PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Craig Barns (ranked 5015 p4p, 5010 weight class) and Tj Pen (ranked 105 p4p, 104 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Barns
vs
Pen

175 cm
25
205
0 - 0 - 0

188 cm
25
190
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Big right hand

Good wrestler
Brawler
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Craig Barns!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Tj Pen!
The judges for this bout are Elvis Blanc, Alec Ball and William Peck.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Barns will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

Barns moves into the clinch successfully.
Pen gets underhooks to prevent Barns's takedown attempt.
Pen pressing his opponent against the cage.
Pen misses with a body punch.
Barns wants to get back to striking at distance but Pen won't allow it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Barns controlling the action here for a moment.
Barns wants to break the clinch but can't.

Barns ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Barns no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pen throws a big elbow that misses.
Barns pulls Pen in close to prevent any damage.

Barns is looking for a triangle but Pen pushes his legs off easily.
Barns knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Pen on the ground.
Pen postures up in Barns's guard and throws a big left but Barns blocks it.
Pen trying to control but Barns is working from the bottom.
Pen is looking to work some ground and pound but Barns has wrist control.

Barns looking for a guillotine here but Pen defends easily.
Barns preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

That's two 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.
Barns throws some sloppy strikes off his back.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Barns misses with a wild combination.

Pen instigates a clinch.
Barns fails to pull the fight into his guard.

Pen breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Barns drops Pen with a beautiful combination! Pen stares up at his opponent, who ushers him back to his feet - Barns is looking for the KO!

Pen is rocked!
Pen stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Pen wants it to stay on the feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Craig Barns. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Pen shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Pen was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Pen wants to lay and pray for a moment but Barns keeps working.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pen grinds an elbow into Barns's temple.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Barns regains half guard.
Barns on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Barns tries to get out of the position.
Pen scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Pen wants to take a breather but Barns is having none of it.
Barns is trying to stand up here but Pen is controlling him well.
Pen scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Pen lands with a punch from half guard.
Pen lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Barns trying to control here.
Pen seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Barns is refusing to be controlled, as Pen sits in half guard.
Pen scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
The fighters are battling for position here. Barns manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

Barns has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Pen can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Pen postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Pen missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Pen lands a couple of decent looking shots.
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 Craig Barns will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Pen shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Pen showed some decent athleticism there.
Pen looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Barns with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Pen seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Barns does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Pen slips a nice elbow through Barns's hands, connecting with Barns's forehead.
Pen looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Pen missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Pen is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Pen is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Pen lands with a punch from half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barns is trying to maintain the position but Pen is very close to passing his half guard.
Tj Pen has got the better of the ground game so far.
Pen blocks the strikes from Barns.
Pen takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Pen lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Barns taking some punishment here, with Pen in his half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Pen wants to control but Barns is keeping him busy.
Barns wants to get back to full guard.
Pen sitting and controlling from the half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Barns is not content to let Pen control the position.
Pen is taking a breather. Barns says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Pen landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Pen wants to take a breather but Barns is having none of it.
Pen working over Barns with some ground and pound. Barns looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Pen looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Barns taking some punishment here, with Pen in his half guard.
Barns is trying to control but can't.
Pen has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Barns trying to control here.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Barns throws a series of punches but Pen avoids them all with ease.
And Pen tries to counter it with a takedown but Barns pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Barns shoots for a takedown but Pen saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

Barns tries to sprawl but Pen drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Barns trying to hold on to Pen's head to control him but Pen postures up.

Barns actively working from the bottom here.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Pen connects with a nice short shot to Barns's temple.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Barns has hold of Pen's hands but Pen slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Pen stops Barns from getting back to his feet.
Pen seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Pen seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Pen wants to control but Barns is keeping him busy.
Pen lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Ground and pound from Pen.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Tj Pen 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. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Excellent takedown into side control there by Pen.
Pen working the body and head with strikes.
Check out the look on Pen's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Barns takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Barns looks to move to half guard but instead Pen has passed into mount! Damn!
Barns takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Pen lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Barns wants to control but Pen is having none of it.
Barns is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Pen is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barns keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Pen won't let Barns get back to his feet... He wants to keep the fight where it is for now.
Barns might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Pen scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Barns?
Pen scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Barns?
Pen is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Barns can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Pen raining down shots from the mount!
Pen with shots to the head and body - Barns looks very uncomfortable down there.

Barns is rocked!
Barns takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Oh Barns is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Barns tries to lock up and control but Pen gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Barns seems to have got his legs back now.
Barns working to try and regain half guard.
Pen looking to control and managing it successfully.
Pen cracks Barns with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Barns is looking to improve his position but Pen isn't that keen on the idea.
Pen lands a couple of good shots and Barns has given up his back, trying to escape the position!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Pen is throwing punches to the body, looking to soften Barns up.
Barns trying to control the hands but Pen breaks the grip.
Barns is keeping busy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pen is throwing punches to the body, looking to soften Barns up.
Barns is defending well here and trying to improve his position.

Pen working for a choke but Barns is defending well.
Pen landing with strikes.
Oooh a big shot gets through from Pen. Many more shots like that and the referee will have to think about stepping in!
Pen controlling well, preventing Barns from escaping the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pen trying to control momentarily.
Barns covers up after that shot from Pen.
Pen keeps control of the position as Barns tries to break free.
Pen scores with a nice shot to the head of his opponent. Barns is looking for a way out.
Pen has Barns flattened out and is raining down punches.
Barns is covering up but some of the strikes from Pen are getting through and doing damage.
Pen tries to keep control of the position but Barns is staying busy.
Pen lands a punch that was close to the back of the head but the ref thinks it's OK.
Pen controlling well, preventing Barns from escaping the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tj Pen comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Pen has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Elvis Blanc scores the fight 28:29
Judge Alec Ball scores the fight 28:29
Judge William Peck scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tj Pen!