PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Francis Burch (ranked 7082 p4p, 0 weight class) and Andrew Towers (ranked 5490 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Burch
vs
Towers

223 cm
18
214 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

200 cm
25
200 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Tends to cut

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Francis Burch!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Andrew Towers!
The judges for this bout are James Atkins, James Glass and Steven Brown.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Towers closes the distance and clinches.

Towers breaks the clinch.
Burch is looking to clinch but Towers is avoiding it.
Burch is looking to clinch but Towers is avoiding it.
Burch blocks a head kick by Towers.
Towers shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Burch as he avoids it easily.
Burch really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

Towers has Burch up against the cage in a clinch.

Burch manages to break the clinch.
Burch swinging wildly here.
Towers is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Burch with a body shot.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Towers moves into the clinch successfully.

Burch breaks the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Towers on the wrong end of a nice jab.

Towers closes the distance and clinches.
Towers tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Towers misses with a knee strike.
Burch wants to break the clinch but can't.
Towers is looking to take this one to the mat.
A frustrated look appears on Burch's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Burch fails to pull guard.
Towers wants to take the fight to the mat but Burch manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Francis Burch has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Andrew Towers.
Burch tries to break free but Towers pushes him back against the cage.
Towers goes for a takedown in the clinch but Burch prevents it.
Burch manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Towers on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Burch is looking to break free of the clinch but Towers has double underhooks.
Burch wants to break the clinch but can't.
Burch is trying to break free.
Burch jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Towers walks away with a smile on his face. Burch gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.

Burch throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Towers was covering up waiting for the punch and Burch finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Burch trying to control but Towers is working from the bottom.

Burch stands up from Towers's guard - Burch perhaps looking for a knockout.
Towers shoots in and drives through. Burch sprawls well.
Burch tried to counter with a leg kick but Towers avoided it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Towers tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Burch defends well and Towers ends up having to push Burch into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Burch is looking to counter with head kicks.

Burch clinches up against the cage.
Towers keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Burch's efforts to push away.
Burch is trying to force a seperation but Towers has the dominant position.

Burch manages to break the clinch.
Burch fails with a takedown attempt.
Burch will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Towers tries to bum rush Burch with a series of wild strikes but Burch uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Burch tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Towers swivels and escapes.

Towers rushes Burch and presses him up against the cage.
Burch has had enough of the clinch but Towers keeps him there for the moment.

Towers ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Towers no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Burch being controlled here momentarily.
Burch throws a strike but Towers rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Towers stands up from Burch's guard - Towers perhaps looking for a knockout.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Towers throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Burch's waist but Burch gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Towers off to one side.
Burch lifts his leg as if looking to counter with a high kick.
Burch walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Towers checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Andrew Towers dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Towers shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Burch but Burch pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Burch attempts a counter takedown but Towers avoids it well and moves away.

Towers gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Burch breaks from the clinch.

Towers rushes Burch and presses him up against the cage.
Burch tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Towers prevents a body shot from Burch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Burch pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Burch tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Towers counters with a three punch combo that has Burch backing up. Burch nods at Towers to acknowledge the strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Burch will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Towers shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Burch defends it nicely.
Burch fails with an attempt to clinch.
Francis Burch is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Towers rushes Burch and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.

Burch's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Towers changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Burch tries to avoid it but Towers manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Burch to the ground. Burch escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Francis Burch has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Andrew Towers.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Towers swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

Towers clinches.
Burch is trying to maintain a safe position but Towers gets an underhook and turns Burch into the cage.
Towers keeps control of Burch as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Burch tries to break free but Towers pushes him back against the cage.
Towers tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

Burch breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Towers shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.

Towers instigates a clinch.

Burch breaks from the clinch.
Towers connects with a jab.

It looks like Francis Burch has been cut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Burch stuffs the takedown attempt from Towers. Towers gets slowly back to his feet.
Towers cracks Burch with a right hand to the side of the head.

Towers takes the fight into the clinch.
Burch is looking to break free of the clinch but Towers has double underhooks.
Andrew Towers seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Burch is trying to break free.

Burch pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Burch shoots in for a takedown but Towers shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Burch tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Towers is able to avoid easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Towers fails with the takedown.
Towers shoots in for a takedown but Burch shows good takedown defense.
Towers shoots in for a double leg but Burch sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Towers looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Burch is fending him off so far but Towers persists. Nope, Burch circles away and we're back to standing.
Towers is breathing heavily.

Towers fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Burch, pushing him back against the cage.
Burch wants to break free but Towers has control.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
The referee is keeping an eye on Burch - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.

Burch breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Andrew Towers showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Francis Burch's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Burch throws a low kick but it's checked well by Towers.

Towers gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Burch looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

Burch breaks the clinch.
Andrew Towers seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Towers throws a combination that misses

and Burch counters with a nice double leg into side control. Towers won't be happy with that.

Towers explodes and escapes back to his feet! Nice escape there!
Burch changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Towers tries to avoid it but Burch manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Towers to the ground. Towers escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.

Towers has Burch up against the cage in a clinch.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Towers is looking to break free of the clinch but Burch has double underhooks.
Burch trying to control the position but instead, Towers has worked for underhooks and has pushed Burch into the cage.
Burch displaying some good clinch control by pressing Towers up against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Towers tries to circle away but Burch has him pinned against the cage.

Towers successfully pulls guard.
Burch wants to stand and escape but instead Towers has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.

Burch avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Andrew Towers has got the better of the ground game so far.
Burch wants to get back to his feet but Towers passes into half guard.
Burch pushes Towers off but Towers dives into side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Burch tries to get back to his feet but has found himself mounted instead. Damn, that's gotta suck.
Burch's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.
Towers trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Towers looking to ground and pound but Burch is blocking nicely.
Towers tries to control but Burch wriggling away.
Burch is trying to escape the mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Towers controlling the position easily from mount.
Towers throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.

Towers jumps to the side looking to secure the arm triangle…. Ooooh, that looks tight… Burch is gargling but he's managed to escape! Nice work there by Burch and Towers has given up the dominant position trying to land that submission.

Towers is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Burch is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Burch pushes Towers away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Towers gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.

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.
Burch is trying to get back to half guard.

Towers stands up.

Towers feints and as Burch raises his hands in defense, Towers changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Burch is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Towers is controlling him.

And that's the end of the fight!
Andrew Towers comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Towers 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 James Atkins scores the fight 27:30
Judge James Glass scores the fight 27:30
Judge Steven Brown scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Andrew Towers!