PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Sebastian Rutten (ranked 2971 p4p, 342 weight class) and Tom Harper (ranked 1521 p4p, 198 weight class). I can't wait for this one - let's get the fighter introductions out of the way and get this one started!

Rutten
vs
Harper

180 cm
21
185 lbs
5 - 5 - 0

181 cm
22
175 lbs
6 - 3 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Counter fighter
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Solid Muay Thai
Granite chin

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 5 - 5 - 0, fighting out of London, Sebastian Rutten!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 3 - 0, fighting out of London, Tom Harper!
The judges for this bout are Richard Clark, William Gold and Daniel Bishop.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Harper bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Harper creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Harper is working Rutten over with some ground and pound from side control.
The ground and pound from Harper seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Rutten is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Harper is controlling him well.
Harper landing strikes.
Rutten on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Harper connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Rutten some visible discomfort.
Rutten controls the position for a moment.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rutten is trying to get back to his feet.
Rutten is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Harper's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Rutten blocking the ground and pound attempt from Harper.
Rutten keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rutten is trying to get back to full guard.
Harper throws a strike but Rutten avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Harper throws an elbow that misses. Rutten uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Harper's guard. Nice move by Rutten!

Harper throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Harper is looking for a triangle here but Rutten uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
Harper is looking for a sweep.
Harper sneaks back into half guard.
Rutten wants to stand but Harper has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Harper wants to get back to full guard.
Harper is not content to let Rutten control the position.
Harper trying to control from the bottom.
Harper is looking for a sweep. Rutten is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

Rutten seems to be looking for submissions.
Rutten is trying to control. Harper wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Harper wants to get back to full guard.
Harper wants to control but Rutten is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Harper is looking to improve his position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rutten scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Rutten seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Harper does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Harper moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.

Harper has his foot on Rutten's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Rutten works his way back into a safe position though.

Harper is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

Harper looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Harper is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Harper wants to sweep but no luck.
Rutten's corner is telling him to maintain position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rutten wants to control from the top but Harper keeps moving.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Harper controls Rutten momentarily but Rutten frees himself.
Rutten tries to stand but Harper is controlling from the bottom.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
We've been told by Rutten's head coaches at JAG Battle Gym that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.
Harper throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Rutten sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Rutten dives in for a single leg takedown but Harper sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Harper throws a body punch but Rutten moves out of range.
Rutten misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

Harper rushes Rutten and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Rutten's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!

Harper has moved round to his opponent's back and is looking for a suplex! Oh snap! He's tossed Rutten clear over his head and slammed him to the mat!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Harper scores with strikes from the back.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tom Harper dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Rutten enables Harper to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Rutten manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Harper wants to control from the top but Rutten keeps moving.
Harper working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Harper stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Rutten swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Harper works over Rutten with some ground and pound from guard.
Rutten working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Harper.
Harper trying to control the position from guard on top but Rutten is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Harper landing with the ground and pound.
Harper throws a big right hand that misses.
Harper postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harper trying to control but Rutten is working from the bottom.
Harper works over Rutten with some ground and pound from guard.
Harper throwing strikes but missing.
Rutten keeping moving, preventing Harper from controlling successfully.
Harper looking to sit in guard and control but Rutten gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Rutten trying to control but Harper is working from the bottom.
Rutten is pushing down on Harper's leg trying to pass to half guard. Harper is fighting to maintain full guard but Rutten has managed to sneak the leg through.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rutten frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Harper working to try and regain half guard.
Harper tries to hold on but Rutten pushes him away.
Rutten controlling the pace for now.
Harper can't escape the position.
Rutten raining down shots from the mount!
Harper is in all sorts of trouble here.
Tom Harper has got the better of the ground game so far.
Rutten sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Harper slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rutten seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Harper does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Harper wants to get back to full guard.
Rutten sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Harper defending well though.

Harper is defending against the submission attempts here by Rutten.
Harper slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Harper bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Rutten's guard.

Harper landing with the ground and pound.
Harper is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Harper trying to control the position from guard on top but Rutten is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Harper connects with a couple of short punches.
Harper throws a big right hand that misses.
Harper postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Harper postures up.
Harper works a leg free and moves into half guard.

Harper is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Harper drops an elbow to the side of Rutten's head.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Rutten manages to create a bit of space in order to work his way back to his feet. Harper keeps hold of his opponent and drives him back against the cage.
Harper has a couple of punches blocked by Rutten.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Tom Harper will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Rutten fails with a takedown attempt.

Harper has Rutten up against the cage in a clinch.
Harper lands with a short shot to the head.
Harper lands with a left to the head.
Harper lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Harper lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Rutten backwards.
Harper misses with a short punch on the inside.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rutten is looking to control Harper's arms but Harper gets an underhook and turns him. Now Rutten has his back to the cage.
Rutten has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
A left hand lands to the body for Harper.

Harper gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Rutten regains guard.
Harper trying to control the position from guard on top but Rutten is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Harper accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Harper wants to control from the top but Rutten keeps moving.
Rutten is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Harper trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Harper distracts Rutten with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Harper throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Rutten trying to control the position here.
Harper trying to control the position from guard on top but Rutten is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Tom Harper is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

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 sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Harper trying to control but Rutten is working from the bottom.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Harper feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Harper not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Harper accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Rutten is trying to hold Harper in close to prevent damage but Harper has managed to pass into half guard.
Harper is thwarting Rutten's attempts to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harper slips a nice elbow through Rutten's hands, connecting with Rutten's forehead.
Ground and pound from Harper.
Harper lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Rutten is looking to improve his position.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Harper lands a nice short elbow.
Harper winds up and cracks Rutten with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Rutten is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Harper lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Harper looks to land a strike but Rutten avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
Rutten looking to hit a scissor sweep but Harper is one step ahead there.
Harper stays in close to Rutten's body and controls the position.
Harper trying to control the position from guard on top but Rutten is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Harper throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Rutten works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Sebastian Rutten has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Harper cracks Rutten with a solid left hand.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tom Harper comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Harper 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 Richard Clark scores the fight 27:30
Judge William Gold scores the fight 27:30
Judge Daniel Bishop scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tom Harper!
Our winner, Tom Harper, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.