PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Matt Cave (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mike Richardson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Richardson is bouncing up and down as he enters the arena, backed by the hole. Buckle up people - heeeeeeeeeere we go!

Cave
vs
Richardson

170 cm
18
142 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

225 cm
26
135 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

Good takedowns
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Matt Cave!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Mike Richardson!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Cave closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Richardson avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Cave.
Richardson wants to get back to his feet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Cave perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Matt Cave.

Cave drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Cave stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Richardson swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cave slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Cave looking to pass the guard.
Cave is working hard here to advance position.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Matt Cave wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Cave looks for a takedown but Richardson sprawls well.
Cave shoots in for a double leg but Richardson sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Richardson misses with a two punch combination.
Nice takedown defense from Richardson. No joy for Cave on that attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Matt Cave. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Cave tries to clinch up.

Cave closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Cave misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.

Cave decides to stand up, so the ref orders Richardson to his feet.
An inside leg kick from Cave misses.
Richardson tries to clinch up but Cave circles away and keeps his distance.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Richardson gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Cave changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Richardson fights it off and pushes away nicely.
A left and a right from Richardson both land. Nice combination.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Cave.
Richardson moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Richardson fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Cave has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Richardson lands a jab-cross combination.
Cave fails to land the takedown.
Cave fails with the takedown.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Richardson tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Cave paws at him with a jab and circles away.
The fight stays on the outside here - Cave looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Richardson stalks Cave and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Cave's face. Cave staggers backwards, shaken.
Cave lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Richardson circles away quickly and effectively.
Richardson fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Cave has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Cave fails with the takedown.
Richardson moves in looking to clinch but Cave pushes him off.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Cave tries to close the distance and clinch up but Richardson swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Richardson throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matt Cave 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.

Richardson fails with an attempt to clinch.
Cave throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Richardson's waist but Richardson gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Cave off to one side.
Cave slips a jab and a cross from Richardson.
Sloppy strikes from Richardson. Those never looked like landing.
Cave goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Richardson doesn't manage to clinch there - Cave circles away.
Cave shoots for a takedown but Richardson saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Cave tries to clinch up.
Richardson with a jab.

Cave shoots in and bounces Richardson off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Cave has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Richardson is proving hard to escape from.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cave is stalling in the full guard.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.

Matt Cave has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Cave pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Matt Cave is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Cave dives in and grabs Richardson's left leg, looking for a takedown. Richardson pushes down on Cave's head and hops out.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Matt Cave. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Richardson stuffs the takedown.
Cave will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Cave looking to score a takedown here. Richardson is defending well but Cave drives through and ends up in Richardson's guard.
Cave is looking to work some ground and pound but Richardson has wrist control.
Cave seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.

Cave is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Richardson is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Richardson has escaped and now he's on top!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cave looking for a sweep. Not yet Cave, not yet.
Richardson is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Richardson tries to stand but Cave is controlling from the bottom.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Matt Cave just wasn't active enough.
Cave misses with a series of wild punches.
Cave looks for a takedown but Richardson sprawls well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Cave throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Richardson stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Cave circles away from the clinch attempt.
Richardson moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Richardson is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Cave on the wrong end of a nice jab.

Cave shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Cave showed some decent athleticism there.
Matt Cave overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Cave tries to pass to full mount but Richardson defends it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matt Cave dominated that second 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. This is the final round!

Cave shoots in for a takedown but Richardson shows good takedown defense.
Nice body kick from Richardson.
Cave looks for a takedown but Richardson sprawls well.
Cave swats away the attempt to clinch by Richardson.
Richardson keeps the fight on the outside.

Richardson tries to sprawl but Cave drives through with a takedown into half guard.

Cave stands up out of the half guard.
Richardson throws a head kick that Cave semi-blocks.

It looks like Matt Cave has been cut.
Cave fails in his attempt to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cave fails in his attempt to clinch.
Mike Richardson seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Richardson tries to clinch up.
Cave takes a swing at Richardson's ribcage but misses.
Richardson throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Cave.
Richardson keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Matt Cave. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Cave takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Cave is looking to clinch.

Cave changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Richardson looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Cave is looking to take a break and control but Richardson is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Cave stands up and we're back to a striking position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Cave shoots in but no luck this time.
Richardson moves in looking to clinch but Cave pushes him off.
Cave tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Richardson manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Richardson wants to clinch.
Cave circles away from the clinch attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Richardson gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Richardson breaks from the clinch.
Richardson fails with an attempt to clinch.
Cave closes the distance and clinches up with Richardson, looking for a takedown. Cave pushes Richardson against the cage but Richardson circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Richardson looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Richardson connects with a high kick.
The fight stays on the outside here - Cave looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Cave decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Richardson avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Cave.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Cave decides to stand and escape the position.
Cave takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.

Cave moves into the clinch successfully.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Richardson breaks from the clinch.
Cave tries to clinch up.
Richardson tries to clinch but Cave moves out of range.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Cave keeps the fight on the outside.
Mike Richardson has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Matt Cave is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Cave shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Cave showed some decent athleticism there.

And that's the end of the fight!
Matt Cave showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Cave, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 30:27
Judge Gordon Ramsey scores the fight 30:27
Judge Frank Skinner scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Matt Cave!