PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Warren Spade (ranked 2722 p4p, 3072 weight class) and Freddy Banks (ranked 384 p4p, 445 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Spade
vs
Banks

190 cm
25
200
2 - 1 - 0

187 cm
25
188
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

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 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Warren Spade!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Freddy Banks!
The judges for this bout are Paulo Santos, Alexandre Firmino and Matheus Silva.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Banks fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Banks looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Spade is fending him off so far but Banks persists. Nope, Spade circles away and we're back to standing.

Banks has taken the fight to the clinch.
Banks is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Spade is defending well.
Warren Spade has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Freddy Banks.

Banks breaks the clinch.
Spade throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Banks.
Banks shoots in looking for a takedown but Spade manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Banks's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
It looked like Spade was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.

Spade instigates a clinch.
Banks has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Banks lands a shot to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Banks tries to pull guard but Spade forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Spade goes for a takedown in the clinch but Banks prevents it.
Banks stalling against the cage.
Spade tries for a takedown. No joy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Banks tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Spade smiles and moves away.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Banks.

Banks clinches.
Spade is trying to pull guard but Banks turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Spade is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Banks to keep the fight standing.
Spade is pressed up against the cage. Banks has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Spade down to the mat. Spade avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Banks throws a nice looking combination but Spade bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Spade tries to clinch but Banks moves away
and Banks makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Banks tries a head kick but it misses.
Spade is looking to counter with a shot to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Spade shoots in and bounces Banks off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Banks has control of Spade's left arm, preventing Spade from doing any damage.
Spade wants to control from the top but Banks keeps moving.

Banks working for a triangle but Spade defends it easily.
Spade pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Banks is keeping the position for now.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Spade not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Banks is trying to keep Spade in close.
Spade throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Spade stands and throws Banks's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Banks manages to work his way to half guard, despite Spade's best efforts.
Spade tries to pass the half guard into mount. Banks knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Banks is looking to improve his position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Spade slows the pace down in half guard.
Spade lands strikes from half guard.
Banks trying to hold on to Spade's head to control him but Spade postures up.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Spade is looking to take a break and control but Banks is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Warren Spade will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Banks shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Banks moves away from the strike by Spade.

Spade instigates a clinch.
Spade has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Banks after a bit of a struggle.

Spade gets control of Banks's arms and successfully pulls guard. Spade will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Banks controls from within his opponent's guard.
Banks postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Spade has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.

Banks gets to his feet - Spade follows without any prompting.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Banks has closed the distance and engaged Spade in a clinch.
Banks wants a takedown.

Spade breaks from the clinch.
Banks slaps away a takedown attempt from Spade, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Nice sprawl there from Banks as Spade shoots in.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Warren Spade. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Banks misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Banks.
Banks fails in his attempt to clinch.
Spade appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
A head kick misses from Spade.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Spade shoots in for a takedown but Banks shows good takedown defense.
Banks dives in for a single leg takedown but Spade sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Spade throws a quick counter kick to the body but Banks avoids it.
Spade tries to clinch but Banks moves out of range.
Spade doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Banks connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

Spade shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Banks manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Spade stopping the sweep attempt from Banks.
Spade would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Spade slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Banks manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Spade wants to control but Banks is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Warren Spade overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Banks is looking for a kimura here.
Banks trying to control the pace.
Spade trying to hold on to Banks's head to control him but Banks postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Banks working the head and body with strikes.
Spade trying to control from the bottom.
The fighters are battling for position here. Spade manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Spade is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Freddy Banks will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Nice sprawl there from Spade as Banks shoots in.
Banks digs a good body shot into Spade's ribs.
Spade throws a predictable looking body shot

and Banks moves into the clinch.
Banks swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Banks keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Spade's efforts to push away.
Banks looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

Spade breaks from the clinch.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Banks is defended easily by Spade.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Spade shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Banks's guard.

Banks pushes Spade off and gets back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Banks misses with a series of wild punches.
Spade is looking to counter the offense by Banks and move into the clinch.
Spade misses with a wild body shot.

Spade scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Spade is pressing down on Banks's thigh, looking to free his foot. Banks is holding on for now.
Banks is staying active underneath Spade, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Banks is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Spade scores with a couple of nice shots.
Spade passes the guard and advances to mount!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Banks tries to buck Spade off but he can't manage it.
Banks tries to hold on but Spade pushes him away.
Banks working to try and regain half guard.
Banks wants to control but Spade is having none of it.
Spade lands with some strikes.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Banks can't escape the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Spade looking to control but Banks is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Banks wants to hold on but Spade pushes him away.
Banks slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Banks controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.
Spade content to control rather than advance.
Spade seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Banks does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

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.

Spade is trying to work for a kimura but Banks is defending well.
Banks trying to control here.
It looks like Spade is going to stand back up.
Banks is looking to improve his position.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Spade fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Warren Spade.
I think Spade 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 Paulo Santos scores the fight 30:27
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 30:28
Judge Matheus Silva scores the fight 30:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Warren Spade!