PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Derek James (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bubba Ray Bishop (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). James comes to the cage accompanied by Fade To Black. Both fighter's entrance songs getting the crowd jumping here.

James
vs
Ray Bishop

188 cm
24
193 lbs
7 - 5 - 0

180 cm
22
190 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Heavy handed

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 7 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Derek James!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Bubba Ray Bishop!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, Stewart Dunkirk and Wesley Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
James throws a right and a left that both miss.
James throws a right and a left that both miss.
James misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Bishop keeps the fight on the outside.
Bishop jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Bishop ducks down and throws a hook to the body but James moves away.
James steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Bishop.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bishop misses with a double jab.
James wants to clinch up but Bishop keeps it at a distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A telegraphed right hand from Bishop misses the target.
James throws a head kick but Bishop moves out of range.
James tries to clinch but Bishop is having none of it.
Both fighters are looking to counter, which isn't making for the most exciting fight in the world.
A head kick misses from Bishop.
James ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
James scores with a head kick.

It looks like Bubba Ray Bishop has been cut.
Bishop is looking to chop away at James's legs.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bishop connects with a good right hand that stumbles James. James circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Bishop takes a shot to the body in his stride.
James throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Bishop.
James connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Bishop throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and James counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Bishop is lucky that one didn't land flush.
This has been an exciting period of action!
James defending well as Bishop loads up on a big left hand.
Bishop avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nice defenses there by James.
A jab from Bishop misses.
Bishop throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Bishop throws a hook but James blocks it.
James is looking to clinch but Bishop is avoiding it.
A head kick misses from James.
Bishop is really struggling to land any decent head shots against his taller opponent.
James slips under a jab from Bishop.

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.
A jab from Bishop misses.
A head kick misses from James.
Bishop keeps the fight on the outside.
Nice straight punches there by Bishop. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Bishop.
Bishop takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
James fails to land with a series of punches.
James connects with a solid leg kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Derek James dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Bubba Ray Bishop's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

A swing and a miss from Bishop.
James tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Bishop thows a body shot but no joy.
Bishop throws a right and a left that James avoids nicely.
Bishop goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
James scores with a leg kick.
Bishop throws a right and a left that James avoids nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bishop misses with a hook to the body
and James counters with a straight right hand.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Bishop crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from James - the referee stops the clock and Bishop gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says James. Bishop manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
Derek James is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Bishop is breathing heavily.
James throws a head kick but Bishop moves out of range.
James moves out of range as Bishop strikes.
James tries to close the distance and clinch up but Bishop swats him away and circles back towards the center.
James misses the jab.
Bishop circles away from the clinch attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
James lands a head kick!

That has opened up Bubba Ray Bishop's cut even more.
Bishop misses with a hook. James ducked under it nicely.
Bishop throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
A slow jab from Bishop misses its intended target.
James uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Bishop.
James connects with a single shot there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bishop pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
James throws a sloppy head kick and Bishop moves out of range easily.
The fight stays on the outside here - James looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
James feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Bishop's calf.

James rushes Bishop and presses him up against the cage.
James content to slow the pace in the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A frustrated look appears on Bishop's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Knees in the clinch landing for James.
James throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Bishop misses with some punches.
James taking a breather.
James using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
James connects with a knee to the head.
James with an attempt at a knee that misses.

Bishop has dropped down and is working for a takedown. James is trying to keep an underhook but Bishop manages to get the takedown into half guard.
Bishop tries to stand but can't do so whilst James controls his leg.
James is trying to stand up here but Bishop is controlling him well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Derek James dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Bubba Ray Bishop's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Bishop throws a jab when James was well out of range.
James wants to clinch.
Bishop cracks James with a right hand to the side of the head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
James misses with a looping right.
James dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Bishop. That did some damage!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bishop throws the left hand but James avoids the punch easily.
James tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Bishop paws at him with a jab and circles away.
James fails with an attempt to clinch.
Donk. Bishop catches James right on the button with a cross.
James tries to clinch there but Bishop circles away.
Bishop lands a right hook to the body.
Bishop swats away the attempt to clinch by James.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bishop throws a leg kick
and Bishop takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Bishop throws a hook to the side of James's head but James sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Derek James is winning the standup battle so far.
James cracks Bishop with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Bishop misses with a leg kick
and Bishop takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
James misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Bishop misses with a straight right.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
James misses with a head kick.
James throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Bishop swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Bubba Ray Bishop has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
The fighters circling - Bishop throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Bishop throws a big shot that misses.
James cracks the inside of Bishop's front leg.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Bishop ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Bishop takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
James throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Bishop.
Bishop chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before James can pounce on him.
Bishop throws a hook but James blocks it.
James ducks under a wild hook from Bishop.
The fight stays on the outside here - James looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

And that's the end of the fight!
Derek James showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for James, 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 Daniel Franklin scores the fight 30:27
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 30:27
Judge Wesley Smith scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Derek James!