PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Nick Horton (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Zack Lovell (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Horton's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Ironman. Lovell has a niggling injury. He would have liked to come in 100% fit but that's not always possible. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Horton
vs
Lovell

177 cm
18
210 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

180 cm
18
205 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Enjoys gardening

Popeye’s Spinach - 159 + 158 Proof Supps

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Nick Horton!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Zack Lovell!
The judges for this bout are John Mangel, Winston Howard and Eliza Hachem.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Horton swats away the attempt to clinch by Lovell.

Lovell gets caught napping as Horton dives in and scores a takedown. Lovell manages to retain guard.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Horton is stalling in the full guard.
Horton has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Horton stands and steps away. Lovell gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Lovell looks gassed!

Horton shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Horton is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Horton pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Lovell is keeping the position for now.
Horton 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.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Horton tries to free his leg and advance position but Lovell is retaining full guard.
Horton passes into half guard.
Horton is taking a breather. Lovell says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Horton is thwarting Lovell's attempts to control the position.
Lovell tries to kick Horton off but Horton keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Still in half guard, Horton seems content to control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Nick Horton just wasn't active enough.
Horton tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Horton looks to land a combination but Lovell avoids it well.
Lovell throws a head kick but Horton moves out of range.
Zack Lovell seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Horton looking to land some kicks to the body here.

Horton scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Horton takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Horton wants to pass the guard but Lovell is defending well.
Horton lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Horton slows the pace down in half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Horton seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Lovell for as long as he can get away with.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Nick Horton just wasn't active enough.

Lovell tries to keep at a distance but Horton has taken the fight into the clinch.

Horton breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Lovell looking to land some kicks to the body here.

Lovell tries to keep at a distance but Horton has taken the fight into the clinch.
Horton lands a shot to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Horton lands a knee to the head.

It looks like Zack Lovell has been cut.

Horton breaks the clinch.
Lovell should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
Horton shoots in for a double leg but Lovell sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.

Horton drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Horton is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Horton is pushing down on Lovell's leg trying to pass to half guard. Lovell is fighting to maintain full guard but Horton has managed to sneak the leg through.
Horton trying to control the pace.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nick Horton dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Zack Lovell's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Lovell throws a lazy head kick

and Horton counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Horton is working Lovell over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Nick Horton overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Horton showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Horton connects with a couple of short punches.
Lovell is breathing heavily.
Horton stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Lovell swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Horton lands a couple of digs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Horton pushes down on Lovell's leg and manages to get into half guard.

Horton is working for a submission of some sort.
Nice strikes from Horton there.
Horton has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Horton controlling from mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Horton jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Lovell manages to avoid the submission attempt.

Horton tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Horton has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
The ground and pound from Horton seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Horton trying to control the position but Lovell is working away.
Lovell is trying to buck Horton off.
Horton in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Horton lands a few punches from side control.
Lovell prevents Horton from moving into mount.

Horton is trying to get an arm triangle but Lovell is defending well.

Horton tries for a kimura but Lovell is defending well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Horton taking a breather here.
Lovell taking a bit of punishment here - Horton scoring with strikes.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Lovell wants to get back to his feet.
Horton is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Lovell can do to turn this around?
Lovell taking punishment in the form of punches.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nick Horton dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Zack Lovell's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Lovell gets caught flat footed, as Horton shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Horton postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Lovell keeping full guard, as Horton tries to pass.
Horton distracts Lovell with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Horton cracks Lovell with a solid left hand.
Horton content to stall in guard here.
Horton passes Lovell's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Lovell takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Horton looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Horton has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Nick Horton.
Horrible takedown by Horton or perhaps it was just good defense by Lovell which made him look bad.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Horton fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Horton looks for a takedown but Lovell sprawls well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Nick Horton. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Horton scores a takedown into full mount!
Horton controlling the position easily from mount.
Lovell is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Horton content just to control the position here.
Lovell is bucking up trying to escape but Horton cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Lovell can't escape the position.
Horton controlling from mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Horton is giving the impression that he's looking to ground and pound but he switches suddenly into a beautiful far side armbar! Lovell is forced to tap! Great finish!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:21 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Nick Horton!
A less than humble Nick Horton misjudged his post fight interview somewhat and came across a little too arrogant whilst trying to hype up his own abilities.