PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Hugh Baxter (ranked 7919 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gucius Gupta (ranked 7655 p4p, 0 weight class). Fingers crossed for an exciting fight - I'm sure both fighters are looking for a nice under the table bonus!

Baxter
vs
Gupta

215 cm
18
150 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

172 cm
18
145 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Very confident

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 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Hugh Baxter!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Gucius Gupta!
The judges for this bout are Cecil Peabody, Frank Dennis and Tiny Johnson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Baxter avoids the head kick by Gupta.
Baxter tries to counter by clinching up but Gupta breaks away and moves out of range.
Gupta throws a sloppy head kick and Baxter moves out of range easily.
Baxter walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Gupta tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Gupta has his takedown stuffed
and Baxter counters with a straight right hand.
Baxter really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Baxter blocks a head kick by Gupta.
Baxter half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Baxter takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Gupta misses with a head kick.
Gupta tries a head kick but it misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Gupta moves into the clinch successfully.
Gupta wants to break the clinch but can't.
Baxter looking to slow down the pace here.
Baxter content to slow the pace in the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Gupta breaks the clinch.
Gupta changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.

Baxter rushes Gupta and presses him up against the cage.

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

Gupta fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Baxter, pushing him back against the cage.
Gupta tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.

Gupta pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Gupta with a poor takedown

and Baxter holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Hugh Baxter has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Gucius Gupta.
Gupta looks winded!
Gupta jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Baxter walks away with a smile on his face. Gupta gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Gupta throws a sloppy head kick

and Baxter counters with a nice double leg into side control. Gupta won't be happy with that.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Baxter wants to control but Gupta is keeping him busy.
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gupta is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Baxter has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Baxter remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
Baxter trying to control the position but Gupta is working away.
Gupta trying to remain calm as Baxter controls from the top position.
Gupta is not content to let Baxter control the position.
Baxter looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Gupta is avoiding damage well.
Gupta is trying to control Baxter's posture but Baxter avoids it.

Baxter goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Gupta rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Baxter's guard! Nice work there by Gupta!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Baxter looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Baxter is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Baxter is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Gupta is trying to stand up here but Baxter is controlling him well.

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.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Baxter in particular looking to stall.
Gupta is trying to control but can't.
Baxter not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.

Baxter is working for a kimura but Gupta is defending it quite comfortably.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Baxter stops Gupta from getting back to his feet.
Baxter looks to land a strike but Gupta avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
Gupta keeping moving, preventing Baxter from controlling successfully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Gucius Gupta will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Gupta pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Gupta throws a head kick but Baxter moves out of range.
Baxter fires out a quick counter leg kick but Gupta just manages to avoid it.
Gupta shoots in but Baxter avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Baxter changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
A head kick misses from Gupta.
Baxter wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.
Baxter blocks a head kick by Gupta.
Baxter drops down looking for a counter takedown but Gupta sprawls and moves away.

Gupta clinches.
Baxter tries to stall but Gupta uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Baxter keeps control of Gupta as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Stalling in the clinch from Baxter.
Gupta has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Baxter taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Gupta is breathing heavily.
Gupta prevents Baxter from breaking the clinch.
Gupta tries to land knees in the clinch but Baxter avoids the damage to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Baxter has Gupta pressed against the cage, preventing Gupta from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Baxter misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Gupta.
Gupta missing with knees to the body.
Baxter is pushing Gupta up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Baxter swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Baxter is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Gupta tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Baxter just stands there and leans against the cage.

Gupta's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Baxter tries to land a leg kick but Gupta saw it coming and moves away.
Baxter tries to clinch there but Gupta circles away.
Baxter moves out of the way of the counter high kick fromGupta.
Baxter fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gupta throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Gupta gets a clinch.
Baxter on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Gupta is trying to break the clinch but Baxter has him pressed against the cage.
The referee calls for Baxter to work.
Gupta misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Baxter.

Gupta breaks from the clinch.
Gucius Gupta seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Gupta drops his hands momentarily and Baxter takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Gupta throws a head kick that misses.
Baxter displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Gupta.
Baxter attempts a counter takedown but Gupta avoids it well and moves away.
Hugh Baxter has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Gucius Gupta.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gupta misses with a looping right.
An attempted straight right counter from Baxter misses the target.
Gupta gets cracked there but stands up to it.

Baxter forces Gupta back against the cage and clinches.
Gupta has had enough of the clinch but Baxter keeps him there for the moment.
Baxter stops a takedown attempt from Gupta.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Baxter takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Gupta jumps guard but Baxter turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.

Baxter pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Gupta looks for the body kick but Baxter saw that one coming.
Baxter lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Gupta gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Gupta tries to pull guard but Baxter won't allow it.
Baxter pushes Gupta back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.

Gupta breaks from the clinch.
Baxter's jab looks to have found its range, popping Gupta under the eye.
Baxter clobbers Gupta with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Baxter blocks a head kick by Gupta.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Gupta avoids the body shot from Baxter.
Gupta throws a head kick but Baxter moves out of range.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Baxter tries to close the distance and clinch up but Gupta swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Baxter fails with an attempt to clinch.
Gupta throws a head kick that misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Gucius Gupta will probably get the nod - 10:9.
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. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Baxter connects with a crisp jab.
Gupta throws a head kick that looked like it stung.

Baxter closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Baxter's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Baxter trying to land knees to the body.
Baxter prevents Gupta from breaking the clinch.

Gupta pulls guard effortlessly.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Baxter stops Gupta from standing up.
Gupta takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Baxter wants to control from the top but Gupta keeps moving.
Baxter is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Gupta is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Baxter slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Baxter cracks Gupta with a solid left hand.
Baxter distracts Gupta with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Baxter slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Baxter has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Gupta throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Gucius Gupta seems to be getting the better of the standup.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Baxter blocks a head kick by Gupta.
Gupta throws a lazy head kick

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

Baxter swings around for an armbar but Gupta sees it coming a mile off and turns beautifully into Baxter's guard.
Baxter is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Gupta is controlling him.
Baxter is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

Baxter looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Baxter wants to sweep but no luck.
Gupta's corner is telling him to maintain position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Baxter working for a triangle but Gupta defends it easily.
Gupta's corner is telling him to maintain position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Baxter trying to strike off his back.

Baxter working for submissions but it's allowed Gupta to get to half guard.
Gupta controlling the pace.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Baxter trying to hold on to Gupta's head to control him but Gupta postures up.

And that's the end of the fight!
Gucius Gupta comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Gupta 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 Cecil Peabody scores the fight 28:29
Judge Frank Dennis scores the fight 28:29
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Gucius Gupta!