PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Barton Walsh (ranked 24703 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kieran Cronin (ranked 4665 p4p, 0 weight class). The key to victory for Barton Walsh has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Walsh
vs
Cronin

214 cm
24
279 lbs
0 - 4 - 0

193 cm
21
220 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Barton Walsh!
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, Kieran Cronin!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Timothy Bukovac and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Walsh pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Cronin scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.

Walsh throws his opponent off and manages to get back to his feet! Nicely done!

Cronin shoots in and gets a takedown into Walsh's guard.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Cronin won't allow Walsh to get back to his feet.

Walsh has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Cronin can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Walsh being controlled here, momentarily.
Cronin tries to stand but Walsh is controlling from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Walsh wants to get back to his feet but he's too absorbed in his own little project and Cronin manages to pass to side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Cronin with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Walsh is trying to escape back to his feet but Cronin uses the scramble to pass into side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Cronin stands up and we're back to a striking position.

Walsh closes the distance and pushes Cronin back into the cage.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.

Cronin gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.

Cronin is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Walsh doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Cronin.
Cronin tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Walsh.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cronin is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Cronin throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Walsh won't allow Cronin to pass to mount.
Cronin throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

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.
Cronin stops Walsh from getting back to his feet.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.

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

A momentary lapse in concentration from Walsh enables Cronin to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Walsh manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Cronin controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Cronin working some strikes from top position.
Cronin won't allow Walsh to get back to his feet.
Walsh will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Cronin 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.
Walsh wants to get back to his feet but Cronin is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kieran Cronin dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Cronin gets a double leg takedown into Walsh's guard.
Cronin slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Cronin works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Walsh trying to control from the bottom.
Walsh won't allow Cronin to pass to mount.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Walsh is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cronin is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Cronin working over Walsh with some ground and pound. Walsh looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Cronin content to control rather than advance.
Walsh taking some punishment here, with Cronin in his half guard.
Walsh is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Cronin scores with a couple of nice shots.

Walsh has one foot on Cronin's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Cronin closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Cronin throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Cronin controls the position.
Cronin lands a few punches from side control.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Cronin content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Cronin looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Cronin wants to stand but Walsh has his arm trapped.
Cronin tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
Cronin taking a breather here.

That's four 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.
Walsh tries to get back to his feet but has found himself mounted instead. Damn, that's gotta suck.
BOOM! Cronin connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Cronin with shots to the head and body - Walsh looks very uncomfortable down there.
Cronin working away from the top, dropping strikes.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Cronin trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Cronin looking to control and managing it successfully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kieran Cronin showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Walsh gets caught napping as Cronin dives in and scores a takedown. Walsh manages to retain guard.
Cronin controls from within his opponent's guard.
Cronin is in close to Walsh's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Cronin wants to pass the guard but Walsh is keeping the position.
Walsh wants to stand and escape but Cronin is having none of it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cronin throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Walsh pulls Cronin in close to prevent any damage.
The step up in weight doesn't seem to be a problem for Cronin. He's performing admirably here against the bigger man.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cronin sitting in guard here, content to control.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

Cronin closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Walsh's guard.
Cronin not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Let's hope that Cronin has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Walsh controls Cronin momentarily but Cronin frees himself.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cronin controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Walsh has momentary wrist control but Cronin slips an elbow through the middle.
Cronin is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Cronin slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cronin is staying tight to Walsh's torso, preventing him from escaping.
Cronin working the ground and pound from side control.
Cronin scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Walsh to see if he's OK.
Walsh taking punishment in the form of punches.
Cronin controls the position.
Cronin has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Walsh pushes Cronin away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Cronin gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Walsh avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Cronin.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cronin taking a breather here.
Cronin throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Cronin 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.
Cronin scores with punches from side control.
Barton Walsh has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Kieran Cronin is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Cronin working the head and body with strikes.

And that's the end of the fight!
Kieran Cronin comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Cronin 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 Don Winkell scores the fight 27:30
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 27:30
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kieran Cronin!