PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Paul Whitby (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Take Down (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Whitby comes to the cage accompanied by You Suffer. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Whitby
vs
Down

187 cm
18
218 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

190 cm
20
211 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Good chin

Good wrestler
Brawler
Experienced

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light 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, Paul Whitby!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Take Down!
The judges for this bout are Sam Margolis, Chris Edwards and Andrew Berry.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Whitby closes the distance and clinches up with Down, looking for a takedown. Whitby pushes Down against the cage but Down circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Good exchange - Whitby coming out on top.

Down has managed to clinch.
A shot in the inside from Down.
Whitby tries to land knees in the clinch but Down avoids the damage to the body.

Down successfully pulls guard.
Down is trying to control the position but Whitby postures up.
Down wants to stand and escape but Whitby is having none of it.
Whitby postures up in Down's guard and throws a big left but Down blocks it.

Whitby avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Whitby knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Down on the ground.
Whitby throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Whitby trying to control but Down is working from the bottom.
Down is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Down bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Whitby's guard.
Whitby wants to stand but Down is controlling the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Down works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Down trying to control the action but Whitby is working from the bottom.
Whitby tries to kick Down off but Down keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Down not landing any meaningful shots this time.

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.
Whitby wants to get back to his feet.
Down sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Down looks gassed!
Whitby is trying to stand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Whitby tries to kick Down off in order to stand up. Down Avoids the leg push though and dives into side control.
Down trying to control the action but Whitby is working from the bottom.
Whitby on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Whitby tries to get out of the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Whitby is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Down wants to lay and pray for a moment but Whitby keeps working.
Whitby is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Whitby tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Down counters with a takedown into side control.
Whitby is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Down asserts his dominance and retains side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Take Down dominated that round.
That's time! Whitby's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Whitby lunges at Down with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Down's hand.

It looks like Take Down has been cut.

Down closes the distance and clinches.
Whitby is looking to break free of the clinch but Down has double underhooks.
Down tries a knee to the head but Whitby blocks it.
Down on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Whitby tries to break free but Down pushes him back against the cage.
Whitby lands a knee to the head.
Down managing to block the knees to the body from Whitby.
Whitby is looking to control Down's arms but Down gets an underhook and turns him. Now Whitby has his back to the cage.
Whitby putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Down in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Down prevents a body shot from Whitby.
Whitby managing to block the knees to the body from Down.
Whitby is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Down is defending well for now.
Down has Whitby pressed against the cage.
Down is breathing heavily.
Whitby connects with a nasty looking knee right to Down's face.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Whitby misses with a knee to the head.
A right hook to the body lands for Whitby.
Nice body punch from Whitby - that landed with a thud.
Whitby misses with a knee to the head.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Whitby.
Whitby throws a knee to the head but misses.
Whitby tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Down avoids it.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Whitby wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Whitby tries to land knees in the clinch but Down avoids the damage to the body.
Whitby goes for a body shot but it's blocked.

Down has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Whitby regains guard immediately.
Whitby is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Down is controlling him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Down wants to control from the top but Whitby keeps moving.
Down stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Whitby swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Down looking to sit in guard and control but Whitby gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Whitby trying to control but Down is working from the bottom.
Whitby scoring with some ground and pound.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Whitby wants to clinch but Down slips to the side

and Down counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Down trying to stand up but can't free himself from Whitby's guard.
Down throwing strikes from guard but Whitby blocks nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Whitby pushes Down off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Whitby tries to clinch up.
Whitby jabs at Down's body.

Whitby decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Whitby wants to control but Down is keeping him busy.
Whitby not doing much here.

Whitby is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Down has managed to free his arm - good work.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Paul Whitby will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Take Down's cut.
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!

Whitby tries to clinch but Down moves out of range.

Down closes the distance and clinches.
Whitby is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Whitby has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Whitby is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Down is defending well for now.

Down gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Whitby regains guard.
Whitby wants to stand but Down is controlling the position.

Down gets to his feet - Whitby follows without any prompting.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Down takes a jab right on the kisser.
Whitby stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Whitby looks for a takedown but Down sprawls well.

Whitby feints and as Down raises his hands in defense, Whitby changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Down is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Whitby looking to pass the guard.
Whitby with a flurry of punches that miss.
Down working a defensive guard here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Whitby throws a big right hand that misses.
Down trying to control the position.
Down can't keep his opponent in guard - Whitby advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Down trying to hold on to Whitby's head to control him but Whitby postures up.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Whitby lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Whitby lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Whitby tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Down moves into the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Whitby lands a knee to the body.
Whitby tries to land knees in the clinch but Down avoids the damage to the body.
Whitby working hard to break the clinch.
Down tries for a takedown. No joy.
Whitby landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Whitby is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Whitby unloads a knee to the mid-section. Down lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Whitby struggles to land a body shot inside as Down controls his hands.
Down blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Whitby tries to break the clinch but Down is controlling the position.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Whitby creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.

Down gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Whitby regains guard.
Down won't allow Whitby to get back to his feet.
Down trying to control the position from guard on top but Whitby is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Down is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Whitby is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Down slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.

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 Paul Whitby.
I think Whitby has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 27:30
Judge Chris Edwards scores the fight 29:28
Judge Andrew Berry scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Paul Whitby!