PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between John Rawls (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Adam Atom (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). I can't wait for this one - let's get the fighter introductions out of the way and get this one started!

Rawls
vs
Atom

178 cm
24
222 lbs
14 - 12 - 0

186 cm
28
211 lbs
15 - 18 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Solid boxing
Very strong

ADCC Champion
Excellent boxer
Powerful

Ruuddawg Clothing Inc.

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 14 - 12 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, John Rawls!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 15 - 18 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Adam Atom!
The judges for this bout are George Francis, Chris Downing and Stewart Dunkirk.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Atom wants to clinch.

Rawls shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Atom napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Atom is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Rawls off and has taken his back!
Atom not allowing Rawls to control his hands.
Atom thows a strike but Rawls uses the opportunity to reverse the position! Great move by Rawls as he ends up in Atom 's guard!
Rawls sitting in guard here, content to control.

Atom isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Rawls stacks Atom on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Rawls!
Rawls has control of an arm but Atom manages to advance to Rawls's back!
Rawls can't escape the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rawls tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Atom looking to ground and pound but Rawls is blocking nicely.
Atom can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Rawls is looking to escape.
Atom sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Atom throws some wild stikes that Rawls manages to avoid easily.

Atom has hold of Rawls's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Rawls manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Atom lands a big elbow.
Atom looking to finish with strikes here!
Rawls is looking to improve his position but Atom isn't that keen on the idea.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Atom looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.

Atom is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Rawls has managed to escape the submission attempt.
Rawls is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Rawls sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Rawls is trying to control but can't.
Atom lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Rawls avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Atom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Atom tries to pass to full mount but Rawls defends it.
Atom trying to control from half guard but Rawls is working away.
Rawls is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.
Atom working Rawls over with strikes.
Rawls wants to improve his position but Atom is controlling well.
Atom is pressing down on Rawls's thigh, looking to free his foot. Rawls is holding on for now.

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.
Atom lands with a punch from half guard.

Atom is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Rawls defends it well.
Rawls is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Rawls is staying active underneath Atom, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Atom not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Rawls gets back to full guard.
Rawls tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Atom has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Atom throwing strikes from guard but Rawls blocks nicely.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Adam Atom dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Atom clobbers Rawls with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Atom throws a nice looking combination but Rawls bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Atom lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Rawls backs up against the cage.
A combination from Rawls does no damage.

Rawls gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.

Rawls is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Atom is aware though and is defending well.
Rawls avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Rawls trying to keep a closed guard but Atom is proving a slippery customer.
Atom in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Atom stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Rawls swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Rawls looking to hit a scissor sweep but Atom is one step ahead there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Atom trying to control the position from guard on top but Rawls is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Rawls is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Atom keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Rawls's head.
Atom trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Atom pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Rawls is keeping the position for now.
Atom won't allow Rawls to sweep him here.
Atom in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Atom working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Atom postures up.
Atom postures up in Rawls's guard and throws a big left but Rawls blocks it.
Rawls looking for a sweep. Not yet Rawls, not yet.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Rawls working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Atom.
Atom looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Atom with a flurry of punches that miss.
Atom scoring with punches to the head and body.
Atom trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Atom with a flurry of punches that miss.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Atom missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Atom pushing down on Rawls's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Rawls manages to get to full guard.
Atom postures up in Rawls's guard and throws a big left but Rawls blocks it.
Atom makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Atom accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Atom postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Rawls keeping moving, preventing Atom from controlling successfully.
Atom postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Atom stands and throws Rawls's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Atom advances to mount.
The referee warns Rawls that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Atom tries to control but Rawls wriggling away.
Atom looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Atom lands a nice shot to the head.
Atom throwing strikes here but Rawls is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Rawls is trying to escape the mount.
Atom tries to control but Rawls wriggling away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Adam Atom 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. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Atom moves into range and connects with a jab.
Rawls takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Atom works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Rawls.
Nice takedown defense from Atom. No joy for Rawls on that attempt.
Rawls throws a half hearted mid kick.
Atom will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Atom throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

Rawls shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Atom trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Atom working a defensive guard here.
Rawls wants to pass the guard but Atom is keeping the position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Atom throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Atom looking to control.
Rawls trying to control the position from guard on top but Atom is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Atom is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Rawls wanted to stand there but Atom had control of the position.
Rawls has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Atom keeping moving, preventing Rawls from controlling successfully.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

Atom has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Rawls can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

Rawls got a little sloppy there for a moment and Atom has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Rawls has managed to get both his arms back between Atom's legs - danger averted.

Atom isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Rawls stacks Atom on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Rawls!
Atom throwing some weak shots from the bottom that do no damage.

Rawls is trying to get an arm triangle but Atom is defending well.
Atom can't do much from the bottom here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Atom manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Atom is stalling here. Rawls is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Atom seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Rawls has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
Atom is looking for a sweep.
Atom manages to get back to half guard.
Rawls sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Atom defending well though.

That's four 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.
Atom gets full guard.
Rawls connects with a couple of short punches.
Adam Atom is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Rawls tries to free his leg and advance position but Atom is retaining full guard.

Atom working for a triangle but Rawls defends it easily.

Atom working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Rawls doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Rawls manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
John Rawls has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Rawls throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Adam Atom.
Well Atom 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 George Francis scores the fight 27:30
Judge Chris Downing scores the fight 28:30
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Adam Atom!