PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Eli Harris (ranked 4789 p4p, 0 weight class) and Scott Mitchell (ranked 4748 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.

Harris
vs
Mitchell

191 cm
19
196 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

185 cm
18
195 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Eli Harris!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Scott Mitchell!
The judges for this bout are Sam Margolis, Daniel Bishop and Chris Edwards.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Mitchell takes the fight into the clinch.
Harris's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Mitchell fails to pull guard.
Mitchell doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Harris is looking to break free of the clinch but Mitchell has double underhooks.
Mitchell tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Mitchell tries a body shot but Harris blocks it.
Mitchell is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Harris gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Harris blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Harris prevents a body shot from Mitchell.
Mitchell tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Harris's elbow.

Mitchell manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Mitchell avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Harris looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Harris wants to stand but Mitchell is controlling his posture from full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mitchell wants to sweep but no luck.
Mitchell can't keep his opponent in guard - Harris advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Mitchell is refusing to be controlled, as Harris sits in half guard.
Mitchell wants to improve his position but Harris is controlling well.
Mitchell wants to get back to full guard but Harris has passed into side control.
Harris works to advance to full mount. Mitchell defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Mitchell can do anything to dispel that myth.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mitchell is trying desperately to improve position.
Harris manages to capitalize on a mistake by Mitchell to take his back!
Mitchell is trying to break free.

Harris is looking for the choke from the back position but Mitchell is controlling his hands well.
Mitchell is really stuck here.
Mitchell is still trying to improve position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Harris controlling the position well here. Mitchell rolled but Harris kept the hooks locked in and stayed in the dominant position.
Mitchell can't escape the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mitchell really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Harris. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

Harris is staying calm and holding on to the back position, whilst working on a rear naked choke. Mitchell is defending well though. Harris let's go of the attempt for now.
Mitchell tries to break free.
Harris has the hooks sunk in and you can see the will to fight slowly draining out of Mitchell's body.
Mitchell tries to escape but Harris has the hooks in and won't let him break free.
Mitchell is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Mitchell trying to control the hands but Harris won't let him.
Mitchell is defending well here and trying to improve his position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mitchell trying to control but not successfully.
Harris controlling well, preventing Mitchell from escaping the position.
Harris avoiding Mitchell 's attempts to control his hands.

Mitchell showing good submission defense here.
Mitchell is trying to break free.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Mitchell looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eli Harris dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Mitchell fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Harris, pushing him back against the cage.
Mitchell misses with some punches.
Mitchell tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Mitchell goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Harris is pressed up against the cage. Mitchell has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Harris down to the mat. Harris avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Eli Harris is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Harris.
Harris shoots in but Mitchell avoids the takedown attempt easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Mitchell clinches up against the cage.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Mitchell.
Harris fails to pull guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Eli Harris. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Mitchell manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Harris works a leg free and moves into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mitchell wants to control but Harris is keeping busy and won't allow it.

Mitchell looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Harris wants to control but Mitchell is keeping him busy.
Harris throwing shots but Mitchell is blocking nicely.
Mitchell is looking for a sweep. Harris is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Mitchell is refusing to be controlled, as Harris sits in half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Harris wants to get back to his feet.

Mitchell looking for submissions off his back.

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.
Mitchell wants to control but Harris is keeping busy.
Mitchell is trying to get back to full guard.
Mitchell wants to control but Harris is keeping busy.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Mitchell is looking to improve his position.

Mitchell actively working from the bottom here.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Harris clinches with his opponent.
Harris is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Harris is trying to pull guard but Mitchell turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Mitchell tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Harris smiles and moves away.

Mitchell has taken the fight to the clinch.
Mitchell looking for a takedown.
Harris goes for a takedown in the clinch but Mitchell prevents it.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Harris changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Mitchell fights it off and pushes away nicely.

Harris gets in close and instigates a clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mitchell misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Harris misses with a hook from the clinch.
Mitchell tries to work over Harris's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Mitchell keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Harris's efforts to push away.
Scott Mitchell seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.

Harris drags the fight down to the ground.
Mitchell postures up in Harris's guard and throws a big left but Harris blocks it.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Mitchell drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Harris manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Mitchell has Harris in his guard.

Mitchell is looking for a triangle here but Harris uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Mitchell is trying to get back to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Eli Harris will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Harris tries to keep at a distance but Mitchell has taken the fight into the clinch.
Harris drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Mitchell changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Harris fights it off and pushes away nicely.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Mitchell tries to score a body lock takedown but Harris shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Harris is looking for a takedown.
Mitchell tries to pull guard but Harris won't allow it.
Eli Harris has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Scott Mitchell.

Mitchell jumps into guard, dragging Harris to the mat.
Harris working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Mitchell's head.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Mitchell looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Harris passes into half guard.
Harris controlling the pace.
Mitchell is trying to maintain the position but Harris is very close to passing his half guard.
Harris is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.

Harris is looking for a kimura here.
Harris seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Mitchell does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Scott Mitchell has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Eli Harris overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

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.
Mitchell is looking for a sweep. Harris is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Mitchell tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.

Mitchell is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Harris pulls his head out easily.
Mitchell is looking for a sweep. Harris is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

Mitchell is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Harris pulls his head out easily.
Mitchell trying to control from the bottom.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Harris wants to control but Mitchell is keeping him busy.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mitchell misses with a straight left.

Mitchell moves into the clinch.
Harris blocks an uppercut.

Mitchell drags the fight down to the ground.
Mitchell working a defensive guard here.
Harris stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Mitchell swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Mitchell 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.

Mitchell looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Harris passes into side control.
Mitchell struggling a bit here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mitchell gives up the full mount - oops, sloppy defensive grappling there!
Mitchell tries to hold on but Harris postures up.
Mitchell is in all sorts of trouble here.
Mitchell wants to improve position but instead he's given up his back.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Harris controlling well, preventing Mitchell from escaping the position.
Eli Harris is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Scott Mitchell.
I think Harris has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Sam Margolis scores the fight 28:29
Judge Daniel Bishop scores the fight 29:28
Judge Chris Edwards scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Scott Mitchell!