PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Joe Finkle (ranked 4119 p4p, 3084 weight class) and Sean OMalley (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Finkle
vs
OMalley

178 cm
25
130
1 - 0 - 0

180 cm
21
135
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Intelligent

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Joe Finkle!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Sean OMalley!
The judges for this bout are Richard Clark, William Gold and James Ackerman.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
OMalley fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Finkle avoids it really well and circles away.

OMalley closes the distance and clinches.
OMalley is working for takedown but Finkle is calmly controlling the position for now.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as OMalley takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Finkle letting OMalley take a breather here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
OMalley working hard to break the clinch.
Finkle looking for a takedown.
OMalley has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Finkle is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Joe Finkle has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Sean OMalley.
Finkle jumps guard but OMalley stands there with Finkle around his waist. Finkle gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Finkle has had enough of the clinch but OMalley keeps him there for the moment.
Finkle is trying to work for a single leg takedown but OMalley pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Finkle jumps guard but OMalley stands there with Finkle around his waist. Finkle gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Finkle goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Finkle drops to a knee looking for a takedown but OMalley gets the underhooks and prevents it.

OMalley jumps guard.
OMalley is trying to hold Finkle in close to prevent damage but Finkle has managed to pass into half guard.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Finkle in particular looking to stall.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
OMalley wants to get back to his feet.
OMalley is looking to improve his position.
OMalley punching from the bottom.
OMalley flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Finkle really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
OMalley wants to get back to full guard.
Finkle not doing much here.
OMalley trying to control here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
OMalley closes this distance looking for a takedown but Finkle circles away.
Finkle shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says OMalley as he avoids it easily.
Finkle fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and OMalley has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
OMalley tries to score a power double leg takedown but Finkle sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten OMalley somewhat.
A nice combination there by Finkle.
OMalley closes this distance looking for a takedown but Finkle circles away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Finkle closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
OMalley is trying to pull guard but Finkle has him pressed against the cage.
Finkle stalling in the clinch but OMalley improves position.
OMalley tries to pull guard but Finkle won't allow it.

Finkle breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Finkle closes the distance and clinches up with OMalley, looking for a takedown. Finkle pushes OMalley against the cage but OMalley circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
OMalley dives in for a single leg takedown but Finkle sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.

Finkle shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches OMalley napping and manages to drive through into side control!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
OMalley being controlled for a moment.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Finkle working away.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Joe Finkle dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

OMalley shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Finkle sprawls well. Finkle wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. OMalley gets slowly back to his feet.
Finkle tries for a takedown but OMalley sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
OMalley moves in looking to clinch but Finkle pushes him off.
OMalley fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Finkle avoids it really well and circles away.

Finkle closes the distance and clinches.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
OMalley is working for takedown but Finkle is calmly controlling the position for now.
Joe Finkle has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Sean OMalley.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
OMalley trying to control the position from guard on top but Finkle is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
OMalley is working Finkle over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
OMalley postures up in Finkle's guard and throws a big left but Finkle blocks it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Finkle pulls OMalley in close to prevent any damage.
Finkle keeping moving, preventing OMalley from controlling successfully.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
OMalley advances position into side control!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Finkle is trying to get back to half guard.
Finkle is trying to control OMalley's posture but OMalley avoids it.
OMalley wants to stand but Finkle has his arm trapped.
Finkle tries to buck OMalley off but OMalley is having none of it.
Finkle manages to get back to half guard.
OMalley sitting and controlling from the half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
OMalley tries to stand but his arm is trapped.
Finkle is looking for a sweep. OMalley is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
OMalley dives in and grabs Finkle's left leg, looking for a takedown. Finkle pushes down on OMalley's head and hops out.
Finkle throws a one two combo.

OMalley moves into the clinch.
OMalley prevents a takedown attempt there.
Finkle is trying to work for a single leg takedown but OMalley pulls him back up using the underhooks.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Finkle lands a shot to the body.

OMalley breaks from the clinch.
OMalley gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Finkle counters with a shoot takedown. OMalley fights it but they end up in guard.
OMalley wants to control but Finkle passes easily into half guard.
Finkle content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
OMalley is trying to get back to full guard.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Finkle seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Joe Finkle dominated that second round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

OMalley closes the distance and clinches.
OMalley tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Finkle smiles and moves away.

OMalley clinches up with Finkle and pushes him back against the cage.
Finkle misses with a punch on the inside.
Finkle wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Finkle is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that OMalley can do to turn this around?
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
OMalley tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

Finkle pulls OMalley into guard.
OMalley would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Finkle pulls OMalley in close to prevent any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
OMalley won't allow Finkle to get back to his feet.
OMalley would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
OMalley wants to stand and escape but instead Finkle has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.

Finkle stopping the sweep attempt from OMalley.
OMalley seems keen to control Finkle's posture.

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.
OMalley throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Finkle looking to sit in guard and control but OMalley gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

OMalley throws a big right hand that misses.
OMalley is working Finkle over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Finkle is pulling down on OMalley's head to control his posture.
OMalley stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Finkle swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Finkle has a closed guard, preventing OMalley from standing up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
OMalley pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Finkle is keeping the position for now.
OMalley wants to control from the top but Finkle keeps moving.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.
A thudding body kick lands there by Finkle!

Finkle shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Finkle lands with a punch from half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Finkle wants to lay and pray for a moment but OMalley keeps working.
Finkle is thwarting OMalley's attempts to control the position.
Finkle is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Joe Finkle overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
OMalley is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
OMalley is trying to stand up here but Finkle is controlling him well.

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 Joe Finkle.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Finkle, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Richard Clark scores the fight 30:27
Judge William Gold scores the fight 29:28
Judge James Ackerman scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Joe Finkle!