PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Karel Vemola (ranked 5449 p4p, 0 weight class) and Miguel Harper (ranked 5341 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Vemola
vs
Harper

187 cm
18
150 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

168 cm
18
150 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Self confident

Good wrestler
Counter fighter
Solid chin

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Karel Vemola!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Miguel Harper!
The judges for this bout are James Glass, Chris Edwards and James Ackerman.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Vemola fails with a takedown attempt.
Karel Vemola seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Vemola tries for a takedown but Harper circles away easily

and Harper counters with a takedown into side control.
Harper is looking to take a break and control but Vemola is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Vemola manages to work his way to half guard, despite Harper's best efforts.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Vemola works his way to full guard. Good work.
Harper stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Vemola swivels though and keeps the full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Harper chips away with some ground and pound.
Harper with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harper postures up and lands a big shot to Vemola's brow.
Harper content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Harper wants to control from the top but Vemola keeps moving.
Harper really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Vemola. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Harper throwing strikes from guard but Vemola blocks nicely.
Vemola 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.
Vemola wants to get back to his feet but Harper is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Vemola pulls Harper in close to prevent any damage.
Vemola on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Vemola tries to get out of the position.
Harper makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.

That's two 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.
Harper wants to control from the top but Vemola keeps moving.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

Harper shoots in and bounces Vemola off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Vemola is on top in guard.

Harper seems keen to control Vemola's posture.
Vemola passes Harper's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Vemola slows the pace down in half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Vemola is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Harper is looking to control Vemola's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Harper avoid being mounted?
Vemola sitting and controlling from the half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Harper has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Vemola is working away from the top position though.
Vemola really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Harper is trying to get back to full guard.
It looks like Vemola is going to stand back up.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Harper avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Vemola.
Harper wants to get back to full guard but Vemola has mounted him!
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 Karel Vemola will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Harper gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Vemola to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Vemola showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Vemola would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Vemola tries to free his leg and advance position but Harper is retaining full guard.
Vemola controlling from the top position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Vemola is fighting to break Harper's control of his arms but Harper is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Vemola is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Harper can do to turn this around?
Harper tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Harper trying to control the position here.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Vemola pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Harper drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Harper throws a strike but Vemola rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Vemola is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Vemola landing some decent shots from guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Vemola advances to half guard.
Vemola will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Harper is not content to let Vemola control the position.
Vemola controlling the action here.
Vemola is looking to pass Harper's guard but actually Harper recovers to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vemola pushes down on Harper's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Vemola perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Vemola wants to get back to his feet.
Harper wants to get back to full guard.
Vemola seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Harper gets back to full guard.
Harper working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Vemola.
Harper working a defensive guard here.
Vemola looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Vemola trying to control the position from guard on top but Harper is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Karel Vemola dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. 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.

Harper slaps away a takedown attempt from Vemola, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Vemola fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Vemola wants to clinch

and Harper counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Harper is keen to just control but Vemola is a slippery customer.
Vemola on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Vemola is pressing down on Harper's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Harper cracks Vemola with a solid left hand.
Harper trying to control the position from guard on top but Vemola is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Harper throws a strike but Vemola rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vemola pushes down on Harper's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Harper is looking to get full guard. It looks like he might be successful but at the last minute Vemola jumps into side control!
Harper tries to buck Vemola off but Vemola is having none of it.
Harper is being controlled here.
Vemola works to advance to full mount. Harper defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
Harper tries to hold on but Vemola pushes him away.
Vemola wants to control the pace but Harper is squirming around nicely.
Vemola landing strikes from the mount and Harper is in trouble!
Miguel Harper has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Harper tries to hold on but Vemola postures up.
Harper is trying desperately to improve position.
Vemola lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Vemola controlling from mount.
Vemola can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Harper is looking to escape.
Vemola with good strikes from the mount here!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vemola avoids the attempt from Harper to control.
Vemola trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Harper wants to control but Vemola is having none of it.
Vemola thowing shots but they're missing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Harper keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Vemola looking to control but Harper is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Vemola looking to ground and pound but Harper is blocking nicely.
Karel Vemola overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Vemola throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Harper because Vemola loaded up on that one.
Harper is working to get back to half guard.
Karel Vemola is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Harper wants to hold on but Vemola pushes him away.

And that's the end of the fight!
Karel Vemola showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Vemola, 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 James Glass scores the fight 30:27
Judge Chris Edwards scores the fight 30:27
Judge James Ackerman scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Karel Vemola!