PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Eruera Wharerau (ranked 3828 p4p, 0 weight class) and Umberto Garcia (ranked 5934 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Wharerau
vs
Garcia

175 cm
25
157 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

172 cm
25
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Very strong

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Eruera Wharerau!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Umberto Garcia!
The judges for this bout are Sandra Marshall, Bart Greer and Peter Branson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Garcia closes the distance and clinches up with Wharerau, looking for a takedown. Garcia pushes Wharerau against the cage but Wharerau circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Garcia will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Wharerau pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Wharerau throws a right and a left that Garcia avoids nicely.
Wharerau misses with a jab, cross combination.
Garcia ducks under a wild hook from Wharerau.
Garcia throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Wharerau misses with a kick to the body.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Garcia.
Eruera Wharerau has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Umberto Garcia.
Garcia dodges the punch combination from Wharerau.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A jab from Wharerau misses.
Garcia swinging wildly here.
Wharerau throws a wild body kick that Garcia sees coming a mile off.
Garcia lands with a nice combination. Wharerau backs away looking to recover.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Garcia closes the distance and clinches up with Wharerau, looking for a takedown. Garcia pushes Wharerau against the cage but Wharerau circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Wharerau misses with a combination

and Garcia counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Garcia.
Garcia tries for a takedown. No joy.

Garcia pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Wharerau misses with a double jab.
Garcia is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Garcia fails with a takedown attempt.
Wharerau displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Garcia slips a jab from Wharerau.
The fight stays on the outside here - Garcia looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Sloppy strikes from Wharerau. Those never looked like landing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wharerau throws a head kick but Garcia moves out of range.
Garcia wants to counter with a clinch but Wharerau pushes him away.
Wharerau misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

Garcia has Wharerau up against the cage in a clinch.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Wharerau is pressed up against the cage. Garcia has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Wharerau down to the mat. Wharerau avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Garcia looks winded!
Garcia fails with the takedown.
Wharerau misses with a series of wild punches.
Wharerau throws a combination. Garcia tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Wharerau misses with a wild combination.
Wharerau throws a head kick but Garcia moves out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Garcia staying out of range there.
Wharerau throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Wharerau throws a sloppy head kick and Garcia moves out of range easily.
Wharerau tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Wharerau throws a series of punches but Garcia moves out of range.
Wharerau will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Garcia lands with a shot to the body.
Wharerau fails to land with a series of punches.
Eruera Wharerau seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Wharerau fails to land with a series of punches.
Eruera Wharerau is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Garcia bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Garcia pulls out of a head kick attempt.
As Garcia looks to move away, Wharerau throws a big counter combo but Garcia just gets out of the way.
Wharerau stuffs the takedown attempt from Garcia. Garcia gets slowly back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wharerau slaps away a takedown attempt from Garcia, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Wharerau misses with a double jab
and Garcia counters with a one-two to the body.

Garcia closes the distance and pushes Wharerau back into the cage.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Garcia's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Garcia avoids the head kick by Wharerau.
A head kick by Wharerau misses

and Garcia counters with a shoot takedown. Wharerau fights it but they end up in guard.

Wharerau is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Garcia preventing the sweep.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eruera Wharerau dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Wharerau throws a head kick but Garcia moves out of range.
A head kick misses from Wharerau.
Wharerau will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Wharerau stuffs the takedown.
Garcia tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Wharerau lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Wharerau connects with a jab.
Wharerau swinging wildly here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A telegraphed right hand from Wharerau misses the target.
Garcia dodges the punch combination from Wharerau.

Garcia clinches.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Wharerau has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Wharerau tries to circle away but Garcia has him pinned against the cage.
Garcia wants a takedown.
Wharerau wants to break free but Garcia has control.
Wharerau working hard to break the clinch.
Nice body punch from Garcia.

Garcia jumps into guard, dragging Wharerau to the mat.
Garcia really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Wharerau. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Wharerau wants to get up but he can't break Garcia's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Garcia looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Wharerau passes into side control.
Garcia is breathing heavily.
Wharerau wants to stand but Garcia is controlling his arm.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wharerau 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.
Wharerau is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Garcia can do to turn this around?

Wharerau stands up and beckons Garcia to his feet.
Wharerau tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Some wild striking there from Wharerau.
Garcia with the counter takedown but Wharerau avoids it easily.
Garcia tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Wharerau defends well and Garcia ends up having to push Wharerau into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Eruera Wharerau has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Umberto Garcia.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Garcia checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Garcia tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Wharerau misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Wharerau throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Garcia counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Garcia fails to pull guard.
Garcia keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Wharerau's efforts to push away.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Garcia.
Wharerau can't break the clinch.

Wharerau pulls Garcia into guard.
Wharerau is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Wharerau looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Garcia looking to pass the guard.
Wharerau wants to stand up but Garcia is controlling him.
Wharerau is trying to keep Garcia in close.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Wharerau is on top in guard.

The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Garcia has a closed guard, preventing Wharerau from standing up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eruera Wharerau 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!

Wharerau misses with a series of wild punches.
Wharerau misses with a series of wild punches.
Garcia looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Wharerau is fending him off so far but Garcia persists. Nope, Wharerau circles away and we're back to standing.
Wharerau rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Garcia moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Wharerau fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Garcia slips a jab and a cross from Wharerau.
Wharerau misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Garcia looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Wharerau swinging wildly here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Wharerau throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Garcia is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Garcia shoots in and bounces Wharerau off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Wharerau trying to keep a closed guard but Garcia is proving a slippery customer.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Garcia stays in close to Wharerau's body and controls the position.
Wharerau is trying to control the position but Garcia postures up.
Wharerau wants to sweep here but Garcia controlling him for the moment.

Garcia stands and steps away. Wharerau gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.

Wharerau tries to keep at a distance but Garcia has taken the fight into the clinch.

Wharerau manages to break the clinch.
Wharerau tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Nice sprawl there from Wharerau as Garcia shoots in.
Some wild striking there from Wharerau.
Garcia misses with a takedown attempt - Wharerau sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Eruera Wharerau has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Umberto Garcia.
Garcia bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Wharerau's head.
Wharerau throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Wharerau swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Garcia drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Wharerau defends it well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Garcia.
Wharerau misses with a double jab.
Wharerau throws a nice looking combination but Garcia bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Wharerau lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Wharerau.
Garcia tries to score a power double leg takedown but Wharerau sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Garcia somewhat.
Wharerau lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Garcia circles away quickly and effectively.
Garcia uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Wharerau.
Eruera Wharerau is winning the standup battle so far.
Wharerau throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Garcia.
Garcia scores with a three punch combo!
Garcia pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Wharerau swings and misses with a hook to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wharerau throws a series of strikes that have Garcia backpedaling.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Garcia fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Wharerau avoids it really well and circles away.
Wharerau seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.
Garcia moves out of range as Wharerau strikes.
Wharerau swinging wildly here.
Wharerau blocks a head kick by Garcia.
Wharerau misses with a head kick.
Garcia drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Wharerau defends it well.
Wharerau misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Wharerau fails to land with a series of punches.
Garcia shoots in for a takedown but Wharerau shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Umberto Garcia has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Eruera Wharerau is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Wharerau scores to the head and body with a nice combination!

And that's the end of the fight!
Eruera Wharerau showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Wharerau, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Sandra Marshall scores the fight 30:27
Judge Bart Greer scores the fight 30:27
Judge Peter Branson scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Eruera Wharerau!