PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Wesley Templar (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Michael Eldridge (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Michael Eldridge is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Templar
vs
Eldridge

191 cm
20
209 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

188 cm
24
220 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
World class boxer
Cardio machine

BJJ Blue Belt
Good elbows
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Wesley Templar!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, Michael Eldridge!
The judges for this bout are Steven Brown, Paul Tew and Sam Margolis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Templar misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Eldridge.
Eldridge dips to his left and cracks Templar with an uppercut!
Templar checks a leg kick.
Eldridge looks to score with a jab to the body but Templar is just out of range.
Templar tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Eldridge was well out of range. Poor timing from Templar.
Templar throws a lazy right hand but Eldridge sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Eldridge throws a nice outside leg kick.
A looping hook to the body misses from Templar. Eldridge does a little dance to reset his feet.
Templar lands a jab to the head.
Templar scores with a nice head shot.
Eldridge throws a leg kick that misses.

Templar gets in close and instigates a clinch.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Eldridge misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Templar.
Nice body punch from Eldridge - that landed with a thud.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Templar.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Templar gets a warning from the ref for wasting time.
Eldridge is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Eldridge trying to control the position but instead, Templar has worked for underhooks and has pushed Eldridge into the cage.
Eldridge tries to land knees in the clinch but Templar avoids the damage to the body.
Eldridge slowing the pace effectively.
Eldridge lands a good knee to the midsection. Templar won't want to take too many of those.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Templar breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Templar misses with a hook.
Wesley Templar seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Templar misses with a wild body shot.
Templar throws out a loose jab but Eldridge uses good head movement to avoid it.
Eldridge looks to throw the jab but Templar is out of range.
Eldridge has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.

It looks like Michael Eldridge has been cut.
Templar is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Eldridge misses with a looping right.
Templar looks to throw the jab but Eldridge is out of range.
Eldridge slips a jab from Templar.
Eldridge lands with an uppercut that bounces Templar off the cage and back into range.
Eldridge staying out of range there.

Templar closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Eldridge is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Templar is keeping busy.
Templar tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Templar dodges an elbow strike from Eldridge.
Eldridge throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Eldridge tries to stall but Templar uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
The referee calls for Eldridge to work.
Eldridge pushes off an throws an elbow but Templar leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Nice elbow from Eldridge.

It looks like Wesley Templar has been cut.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Templar is stalling here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Eldridge crunches a lovely knee into Templar's ribcage.
Eldridge throws an elbow but it misses.
Eldridge swings wildly with an uppercut but Templar uses good head movement to avoid it.
Templar stalling.
Templar prevents a body shot from Eldridge.
Templar stalling the fight.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Templar wants to break the clinch but can't.
Eldridge being controlled against the cage.
Eldridge throws an elbow but it's blocked.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Wesley Templar will probably get the nod.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
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.

Eldridge looks to land a left hand but Templar moved out of range nicely.
Eldridge tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Templar was well out of range. Poor timing from Eldridge.
Eldridge chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Eldridge throws a body punch but Templar moves out of range.
Templar throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Templar keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

Templar moves into the clinch successfully.
Eldridge misses with an elbow strike.
Templar managing to block the knees to the body from Eldridge.
Templar blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Eldridge.
Templar lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Eldridge looking to slow down the pace here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Eldridge holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Eldridge tries to stall but Templar uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Templar wants to break the clinch but can't.
Eldridge lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Templar stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Eldridge stalling in the clinch but Templar improves position.
Templar's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Templar wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Eldridge is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Templar is keeping busy.
Eldridge throws a head punch that misses.
Templar holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Eldridge stalls.
Templar blocks an elbow strike.
Eldridge misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Templar.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Eldridge lands an elbow just above Templar 's eye.
Eldridge is trying to maintain a safe position but Templar gets an underhook and turns Eldridge into the cage.
Templar blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Eldridge working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Eldridge has Templar pressed against the cage, preventing Templar from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Templar is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Templar avoiding damage as Eldridge throws knees to the body.
Templar goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Eldridge is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Templar is defending well for now.

Templar breaks from the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Templar looks to score with a jab to the body but Eldridge is just out of range.
Eldridge takes one to the chin there.
Templar keeps the fight on the outside.
Templar digs a good body shot into Eldridge's ribs.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Eldridge throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Templar sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Templar misses with a looping right.
Templar throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Eldridge sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Templar throws a body punch but Eldridge moves out of range.
Eldridge throws a jab when Templar was well out of range.
A looping hook to the body misses from Templar. Eldridge does a little dance to reset his feet.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
A telegraphed right hand from Templar misses the target.
Templar throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Templar lands with an overhand left.
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 Wesley Templar will probably get the nod.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Eldridge moves out of range as Templar strikes.
Templar thuds his right hand into Eldridge's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Wesley Templar is winning the standup battle so far.
A jab lands there for Templar.
Eldridge buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Eldridge lands a nice looking body kick.
Templar misses with a body shot.
Eldridge throws a big shot that misses.
Templar scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Eldridge doesn't seem bothered though.
A looping hook to the body misses from Templar. Eldridge does a little dance to reset his feet.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Templar's corner calls for a 1-2. Templar obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Eldridge throws a leg kick but Templar sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Templar misses with an uppercut.
Eldridge fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Templar manages to avoid it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Eldridge swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Templar pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Eldridge bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Templar throws a jab but it's blocked by Eldridge.
Templar lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Eldridge at a distance.
A big right from Templar misses.
Eldridge turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Eldridge slips under a jab.
Templar misses with a wild body shot.
Eldridge tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Templar is able to avoid easily.
Templar lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Eldridge backs up against the cage.
Templar swings for the body but Eldridge moves out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Templar throws a big shot that misses.
Templar on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Templar waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Eldridge.
Eldridge fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Templar manages to avoid it.
Eldridge connects with a crisp jab.
Eldridge tries to close the distance and clinch but Templar swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
The fighters circling - Eldridge throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Eldridge moves away from the strike by Templar.
Eldridge walks into a straight right hand from Templar.
Templar has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Templar there as he acknowledges the shot.

Templar closes the distance and pushes Eldridge back into the cage.
Eldridge misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Templar.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Eldridge trying to land knees to the body.
Eldridge pressing his opponent against the cage.
Templar's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Eldridge stalling against the cage.
Wesley Templar is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Eldridge looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Templar avoids the elbow strike from Eldridge, against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
With the fighters up against the cage, Eldridge throws an elbow but misses.
Michael Eldridge seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Eldridge lands a damaging elbow.
Templar's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Templar on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Eldridge stalling in the clinch.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Eldridge just misses with a elbow thrown towards Templar's brow.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Eldridge trying to stall but Templar improves his position.
Michael Eldridge has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Templar has had enough of the clinch but Eldridge keeps him there for the moment.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Wesley Templar.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Templar, 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 Steven Brown scores the fight 27:30
Judge Paul Tew scores the fight 30:29
Judge Sam Margolis scores the fight 28:30

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Michael Eldridge!