PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Bubba Craig (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ryan Bader (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Bader has a niggling injury. He would have liked to come in 100% fit but that's not always possible. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Craig
vs
Bader

210 cm
18
200 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

188 cm
25
210 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good in bed

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Determined

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Bubba Craig!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Ryan Bader !
The judges for this bout are Paul Aken, Saam Ante and Patrick Alders.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Bader scores with a takedown into Craig's guard.
Craig will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Craig lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Bader !
Bader wants to try and get back to his feet.
Bader tries to hold on but Craig postures up.
Bader really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Bader looks gassed!
Craig misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Bader is trying to stand.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Craig looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Craig tries to control but Bader wriggling away.
Bader prevents Craig from taking his back.
Craig can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Bader is looking to escape.
Craig looking to control and managing it successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bader manages to regain half guard whilst avoiding the strikes.
Craig wants to take a breather but Bader is having none of it.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Bubba Craig just wasn't active enough.
Craig tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Bader manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Craig really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Bader shoots in looking for a takedown but Craig manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Bader 's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Craig lands a nice looking body kick.
Craig is looking to clinch.
Craig throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Bader .
Craig fails with a takedown attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bader displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Craig.
Craig fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Bader avoids it really well and circles away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bubba Craig. That's going to take a lot out of him.
No luck for Bader with that takedown attempt.
Bader stuffs the takedown.
Bader leaves Craig with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Craig throws a body punch but Bader moves out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Craig shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Bader but Bader pushes him off and we're back to square one.

Bader drives through with a takedown into Craig's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Bader wants to control from the top but Craig keeps moving.
Craig tries to strike from the bottom.
Craig is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Bader content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Bader working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Craig is trying to keep Bader in close.
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 Bubba Craig will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Bader swats away the attempt to clinch by Craig.
Bader shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Craig sprawls well. Craig wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Bader gets slowly back to his feet.
Craig shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Bader as he avoids it easily.
Craig throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.

Bader gets the takedown into side control.
Bader is breathing heavily.
Craig regains half guard.
Bader throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Craig trying to control but Bader postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bader throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Ryan Bader has got the better of the ground game so far.

Bader is trying to work for a kimura but Craig is defending well.
Craig trying to control but Bader postures up.
Craig is controlling Bader 's position as best he can from this difficult position.
Craig keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Craig has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Bader is working away from the top position though.
Craig punching from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bader seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Craig does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Craig flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Bader lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Bader seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Craig does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Craig is trying to control but Bader passes into side control!
Bader working away.
Craig is working to avoid the ground and pound but Bader connects with a decent elbow.
Bader is working Craig over with some ground and pound from side control.
Craig takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bader grinds an elbow into Craig's temple.
Bader cracks Craig with an elbow. That is naaassty.
You can see the frustration on Craig's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Bader has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Bader lands an elbow.
Craig wants to control but Bader postures up.
Bader lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Craig down.
Bader lands a nice forearm strike.
Craig is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bader lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Craig down.

Bader tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Bader has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Craig is trying to control Bader 's posture but Bader avoids it.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Bader working the strikes but Craig uses the opportunity to regain half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ryan Bader 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. This is the final round!

Bader closes the distance and clinches up with Craig, looking for a takedown. Bader pushes Craig against the cage but Craig circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Craig closes this distance looking for a takedown but Bader circles away.
Craig turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Craig shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Bader but Bader pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Craig shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Bader but Bader pushes him off and we're back to square one.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bubba Craig. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Bader throws a combination that misses
and Craig counters with a right hand to the body.
Craig shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Bader as he jumps to the side.
Bader closes this distance looking for a takedown but Craig circles away.
Craig is trying hard to land a takedown here. Bader sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Bader is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Craig's half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Craig tries to get to full guard but Bader has control of the leg.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Bader connects with a nice short shot to Craig's temple.
Bader looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Bader scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Craig wants to control but Bader is keeping busy.
Bader lands strikes from half guard.
Bader working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Craig wants to get back to his feet.
Bader not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Craig avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Bader .
Craig has hold of Bader 's hands but Bader slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.

Bader is looking for a kimura here.
Bader throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Craig is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Bader 's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Bader 's back!

Craig looking for the choke from the back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Craig is looking to control Bader but Bader is wriggling around and keeping busy.
Bader trying to control the position but Craig manages to sink in the hooks.
Craig is throwing shots to the body but Bader manages to wriggle free. Craig pounces on him again and ends up in Bader 's guard.
Craig working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bader keeping full guard, as Craig tries to pass.
Bader preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Craig is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Craig trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Craig trying to move into half guard but instead Bader has managed to sweep!

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Ryan Bader .
I think Bader has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Paul Aken scores the fight 28:29
Judge Saam Ante scores the fight 28:29
Judge Patrick Alders scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ryan Bader !