PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Jack Phil (ranked 4276 p4p, 25227 weight class) and Learning Skills (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Phil
vs
Skills

200 cm
18
200
0 - 0 - 0

184 cm
19
216
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Self confident

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Jack Phil!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Learning Skills!
The judges for this bout are Andrew Berry, James Glass and Richard Clark.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Phil fails with a takedown attempt.
Phil goes for a double leg but Skills avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Skills continues to drive forward.
Phil tries for a takedown. No joy.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jack Phil. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Skills looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Skills is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Skills drops down looking for an ankle pick but Phil pulls his leg out and moves away.

Phil moves into range and clinches up with Skills.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Phil scores with a nice hook to the head.
Phil keeps control of Skills as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Skills is looking to break free of the clinch but Phil has double underhooks.
Phil is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Skills is defending well.
Skills is trying to break free.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Skills wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Phil letting Skills take a breather here.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Phil as Skills tries to tie him up.

Skills decides to pull guard.
Skills is controlling Phil's posture.
Phil wants to control from the top but Skills keeps moving.
Skills pulls Phil in close to prevent any damage.
Phil knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Skills on the ground.
Skills manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Phil manages to get himself to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Skills stands and throws Phil's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Skills takes a little break here. Phil wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.
Skills's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Skills grinds an elbow into Phil's temple.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Skills tries for a kimura but Phil is defending well.
Skills wants to control but Phil is keeping him busy.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Skills postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Skills taking a break here but Phil is having none of it and regains half guard.

That's four 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.
Phil trying to control from the bottom.

Skills 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.
Skills prevents Phil from improving his position.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Skills tries to stand but his arm is trapped.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Learning Skills dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Skills with a lazy takedown attempt
letting Phil counter with a right hand.
Skills throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Phil's waist but Phil gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Skills off to one side.
Phil fails with the takedown.
Skills tries to close the distance and clinch up but Phil swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Phil fails in his attempt to clinch.

Phil moves into range and clinches up with Skills.
Phil prevents a takedown attempt there.
Jack Phil has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Learning Skills.
Skills is trying to pull guard but Phil has him pressed against the cage.
Skills has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Skills tries to break the clinch but Phil is controlling the position.

Phil pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Phil manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Skills on his heels. He'll look to pass Skills's guard now, I'm sure.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Skills has his hands on Phil's head, controlling the position.
Skills working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Phil.
Phil is looking to advance position but Skills has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!

Phil wants to hold on but Skills pushes him away.
Skills lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Phil is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Phil is squirming around, avoiding Skills's attempts to control the action.
Phil tries to hold on but Skills postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Skills is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Skills looking to control and managing it successfully.
Skills lands a big shot there that rocks Phil but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Skills landing punches.
Skills tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Skills breaks from Phil's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Skills trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Phil is looking to get to half guard.
Skills controlling from mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Skills tries to control but Phil wriggling away.
Phil wants to hold on but Skills pushes him away.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Phil is trying to escape the mount.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Skills looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Learning Skills showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Phil circles away from the clinch attempt.
Phil shoots in looking for a takedown. Skills tries to sprawl out of it but Phil keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Skills manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Phil does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Despite the aggression on Skills's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Skills tries to clinch there but Phil circles away.

Phil pushes Skills up against the cage in a clinch.
Skills has had enough of the clinch but Phil keeps him there for the moment.

Phil breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Skills tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Skills misses with a double jab
and Phil makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Left hook, right uppercut from Phil.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Skills shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Phil as he jumps to the side.
Phil uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Skills.
Phil is trying to close the distance and clinch up, after that failed offence from Skills.
Skills fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

Phil has managed to clinch.
Phil is pushing Skills up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Phil is trying to pull guard but Skills turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.

Phil successfully pulls guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Skills engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Skills won't allow Phil to sweep him here.
Skills forces his way into half guard.

Skills wants to work for an arm triangle but Phil is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Phil is trying to maintain the position but Skills is very close to passing his half guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Phil is controlling Skills's position as best he can from this difficult position.
Skills keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Phil is looking to control Skills's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Phil avoid being mounted?
Skills wants to stand but Phil has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.
Skills performing his best blanket impression for a moment.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Phil shoots and misses

and Skills counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.

Phil scrambles and gets back to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jack Phil. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Phil misses with a two punch combination.
Skills appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
Phil is looking to clinch but Skills is avoiding it.
No luck for Skills with that takedown attempt.
Phil slaps away a takedown attempt from Skills, before circling back to the center of the mat.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Skills manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Phil on his heels. He'll look to pass Phil's guard now, I'm sure.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jack Phil showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Skills 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 Andrew Berry scores the fight 28:29
Judge James Glass scores the fight 28:29
Judge Richard Clark scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Learning Skills!