PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Bishop Alexander (ranked 4631 p4p, 3542 weight class) and Thomas Carden (ranked 447 p4p, 388 weight class). Carden is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by Simple Man. Both fighters will be looking to make this an exciting fight for the fans, I'm sure!

Alexander
vs
Carden

178 cm
19
165
2 - 2 - 0

174 cm
21
165
2 - 4 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Granite chin

Decent wrestler
Decent boxing
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Bishop Alexander!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Thomas Carden!
The judges for this bout are Gregory Folan, Alec Ball and Yves DeLean.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Carden closes the distance and pushes Alexander back into the cage.
Carden slowing the pace effectively.
Alexander working hard to break the clinch.
Carden pressing his opponent against the cage.
Carden taking a breather.

Carden breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Alexander lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Carden backs up against the cage.
Carden jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Alexander fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Carden manages to avoid it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Carden misses with a looping right.

Carden darts in and clinches Alexander up against the cage.
Alexander can't break the clinch.
Carden blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Alexander stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Alexander tries to work over Carden's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Carden tries to work over Alexander's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Nice body punch from Carden - that landed with a thud.
Carden goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Alexander lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Alexander manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.

Carden's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Carden misses with a left hand
and Alexander counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Alexander looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Alexander avoids a punch combination nicely.
Alexander's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Alexander duly obliges.
Alexander fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Carden manages to avoid it.
Good standup being displayed there by Carden as he connects with a hook.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Alexander lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Carden circles away quickly and effectively.
Carden lands an overhand right.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Alexander avoids a punch combination nicely.
Carden misses with a wild combination.
Alexander was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
Carden thows a left - swing and a miss!
Alexander tries to clinch up but Carden circles away and keeps his distance.
Carden's corner calls for a 1-2. Carden obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Alexander cracks Carden with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Alexander swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Carden counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Alexander avoids the body shot from Carden.
A quick step to the side and Alexander tries to counter with a shot to the body but it doesn't connect.
Alexander cracks a nice hook into Carden's ribs.
Carden loads up on a big right hand but Alexander slips the punch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Alexander throws an overhand right that lands on Carden's shoulder, as Carden tries to avoid the shot.
Carden throws a right hand that misses
and Alexander counters with a two punch combo.

Carden moves into range and clinches up with Alexander.
Alexander is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Carden is defending well.
Alexander has a couple of punches blocked by Carden.
Carden connects with a nasty looking knee right to Alexander's face.

It looks like Bishop Alexander has been cut.
Carden holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Alexander misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Carden misses with some punches.
Alexander tries to break free but Carden pushes him back against the cage.
Alexander taking a breather.
Carden tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Carden slows down the pace here.
Alexander misses with a short punch on the inside.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Carden makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Carden tries to throw a body punch but Alexander avoids it by throwing Carden back against the cage.
Carden blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Carden leaning his opponent against the cage.
Alexander on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Carden taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Carden tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Alexander's elbow.
Alexander misses with the head strike.
We've been informed that Carden has been working hard on his conditioning in the buildup to the fight.
Nice body punch from Carden.
Alexander's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
The referee is keeping an eye on Carden - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Thomas Carden will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Bishop Alexander's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Alexander fails with the takedown
and Carden connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Carden uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Alexander has time to react.
Alexander cracks Carden with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Alexander avoids the body shot from Carden.
Carden scores with a hook.
Alexander avoids the body shot from Carden.
Carden bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Carden throws a nice looking combination but Alexander bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Carden fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Alexander looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Carden throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Thomas Carden seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Alexander displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Carden throws out the jab.
Alexander takes a body punch but keeps moving.

Alexander moves into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Alexander has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Carden has Alexander pressed against the cage.
Alexander is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Carden is keeping busy.
Alexander lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Alexander misses with a punch to the body.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Carden obliges.
Carden lands a hook that snaps the head of Alexander backwards.
Carden slows down the pace here.
Alexander content to slow the pace in the clinch.
A short body shot lands from Carden as the two fighters clinch.

Carden breaks from the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Carden scores with a jab to the head.
Carden swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Carden lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Alexander at a distance.
Thomas Carden is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Alexander walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Alexander feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Cardens jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
A looping hook to the body misses from Carden. Alexander does a little dance to reset his feet.
Alexander misses with a few strikes there.
Carden scores with the left hand. Alexander knows he should have avoided that one.
Thomas Carden seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Nice body punch from Alexander.
Carden lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Carden fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Alexander manages to avoid it.
Alexander is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Carden swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
It looked like Alexander wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Carden lands a jab to Alexander's midsection.
Alexander looks to clinch
and Carden counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Alexander rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Carden moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Alexander paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Alexander thows a left - swing and a miss!
Carden tries to counter with a clinch but Alexander shakes him off and moves away.
Alexander throws a shot to the body.
Alexander throws a hook but Carden blocks it.
Carden cracks Alexander with an open hand slap.
Carden cracks a nice hook into Alexander's ribs.
Alexander takes one on the button.
Carden falls off balance throwing a combination
and Alexander counters with a two punch combo.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Carden lands a nice looking body shot.
Bishop Alexander is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Carden misses with a wild combination.

Alexander takes the fight into the clinch.
Alexander avoiding damage as Carden throws knees to the body.
Carden lands with a short shot to the head.
Carden stalls.
Alexander blocks an uppercut.
Alexander is trying to maintain a safe position but Carden gets an underhook and turns Alexander into the cage.

Carden breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Carden throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Alexander shoots in looking for a takedown but Carden manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Alexander's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Thomas Carden showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Bishop Alexander's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

A big right from Carden misses.
It looked like Alexander was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Carden.

Carden moves into the clinch successfully.
Thomas Carden seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Carden lands with a short shot to the head.
A frustrated look appears on Alexander's face as he tries to break the clinch.
A short body shot lands from Carden as the two fighters clinch.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Carden.
Carden tries to work over Alexander's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Alexander struggles to land a body shot inside as Carden controls his hands.
Carden pressing his opponent against the cage.
Alexander's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Carden prevents the takedown attempt.
Carden content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Alexander being controlled against the cage.
Carden continues to stall. The referee tells him to work or he's going to break them up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Carden has a couple of punches blocked by Alexander.
Carden has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Carden lands a body punch in the clinch.

Carden breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Alexander gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Carden.

Carden darts in and clinches Alexander up against the cage.
A short uppercut from Carden.
Carden leaning his opponent against the cage.
Carden has Alexander pressed against the cage, preventing Alexander from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Alexander doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Carden stalling.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A short right from Carden.
Carden blocking some punches.
Alexander tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Carden just stands there and leans against the cage.
Carden doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Alexander misses with a body punch.
Alexander lands a nice uppercut.
Carden utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Alexander misses with a hook from the clinch.

Carden breaks the clinch.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Carden showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Alexander.
Carden walks into a left hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Some wild striking there from Carden.
Alexander was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
Alexander falls off balance throwing a combination
and Carden cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Alexander throws a series of punches but Carden avoids them all with ease.
Alexander swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Left hook, right uppercut from Carden.
Alexander uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Carden.
Carden's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Carden duly obliges.

Alexander is rocked!

Bishop Alexander's cut is getting worse.
A shot to the liver by Carden. Beautiful body shot.
Oh Alexander is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Carden drops Alexander with a huge uppercut! Alexander drops to the floor like a sack of potatoes. Carden is raining down punches and the ref stops the fight! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:49 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Thomas Carden!
Thomas Carden was full of energy after the big win and talked about how he thinks he can do big things in this sport. The crowd were appreciative of his determination to succeed.