PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Mark Laws (ranked 3743 p4p, 401 weight class) and John Sullivan (ranked 3332 p4p, 366 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Laws
vs
Sullivan

190 cm
27
199 lbs
3 - 4 - 0

179 cm
27
199 lbs
4 - 3 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
KO power

Decent wrestler
Good kicks
Solid chin

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 3 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Mark Laws!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, John Sullivan!
The judges for this bout are Tiny Johnson, Alan Glass and Gwen Towbar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sullivan throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.

Laws pushes Sullivan up against the cage in a clinch.
Laws tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Laws throws an elbow that misses.
Laws has a couple of punches blocked by Sullivan.
Sullivan wants to break the clinch but can't.
Sullivan is looking to break free of the clinch but Laws has double underhooks.
Laws lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.

Laws escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Laws closes the distance and pushes Sullivan back into the cage.
Sullivan has had enough of the clinch but Laws keeps him there for the moment.
Laws keeps control of Sullivan as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Sullivan wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Laws has a couple of punches blocked by Sullivan.
Laws has Sullivan pressed against the cage, preventing Sullivan from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Laws swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Sullivan wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A frustrated look appears on Sullivan's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Laws lands with a right to the head.
Sullivan has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Laws lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Laws lands with a light punch inside.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Laws lands a left hand that snaps the head of Sullivan backwards.
Laws keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Sullivan's efforts to push away.
Sullivan told us before the fight that he's been working on his elbows. An under utilised technique these days - let's see if it can sway the outcome of the fight.
Laws lands a nice uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Laws lands a hook to the side of the head.
Laws taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Laws misses with a punch on the inside.
Laws tries to land knees in the clinch but Sullivan avoids the damage to the body.
A nice left hand lands by Laws.
Laws lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Sullivan or not.
A short right from Laws.
I was talking to Laws's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Laws lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Sullivan backwards.
Laws lands a hook to the side of the head.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Laws.
Sullivan can't break the clinch.
Laws lands with a left to the head.
Laws gets through Sullivan's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Laws jumps guard but Sullivan stands there with Laws around his waist. Laws gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Sullivan blocks an uppercut.
A frustrated look appears on Sullivan's face as he tries to break the clinch.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Laws.
Sullivan wants to get back to striking at distance but Laws won't allow it.
Laws makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.

Laws pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A looping hook to the body misses from Laws. Sullivan does a little dance to reset his feet.
Sullivan throws a counter combo.

Laws closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Laws tries to land knees in the clinch but Sullivan avoids the damage to the body.
Laws has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Sullivan is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Sullivan.
Laws lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Laws lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Laws keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Sullivan's efforts to push away.
A frustrated look appears on Sullivan's face as he tries to break the clinch.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Laws.

Laws wants the takedown. Sullivan is fighting it off but Laws persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Sullivan's guard against the cage.
Sullivan looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Sullivan is adopting a defensive guard.
Laws has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sullivan utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Sullivan has control of Laws's left arm, preventing Laws from doing any damage.
Laws stopping the sweep attempt from Sullivan.
Sullivan controlling Laws's posture.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Sullivan is on top in guard.

Laws wants to stand but Sullivan is controlling the position.
Sullivan trying to control but Laws is working from the bottom.
Sullivan won't allow Laws to get back to his feet.
Sullivan's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Sullivan trying to control the position from guard on top but Laws is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Laws being controlled here, momentarily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sullivan scoring with some ground and pound.
Sullivan controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Laws on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Laws tries to get out of the position.
Sullivan postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Sullivan showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Sullivan is continuing to stall.
Laws throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Sullivan prevents Laws from getting back to his feet.
Sullivan is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
John Sullivan is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Laws takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mark Laws 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.

Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Sullivan, as that shot connected.
We are yet to see a takedown attempt from Sullivan in the fight. On paper you would think he is the more dominant ground fighter so let's see if these unusual tactics pay off.
Laws tries to close the distance and clinch up but Sullivan swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Laws moves in looking to clinch but Sullivan pushes him off.
John Sullivan is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Laws walks forward, straight into a front kick from Sullivan.

Laws moves into the clinch.
Sullivan is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Sullivan working hard to break the clinch.
Sullivan tries to circle away but Laws has him pinned against the cage.
Sullivan looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Laws scores with a shoulder strike.
Laws is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Sullivan can do to turn this around?
Laws tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Sullivan's elbow.

Laws breaks the clinch.
Laws blocks a head kick by Sullivan.
Sullivan misses with a looping right.
Laws blocks a head kick by Sullivan.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sullivan pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Laws is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Sullivan tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Sullivan throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Sullivan lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Laws has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Laws and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.
John Sullivan seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Sullivan throws a head kick that misses.
Sullivan throws a half hearted mid kick.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Laws tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Despite the aggression on Sullivan's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sullivan avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Sullivan shapes to counter with a head kick.
Sullivan misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Sullivan is breathing heavily.
Laws tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Sullivan manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Sullivan throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Laws doesn't manage to clinch there - Sullivan circles away.
Sullivan misses with a head kick.
Laws connects with a jab and follows up with a big overhand right! Oh that's hurt Sullivan! He's out on his feet! Laws rushes in and drops Sullivan with another big right hand, forcing the referee to stop the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:24 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Punches). Mark Laws!
Mark Laws decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.