PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Lenny Martin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Harper Pool (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Martin
vs
Pool

180 cm
31
176 lbs
11 - 9 - 0

181 cm
21
175 lbs
3 - 6 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Excellent MT
Very quick

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Solid chin

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 11 - 9 - 0, fighting out of New York, Lenny Martin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 6 - 0, fighting out of New York, Harper Pool!
The judges for this bout are Jonathan Paton, Anthony Taglia and Bruno Lombardi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Martin checks a low kick from Pool.
Pool walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Martin checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Martin scores with a nice strike.

Martin shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Pool makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!

Martin closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Pool tries to bench press Martin off him but Martin keeps the position.
Pool stops Martin from passing to mount.
Martin moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.

Martin is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Pool is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Pool struggling a bit here.

Martin goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Pool has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Martin but great work by Pool.
Pool tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Martin has one of Pool's arms on lockdown, trying to prevent him from doing any damage.
Pool is looking to take a break and control but Martin is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pool is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Martin will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.
Martin is looking to reverse the position.

Pool wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Martin, who protects the arm well.
Martin is looking for a sweep.
Martin gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Pool is thwarting Martin's attempts to control the position.
Pool controlling the action here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Martin is looking to get back to full guard here but Pool has managed to pass to side control instead.

Pool decides to stand back up. Pool steps back and let's Martin get back to his feet.
That kick from Martin tenderised Pool's leg. Pool is trying to keep his angry face on.
Lenny Martin seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Pool pushes Martin up against the cage in a clinch.
Pool stalling against the cage.
Martin tries to pull guard but Pool won't allow it.
Martin is trying to pull guard but Pool turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Pool stalling.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Martin is trying to break free.
Martin tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Pool doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Pool struggles to land a body shot inside as Martin controls his hands.
Pool is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Pool continues to stall. The referee tells him to work or he's going to break them up.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
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 Lenny Martin will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Pool tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Martin paws at him with a jab and circles away.
A nice inside leg kick there by Martin. That's going to slow Pool down.
Pool throws a leg kick that misses.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Pool checks a leg kick.
Pool throws a body punch but Martin moves out of range.
Pool tries to clinch but Martin is having none of it.

Martin fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Pool to the ground. Martin is now in Pool's guard.
Martin prevents Pool from getting back to his feet.
Martin is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Martin trying to control but Pool is working from the bottom.
Lenny Martin overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Martin looking to sit in guard and control but Pool gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Martin manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Pool manages to get himself to full guard.
Martin controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Pool is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Pool keeping moving, preventing Martin from controlling successfully.
Martin content to stall in guard here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Lenny Martin wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Martin.
Martin misses with a body kick.
A chopping leg kick lands by Martin.
Pool checks a leg kick.
Pool misses with a low kick.
Martin tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Martin tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Martin throws a nice inside leg kick.
Martin lands a leg kick that knocks Pool off balance momentarily.
Martin lands a nice leg kick that just misses Pool's sensitive parts.
Martin throws a quick inside leg kick.
Martin checks the leg kick nicely there.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Martin moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Pool throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pool tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Martin is able to avoid easily.
Martin misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Pool showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Martin.
Martin tries to land a leg kick but Pool saw it coming and moves away.
Pool avoids the head kick by Martin.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Martin lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Pool has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Pool and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.
A clash of legs there as Martin blocks the low kick.
Martin tries to land a leg kick but Pool saw it coming and moves away.
Martin throws a head kick but Pool moves out of range.
Martin does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Martin shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Martin throws a head kick but Pool moves out of range.
Martin throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Martin throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Pool wants to slow Martin down by chopping away at his legs.
Martin throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Pool tried to score with a low kick but Martin checks it.
Martin throws a head kick that misses.
Lenny Martin is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Pool throws a leg kick
and Martin counters with a good low kick that Pool was not able to check.
Martin avoids the body shot from Pool.
Martin connects with a leg kick. Pool looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Martin looks to land a body kick but Pool moved away.
Martin tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Lenny Martin is winning the standup battle so far.
Martin lands a high kick!
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Martin misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Pool.
Pool takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Pool avoids the head kick by Martin.
Pool tried to score with a low kick but Martin checks it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Lenny Martin dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Martin checks the leg kick nicely there.
Pool throws a jab when Martin was well out of range.
Pool blocks a head kick by Martin.
Martin buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Martin will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Martin swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Martin checks a leg kick nicely.

Pool has Martin up against the cage in a clinch.
Pool manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pool receives a warning from the referee for stalling.

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.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Harper Pool.
Martin throws a leg kick which misses Pool's front leg but catches the back leg as Pool tries to avoid it.
Martin throws a low kick but Pool moves out of range easily.
Martin tries to score with a low kick but Pool moves his leg out of the way.
Pool tries to clinch up.
Martin throws a head kick but Pool moves out of range.
Martin avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
A chopping leg kick lands by Martin.
Martin shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Pool as he jumps to the side.
Pool tries to close the distance and clinch up but Martin swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Martin tries to land a front kick but Pool steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Martin misses with a head kick.
Pool chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Martin can pounce on him.
Martin throws a leg kick but Pool sees it coming and moves out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Martin keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Martin looks to score with a jab to the body but Pool is just out of range.
Martin throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Pool keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Lenny Martin. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Pool fails to land with a series of punches.
Pool fails with an attempt to clinch.
Martin lands a high kick!
Martin throws a leg kick but Pool sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Pool takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Martin tries to score with a low kick but Pool moves his leg out of the way.
Martin will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Pool misses with a series of wild punches.
Martin is looking to chop away at Pool's legs.
Harper Pool has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Martin throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Martin shoots in but no luck this time.
Martin throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Martin lands with a thumping leg kick.
Martin throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Pool swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Martin digs a good hook to Pool's body.
Harper Pool is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Martin fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Pool.
Martin scores with a nice body kick.
Martin is looking to wear down Pool with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Martin scores with a leg kick.
We are yet to see a takedown attempt from Pool in the fight. On paper you would think he is the more dominant ground fighter so let's see if these unusual tactics pay off.
Pool thows a leg kick but Martin checks it
and Martin counters with a nice leg kick.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Martin throws a low kick but it's checked well by Pool.
Martin misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Lenny Martin is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Pool misses with a low kick.

And that's the end of the fight!
Lenny Martin showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Martin, 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 Jonathan Paton scores the fight 30:27
Judge Anthony Taglia scores the fight 30:27
Judge Bruno Lombardi scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Lenny Martin!