PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Mike Dunn (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Matt Lara (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Dunn
vs
Lara

188 cm
24
170 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
18
180 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Inexperienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Tends to cut

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Mike Dunn!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Matt Lara!
The judges for this bout are Illya Tyunina, Aleksei Zolotukhin and Fedor Mirinova.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Dunn lands a head kick. Lara smiles back at him and beckons him forward.

It looks like Matt Lara has been cut.
Dunn fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

Dunn moves into the clinch.
Lara has a couple of punches blocked by Dunn.
Dunn is struggling to control the position.
Dunn keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Lara's efforts to push away.
Lara is looking to take this one to the mat.
Lara wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Dunn jumps guard but Lara stands there with Dunn around his waist. Dunn gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Lara pushes off an throws an elbow but Dunn leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Lara is trying to break the clinch but Dunn is controlling him.
Dunn has Lara pushed against the cage.
Lara with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Lara is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Dunn is defending well for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dunn misses with a body punch.

Lara's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Lara fails with an attempt to clinch.
Sloppy strikes from Lara. Those never looked like landing.
Dunn throws a series of punches but Lara avoids them all with ease.
Lara looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Dunn is fending him off so far but Lara persists. Nope, Dunn circles away and we're back to standing.

Dunn has Lara up against the cage in a clinch.
Stalling in the clinch from Dunn.
Dunn drops down looking for an ankle pick but Lara pulls his leg out and moves away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mike Dunn. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Dunn closes this distance looking for a takedown but Lara circles away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dunn wants to clinch.
A combination from Dunn does no damage.
Dunn circles away from the clinch attempt
and Dunn counters with a good low kick that Lara was not able to check.

Dunn clinches up against the cage.
Dunn tries for a takedown. No joy.
Lara throws an elbow but it's blocked.

Dunn jumps into guard, dragging Lara to the mat.
Lara in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Lara throws an elbow that misses. Dunn uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Lara's guard. Nice move by Dunn!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dunn postures up.
Lara manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Dunn holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Lara tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
Dunn tries to hold on but Lara postures up.
Lara thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
Lara prevents Dunn from getting the reversal.
Dunn blocking the ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lara throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Dunn is wriggling around trying to escape.
Dunn is breathing heavily.
Dunn tries to lock up and control but Lara gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Dunn blocking the ground and pound.
Dunn avoids a series of strikes thrown by Lara.
Lara lands a big elbow.
Dunn avoids a series of strikes thrown by Lara.

Lara moves into side control, trying to work for a kimura. That looks painful! Will he finish!!?? No, Dunn has worked his arm free - good work by Dunn!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Lara working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Dunn parries the strikes from Lara easily there. Lara is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Dunn to escape.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Matt Lara will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Matt Lara's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Lara avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Both fighters circling a little - Dunn finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Dunn lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Lara fails in his attempt to clinch.
Dunn with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Dunn tries to clinch up but Lara circles away and keeps his distance.
Dunn keeps the fight on the outside.
Dunn wants to clinch up but Lara keeps it at a distance.
Lara tries to clinch there but Dunn circles away.
Dunn shoots for a double leg takedown but Lara sprawls well. He's pushed Dunn's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Dunn fakes the leg kick and cracks Lara in the body.
Lara fails with the takedown.
Lara tries to clinch but Dunn is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dunn lands with a nice combination. Lara backs away looking to recover.
Lara is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Dunn uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Lara.
Lara tries to close the distance and clinch up but Dunn swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Lara tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Dunn manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Lara throws a series of punches but Dunn avoids them all with ease.
Lara is breathing heavily.

Dunn has taken the fight to the clinch.
Dunn goes for a takedown in the clinch but Lara prevents it.
Dunn wants a takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mike Dunn. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Dunn tightens his grip and picks Lara up, before dumping him to the ground. Lara manages to land in guard.
Dunn loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Dunn trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Lara throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Dunn pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Lara is keeping the position for now.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Lara looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Dunn trying to control but Lara is working from the bottom.
Lara trying to strike off his back.

Dunn avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lara doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.

Dunn drops back looking for a leg! Lara is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Lara manages to kick Dunn off! Dunn jumps back into Lara's guard.
Dunn trying to control the position from guard on top but Lara is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Lara tries to strike from the bottom.

Lara scrambles and gets back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lara keeps the fight on the outside.
Dunn tries to close the distance and clinch but Lara swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Lara has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Dunn.
Lara defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Dunn.
Lara misses with a few strikes there.
Lara swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Mike Dunn is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Dunn thuds his shin into the meat of Lara's side.
Lara tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Dunn manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Dunn throws a series of strikes that have Lara backpedaling.
Lara keeps the fight on the outside.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mike Dunn dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Matt Lara's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Dunn fails in his attempt to clinch.

Dunn takes the fight into the clinch.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Dunn tries to pull guard but Lara won't allow it.
Lara is looking to break free of the clinch but Dunn has double underhooks.
Lara has had enough of the clinch but Dunn keeps him there for the moment.
Lara can't break the clinch.
Lara has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Lara tries to break the clinch but Dunn is controlling the position.
Lara jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Dunn walks away with a smile on his face. Lara gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Lara is looking to clinch.
Mike Dunn is winning the standup battle so far.

Dunn rushes Lara and presses him up against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lara tries to circle away but Dunn has him pinned against the cage.
Dunn lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Lara backwards.
Lara wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Lara is trying to break free.
Dunn changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Lara fights it off and pushes away nicely.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Lara enables Dunn to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Lara manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Dunn decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Lara, up you get!
Lara tries to close the distance and clinch up but Dunn swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Dunn forces Lara back against the cage and clinches.
Lara has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lara is trying to break the clinch but Dunn has him pressed against the cage.

Dunn breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Dunn slaps away a takedown attempt from Lara, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Dunn misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Lara fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Dunn avoids it really well and circles away.
Mike Dunn has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Matt Lara.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Lara misses with a left hand
and Dunn counters with a head kick. That will keep Lara thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!

Dunn clinches up with Lara and pushes him back against the cage.
Dunn is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Dunn fails to pull the fight into his guard.
A hook to the body from Lara.
Dunn prevents Lara from breaking the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lara tries to stall but Dunn uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Dunn crunches a lovely knee into Lara's ribcage.
Dunn is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Dunn tries for a takedown. No joy.
Lara throws an elbow but it misses.
Dunn keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Lara's efforts to push away.
Dunn goes for a takedown attempt but Lara pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Lara is looking to clinch.
Lara tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Dunn rushes Lara and presses him up against the cage.

Dunn has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Lara uses from the top position.
Dunn bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Lara's guard.
Mike Dunn overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Lara tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Dunn looking to sit in guard and control but Lara gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Dunn not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Lara drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Lara jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Lara is looking to stand up but Dunn won't let him.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mike Dunn showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Dunn has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Illya Tyunina scores the fight 29:28
Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 30:28
Judge Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mike Dunn!