PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Nathan Butler (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and matt knuckles (ranked 0 p4p, 0 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.

Butler
vs
knuckles

184 cm
20
220 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

194 cm
18
230 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the 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, Nathan Butler!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, matt knuckles!
The judges for this bout are Sam Margolis, Donald Grub and James Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
knuckles tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Butler paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Butler shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.

knuckles is defending against the submission attempts here by Butler.
knuckles is not content to let Butler control the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Butler decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.
knuckles tries to clinch up but Butler circles away and keeps his distance.

Butler closes the distance and clinches.
knuckles makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.

It looks like Nathan Butler has been cut.
Butler fails to pull the fight into his guard.

Butler manages to break the clinch.

knuckles closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
knuckles is chipping away with strikes.
knuckles in side control lands a decent elbow.
Butler keeps knuckles under control for a moment.
Butler regains half guard.
It looks like knuckles is going to stand back up.
Butler is refusing to be controlled, as knuckles sits in half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Butler tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.

knuckles is trying to work for a kimura but Butler is defending well.
knuckles looks gassed!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
knuckles thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

knuckles is looking for a kimura but Butler is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for knuckles to get the leverage.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
knuckles is stalling here. Butler is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! knuckles seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Butler has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
The strikes coming from Butler are missing the target in this wave of attacks.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Butler bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Butler trying to control the action but knuckles is working from the bottom.

Butler is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, knuckles has escaped the position, nice work there.
Butler throwing shots but missing, from side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Butler trying to control the action but knuckles is working from the bottom.
Butler is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because knuckles is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
knuckles regains half guard, as Butler was trying to land strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Nathan Butler will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Nathan Butler's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

knuckles clinches but Butler breaks the clinch
and Butler makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.

knuckles tries to keep at a distance but Butler has taken the fight into the clinch.
knuckles working Butler over with knees to the body.
Butler drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Butler is trying to work for a single leg takedown but knuckles pulls him back up using the underhooks.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
knuckles tries to break free but Butler pushes him back against the cage.
knuckles lands with a left to the head.
knuckles is leaning against Butler and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Butler could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
A shot in the inside from knuckles.

Nathan Butler's cut is getting worse.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Stalling in the clinch from knuckles.
Butler blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
knuckles is trying to force a seperation but Butler has the dominant position.

knuckles breaks the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
knuckles swats away the attempt to clinch by Butler.
knuckles throws a sloppy head kick

and Butler counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in knuckles's guard now.
knuckles trying to control the position.
knuckles keeping moving, preventing Butler from controlling successfully.
Butler looking to sit in guard and control but knuckles gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
knuckles really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Butler. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
knuckles working some strikes from top position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
knuckles is pushing down on Butler's leg trying to pass to half guard. Butler is fighting to maintain full guard but knuckles has managed to sneak the leg through.
knuckles scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Butler landing strikes from the bottom.

Butler pushes knuckles off and gets back to his feet.
Butler shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and knuckles counters with a leg kick.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Nathan Butler. That's going to take a lot out of him.
knuckles throws a chopping leg kick but Butler manages to avoid taking any serious damage.

Butler instigates a clinch.
Butler tries for a takedown but knuckles manages to get underhooks.
Butler fails to pull guard.
knuckles has Butler pressed against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
knuckles is trying to break the clinch but Butler is controlling him.
knuckles prevents the takedown attempt.
Butler tries to pull guard but knuckles won't allow it.
Butler goes for a takedown attempt but knuckles pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

knuckles looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
knuckles stopping the sweep attempt from Butler.
Butler is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Butler can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as knuckles controls the pace.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
knuckles preventing the sweep.
knuckles keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Butler's head.
knuckles in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Butler controlling the position.
Butler trying to keep a closed guard but knuckles is proving a slippery customer.
knuckles wants to control from the top but Butler keeps moving.
knuckles is fighting to break Butler's control of his arms but Butler is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but matt knuckles will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Nathan Butler's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Butler shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and knuckles counters with a big head kick but Butler shrugs it off.
Butler throws a combination that misses

and knuckles counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
matt knuckles has got the better of the ground game so far.
knuckles trying to control from half guard but Butler is working away.

knuckles is looking for a kimura here.
knuckles working the head and body with strikes.
knuckles not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Butler is trying to maintain the position but knuckles is very close to passing his half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Butler desperately trying to maintain half guard.
Butler wants to control but knuckles is keeping busy.
knuckles thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Butler's head.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Butler closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
knuckles tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Butler just stands there and leans against the cage.

Butler escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Butler misses with a takedown attempt

and knuckles counters with a single leg into guard. Butler didn't expect that.
knuckles landing some decent shots from guard.

knuckles thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Butler working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. knuckles doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. knuckles manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

knuckles drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Butler manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now knuckles has Butler in his guard.
Butler with a flurry of punches that miss.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
knuckles keeping full guard, as Butler tries to pass.
Butler is looking to stand up but knuckles won't let him.
knuckles tries to land a sweep but no joy.

That's four 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.

Butler gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
The fight stays on the outside here - Butler looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
knuckles will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Butler shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and knuckles holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Nathan Butler. That's going to take a lot out of him.
knuckles trying to control the position but instead, Butler has worked for underhooks and has pushed knuckles into the cage.

Butler's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

And that's the end of the fight!
matt knuckles comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think knuckles 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 Sam Margolis scores the fight 28:30
Judge Donald Grub scores the fight 28:30
Judge James Glass scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... matt knuckles!