PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Eli Barr (ranked 5736 p4p, 0 weight class) and Phil Halls (ranked 5306 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.

Barr
vs
Halls

196 cm
22
177 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

183 cm
18
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Likes comics

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Eli Barr!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Phil Halls!
The judges for this bout are Robert Douchet, Dillan Fox and Steve Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The fight stays on the outside here - Halls looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Barr drops down looking for a counter takedown but Halls sprawls and moves away.

Halls feints and as Barr raises his hands in defense, Halls changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Halls trying to control but Barr is working from the bottom.
Barr wants to sweep but no luck.

Barr escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Halls gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

Barr working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Halls doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Halls manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Barr 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.

Barr had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Halls defends it easily.
Halls throwing strikes from guard but Barr blocks nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barr wants to stand up but Halls is controlling him.

Halls thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

Barr looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Halls throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Halls postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Barr wants to get back to his feet but Halls is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Halls engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.

Halls is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Halls sitting in guard here, content to control.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Nice sprawl there from Halls as Barr shoots in.

Halls instigates a clinch.
Barr avoiding damage as Halls throws knees to the body.
Halls has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Barr can't find room to land a body shot as Halls controls the action.

Halls decides to pull guard.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Halls can do anything to dispel that myth.

Halls looking for a guillotine here but Barr defends easily.
Halls looking to hit a scissor sweep but Barr is one step ahead there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Halls keeps trying to improve his position.

Halls has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Barr can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Barr is looking to work some ground and pound but Halls has wrist control.
Halls wants to sweep but no luck.
Halls really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Barr. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Halls looking to control.
Halls looking for a sweep. Not yet Halls, not yet.

Barr gets to his feet - Halls follows without any prompting.
Halls fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Barr checks it well.
Barr shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Halls as he jumps to the side.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.

Barr tries to sprawl but Halls drives through with a takedown into half guard.

Barr pushes Halls off and gets back to his feet.
Barr really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

Halls gets a clinch.
Halls tries to break the clinch but Barr is controlling the position.

Halls successfully pulls guard.
Halls is trying to keep Barr in close.
Halls looking for a sweep. Not yet Halls, not yet.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Barr throwing strikes from guard but Halls blocks nicely.
Halls wants to get back to his feet but Barr is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Barr will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Barr trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Phil Halls dominated that round.
That's time! Barr's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Barr closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Halls's guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Halls wants to stand but Barr is controlling the position.
Eli Barr overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Halls wants to sweep but no luck.
Barr missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Barr makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Barr postures up in Halls's guard and throws a big left but Halls blocks it.
Halls working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Barr.
Barr scoring with punches to the head and body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Halls working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Barr.
Barr keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Halls's head.
Halls has a closed guard, preventing Barr from standing up.

Halls throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Halls is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Barr accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Barr with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Barr preventing the sweep.
Halls wants to stand up but Barr is controlling him.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Halls is trying to control the position but Barr postures up.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Halls avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

Halls has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Barr can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Barr shoots in but Halls avoids the takedown attempt easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Barr moves in looking to clinch but Halls pushes him off.
Halls is looking to clinch but Barr is avoiding it.

Halls shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Barr napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Barr is trying to get back to half guard.
Halls wants to stand but Barr is controlling his arm.
Halls controlling the position.
Barr manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Barr is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Halls's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Halls's back!

Barr looking for the choke from the back.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Barr missing with strikes.

Barr is looking to finish the fight by rear naked choke. Halls knows exactly what he's got planned though, so he's defending well. Maybe a few strikes would soften Halls for a finish.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Halls is trying to break free.
Halls is still trying to improve position.
Halls tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Barr has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Halls has worked his way to half guard, taking advantage of Barr's lack of action.
Halls wants to improve his position but Barr is controlling well.
Halls makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Halls.
Halls is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.

Halls is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Barr is aware though and is defending well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Halls preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

Barr gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Barr shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Halls pinned against the cage. Halls gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Halls throws a head kick but Barr moves out of range.

Halls decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Halls not doing much here.
Barr moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Halls is looking to stand up but Barr won't let him.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eli Barr dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Halls scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Halls controls the position.

Halls looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Barr trying his best to control but Halls has mounted him.
Barr is working to get back to half guard.
Halls looking to control but Barr is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Barr is in all sorts of trouble here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Halls looking to control and managing it successfully.
Halls throwing strikes here but Barr is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Barr is trying to escape the mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Halls scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Barr?
Halls thowing shots but they're missing.

Halls is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Barr can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Barr sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.

Barr is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Halls pulls his head out easily.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Halls wants to stand but Barr has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.
Barr avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Halls.
Halls wants to lay and pray for a moment but Barr keeps working.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Barr looks like he's trying to stand up.
Halls missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Halls keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Halls prevents Barr from improving his position.
Halls is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Barr wants to get back to his feet.
Halls trying to pass the guard but Barr defending well.
Halls tries to stand and escape but Barr is controlling the position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sloppy strikes from Halls. Those never looked like landing.
Phil Halls is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Barr tries to clinch but Halls is having none of it.
Halls misses with a telegraphed body shot
letting Barr counter with a right hand.
Halls tries to bum rush Barr with a series of wild strikes but Barr uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Barr avoids the head kick by Halls.
Phil Halls seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Barr misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

Halls looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Halls looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Barr is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Halls thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Barr's head.
Halls missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Halls trying to control the action but Barr is working from the bottom.
Halls wants to stand up but Barr has a hold of him and won't allow it.
Halls wants to lay and pray for a moment but Barr keeps working.

Halls wants to work for an arm triangle but Barr is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Barr is defending against the submission attempts here by Halls.
Barr throws a strike from the bottom that misses.

And that's the end of the fight!
Phil Halls comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Halls has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Robert Douchet scores the fight 28:29
Judge Dillan Fox scores the fight 28:29
Judge Steve Smith scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Phil Halls!