell is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
A clash of legs there as Harrell blocks the low kick.
Harrell fails in his attempt to clinch.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Whittaker throws a series of strikes that have Harrell backpedaling.
Bobby Whittaker is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Harrell is looking to clinch but Whittaker is avoiding it.
Whittaker throws a counter combo.
Harrell tries to grapple but his opponent circles
letting Whittaker counter with a right hand.
Harrell is looking to clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
Bobby Whittaker comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Whittaker 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 Chris Dean scores the fight 28:29
Judge Hugh Johnson scores the fight 28:29
Judge Darius Henderson scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Bobby Whittaker!