PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Lyoto Carwin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and John Pearson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). 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.

Carwin
vs
Pearson

187 cm
22
170 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

190 cm
19
170 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Intelligent

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 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Lyoto Carwin!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, John Pearson!
The judges for this bout are George Francis, Wesley Smith and Frank Dennis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Carwin darts in and clinches Pearson up against the cage.
Carwin just leaning against Pearson, taking a breather.
Pearson wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Pearson struggles to land a body shot inside as Carwin controls his hands.
Carwin misses with a knee to the head.
Carwin can't get the takedown.
Pearson misses with a punch on the inside.
Pearson tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Carwin smiles and moves away.
Carwin misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Pearson tries for a takedown but Carwin sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Carwin tries to bum rush Pearson with a series of wild strikes but Pearson uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Pearson circles away from the clinch attempt.
Carwin lands a jab-cross combination.

Pearson looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Carwin!
Pearson looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Pearson prevents Carwin from getting the reversal.
Pearson is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Pearson landing strikes from the mount and Carwin is in trouble!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pearson controlling from mount.
Carwin tries to hold on but Pearson postures up.
Pearson trying to control but he's not successful this time.

Pearson swings around for an armbar but it's a sloppy attempt and Carwin is now in Pearson's guard. A big mistake from Pearson there, giving up the dominant position!
Carwin is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Pearson seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.

Pearson looking for a guillotine here but Carwin defends easily.
Pearson bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Carwin's guard.
Carwin wants to stand up but Pearson is controlling him.
Carwin is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Pearson is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Pearson is looking to control Carwin's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Pearson avoid being mounted?

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Pearson is staying active underneath Carwin, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Carwin moves nicely into side control.
Carwin misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.

Carwin swings around for an armbar but Pearson sees it coming a mile off and turns beautifully into Carwin's guard.
Pearson looking to pass the guard.
Pearson is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Carwin looking for a sweep. Not yet Carwin, not yet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Pearson sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Carwin's guard.
Pearson looks gassed!
Pearson working over Carwin with some ground and pound. Carwin looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Pearson has decided to stand back up but his arm is trapped. Whilst he's worrying about his arm, Carwin works to full guard.
Pearson trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Carwin wants to sweep but no luck.
Pearson wants to stand but Carwin is controlling his posture from full guard.
Carwin is trying to control the position from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but John Pearson will probably get the nod.
That's time! Carwin's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Carwin lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Pearson throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Carwin with a lazy takedown attempt

and Pearson counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Pearson.
Carwin keeping full guard, as Pearson tries to pass.
Carwin is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Carwin passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Pearson!
Carwin looking to control but Pearson is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Pearson tries to get back to half guard but can't.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Carwin thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
The referee warns Pearson that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Pearson keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Pearson is breathing heavily.
Carwin looking to control but Pearson is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Pearson is working to get back to half guard.
Pearson regains half guard.
Carwin wants to take a breather but Pearson is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.

Carwin is working for a submission of some sort.

Pearson pushes Carwin off and gets back to his feet.

Carwin takes the fight into the clinch.
Carwin connects with a nasty looking knee right to Pearson's face.
A knee to the head by Carwin.

Carwin has clasped his hands together around Pearson's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
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Pearson tries to bench press Carwin off him but Carwin keeps the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Pearson throws his opponent off and manages to get back to his feet! Nicely done!
Pearson circles away from the clinch attempt.
Pearson walks into a stiff left hand from Carwin.
Carwin tries to clinch but Pearson moves away

and Pearson counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Carwin!
Carwin is looking to get to half guard.
Carwin tries to improve his position but instead Pearson has taken his back!
Pearson not allowing Carwin to control his hands.
Carwin is really stuck here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Carwin is trying to get back to his feet but Pearson has full control of the position and if anything, Carwin has just worked his way into a worse spot.
Carwin looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.
Pearson is trying to stick to Carwin's back but Carwin is turning into Pearson. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Pearson's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Carwin.
Pearson is trying to keep Carwin in close.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Carwin lands with a nice body punch.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Carwin bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Pearson's head.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Pearson throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.

It looks like Lyoto Carwin has been cut.

Pearson bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Pearson showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Lyoto Carwin's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Pearson circles away from the clinch attempt.

Pearson gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Pearson is trying to keep Carwin in close.
Pearson keeping full guard, as Carwin tries to pass.
Carwin keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Pearson's head.

Carwin decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Pearson, up you get!

Pearson closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Pearson is putting a hurting on Carwin here, landing some big shots from side control.
Pearson works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Pearson advances to full mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pearson tries to control but Carwin wriggling away.
Pearson controlling the position easily from mount.
Carwin really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Carwin tries to lock up and control but Pearson gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Pearson wants to control the pace but Carwin is squirming around nicely.
Pearson fails to move to back control.
Pearson takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Pearson working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Carwin is desperately trying to improve his position but Pearson has a good base and remains in mount.
Pearson scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Carwin has given up his back - I don’t know if this is a deliberate ploy to try and escape or if he is just struggling down there.
Carwin is in bad spot here.
Carwin prevents Pearson from getting a body triangle.
Carwin has the hand control, trying to stop the rear naked choke.

Pearson looking to break Carwin's wrist control so he can sink in the choke. Carwin remaining controlled and patient though - he really has to keep calm otherwise Pearson will wrap this one up with the rear naked choke!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Carwin just trying to survive but Pearson is wriggling into a better position, looking to finish.

Carwin manages to stand up with Pearson still on his back. Eventually Pearson drops to his feet and we're back in the standing position.
Carwin is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Lyoto Carwin seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Carwin blocks a head kick by Pearson.

Carwin has closed the distance and engaged Pearson in a clinch.
Pearson wants to break the clinch but can't.
Pearson is trying to maintain a safe position but Carwin gets an underhook and turns Pearson into the cage.

Carwin drags the fight down to the ground.
Carwin manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
John Pearson has got the better of the ground game so far.
Pearson regains half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well, if Carwin is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Carwin prevents Pearson from improving his position.
Pearson trying to control here.
Pearson is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Carwin's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Carwin's back!

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to John Pearson.
I've got Pearson winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 George Francis scores the fight for John Pearson!
Judge Wesley Smith scores the fight for John Pearson!
Judge Frank Dennis scores the fight for John Pearson!

John Pearson wins by unanimous decision!