PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Ken Blanchard (ranked 6020 p4p, 547 weight class) and Sean Shurk (ranked 3136 p4p, 380 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Shurk's choice of entrance music: The Unforgiving by Metallica. Shurk has a niggling injury. He would have liked to come in 100% fit but that's not always possible. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Blanchard
vs
Shurk

177 cm
25
180 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

180 cm
25
178 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid Muay Thai
Good chin

Decent wrestler
Great elbows
Granite chin

Paradigm

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 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Ken Blanchard!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Sean Shurk!
The judges for this bout are Dirk Anderson, Winston Alpacca and Sandra Marshall.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Blanchard misses with a left hand

and Shurk counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Shurk looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Blanchard prevents a body shot from Shurk.
Shurk looks winded!
Blanchard comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
A shot in the inside from Blanchard.
A right handed body shot lands from Blanchard.
Blanchard tries to throw a body punch but Shurk avoids it by throwing Blanchard back against the cage.
With the fighters up against the cage, Shurk throws an elbow but misses.
Blanchard tries a body shot but Shurk blocks it.
A body shot lands from Blanchard.
Blanchard misses with an elbow over the top.
Blanchard lands an elbow inside that Shurk shrugs off.
Blanchard works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Blanchard misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Blanchard lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Blanchard is leaning against Shurk and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Blanchard stalling the fight.
Blanchard makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Blanchard struggles to land a body shot inside as Shurk controls his hands.
Blanchard presses Shurk against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A short body shot lands from Blanchard as the two fighters clinch.
Blanchard works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Blanchard lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Shurk backwards.
A right hook to the body lands for Blanchard.
Blanchard lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
A short right from Blanchard.
Shurk blocks an elbow strike from Blanchard.
Blanchard presses Shurk against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.

Blanchard breaks the clinch.
Shurk takes a body punch but keeps moving.

Blanchard fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Shurk, pushing him back against the cage.
Blanchard throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Blanchard can't find room to land a body shot as Shurk controls the action.
Good body shot from Blanchard.
Blanchard lands a hook to the side of the head.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Blanchard misses with an elbow over the top.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Blanchard tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Shurk's elbow.
A short right from Blanchard on the inside.
Blanchard doesn't land with the attempted body shot.

Blanchard breaks the clinch.
Blanchard misses with an uppercut.
Blanchard connects with a good right hand that stumbles Shurk. Shurk circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Blanchard cracks Shurk with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Shurk walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.

Blanchard has taken the fight to the clinch.
Blanchard tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Blanchard lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Blanchard lands a body punch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ken Blanchard dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Blanchard darts in and clinches Shurk up against the cage.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Blanchard.
A short left from Blanchard.
Blanchard throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Blanchard blocks an elbow strike.
Blanchard is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Shurk can do to turn this around?
Shurk blocks an elbow strike from Blanchard.
Blanchard misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Blanchard slowing the pace effectively.
Blanchard lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Shurk pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Blanchard lands a body shot.
Blanchard stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Blanchard scores with a hook to the body.
A short left from Blanchard.
Blanchard lands a body punch.
Blanchard pushes Shurk back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Shurk is breathing heavily.
Blanchard slows down the pace here.
Blanchard lands a body punch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Blanchard.
Blanchard misses with a punch to the body.

Blanchard escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Blanchard throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Shurk.
Shurk ducks under a wild hook from Blanchard.
Blanchard pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Blanchard scores with a crisp jab that stopped Shurk in his tracks.

Blanchard clinches.
Blanchard lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Shurk.

Blanchard breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Blanchard just misses with a punch to the body.
A big left from Blanchard misses.
Shurk throws out a counter right but Blanchard avoids it with no problem.

Blanchard clinches up with Shurk and pushes him back against the cage.
Nice elbow from Blanchard.
Ken Blanchard has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Shurk blocks a body shot from Blanchard.
Blanchard throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Blanchard is working Shurk over against the cage.
Blanchard lands a nice uppercut.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Shurk blocks an elbow strike.
Shurk blocks a body shot from Blanchard.
Shurk takes an elbow to the forehead.
Blanchard lands a shoulder strike.
Blanchard holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Blanchard cracks Shurk with a nice body shot.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ken Blanchard dominated that second 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. This is the final round!

Shurk walks into a jab.
Shurk on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Blanchard pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Shurk blocks a jab.
Shurk throws out a counter right but Blanchard avoids it with no problem.
Blanchard fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Shurk manages to avoid it.
Shurk keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
It seemed like Shurk was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Blanchard rushes Shurk and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Blanchard lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Shurk takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Blanchard digs a right hand underneath Shurk's ribcage. Shurk let out a lung full of air as it connected.

Blanchard's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shurk walks into a jab.
Shurk is the more experienced fighter here and he's going to need to draw on some of that experience if he's going to pull this one out the bag.
Shurk dodges the punch combination from Blanchard.
Shurk ducks under a wild hook from Blanchard.

Blanchard clinches.
Blanchard comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Blanchard lands an elbow inside that Shurk shrugs off.
Shurk takes an elbow to the forehead.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Blanchard pushes Shurk back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A short body shot lands from Blanchard as the two fighters clinch.
Blanchard misses with a hook to the ribs.
Nice elbow from Blanchard.
Blanchard lands a body punch.
Blanchard tries to work over Shurk's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Blanchard lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Shurk backwards.
This has been an exciting period of action!
A bit of stalling here from Blanchard.
Shurk avoids the elbow strike from Blanchard, against the cage.
Blanchard lands a damaging elbow.
Blanchard lands a hook that snaps the head of Shurk backwards.
Blanchard doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Blanchard lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Blanchard doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Blanchard lands a nice elbow.
Blanchard tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Shurk's elbow.
Sean Shurk has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Blanchard working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Ken Blanchard is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Good body shot from Blanchard.
Blanchard lands a left hand.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ken Blanchard showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Blanchard has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Dirk Anderson scores the fight for Ken Blanchard!
Judge Winston Alpacca scores the fight for Ken Blanchard!
Judge Sandra Marshall scores the fight for Ken Blanchard!

Ken Blanchard wins by unanimous decision!
In defeat, Sean Shurk stepped up to the mic, saying 'What can I say he's got my number. Back to the drawing board.'.