PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Frankie Botha (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Andrew Spencer (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Frankie Botha has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Botha
vs
Spencer

190 cm
22
225 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

194 cm
22
265 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Determined

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, Frankie Botha!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Andrew Spencer!
The judges for this bout are James Glass, James Ackerman and William Gold.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Botha throws a quick inside leg kick.
A leg kick checked by Spencer.
Botha misses with a series of wild punches.
Botha misses with a jab, cross combination.
Spencer changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Botha tries to avoid it but Spencer manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Botha to the ground. Botha escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Spencer avoids a lazy jab quite easily.

Botha closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Botha tries to stand but his arm is trapped.
Spencer is looking to improve his position.
Botha thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Spencer's head.
Botha throws a strike but Spencer avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Botha tries to free his leg and advance position but Spencer is retaining full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Spencer is on top in guard.
Spencer trying to control the position from guard on top but Botha is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Spencer pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Botha is keeping the position for now.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Botha striking off his back but it's not causing Spencer any problems.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Botha trying to keep a closed guard but Spencer is proving a slippery customer.

Botha is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Spencer looks gassed!
Spencer wants to control from the top but Botha keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Botha controls Spencer momentarily but Spencer frees himself.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Spencer drives through and clinches with Botha against the cage.

Spencer has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Botha uses from the top position.

Botha decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Botha misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Good leg kick by Botha there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Botha clobbers Spencer with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Botha misses with a head kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Botha darts in and clinches Spencer up against the cage.
Botha tries for a takedown but Spencer manages to get underhooks.
Spencer should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
Spencer crunches a lovely knee into Botha's ribcage.
Botha looking for a takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Frankie Botha. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Botha fails to pull guard.
Spencer can't get the takedown.
Spencer trying to land knees to the body.
Botha has Spencer pressed against the cage.
Spencer tries to pull guard but Botha holds him up against the cage and eventually Spencer drops back down to his feet.

Spencer has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Botha uses from the top position.
Botha wanted to stand there but Spencer had control of the position.
Spencer pulls Botha in close to his closed guard and prevents Botha from doing any damage or advancing position.
Botha is looking to work some ground and pound but Spencer has wrist control.

The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Botha stands and steps away. Spencer gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Botha throws and low kick but Spencer moves out of range easily.
Botha shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Spencer counters by moving into the clinch.
Spencer unloads a knee to the mid-section. Botha lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Botha with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Botha is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Spencer pulls him back up using the underhooks.

Botha breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Botha scoring well with a low kick there.
Botha looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Botha misses with a double jab

and Spencer counters with a shoot takedown. Botha fights it but they end up in guard.
Botha has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Botha wants to stand but Spencer is controlling the position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Spencer preventing the sweep.
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 Frankie Botha will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Botha has his takedown stuffed

and Spencer moves into the clinch.
Botha looking to throw knees to the head but Spencer is blocking nicely.
Spencer tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Botha just stands there and leans against the cage.
A knee to the head by Spencer.
Botha is looking to break free of the clinch but Spencer has double underhooks.
Botha takes an elbow to the forehead.
Spencer throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Botha misses with a short punch on the inside.
Spencer keeps control of Botha as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Botha prevents the takedown attempt.
Botha is looking to control Spencer's arms but Spencer gets an underhook and turns him. Now Botha has his back to the cage.
Botha wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Botha looking for a takedown.
Spencer comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.

Botha breaks from the clinch.
Botha has his takedown stuffed

and Spencer counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Spencer.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Frankie Botha. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Botha misses with a punch to the body.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Botha wants to get back to striking at distance but Spencer won't allow it.
Spencer blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

Spencer has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Botha regains guard immediately.
Botha wants to stand but Spencer is controlling the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Spencer sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Botha wants to sweep here but Spencer controlling him for the moment.
Spencer works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Botha looks like he's trying to stand up.

That's two 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.
Botha is looking to get back to is feet but Spencer passes into side control.
Botha is pushing Spencer's head away, looking to escape. Spencer manages to hold on to the position though.
Botha tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Botha tries to escape but Spencer is in control.
Botha is not content to let Spencer control the position.
Botha wants to get back to his feet.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Botha throws a nice outside leg kick.

Botha drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.

Spencer escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Botha gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Spencer is controlling Botha's posture.
Botha wanted to stand there but Spencer had control of the position.
Spencer is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Botha wants to stand and escape but instead Spencer has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.

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.
Spencer prevents Botha from getting back to his feet.
Spencer sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Botha's guard.

Botha kicks Spencer off and gets back to his feet.
Botha is looking to slow Spencer down with leg kicks.
Botha looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Frankie Botha is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Excellent takedown into side control there by Spencer.
Spencer is looking to take a break and control but Botha is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Andrew Spencer 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!

Botha shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Botha was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Botha thowing shots but they're missing.
Spencer is looking to get to half guard.
Botha wants to control the pace but Spencer is squirming around nicely.
Andrew Spencer has got the better of the ground game so far.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Botha jumps to the side looking to secure the arm triangle…. Ooooh, that looks tight… Spencer is gargling but he's managed to escape! Nice work there by Spencer and Botha has given up the dominant position trying to land that submission.
Botha is looking to take a break and control but Spencer is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Spencer taking a bit of punishment here - Botha scoring with strikes.
Spencer is trying to get back to half guard.
Botha staying calm.
Spencer trying to control but Botha flips him over like a cheap hooker and has his back!
Botha struggling to keep hold of the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Botha doesn't have the hooks in and Spencer manages to turn into his guard.
Spencer controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Let's hope that Spencer has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Botha is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Spencer is controlling him.
Spencer stands and throws Botha's legs to the side, diving into side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Botha is being controlled here.
Spencer's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Botha wants to get back to his feet.
Botha is trying to improve his position.
Spencer in side control, just content to control the action for now.

Spencer has an Americana. Botha didn't react quickly enough there and he's in big trouble now! He tries to squirm out but is forced to tap! Spencer is delighted and gyrates infront of the ring girls. They seem to like the attention - it'll be interesting to see if Spencer hooks up with any of them at the after show party.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:01 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Americana). Andrew Spencer!