PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Dean Howard (ranked 636 p4p, 1027 weight class) and Tim Horton (ranked 94 p4p, 155 weight class). Both these fighters are unbeaten, so somebody's 0 has got to go!Tim Horton will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Howard
vs
Horton

185 cm
26
192
7 - 0 - 0

187 cm
20
192
6 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter fighter
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

Brooklyn Threads
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Brooklyn Threads

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the middleweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Dean Howard!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Tim Horton!
The judges for this bout are Dean Styles, Russell Pearce and Jonathan Paton.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Howard misses the body punch
and Horton counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Horton takes a swing at Howard's ribcage but misses.
A slow jab from Howard misses its intended target.
Howard has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.
A looping hook to the body misses from Howard. Horton does a little dance to reset his feet.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Horton enables Howard to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Horton manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Horton managing to control the position.
Let's hope that Horton 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.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Howard trying to control the position from guard on top but Horton is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Howard being controlled here momentarily.
Howard loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Horton avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Howard trying to control but Horton is working from the bottom.
Howard has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Howard tries to free his leg and advance position but Horton is retaining full guard.
Horton keeping moving, preventing Howard from controlling successfully.
Horton keeping full guard, as Howard tries to pass.
Horton has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.
Horton works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
A telegraphed right hand from Horton misses the target.
Horton scores with a jab to the jaw.
Howard steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Horton.
Horton lands with a right hand.
Horton lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
A swing and a miss from Horton.
Horton throws the left hand but Howard avoids the punch easily.
Horton misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Howard.

Howard manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Horton on his heels. He'll look to pass Horton's guard now, I'm sure.
Howard postures up in Horton's guard and throws a big left but Horton blocks it.
Horton keeping moving, preventing Howard from controlling successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Howard keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Horton's head.
Howard postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Howard looking to pass the guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Howard throws a big right hand that misses.
Horton looking for a sweep. Not yet Horton, not yet.
Horton working a defensive guard here.
Horton pulls Howard in close to prevent any damage.
Howard trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Howard throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Horton is trying to control the position but Howard postures up.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Horton holds on and takes a little breather.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Howard stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Horton swivels though and keeps the full guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Howard misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Horton throws out a counter right but Howard avoids it with no problem.
Howard staying out of range there.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Horton is looking to clinch but Howard is avoiding it.
Horton misses the body punch

and Howard counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Howard trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
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 Dean Howard will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare each other down, ready to get back to the action.

Howard shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Horton as he jumps to the side.

Howard closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Horton to the mat! Horton manages to get full guard.
Howard slips nicely into half guard.
Howard trying to advance position but Horton counters by regaining guard.
Howard throwing strikes but missing.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Howard pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Horton is keeping the position for now.
Howard postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Howard is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Horton can do to turn this around?

That's one minute gone in the round.
Howard looking to pass the guard.
Horton is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Dean Howard overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Howard wants to improve his position but Horton is controlling well.
Howard wants to control but Horton is keeping busy.
Howard is looking for a sweep. Horton is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

Howard looking to force a kimura from the bottom here. He's concentrating on that move too much though and Horton pushes past his half guard into mount!
Horton controlling the position easily from mount.
Howard wants to hold on but Horton pushes him away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Howard keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Horton tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Howard regains half guard.
Howard is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Howard trying to hold on to Horton's head to control him but Horton postures up.
Howard trying to get back to full guard but Horton takes advantage of the position and moves to full mount!
Howard tries to get back to half guard but can't.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Howard is working hard here to advance position.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Tim Horton will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's time! Back to the action!

Horton scores with a nice strike.
A left lands for Horton.
Howard takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Howard shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Horton but Horton pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Horton is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Howard with a body shot.
Howard misses with a takedown attempt
and Horton counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Howard tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Horton was well out of range. Poor timing from Howard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Howard takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Horton cracks Howard with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Howard takes one on the button.
Horton punishes Howard's body with a nice straight punch.
Horton has done a lot of speed work in the buildup to this fight.
Tim Horton is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Horton thuds a left hand into Howard's body.
Howard misses with an uppercut
and Howard takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.

Horton moves into the clinch successfully.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Horton scores with a nice hook to the head.
Howard drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Dean Howard. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A nice left hand lands by Horton.

Howard turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Howard manages to end up in side control.
Horton is trying to control Howard's posture but Howard avoids it.
A bit of a lull in the action here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Horton tries to bench press Howard off him but Howard keeps the position.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Horton parries the strikes from Howard easily there. Howard is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Horton to escape.
Howard tries to advance to mount but Horton denies him.
Horton tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Howard trying to control the position but Horton is working away.
Howard tries to move to mount but Horton blocks the move with his legs.
Howard working the ground and pound.
Horton can't do much from the bottom here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Horton takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Howard tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
Howard is trying to ground and pound but Horton uses the momentary lack of control by Howard to regain half guard.
Howard trying to pass the guard but Horton defending well.
Howard is thwarting Horton's attempts to control the position.
Howard is just content to waste time from the top position. Horton takes advantage of the situation and regains full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Horton keeping moving, preventing Howard from controlling successfully.
Horton is pulling down on Howard's head to control his posture.
Howard wants to pass the guard but Horton is keeping the position.
Howard pushing down on Horton's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Horton controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.
Howard sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Horton defending well though.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Tim Horton really dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Howard fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Horton sprawls well initially but Howard persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Howard wants to free his trapped foot but Horton is holding on for dear life with his legs.

Howard looking for a submission but Horton manages to get full guard, putting an end to that submission attempt.
Howard advances to half guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Howard thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Horton controlling the position well.
Howard frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Howard throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Horton because Howard loaded up on that one.
Horton working to try and regain half guard.
Howard scoring with strikes but Horton is staying in there.
Howard punching from mount but Horton doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Horton is bucking up trying to escape but Howard cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Howard lands a nice shot to the head.
Howard working Horton over with strikes here.
Howard looking to control but Horton is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Horton is bucking up trying to escape but Howard cracks him with another couple of good strikes.

Horton is rocked!
Horton tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Horton is still in real trouble! Can Howard finish him?
Howard throwing strikes here but Horton is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Howard connects with a bit shot that sees Horton covering up! More strikes from Howard and the referee jumps in to stop the fight! Howard is our winner by TKO!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:36 of round 4, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Dean Howard!
Dean Howard retains his middleweight title!
Dean Howard gave a mention to Barry Bonds Performance Enhancers $120 160q Rec&St in his post fight interview. That will please them (and hopefully generate some sales).