PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Stu Grounder (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Michael Liddell (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Liddell has chosen The Viper vs. DJ Mad-E-Fact - Control The Party as his entrance music. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Grounder
vs
Liddell

175 cm
20
142 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

193 cm
20
140 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Basic striking
Self confident

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent knees
Determined

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 Montreal, Stu Grounder!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Michael Liddell!
The judges for this bout are Ian Loll, Yves DeLean and Robert Douchet.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Liddell fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Grounder fails with an attempt to clinch.

Grounder gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Grounder digs a right hand underneath Liddell's ribcage. Liddell let out a lung full of air as it connected.
A right handed body shot lands from Grounder.
Liddell can't break the clinch.
Grounder is leaning against Liddell and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Liddell wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

Grounder successfully pulls guard.
Liddell stopping the sweep attempt from Grounder.
Grounder is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Liddell is controlling him.
Grounder knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Liddell on the ground.
Grounder looking to hit a scissor sweep but Liddell is one step ahead there.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Grounder holds on and takes a little breather.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Grounder wants to sweep but no luck.
Grounder wants to stand and escape but Liddell is having none of it.
Liddell tries to free his leg and advance position but Grounder is retaining full guard.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Liddell trying to control but Grounder is working from the bottom.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Liddell tries for a takedown but Grounder sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Liddell is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

Grounder shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Grounder showed some decent athleticism there.
Grounder thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Liddell's head.
Liddell wants to control but Grounder is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Liddell looks gassed!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Grounder takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
It looks like Grounder is going to stand back up.
Grounder content to control rather than advance.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Grounder tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Liddell.
Grounder takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Liddell is trying to maintain the position but Grounder is very close to passing his half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Grounder is looking for the mount but instead finds himself back in full guard.
Grounder tries to free his leg and advance position but Liddell is retaining full guard.
Liddell controls Grounder momentarily but Grounder frees himself.
Grounder wants to stand but Liddell has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Grounder bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Grounder wants to lay and pray for a moment but Liddell keeps working.
Liddell is trying to improve his position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Grounder stands up.

Grounder looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Grounder postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Grounder controlling from the top position.
Liddell has a closed guard, preventing Grounder from standing up.
Grounder is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Stu Grounder dominated that round.
That's time! Grounder's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Liddell avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Grounder throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

Grounder scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Grounder looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Grounder sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Grounder seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Liddell for as long as he can get away with.
Grounder working to pass to mount. He's got his hand pressing down on Liddell's thigh. Liddell counters though and makes it back to full guard.
Liddell is breathing heavily.
Grounder controls from within his opponent's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Liddell looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Grounder controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Grounder throws a big right hand that misses.
Grounder 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.
Liddell keeping moving, preventing Grounder from controlling successfully.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Stu Grounder just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Liddell has his takedown stuffed

and Grounder counters by moving into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Liddell tries to pull guard but Grounder holds him up against the ropes and eventually Liddell drops back down to his feet.
Grounder scores with a shoulder strike.
Liddell wants to get back to striking at distance but Grounder won't allow it.
Liddell avoiding damage as Grounder throws knees to the body.
Grounder is looking for a takedown up against the ropes. Liddell gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Good body shot from Grounder.

Grounder breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Liddell fails with the takedown

and Grounder counters with a single leg into guard. Liddell didn't expect that.
Stu Grounder has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Michael Liddell.
Grounder stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Liddell swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Liddell has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Grounder controls from within his opponent's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Grounder trying to control the position from guard on top but Liddell is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Grounder stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Liddell swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Grounder trying to stand up but can't free himself from Liddell's guard.
Grounder wants to control from the top but Liddell keeps moving.
Liddell is trying to control the position but Grounder postures up.

That's four 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.
Grounder wants to control from the top but Liddell keeps moving.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Liddell tries for a takedown but Grounder circles away easily

and Grounder counters with a nice double leg into side control. Liddell won't be happy with that.
Liddell manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Grounder is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Liddell is looking to take a break and control but Grounder is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Grounder is looking to escape.
Grounder is not content to let Liddell control the position.
Grounder is controlling Liddell's trapped leg to prevent Liddell from advancing to side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Stu Grounder dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Grounder takes the fight into the clinch.
Liddell tries a knee to the head but Grounder blocks it.
Liddell tries to pull guard but Grounder holds him up against the ropes and eventually Liddell drops back down to his feet.

Grounder breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Grounder misses with a series of wild punches.
Liddell tries to clinch but Grounder moves out of range.
Grounder fails in his attempt to clinch.

Grounder gets a takedown into half guard.
Grounder is trying to control the action in half guard but Liddell is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Grounder missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Grounder wants to stand but his hand is trapped. Liddell uses the opportunity to regain full guard.
Grounder trying to control the position from guard on top but Liddell is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Grounder is looking to stand up but Liddell won't let him.
Grounder looking to pass the guard.

Grounder avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Liddell looking to control.
Grounder tries to stand but Liddell is controlling from the bottom.
Grounder looking to sit in guard and control but Liddell gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Grounder might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Grounder is pulling down on Liddell's head to control his posture.
Grounder looking for a sweep. Not yet Grounder, not yet.
Liddell being controlled here momentarily.
Liddell stops Grounder from standing up.
Liddell is fighting to break Grounder's control of his arms but Grounder is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Grounder tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Grounder wants to stand up but Liddell is controlling him.
Liddell looking to pass the guard.
Liddell won't allow Grounder to get back to his feet.
Liddell stands and throws Grounder's legs to the side, diving into side control.

Liddell stands up and we're back to a striking position.
Grounder tries to bum rush Liddell with a series of wild strikes but Liddell uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Grounder fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

Grounder decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

Liddell looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Grounder stalling.
Grounder tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Liddell.
Grounder looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Grounder performing his best blanket impression for a moment.

And that's the end of the fight!
Stu Grounder showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Grounder has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Ian Loll scores the fight 30:27
Judge Yves DeLean scores the fight 30:27
Judge Robert Douchet scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Stu Grounder!