PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Conor Mata (ranked 4273 p4p, 3897 weight class) and Demarcus Walters (ranked 254 p4p, 249 weight class). Demarcus Walters will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Mata
vs
Walters

162 cm
25
133
0 - 0 - 0

190 cm
21
135
4 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Knockout power

Wrestler Wayfare

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Conor Mata!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, Demarcus Walters!
The judges for this bout are Jeff Smith, Paul Gruel and Micheangelo Fripello.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mata is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Mata shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Mata was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Walters stops Mata from passing to mount.

Mata goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Walters rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Mata's guard! Nice work there by Walters!
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Mata can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Walters controls the pace.
Mata pulls Walters in close to his closed guard and prevents Walters from doing any damage or advancing position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mata wants to stand up but Walters is controlling him.
Walters preventing the sweep.
Mata is wriggling around but Walters manages to pass to half guard.
Still in half guard, Walters seems content to control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Walters wants to free his trapped foot but Mata is holding on for dear life with his legs.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Mata is staying active underneath Walters, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Mata tries to kick Walters off but Walters keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

Walters stands, ready to strike. The ref makes him back up and allows Mata to get to his feet.
Conor Mata seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Sloppy strikes from Walters. Those never looked like landing.
Mata throws a head kick that misses.
Walters tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Mata paws at him with a jab and circles away.
It looked like Mata was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Walters.
Walters will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mata dives in for a single leg takedown but Walters sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Walters holding his opponent close, against the cage.

Walters manages to break the clinch.
Walters fails to land the takedown.
Walters tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Mata defends well and Walters ends up having to push Mata into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.

Mata shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Walters napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Walters is looking to get back to his feet here but Mata is keeping cool and he's managed to take Walters's back.
Walters looks winded!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Walters is keeping busy.
Mata is controlling his opponent, waiting for an opportunity to finish.

Mata is working for the rear naked choke. He has one arm under the chin but Walters has hold of the other arm. A bit of a stalemate here.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Mata working for a choke but Walters reverses nicely into Mata 's guard.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Demarcus Walters dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Walters tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Mata swivels and escapes.

Walters gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Our spies down at at Shut Up & Train! inform us that Walters has really been working on his submissions in the buildup to this fight. Will it pay off?
Mata throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Walters works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Walters wants to sweep here but Mata controlling him for the moment.
Mata loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Mata stays in close to Walters's body and controls the position.
Mata looking to sit in guard and control but Walters gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mata looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Mata is pulling down on Walters's head. It's preventing any offense from Walters, at least for the moment.
Walters wants to control from the top but Mata keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Walters postures up.
Walters is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Walters is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Walters fails with a takedown attempt.
Mata tries to counter by clinching up but Walters breaks away and moves out of range.
Mata misses with a takedown attempt
and Walters counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Walters looks to score with a jab to the body but Mata is just out of range.
Mata misses with a kick to the body.

Walters gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mata stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Walters swivels though and keeps the full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Walters controlling the position.
Mata throws a strike but Walters rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Walters is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Mata wants to control the position but Walters says "no thanks buddy" and passes to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mata tries to push off, looking to stand up, but Walters manages to move to mount!
Walters prevents Mata from getting the reversal.
Mata is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Walters sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

Walters is standing up, even though he is in mount.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Demarcus Walters showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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!

Mata closes this distance looking for a takedown but Walters circles away.
A head kick misses from Mata.

Walters moves into the clinch.
Walters works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Walters displaying some good clinch control by pressing Mata up against the cage.

Walters escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Walters tries to score a power double leg takedown but Mata sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Walters somewhat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mata fails with an attempt to clinch.
Walters steps in looking to clinch after the strikes miss from Mata.
Walters stuffs the takedown attempt from Mata. Mata gets slowly back to his feet.
A little jabbing left from Walters on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Mata changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Walters looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Mata tries to score with some ground and pound. Walters controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.
Walters is trying to get back to half guard.

Mata decides to stand up, so the ref orders Walters to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Mata gets caught napping as Walters dives in and scores a takedown. Mata manages to retain guard.
Walters stays in close to Mata's body and controls the position.

Mata had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Walters defends it easily.
Walters is stalling in the full guard.
Mata wants to sweep here but Walters controlling him for the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Mata looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Walters passes into side control.
Walters working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
The ground and pound from Walters seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
Walters controlling the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Mata is not content to let Walters control the position.
Walters advances to full mount.
Conor Mata has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Demarcus Walters is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Mata is squirming around, avoiding Walters's attempts to control the action.

And that's the end of the fight!
Demarcus Walters comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Walters has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Jeff Smith scores the fight 27:30
Judge Paul Gruel scores the fight 27:30
Judge Micheangelo Fripello scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Demarcus Walters!