PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Ilan Matan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and German Sheapard (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). German Sheapard has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Matan
vs
Sheapard

190 cm
22
189 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

178 cm
18
185 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Basic striking
KO power

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Ilan Matan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, German Sheapard!
The judges for this bout are William Peck, Alec Ball and Yves DeLean.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Matan avoids a kick to the body.
Ilan Matan seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
No luck for Matan with that takedown attempt.
Matan fails with a takedown attempt.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Matan.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ilan Matan. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Sheapard misses with a wild combination.

Matan has managed to clinch.
Matan misses with a short punch on the inside.

Sheapard breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Sheapard rushes Matan and presses him up against the cage.
Matan wants to break the clinch but can't.
Matan jumps guard but Sheapard stands there with Matan around his waist. Matan gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Sheapard lands an elbow just above Matan 's eye.
Sheapard is pressed up against the cage. Matan has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Sheapard down to the mat. Sheapard avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

Sheapard closes the distance and clinches.
Matan is trying to maintain a safe position but Sheapard gets an underhook and turns Matan into the cage.
Sheapard tries to land knees in the clinch but Matan avoids the damage to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Matan looking to stall.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Matan.
Sheapard unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Matan tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Sheapard just stands there and leans against the cage.

Sheapard breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Matan looks for a takedown but Sheapard sprawls well.
Matan closes the distance but Sheapard moves to the side

and Sheapard holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Sheapard using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Matan has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Matan is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Sheapard with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Sheapard landing knees to the body.
Matan tries to pull guard but Sheapard holds him up against the cage and eventually Matan drops back down to his feet.
Matan misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Sheapard.

Sheapard breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Matan decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Matan lands a nice short elbow.

Matan is looking for a kimura but Sheapard is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Matan to get the leverage.

Matan is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Sheapard defends it well.
Sheapard is trying to stand up here but Matan is controlling him well.
Matan throws a strike but Sheapard avoids it easily and moves to full guard.

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

Matan postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Sheapard is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Matan, into his guard.
Matan is breathing heavily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sheapard wants to stand but Matan has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

Sheapard gets to his feet - Matan follows without any prompting.
Matan fails to land the takedown.

Sheapard clinches with his opponent.

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.

Sheapard breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Matan takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
Matan shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Matan dodges the punch combination from Sheapard.
Matan fails with the takedown
and Sheapard counters with a right hand to the body.
Nice sprawl there from Sheapard as Matan shoots in.
Matan slips a jab and a cross from Sheapard.
Sheapard tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Nice sprawl there from Sheapard as Matan shoots in.
Matan shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Sheapard pinned against the cage. Sheapard gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Matan tries for a takedown but Sheapard sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Sheapard pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Sheapard fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Matan, pushing him back against the cage.
Sheapard misses with a knee strike.
Matan misses with the head strike.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

German Sheapard dominated that round.
That's time! Matan's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Sheapard closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Sheapard pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Sheapard defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Matan.
Nice takedown defense from Sheapard. No joy for Matan on that attempt.
Sheapard looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Matan looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ilan Matan. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Matan looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Sheapard is fending him off so far but Matan persists. Nope, Sheapard circles away and we're back to standing.
Sheapard lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Matan backs up against the cage.

Sheapard closes the distance and clinches.
Matan takes a knee to the side of the body.
Sheapard tries to land a knee to the head but misses.

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

Sheapard closes the distance and pushes Matan back into the cage.
Matan is trying to force a seperation but Sheapard has the dominant position.
Matan is trying to break the clinch but Sheapard is controlling him.
Sheapard with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sheapard misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Matan.
Sheapard is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Matan is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Matan working hard to break the clinch.

Sheapard breaks from the clinch.
Matan slips under a jab from Sheapard.
Sheapard stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Sheapard wants it to stay on the feet.
Matan avoids the head kick by Sheapard.
Sheapard is breathing heavily.
Matan fails with the takedown.
Matan misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Matan takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Matan looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Sheapard is fending him off so far but Matan persists. Nope, Sheapard circles away and we're back to standing.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Sheapard's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Ilan Matan is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sheapard fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Matan is out of range.
No luck for Matan with that takedown attempt.
Sheapard stuffs the takedown.
Matan misses with a takedown attempt

and Sheapard moves into the clinch.

Sheapard's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Matan is trying hard to land a takedown here. Sheapard sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Matan shoots in and drives through. Sheapard sprawls well.
Matan gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Sheapard pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Matan swats away the attempt to clinch by Sheapard.
Sheapard fails with an attempt to clinch.
Sheapard throws a nice looking combination but Matan bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Sheapard displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Matan.
No luck for Matan with that takedown attempt.
German Sheapard is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Matan shoots in but no luck this time.
Matan shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Sheapard defends it nicely.
Sheapard throws a series of strikes that have Matan backpedaling.
Matan takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Matan.
Sheapard throws a nice inside leg kick.
Sheapard pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Matan clinches but Sheapard breaks the clinch

and Sheapard counters by moving into the clinch.
Sheapard trying to land knees to the body.
Matan fails to pull guard.
Sheapard trying to land knees to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sheapard blocks a body shot from Matan.
Matan tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Sheapard tries to land a knee to the head but Matan blocks with his arms.
Matan tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Sheapard just stands there and leans against the cage.
Matan jumps guard but Sheapard stands there with Matan around his waist. Matan gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Matan tries to break free but Sheapard pushes him back against the cage.
Matan is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Matan tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Matan is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Sheapard is keeping busy.
Matan tries to pull guard but Sheapard holds him up against the cage and eventually Matan drops back down to his feet.

Sheapard's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

German Sheapard showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Nice sprawl there from Sheapard as Matan shoots in.
Sheapard leaves Matan with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Sheapard throws a right and a left that Matan avoids nicely.

Sheapard has closed the distance and engaged Matan in a clinch.
Sheapard connects with a nasty looking knee right to Matan's face.
Knees to the body from Sheapard.
Matan tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Sheapard just stands there and leans against the cage.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ilan Matan. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Sheapard breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Nice body kick there by Sheapard.
Sheapard lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Sheapard.
Sheapard keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Sheapard looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Matan avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Sheapard tries to clinch there but Matan circles away.
Matan fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

Matan looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Matan 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.

Matan is working for a kimura but Sheapard is defending it quite comfortably.

Matan is working for a submission of some sort.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Matan throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Matan throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

Matan is working for a submission of some sort.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Matan wants to work for an arm triangle but Sheapard is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.

Matan seems to be working for a kimura but Sheapard defends the submission attempt.
Sheapard pushes Matan off looking to stand but Matan dives back in and keeps control.

Matan is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Sheapard is just riding it out for now. Matan eventually gives up the hold.

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.
Sheapard avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Matan.
Sheapard really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Matan. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Sheapard is trying to stand back up but Matan is controlling him

Matan is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

Matan is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Sheapard has managed to free his arm - good work.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to German Sheapard.
I've got Sheapard winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 William Peck scores the fight 26:30
Judge Alec Ball scores the fight 26:30
Judge Yves DeLean scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... German Sheapard!