PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Cormac McCarthy (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Joe Swanson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). McCarthy comes to the cage accompanied by Know Your Enemy. Joe Swanson has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

McCarthy
vs
Swanson

180 cm
19
175 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

178 cm
23
182 lbs
7 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
KO power

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Determined

Crippler's Corner
MMA's Best Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Cormac McCarthy!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Joe Swanson!
The judges for this bout are Frank Dennis, Alan Glass and Tiny Johnson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Swanson avoids the head kick by McCarthy.
Swanson keeps the fight on the outside.

Swanson gets the takedown into side control.

Swanson looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.

Swanson wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by McCarthy, who protects the arm well.

Swanson is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. McCarthy knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Swanson wants to lay and pray for a moment but McCarthy keeps working.

That's one minute gone in the round.
McCarthy can't do much from the bottom here.
Swanson avoids the strikes from the bottom by McCarthy.
The ground and pound from Swanson seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
McCarthy sneaks back into half guard.

Swanson looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
McCarthy is trying to maintain the position but Swanson is very close to passing his half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
McCarthy pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Swanson blocks a jab.
McCarthy misses with a series of wild punches.
Swanson swings and misses with a hook to the body.
McCarthy misses with a wild combination.
Swanson shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts McCarthy as he jumps to the side.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
McCarthy drops Swanson with a nice combination! McCarthy dives into Swanson's guard, looking to finish!

Swanson is rocked!

It looks like Joe Swanson has been cut.

Swanson working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. McCarthy doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. McCarthy manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
McCarthy stands and throws Swanson's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Swanson prevents McCarthy from improving position.
Swanson is looking for a sweep.
McCarthy controls the position.
Swanson is trying to improve his position.
McCarthy cracks Swanson with a big right hand but Swanson just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
McCarthy landing strikes.
McCarthy moves into full mount!
Swanson is desperately trying to improve his position but McCarthy has a good base and remains in mount.
McCarthy looking to control but Swanson is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
McCarthy tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
McCarthy avoids the attempt from Swanson to control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Cormac McCarthy dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Joe Swanson's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

McCarthy works over Swanson's head and body with a nice combination.
McCarthy throws a head kick that misses.
Swanson ducks down and throws a hook to the body but McCarthy moves away.
McCarthy walks into a straight right hand from Swanson.
McCarthy drops Swanson with a nice combination! McCarthy dives into Swanson's guard, looking to finish!
Swanson is still in real trouble! Can McCarthy finish him?
Swanson throwing strikes off his back to little effect.

Swanson isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. McCarthy stacks Swanson on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by McCarthy!
Swanson seems to have recovered his senses.
Swanson is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Swanson is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
McCarthy trying to control the action but Swanson is working from the bottom.
Swanson is looking to regain half guard here but McCarthy keeps moving and retains side control.
McCarthy wants to lay and pray for a moment but Swanson keeps working.
Swanson tries to get back to half guard but can't.
McCarthy remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
McCarthy has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Swanson is trying to get back to half guard.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
McCarthy tries to clinch but Swanson is having none of it.
McCarthy tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Swanson scores with a one two! McCarthy had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Swanson throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and McCarthy counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Swanson avoids a punch combination nicely.
Cormac McCarthy is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Swanson fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
McCarthy throws a left and a right that both miss
and Swanson counters with a nice uppercut.
Swanson falls off balance throwing a combination
and McCarthy counters with a nice uppercut.
McCarthy lands a high kick!
Swanson swats away the attempt to clinch by McCarthy.
Swanson misses with a body shot

and McCarthy counters with a flying knee that drops Swanson!
McCarthy is looking to work some ground and pound but Swanson has wrist control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Swanson is trying to control the position from the bottom.
McCarthy trying to control the position from guard on top but Swanson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Swanson has his foot on McCarthy's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. McCarthy works his way back into a safe position though.
McCarthy 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.
McCarthy is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.

Swanson has his foot on McCarthy's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. McCarthy works his way back into a safe position though.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Swanson keeping moving, preventing McCarthy from controlling successfully.
Swanson manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. McCarthy manages to get himself to full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Cormac McCarthy dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Joe Swanson'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. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

McCarthy misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Swanson shoots for a takedown but McCarthy saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
McCarthy misses with a hook.
McCarthy fails in his attempt to clinch.

McCarthy moves into the clinch successfully.
McCarthy fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Swanson blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
McCarthy prevents a takedown attempt there.
Swanson blocking some punches.

Swanson decides to pull guard.
Swanson takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Swanson is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

Swanson has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but McCarthy can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Swanson keeping moving, preventing McCarthy from controlling successfully.
McCarthy lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
McCarthy is stalling in the full guard.

Swanson looking for submissions from the bottom but instead McCarthy passes into half guard.

McCarthy is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Swanson defends it well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Swanson trying to control here.
Swanson tries to get to full guard but McCarthy has control of the leg.
McCarthy wants to stand but Swanson has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.
Swanson wants to improve his position but McCarthy is controlling well.
McCarthy wants to pass the guard but Swanson is defending well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Swanson is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of McCarthy's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take McCarthy's back!
McCarthy trying to survive by controlling the hands.
Swanson gets his hands free as McCarthy looks to control.
McCarthy is trying to break free.
Will Swanson go for the finish here or will he try and keep control of the position?

Swanson working for the choke.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Swanson missing with punches from the back.
McCarthy breaks Swanson's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
Swanson is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Swanson being controlled here, momentarily.
Swanson is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Joe Swanson has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Swanson keeping moving, preventing McCarthy from controlling successfully.

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 Cormac McCarthy.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for McCarthy, 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 Frank Dennis scores the fight 30:27
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 30:27
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Cormac McCarthy!