PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Wes Riley (ranked 24494 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jimmy Salmon (ranked 5013 p4p, 449 weight class). I'm sure you'll be fascinated to know that I was talking to some pointless Z list celebrity before the fight and he thought that Jimmy Salmon was going to win. Let's see if he was right.

Riley
vs
Salmon

170 cm
19
214 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

176 cm
20
212 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Very confident

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 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Wes Riley!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Jimmy Salmon!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Jack Bonds and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Salmon moves into range and clinches up with Riley.

Salmon pulls Riley into guard.

Salmon looking for a guillotine here but Riley defends easily.
Riley preventing the sweep.
Salmon not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

Salmon has his foot on Riley's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Riley works his way back into a safe position though.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Salmon working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Riley doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Riley manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Riley is stalling in the full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Salmon working a defensive guard here.
Riley throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Salmon works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Salmon manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Riley manages to get himself to full guard.

Salmon tries to free his leg and advance position but Riley is retaining full guard.
Riley knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Salmon on the ground.

Salmon gets to his feet - Riley follows without any prompting.
Salmon stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Salmon wants it to stay on the feet.
Salmon tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.

Salmon closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
A nice left hand lands by Riley.
Riley could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Salmon is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Salmon fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Salmon is trying to break the clinch but Riley is controlling him.
Salmon tries to pull guard but Riley holds him up against the cage and eventually Salmon drops back down to his feet.
Wes Riley has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jimmy Salmon.
Riley scores with a knee to the head.

Riley breaks from the clinch.

Salmon pushes Riley up against the cage in a clinch.
Riley lands a knee to the head.
Salmon jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Riley walks away with a smile on his face. Salmon gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Riley shoots in looking for a takedown. Salmon tries to sprawl out of it but Riley keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Salmon manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Salmon throws a body kick despite being completely out of range
and Riley counters with a lovely straight right hand!

Salmon gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Salmon lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Salmon takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Riley looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Salmon keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Riley's efforts to push away.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Riley obliges.

Riley's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Riley fails with the takedown

and Salmon counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Riley looking to throw knees to the head but Salmon is blocking nicely.
Salmon fails to pull guard.

Riley breaks the clinch.
Riley looks for a takedown but Salmon sprawls well.
Salmon is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Salmon shoots for a takedown but Riley saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

Salmon moves into the clinch successfully.
Riley keeps control of Salmon as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Salmon lands with a short shot to the head.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Salmon tries to pull guard but Riley holds him up against the cage and eventually Salmon drops back down to his feet.
Salmon has Riley pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Riley manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jimmy Salmon dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Riley shoots in looking for a takedown but Salmon manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Riley's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Salmon misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Riley swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Riley defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Salmon.

Riley gets a clinch.
Jimmy Salmon seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
With the fighters up against the cage, Riley throws an elbow but misses.
Come on Riley - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Riley misses with a knee to the head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Riley jumps guard but Salmon turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.

Riley jumps guard.
Salmon controlling from the top position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Salmon stands and throws Riley's legs to the side, diving into side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Salmon working away.
Salmon wants to lay and pray for a moment but Riley keeps working.
Riley tries to improve position but can't.

That's two 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.
Salmon wants to lay and pray for a moment but Riley keeps working.
Salmon is chipping away with strikes.
Riley stops Salmon from passing to mount.
Riley is not content to let Salmon control the position.
Riley is looking to slip a leg under and get half guard but Salmon is one step ahead and moves to full mount!
Salmon breaks from Riley's wrist control and lands an elbow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Riley is in all sorts of trouble here.
Riley is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.

Salmon is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Riley is surviving well by controlling Salmon's body position as best he can.
Salmon lands a heavy elbow.
Salmon looking to control and managing it successfully.
Salmon can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Riley is looking to escape.
Salmon dominating with strikes here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Riley can't escape the position.
Salmon wants to control the pace but Riley is squirming around nicely.
Jimmy Salmon has got the better of the ground game so far.

Salmon goes for an armbar but he's not got it… Riley turns into him and now he's in Salmon's guard.
Riley controlling from the top position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jimmy Salmon showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Salmon moves into range and clinches up with Riley.
Salmon fails to pull guard.
Riley with a knee to the head.

Salmon is trying to trip Riley. He has hold of a leg but Riley is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Salmon persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Riley keeping moving, preventing Salmon from controlling successfully.
Riley pulls Salmon in close to his closed guard and prevents Salmon from doing any damage or advancing position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Salmon decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Riley, up you get!
Salmon has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A head kick misses from Salmon.
Horrible takedown attempt by Salmon or perhaps it was just good defense by Riley, which made it look bad.

Salmon forces Riley back against the cage and clinches.

Riley manages to break the clinch.
Riley fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Salmon has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Salmon fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Wes Riley has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jimmy Salmon.
Salmon takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Salmon fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

Riley has Salmon up against the cage in a clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Riley looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Riley looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Salmon digs a right hand underneath Riley's ribcage. Riley let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Salmon prevents Riley from breaking the clinch.
Riley blocks an elbow strike from Salmon.
Riley has had enough of the clinch but Salmon keeps him there for the moment.
Riley working hard to break the clinch.
Riley tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Riley makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Riley throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Salmon blocks it with crossed arms.
Riley tries to land a knee to the head but misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Riley gets underhooks to prevent Salmon's takedown attempt.
Salmon wants a takedown.
Still in the clinch, Riley scores with a nice short uppercut.
Riley is trying to break free.
Salmon tries to circle away but Riley has him pinned against the cage.

Salmon pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Wes Riley is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Riley connects with a leg kick. Salmon looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Riley rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Salmon moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Riley dives in and grabs Salmon's left leg, looking for a takedown. Salmon pushes down on Riley's head and hops out.

Salmon bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.

Riley bucks up and manages to escape back to his feet!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Riley will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Salmon shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Riley as he avoids it easily.
Riley connects with a nice looking jab.
Wes Riley is winning the standup battle so far.

Riley gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Riley tries to pull guard but Salmon forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Riley effectively controlling the action here.

Salmon gets control of Riley's arms and successfully pulls guard. Salmon will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Riley won't allow Salmon to sweep him here.
Salmon is still trying to improve position.
Wes Riley has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Jimmy Salmon is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Salmon has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Riley has passed into side control.

And that's the end of the fight!
Wes Riley showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Salmon has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Don Winkell scores the fight 28:29
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 28:29
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jimmy Salmon!