PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Matty Roberts (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Paul Potts (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.

Roberts
vs
Potts

169 cm
22
164 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

175 cm
18
162 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Intelligent

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Matty Roberts!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Paul Potts!
The judges for this bout are Chris Edwards, Daniel Bishop and Sam Margolis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Potts is looking to clinch.
Potts tries to clinch up.
Roberts pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Roberts fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Potts, pushing him back against the cage.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Potts.
Roberts can't break the clinch.
Potts stalling in the clinch.
Potts trying to stall but Roberts improves his position.
Potts struggles to land a body shot inside as Roberts controls his hands.
Roberts wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

Roberts breaks the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Potts tries to clinch up

and Roberts counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Roberts.
Roberts wants to control from the top but Potts keeps moving.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Potts looking for a sweep. Not yet Potts, not yet.
Potts being controlled here, momentarily.
Potts has control of Roberts's left arm, preventing Roberts from doing any damage.

Roberts drops back looking for a leg! Potts is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Potts manages to kick Roberts off! Roberts jumps back into Potts's guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Potts looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Potts utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Roberts trying to control but Potts is working from the bottom.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Roberts takes the fight into the clinch.
Potts wants to break the clinch but can't.

That's two 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.

Potts breaks the clinch.
Potts throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Roberts sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Some wild striking there from Roberts.
Potts misses with a takedown attempt

and Roberts counters with a nice double leg into side control. Potts won't be happy with that.

Roberts is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Potts has escaped the position, nice work there.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Potts is not content to let Roberts control the position.
Potts gives up the full mount - oops, sloppy defensive grappling there!
Potts is trying to work for a sweep but Roberts has mounted him!
Potts is in all sorts of trouble here.
Potts is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

Roberts is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Potts can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Roberts is breathing heavily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Potts is in all sorts of trouble here.
Potts slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Potts is trying to maintain the position but Roberts is very close to passing his half guard.
Potts blocking the ground and pound attempt from Roberts.
Potts trying to get back to full guard but Roberts takes advantage of the position and moves to full mount!

Roberts has hold of Potts's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Potts manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Potts is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Potts tries to reverse the position but Roberts maintains control.
Roberts lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Potts hang on?
Roberts looking to control and managing it successfully.
Potts is squirming around, avoiding Roberts's attempts to control the action.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Roberts prevents Potts from getting the reversal.
Roberts forces the positional change into back control.
Potts manages to reverse the position and now he's in Roberts's guard. Nice work there by Potts.
Potts wants to control from the top but Roberts keeps moving.
Potts passes easily into side control. Nice work.

Potts tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Potts has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

Potts decides to stand back up. Potts steps back and let's Roberts get back to his feet.
Potts closes this distance looking for a takedown but Roberts circles away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matty Roberts dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Potts throws a shot to the body.
Potts clinches but Roberts breaks the clinch

and Roberts counters by clinching up.

Roberts is fighting off a takedown attempt but Potts is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Roberts to the mat. Roberts regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
Potts slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Roberts is looking for a sweep.
Potts tries to move to mount but Roberts blocks the move with his legs.
Potts is looking to take a break and control but Roberts is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
You can see the frustration on Roberts's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Potts moves into full mount!
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Potts gets to his feet and calls his opponent to stand. Here come the fireworks!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Roberts tries to clinch there but Potts circles away.
Potts shoots and misses
and Roberts counters with a solid body kick.

Roberts gets the takedown into side control.
Potts is looking for a sweep.

Roberts looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Potts is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Roberts in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Potts is trying to control Roberts's posture but Roberts avoids it.
Potts regains half guard.
Potts moves into full guard.
Potts avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Roberts trying to control but Potts is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Potts working for a triangle but Roberts defends it easily.

Potts is looking for a triangle but Roberts pushes his legs off easily.
Roberts tries to free his leg and advance position but Potts is retaining full guard.
Roberts is in close to Potts's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Roberts stays in close to Potts's body and controls the position.

Potts looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Roberts trying to control the position from guard on top but Potts is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Potts looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Roberts is stalling in the full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Roberts tries to free his leg and advance position but Potts is retaining full guard.
Roberts passes Potts's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Matty Roberts overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Roberts seems to be looking for submissions.

Potts is defending against the submission attempts here by Roberts.

Potts looking for submissions off his back.
Potts is not content to let Roberts control the position.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.

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.
Roberts trying to mount his opponent but Potts defends it.

Potts is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Roberts pulls his head out easily.
Potts is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Potts will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Roberts misses with a left hand

and Potts counters with a shoot takedown. Roberts fights it but they end up in guard.

Potts decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Roberts, up you get!
Roberts doesn't manage to clinch there - Potts circles away.
Potts misses with a takedown attempt

and Roberts counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Roberts.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Roberts sitting in guard here, content to control.
Roberts trying to control the position from guard on top but Potts is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Paul Potts will probably get the nod - 10:9.
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. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Potts tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Potts takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Potts tries to clinch
and Roberts counters with a body kick that brings a smile to the face of both fighters.

Potts fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Roberts, pushing him back against the cage.
Potts misses with a hook to the ribs.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Roberts takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Potts wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Potts goes for a body shot but it's blocked.

Potts escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Potts takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Potts tries to clinch
and Roberts counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Roberts lands a glancing blow to the side of Potts's head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Roberts.
Roberts fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Roberts misses with a series of wild punches.
Potts fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Roberts manages to avoid it.
Roberts misses with a body shot

so Potts counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.

Roberts looking for a guillotine here but Potts defends easily.

Roberts working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Potts doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Potts manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Roberts throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Potts forces his way into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Potts passes to full mount!

Potts with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Roberts is looking to get to half guard.
Potts avoids the attempt from Roberts to control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Potts looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Roberts tries to lock up and control but Potts gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Roberts is controlling an arm, preventing Potts from taking his back. Although keeping him in mount is no better to be honest.

Potts goes for an armbar but Roberts turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from Roberts.
Roberts looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Roberts passes into half guard.
Potts has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Roberts is working away from the top position though.
Potts tries to get to full guard but Roberts has control of the leg.
Roberts passes to full mount!
Potts is squirming around, avoiding Roberts's attempts to control the action.
Roberts controlling from the full mount.
Potts is in all sorts of trouble here.

Roberts has control of Potts's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Potts regains control of the situation pretty easily.
Potts is looking to get to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Roberts wants to control the pace but Potts is squirming around nicely.
Roberts lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Potts hang on?
Potts can't escape the position.
Roberts thowing shots but they're missing.
Potts manages to regain half guard. Good work.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Paul Potts.
I think Potts 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 Chris Edwards scores the fight 29:28
Judge Daniel Bishop scores the fight 28:29
Judge Sam Margolis scores the fight 29:29

The fight is ruled a draw!