PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Ryan Decker (ranked 2702 p4p, 1648 weight class) and Dom Walsh (ranked 355 p4p, 233 weight class). Walsh is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Machine Head. Dom Walsh has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Decker
vs
Walsh

175 cm
25
178
3 - 0 - 0

185 cm
27
180
5 - 4 - 0

Decent wrestler
Counter fighter
Big heart

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Knockout power

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 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Ryan Decker!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 4 - 0, fighting out of London, Dom Walsh!
The judges for this bout are James Glass, James Ackerman and Sam Margolis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Walsh looks to clinch

and Decker counters with a single leg into guard. Walsh didn't expect that.

Walsh has scooted to the edge of the canvas and used the cage to get back to his feet. Decker has stuck on his opponent and is forcing him back against the cage.
Walsh jumps guard but Decker turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.

Decker pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Decker circles away from the clinch attempt.
Dom Walsh seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Decker takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Walsh tries to close the distance and clinch but Decker swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Walsh lands a glancing blow to the side of Decker's head.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Walsh shoots in but Decker avoids the takedown attempt easily.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Decker.
Walsh is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Decker looks to land a combination. Walsh sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Decker keeps the fight on the outside.
Decker shoots for a double leg takedown but Walsh sprawls well. He's pushed Decker's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Walsh lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Walsh tries to clinch up but Decker circles away and keeps his distance.
Decker lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.

Walsh moves into range and clinches up with Decker.

Decker gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.

Walsh manages to escape and get back to his feet!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Walsh tries to clinch up but Decker circles away and keeps his distance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Decker falls off balance throwing a combination

so Walsh counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Walsh stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Decker swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Walsh trying to control the position from guard on top but Decker is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Walsh stopping the sweep attempt from Decker.
Walsh stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Decker swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Decker is looking to sweep but instead, Walsh has passed into half guard.
Decker blocking the ground and pound attempt from Walsh.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Walsh looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Walsh trying to control from half guard but Decker is working away.
Decker knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Walsh on the ground.
Walsh with the ground and pound but Decker uses the opportunity to regain guard.
Walsh postures up and lands a big shot to Decker's brow.
Walsh is looking to work some ground and pound but Decker has wrist control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Walsh trying to control the position from guard on top but Decker is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Walsh throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Decker works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Walsh slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Walsh wants to control from the top but Decker keeps moving.
Walsh forces his way into half guard.
Walsh sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Decker defending well though.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Dom Walsh 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.

Decker blocks a head kick by Walsh.
Decker slips a jab and a cross from Walsh.
Decker shoots in looking for a takedown. Walsh tries to sprawl out of it but Decker keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Walsh manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

Walsh has Decker up against the cage in a clinch.
Decker is trying to break the clinch but Walsh has him pressed against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Decker breaks from the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The fighters circling - Decker throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Walsh has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Walsh walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Decker throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Walsh counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Walsh.

Decker uses the cage to get back to his feet.

Walsh clinches up against the cage.

Walsh breaks the clinch.
Walsh shoots in looking for a takedown. Decker tries to sprawl out of it but Walsh keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Decker manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Walsh fails with an attempt to clinch.
Walsh doesn't manage to clinch there - Decker circles away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Walsh tries to clinch but Decker moves out of range.
Decker tries to counter with a takedown but Walsh is quick to defend against it.
A decent looking cross lands there for Walsh.

Decker drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Walsh gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Decker seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Walsh regains full guard. Nicely done.
Decker stands and throws Walsh's legs to the side, diving into side control.
We've been hearing good reports from Decker's training camp. Apparently he has been rolling around with some good quality BJJ practitioners and has been sharpening his skills. Let's see if that has an impact on the fight today.
Walsh is trying to escape the position but Decker is controlling the position.
Walsh prevents Decker from improving position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The ground and pound from Decker seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Decker wants to control for a moment but Walsh uses the opportunity to move back to half guard.

Walsh actively working from the bottom here.
Dom Walsh has got the better of the ground game so far.

Walsh has managed to escape just enough to sneak back to his feet but Decker is on him like a limpet, forcing Walsh back against the cage.
Walsh tries to pull guard but Decker won't allow it.
Walsh jumps guard but Decker turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Ryan Decker has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Dom Walsh.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Decker is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Decker is trying to break the clinch but Walsh is controlling him.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Walsh.
Walsh is trying to pull guard but Decker turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Walsh fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

Walsh manages to pull guard.
Decker wants to control from the top but Walsh keeps moving.
Decker is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Dom Walsh will probably get the nod - 10:9.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Decker swats away the attempt to clinch by Walsh.
Decker circles away from the clinch attempt.
Decker fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Walsh connects with a solid leg kick.
Walsh tries to clinch there but Decker circles away.
Decker changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Walsh tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Walsh fails to land the takedown.
Decker feinted with a counter takedown.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Walsh tries to clinch up.
Decker feinted with a counter takedown.
Walsh shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Decker sprawls well. Decker wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Walsh gets slowly back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Walsh lands with a straight right. Decker didn't see that one coming.
Decker shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

so Walsh counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.

Decker is scooting his butt against the cage and has managed to get back to his feet. Walsh presses him back against the cage, presumably looking to take the fight back to the mat.

Decker breaks the clinch.
Walsh tries to clinch but Decker is having none of it.
Decker misses with a two punch combination.

Walsh closes the distance and clinches.
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!
Walsh landing knees to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Decker is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Walsh is defending well.
Decker has had enough of the clinch but Walsh keeps him there for the moment.

Walsh pulls guard effortlessly.
Decker in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Decker throwing strikes from guard but Walsh blocks nicely.
Decker engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Walsh throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Walsh has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Decker pushes down on Walsh's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Walsh works his way to full guard. Good work.
Decker looking to sit in guard and control but Walsh gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Decker keeping moving, preventing Walsh from controlling successfully.
Walsh in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Walsh loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Walsh trying to control but Decker is working from the bottom.
Walsh sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Decker's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Walsh throwing shots but Decker is blocking nicely.
Decker is positioning himself well to prevent Walsh advancing to mount.
Ryan Decker has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Decker wants to improve his position but Walsh is controlling well.
Walsh trying to control from Decker's half guard. Decker has other ideas though and has regained full guard.
Walsh trying to control but Decker is working from the bottom.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Walsh content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Walsh wants to control from the top but Decker keeps moving.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Dom Walsh.
I've got Walsh 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 James Glass scores the fight for Dom Walsh!
Judge James Ackerman scores the fight for Dom Walsh!
Judge Sam Margolis scores the fight for Dom Walsh!

Dom Walsh wins by unanimous decision!
Dom Walsh seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.