PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Chris Boche (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mike Bowen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Mike Bowen told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Boche
vs
Bowen

180 cm
22
155 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

168 cm
18
140 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

Good takedowns
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Chris Boche!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Mike Bowen!
The judges for this bout are William Peck, Elvis Blanc and Yves DeLean.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Boche needs to keep his hands up - Bowen had a free shot at his head there.
Bowen tries to clinch up but Boche circles away and keeps his distance.
Bowen is looking to clinch.

Bowen shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.

Bowen got a little sloppy there for a moment and Boche has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Bowen has managed to get both his arms back between Boche's legs - danger averted.
Boche can't keep his opponent in guard - Bowen advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Boche on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Boche tries to get out of the position.
Boche keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.
Bowen tries to stand but his arm is trapped.
Bowen throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Boche keeps control of the position for the meantime.

Bowen is looking for a kimura here.
Boche is looking to improve his position.
Bowen not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Bowen wants to lay and pray for a moment but Boche keeps working.
Bowen prevents Boche from improving his position.

That's two 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.
Bowen tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Boche.
Boche wants to control but Bowen is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Bowen is nestled in close to Boche, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.

Bowen stands up out of the half guard.
Bowen scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Boche misses with a takedown attempt

and Bowen counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Bowen.
Bowen wants to control from the top but Boche keeps moving.
Bowen is fighting to break Boche's control of his arms but Boche is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bowen wanted to stand there but Boche had control of the position.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Bowen postures up.
Boche looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Bowen tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Boche misses with a takedown attempt

and Bowen counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Bowen trying to control the position from guard on top but Boche is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Boche wants to sweep here but Bowen controlling him for the moment.
Boche is breathing heavily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bowen wants to stand but Boche is controlling his posture from full guard.
Bowen trying to control the position from guard on top but Boche is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Bowen might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Boche kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mike Bowen dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Bowen wants to clinch up but Boche keeps it at a distance.
Bowen misses with a jab, cross combination.

Bowen looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Bowen trying to control but Boche is working from the bottom.

Boche is working an open guard so Bowen takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Boche moves away from the strike by Bowen.

Bowen gets a takedown into half guard.
Bowen drops an elbow to the side of Boche's head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bowen is trying to control. Boche wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

Bowen is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Bowen is breathing heavily.
The fighters are battling for position here. Boche manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Boche seems keen to control Bowen's posture.
Boche throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Bowen missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Boche keeping moving, preventing Bowen from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Bowen would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

Mike Bowen has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.

Bowen closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Boche desperately trying to maintain half guard.
Boche trying to control here.

Bowen postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Boche to stand up.
Chris Boche is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fight stays on the outside here - Bowen looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Bowen gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Boche counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Bowen!
Boche controlling the position easily from mount.
Boche with good strikes from the mount here!
Boche landing punches.
Bowen working to try and regain half guard.
Boche takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bowen is wriggling around trying to escape.
Boche avoids the attempt from Bowen to control.
Boche prevents Bowen from getting the reversal.
Boche takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Bowen is trying to stand.
Boche putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
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 Chris Boche will probably get the nod.
That's time! Boche's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. 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.

Boche doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Bowen counters with a nice double leg into side control. Boche won't be happy with that.
Boche gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Boche is trying to control but can't.
Boche is refusing to be controlled, as Bowen sits in half guard.
Boche has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Bowen is working away from the top position though.

Boche looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Mike Bowen has got the better of the ground game so far.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bowen is thwarting Boche's attempts to control the position.
Boche is controlling Bowen's trapped leg to prevent Bowen from advancing to side control.
Boche is trying to control but can't.
Bowen is keen to just control but Boche is a slippery customer.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Boche avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

That's two 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 momentary lapse in concentration from Boche enables Bowen to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Boche manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.

Bowen gets to his feet - Boche follows without any prompting.
Boche circles away from the clinch attempt.

Boche tries to keep at a distance but Bowen has taken the fight into the clinch.
Bowen prevents a takedown attempt there.
Bowen is pressed up against the cage. Boche has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Bowen down to the mat. Bowen avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Chris Boche. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Boche tries for a takedown but Bowen circles away easily

and Bowen counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Boche keeping moving, preventing Bowen from controlling successfully.
Bowen trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bowen trying to control but Boche is working from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Bowen wants to stand but Boche is controlling his posture from full guard.
Bowen trying to control but Boche is working from the bottom.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Mike Bowen.
Bowen moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Bowen throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Mike Bowen seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Boche fails with the takedown

and Bowen decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Boche's guard.
Bowen is fighting to break Boche's control of his arms but Boche is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Bowen postures up.
Bowen trying to control but Boche is working from the bottom.
Bowen must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Boche controls Bowen momentarily but Bowen frees himself.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mike Bowen comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Bowen 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 William Peck scores the fight 28:29
Judge Elvis Blanc scores the fight 28:29
Judge Yves DeLean scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mike Bowen!