PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Chad Drake (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Raian Baaden (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Drake comes to the cage accompanied by Kiss - God of Thunder. Both fighters will be looking to make this an exciting fight for the fans, I'm sure!

Drake
vs
Baaden

185 cm
20
215 lbs
5 - 1 - 0

188 cm
22
217 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Solid chin

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 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Chad Drake!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Raian Baaden!
The judges for this bout are George Francis, Wesley Smith and Stewart Dunkirk.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Drake misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

Baaden shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Baaden trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Baaden lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Drake in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Drake wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
Baaden throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
Baaden landing shots from mount.
Drake is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Baaden thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Baaden is stalling here but it's allowed Drake to get half guard.
Drake is trying to stand up here but Baaden is controlling him well.
Drake is looking for a sweep. Baaden is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Baaden thows a huge punch but Drake dodges it nicely.
Drake taking some punishment here, with Baaden in his half guard.
Drake wants to get back to full guard.
Drake is looking to control Baaden's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Drake avoid being mounted?

Baaden is looking for a kimura here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Drake is pressing down on Baaden's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Baaden won't allow Drake to sweep him here.
Baaden throws a big right hand that misses.
Drake is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Drake controlling the position.
Baaden wants to pass the guard but Drake is keeping the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Baaden preventing the sweep.
Baaden postures up in Drake's guard and throws a big left but Drake blocks it.
Baaden content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Baaden trying to control but Drake is working from the bottom.
Drake is trying to control the position but Baaden postures up.
Drake wants to hit a switch here but Baaden passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for Drake there!
Drake wants to control but Baaden is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Drake is squirming around, avoiding Baaden's attempts to control the action.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Baaden swings around for an armbar but it's a sloppy attempt and Drake is now in Baaden's guard. A big mistake from Baaden there, giving up the dominant position!
Baaden trying to keep a closed guard but Drake is proving a slippery customer.
Baaden keeping moving, preventing Drake from controlling successfully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Raian Baaden dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Baaden keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Drake rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Baaden moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Drake fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Baaden.
Baaden tries a low kick but Drake avoids it.
Nice defenses there by Baaden.

Baaden instigates a clinch.
A right hook to the body lands for Drake.

Drake's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Drake missing with a left hand there. Baaden was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Drake is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Baaden.
Baaden takes one to the chin there.

It looks like Raian Baaden has been cut.
Chad Drake seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Baaden avoids a punch combination nicely.
Nice defenses there by Baaden.
Drake misses with a straight right.
Baaden swings for the body but Drake moves out of range.
Drake swinging wilding here.

Baaden closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.

Baaden tries for a kimura but Drake is defending well.
Drake is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Drake slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Drake avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Baaden passes into half guard under a barage of strikes.
Drake is trying to get back to full guard.
Drake is working hard here to advance position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Baaden throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Baaden with the ground and pound but Drake uses the opportunity to regain guard.
Baaden with a nice head shot there.
Drake looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Baaden puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Drake trying to hold on to Baaden's head to control him but Baaden postures up.
Drake is looking to get back to full guard here but Baaden has managed to pass to side control instead.
Drake is really trying hard to get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Baaden lands a heavy elbow.
Baaden with the ground and pound from mount.
Raian Baaden has got the better of the ground game so far.
The referee warns Drake that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Baaden lands a big shot there that rocks Drake but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Drake working to try and regain half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Baaden working the ground and pound effectively.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Raian Baaden showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Raian Baaden's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Drake will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Baaden dodges the punch combination from Drake.
Drake misses with a low kick.

Baaden bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Baaden lands some shots froms side control.

Baaden looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
An elbow from Baaden crashes against the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Baaden working the ground and pound but Drake is defending the strikes.
Baaden tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Baaden working the ground and pound.
Drake is trying to get back to half guard.
Baaden throws an elbow but Drake slips to the side and avoids it well.
Baaden has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Baaden working away.
Drake tries to buck Baaden off but Baaden 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.

Baaden goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Drake has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Baaden but great work by Drake.
Baaden takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Baaden is looking for a sweep.
Drake works to advance to full mount. Baaden defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
Drake wants to control the pace but Baaden is squirming around nicely.
Drake controlling from mount.
Baaden is squirming around, avoiding Drake's attempts to control the action.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Baaden is looking to get to half guard.
Baaden is squirming around, avoiding Drake's attempts to control the action.
Baaden is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Raian Baaden is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Baaden regains half guard.
Drake is stalling here. Baaden is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Drake seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Baaden has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
Drake tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Chad Drake has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Baaden working away.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Drake managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Baaden.
Baaden avoids the strikes from the bottom by Drake.

And that's the end of the fight!
Raian Baaden comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Baaden winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 George Francis scores the fight 27:30
Judge Wesley Smith scores the fight 27:30
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Raian Baaden!