PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Mac Darko (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and James Stevens (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Stevens comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Enter Sandman kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Stevens has a niggling injury. He would have liked to come in 100% fit but that's not always possible. Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Darko
vs
Stevens

188 cm
20
178 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

179 cm
23
170 lbs
4 - 6 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Mac Darko!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, James Stevens!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Stevens shoots in for a double leg but Darko sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Stevens lands with a kick to the temple. Darko shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"

It looks like Mac Darko has been cut.
Stevens throws a right hand that Darko ducks under and follows up with a left that Darko also avoids with ease.
Stevens looks gassed!
Darko shoots in looking for a takedown. Stevens tries to sprawl out of it but Darko keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Stevens manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Stevens looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
No luck for Darko with that takedown attempt.
Stevens defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Darko.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mac Darko. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Stevens takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Stevens throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Darko.
Stevens throws a sloppy head kick and Darko moves out of range easily.
Stevens pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Darko closes the distance and clinches up with Stevens, looking for a takedown. Darko pushes Stevens against the cage but Stevens circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Darko avoids a punch combination nicely.
Darko tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Stevens paws at him with a jab and circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Darko tries to clinch up.
Stevens throws a right and a left that Darko avoids nicely.
Stevens swats away the attempt to clinch by Darko.
Darko closes this distance looking for a takedown but Stevens circles away.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Darko.
Darko with a poor takedown
and Stevens counters with a stiff right hand.
Darko misses with a takedown attempt
and Stevens counters with a two punch combo.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Darko is defended easily by Stevens.
Darko moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.

Darko tries to sprawl but Stevens drives through with a takedown into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Darko is trying to stand.
Stevens throwing shots but Darko is blocking nicely.
Darko keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Darko looks like he's trying to stand up.
Stevens throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Darko trying to control here.
Stevens throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Stevens thows a big elbow that misses, also allowing Darko to regain full guard.
Stevens trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Darko is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Darko avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Stevens loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Darko preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Stevens prevents Darko from getting back to his feet.
Stevens wants to control from the top but Darko keeps moving.
Stevens stops Darko from standing up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Stevens working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Stevens looking to pass the guard.
Darko has a closed guard, preventing Stevens from standing up.
Darko avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Stevens throws and elbow that misses. Darko uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Stevens's guard. Nice move by Darko!
Darko trying to control the position from guard on top but Stevens is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Stevens can do anything to dispel that myth.
Stevens wants to stand up but Darko is controlling him.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James Stevens dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Mac Darko's cut.
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.

Stevens throws a hook but Darko avoids it easily.
Darko throws a big shot that misses.
Darko dodges the punch combination from Stevens.
Stevens leaves Darko with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
No luck for Darko with that takedown attempt.
Darko tries to close the distance and clinch but Stevens swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Darko fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mac Darko. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Stevens misses with a low kick.
Stevens tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Stevens keeps the fight on the outside.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Stevens rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Darko moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Darko fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Darko changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Stevens tries to avoid it but Darko manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Stevens to the ground. Stevens escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Stevens lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Stevens fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Darko tries for a takedown but Stevens sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Some wild striking there from Stevens.
Stevens avoids a punch combination nicely.
James Stevens seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Stevens throws a series of punches but Darko moves out of range.

That's two 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.
Stevens rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Darko moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Stevens swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Darko counters with a nice uppercut.
Stevens thows a leg kick but Darko checks it
and Darko counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Stevens is looking to land body kicks.
Darko with a hook.
Darko shoots for a double leg takedown but Stevens sprawls well. He's pushed Darko's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Stevens works Darko's body with a nice hook.

Stevens moves into the clinch.
Darko can't break the clinch.

Stevens pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Stevens stuffs the takedown.
Stevens throws a right and a left that Darko avoids nicely.
Darko blocks a head kick by Stevens.
Darko steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Stevens.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Darko shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Stevens counters with a one-two to the body.
Stevens throws a right and a left that both miss.
Stevens keeps the fight on the outside.
Horrible takedown by Stevens or perhaps it was just good defense by Darko which made him look bad.
Darko throws a series of punches but Stevens avoids them all with ease.
Stevens scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Darko looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Stevens misses with a jab, cross combination.
Stevens tries a head kick but it misses.
Darko gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Stevens counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Stevens misses with the combination.
Stevens slaps away a takedown attempt from Darko, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Jab, jab by Stevens - just one landing.
Darko shoots for a double leg takedown but Stevens sprawls well. He's pushed Darko's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

Stevens gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Stevens has picked Darko up - he's going for a ride! Stevens dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.

Stevens is actively looking for submissions here but good counter grappling here from Darko as he works his way to full guard.
Stevens throwing strikes from guard but Darko blocks nicely.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James Stevens showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Mac Darko's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're 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.

Stevens swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Darko shoots in and drives through. Stevens sprawls well.
Stevens lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Darko fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Stevens stalks Darko and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Darko's face. Darko staggers backwards, shaken.
Stevens fails to land with a series of punches.
Stevens avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Darko scores with a one two! Stevens had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Stevens throws a sloppy head kick and Darko moves out of range easily.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Nice takedown defense from Darko. No joy for Stevens on that attempt.
Stevens avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Stevens looks to land a combination but Darko avoids it well.
Stevens throws a left and a right that both miss
and Darko connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Stevens lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Darko tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Stevens wants to slow Darko down by chopping away at his legs.
Darko slips a jab and a cross from Stevens.
Stevens goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Darko closes this distance looking for a takedown but Stevens circles away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mac Darko. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Good exchange - Stevens coming out on top.
A nice inside leg kick there by Stevens. That's going to slow Darko down.
Darko lands a nice hook to Stevens's body. Stevens takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Mac Darko is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Stevens throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Darko throws a right hand that misses
and Stevens counters with a one-two to the body.
Stevens closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Stevens stuffs the takedown attempt from Darko. Darko gets slowly back to his feet.

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.
Darko gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Stevens counters with a left and a right that stings Darko.
Darko throws a right hand that Stevens ducks under and follows up with a left that Stevens also avoids with ease.
Stevens swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Darko has a takedown stuffed.

Stevens forces Darko back against the cage and clinches.
Darko stalling in the clinch but Stevens improves position.

Stevens breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
A combination from Stevens does no damage.
Darko is looking to clinch but Stevens is avoiding it.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Darko.
Stevens misses with a jab, cross combination.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Darko will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Stevens pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Stevens throws a right and a left that Darko avoids nicely.
Darko tries to clinch there but Stevens circles away.
Stevens tried to score with a low kick but Darko checks it.
Darko tries to clinch but Stevens moves out of range.
Darko fails with the takedown.
Darko has his takedown stuffed
and Stevens counters with a straight right hand.
Stevens tried to score with a low kick but Darko checks it.
Darko tries to close the distance and clinch but Stevens swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Stevens works over Darko's head and body with a nice combination.

That's four 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.
Stevens moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.

Darko pushes Stevens up against the cage in a clinch.
Darko is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Darko misses with a knee to the head.

Darko has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Stevens uses from the top position.
Stevens lands a couple of digs.
Darko wants to stand up but Stevens is controlling him.
Stevens throwing strikes but missing.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Stevens loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Mac Darko has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
James Stevens is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Darko avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

And that's the end of the fight!
James Stevens comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Stevens 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 Andi Peters scores the fight 27:30
Judge Gordon Ramsey scores the fight 27:30
Judge Frank Skinner scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... James Stevens!