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PBP Commentary |
Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Nathan Welbeck (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Chael Sonnen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The atmosphere really building for this one as we go over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!
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| 185 cm
19
160 lbs
1 - 0 - 0 |
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187 cm
23
165 lbs
0 - 0 - 0 |
BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin |
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BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Determined |
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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
1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Nathan Welbeck!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of
0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Chael Sonnen!
The judges for this bout are James Ackerman, Chris Edwards and Donald Grub.
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sonnen changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Welbeck looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Sonnen working the head with strikes.
Welbeck manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Sonnen throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Welbeck seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Sonnen does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Sonnen really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Welbeck. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Sonnen tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Sonnen throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Sonnen can do anything to dispel that myth.
Sonnen is on the bottom, trying to hold on to half guard. He's throwing a few small shots here, to keep his opponent honest.
Welbeck is looking to take a break and control but Sonnen is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Sonnen actively working from the bottom here.
Sonnen is looking for a sweep. Welbeck is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Sonnen shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Welbeck manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Welbeck is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Sonnen throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Sonnen chips away with some ground and pound.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Sonnen accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sonnen avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Welbeck utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Sonnen with a flurry of punches that miss.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Welbeck working a defensive guard here.
Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Sonnen gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Sonnen looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Welbeck puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Sonnen is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Welbeck scores with a couple of nice shots.
Sonnen throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Sonnen is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Welbeck scores with a couple of nice shots.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sonnen throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Sonnen misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Welbeck is breathing heavily.
Sonnen tries to get to full guard but Welbeck has control of the leg.
Sonnen looking for submissions off his back.
The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Welbeck fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Sonnen scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Welbeck is working to avoid the ground and pound but Sonnen connects with a decent elbow.
Welbeck throws a couple of strikes even though he's not really in a good position to do so.
Welbeck wants to control but Sonnen postures up.
Welbeck is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Welbeck has hold of Sonnen's hands but Sonnen slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Sonnen slips a nice elbow through Welbeck's hands, connecting with Welbeck's forehead.
Welbeck moves into full guard.
Sonnen is looking to work some ground and pound but Welbeck has wrist control.
Sonnen with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Sonnen postures up and lands a big shot to Welbeck's brow.
Welbeck is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Sonnen content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Sonnen preventing the sweep.
Sonnen lands a couple of digs.
Sonnen is in close to Welbeck's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Sonnen must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Welbeck is trying to control the position but Sonnen postures up.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sonnen lands a couple of digs.
Sonnen lands a couple of elbows.
Sonnen landing some decent shots from guard.
Welbeck tries to strike from the bottom.
Welbeck is looking for a triangle but Sonnen pushes his legs off easily.
Sonnen passes Welbeck's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Sonnen connects with a nice short shot to Welbeck's temple.
Sonnen landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Sonnen prevents Welbeck from improving his position.
Sonnen looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Welbeck with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.
Chael Sonnen dominated that round.
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.
Welbeck throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Sonnen changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Welbeck looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Welbeck defending against the ground and pound.
Welbeck struggling a bit here.
Welbeck sneaks out the side door and pushes Sonnen away - he's back to his feet. The crowd show their appreciation for the escape.
Sonnen scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Sonnen working the head with strikes.
Welbeck is trying to get back to half guard.
Sonnen cracks Welbeck with a big right hand but Welbeck just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Welbeck is trying to improve his position.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Sonnen in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Welbeck is pushing Sonnen's head away, looking to escape. Sonnen manages to hold on to the position though.
Welbeck taking punishment in the form of punches.
Welbeck is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Welbeck can't do much from the bottom here.
Welbeck taking a bit of punishment here - Sonnen scoring with strikes.
Welbeck taking punishment in the form of punches.
Sonnen cracks Welbeck with a big right hand but Welbeck just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Sonnen working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Sonnen cracks Welbeck with a big right hand but Welbeck just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Chael Sonnen has got the better of the ground game so far.
Sonnen lands a nice forearm strike.
Welbeck is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Sonnen's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Welbeck wants to get back to his feet.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Welbeck regains full guard. Nicely done.
Welbeck trying to control the position.
Sonnen keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Welbeck's head.
Sonnen is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Sonnen landing with the ground and pound.
Sonnen is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Welbeck is trying to keep Sonnen in close.
Welbeck is really struggling to control Sonnen but he's trying to hold on to the position.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Sonnen closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Welbeck taking a bit of punishment here - Sonnen scoring with strikes.
Welbeck is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Sonnen throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Sonnen missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Welbeck is looking to improve his position.
Welbeck makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Welbeck.
Sonnen connects with a couple of short punches.
Sonnen trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Welbeck is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Sonnen scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sonnen throwing strikes from guard but Welbeck blocks nicely.
Sonnen missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Welbeck throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Sonnen postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Sonnen scores a takedown into full mount!
A nice elbow there by Sonnen.
Sonnen in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Sonnen fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.
Chael Sonnen 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. 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.
Sonnen shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Sonnen is working Welbeck over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Welbeck controls Sonnen momentarily but Sonnen frees himself.
Sonnen is looking to work some ground and pound but Welbeck has wrist control.
Sonnen throws and elbow that misses. Welbeck uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Sonnen's guard. Nice move by Welbeck!
Welbeck wants to control from the top but Sonnen keeps moving.
Welbeck throwing strikes but missing.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Welbeck working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Sonnen striking off his back but it's not causing Welbeck any problems.
It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Sonnen shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Welbeck trying to hold on to Sonnen's head to control him but Sonnen postures up.
Welbeck taking some punishment here, with Sonnen in his half guard.
Sonnen working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Sonnen drops an elbow to the side of Welbeck's head.
Sonnen throwing shots but Welbeck is blocking nicely.
Welbeck is looking to improve his position.
Welbeck is trying to maintain the position but Sonnen is very close to passing his half guard.
The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Sonnen gets the takedown into side control.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sonnen landing a few strikes.
Welbeck tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Sonnen wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Sonnen scores with a couple of short elbows.
Welbeck is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Sonnen's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Sonnen misses with a head shot. Welbeck uses the momentum to regain guard.
Sonnen lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Sonnen's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Sonnen lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Welbeck looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Welbeck is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sonnen tries to roll over but Welbeck keeps him under control.
Welbeck wants to control but Sonnen is keeping him busy.
Sonnen landing small, sideways elbows.
Welbeck is looking to take a break and control but Sonnen is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Welbeck is trying to work for a kimura but Sonnen is defending well.
Sonnen tries to roll over but Welbeck keeps him under control.
Sonnen punching from the bottom.
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.
Sonnen misses with some strikes from the bottom.
The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Sonnen doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Welbeck counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Sonnen!
Welbeck working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Nathan Welbeck has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Sonnen has decided that throwing punches whilst being mounted is the best he can manage just now.
Welbeck trying to control but Sonnen is having none of it.
Sonnen throwing hammer fists to the chest of Welbeck. What's that going to do exactly?
Chael Sonnen is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Sonnen regains half guard.
And that's the end of the fight!
Chael Sonnen comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Sonnen has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 James Ackerman scores the fight 27:30
Judge Chris Edwards scores the fight 27:30
Judge Donald Grub scores the fight 27:30
In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Chael Sonnen!
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| S |
C
A |
G |
S |
C
B |
G |
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C |
G |
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energy
A | B |
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hype
A | B |
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pop
A | B |
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mgr
A | B |
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FIGHT
RATING
71% |
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