PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between David Tidwell (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Harvey Pekar (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Tidwell's entrance music is Papercut. A fine choice. Pekar has chosen Dead Joe, by The Birthday Party as his entrance music. The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Tidwell
vs
Pekar

185 cm
20
170 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

180 cm
22
181 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
KO power

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Determined

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 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, David Tidwell!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Harvey Pekar!
The judges for this bout are Frank Antenori, and Timothy Bukovac.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pekar misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

Tidwell scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Pekar is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Tidwell is looking to take a break and control but Pekar is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Pekar tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Pekar is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Tidwell off and has taken his back!

Tidwell is staying cool under pressure, defending well against the rear naked choke attempt from his opponent.

Pekar is looking for the choke from the back position but Tidwell is controlling his hands well.
Tidwell breaks Pekar's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Pekar is on top in guard.
Pekar cracks Tidwell with a solid left hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pekar scoring with some ground and pound.
Tidwell striking off his back but it's not causing Pekar any problems.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Tidwell wants to stand up but Pekar is controlling him.

Tidwell throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Pekar scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Tidwell looking for a sweep. Not yet Tidwell, not yet.
Pekar pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Tidwell is keeping the position for now.
Pekar pushing down on Tidwell's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.

Pekar is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Tidwell defends it well.
Pekar looks gassed!

Tidwell is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Pekar pulls his head out easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pekar passes to full mount!
Tidwell flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.
Pekar lands with some strikes.
Pekar scoring with strikes but Tidwell is staying in there.
Pekar looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
A nice elbow there by Pekar.
Pekar lands a nice shot to the head.
Pekar lands with some strikes.
Pekar looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Tidwell tries to lock up and control but Pekar gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Pekar has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Tidwell bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Tidwell tries to free his leg and advance position but Pekar is retaining full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tidwell thows a big elbow that misses.

Pekar working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Tidwell doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Tidwell manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Tidwell with a flurry of punches that miss.
Pekar manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Tidwell is desperately trying to improve his position but Pekar has a good base and remains in mount.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Pekar cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Tidwell takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pekar lands a big shot there that rocks Tidwell but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Pekar working the ground and pound effectively.
Pekar is landing with some decent strikes but Tidwell is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Tidwell is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Pekar lands with some strikes.
Tidwell is in a horrible position here. Pekar smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Tidwell wants to hold on but Pekar pushes him away.
Pekar looking to finish Tidwell with some ground and pound. This is bad for Tidwell!
Pekar with good strikes from the mount here!
Tidwell is in a horrible position here. Pekar smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Pekar in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Harvey Pekar dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Pekar misses with a takedown attempt

and Tidwell counters with a takedown into side control.
Pekar tries to bench press Tidwell off him but Tidwell keeps the position.
Tidwell working the ground and pound.
Pekar is trying to get back to half guard.
Tidwell taking a breather here.
Pekar is trying to improve his position.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Tidwell shoots for a takedown but Pekar saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pekar doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Tidwell counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Pekar's guard now.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Tidwell avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Tidwell won't allow Pekar to sweep him here.

Pekar escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Tidwell gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Tidwell distracts Pekar with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.

Pekar working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Tidwell has passed into half guard!
Tidwell is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pekar is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Pekar is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Pekar flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.
Pekar sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Pekar is looking to improve his position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pekar wants to get back to full guard but Tidwell has mounted him!
Tidwell lands a nice shot to the head.
Pekar is wriggling around trying to escape.
Pekar throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
Pekar tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Tidwell trying to control but Pekar is having none of it.
Pekar tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Tidwell with the ground and pound from mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Tidwell is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Pekar regains half guard.
Tidwell is looking to take a break and control but Pekar is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Pekar manages to get to full guard.
Pekar doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.

Pekar is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Pekar thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.

Pekar has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Tidwell can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Tidwell works over Pekar with some ground and pound from guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

David Tidwell dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Pekar misses with a takedown

and Tidwell counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Tidwell slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Pekar is looking to regain half guard here but Tidwell keeps moving and retains side control.
Tidwell in side control lands a decent elbow.
Pekar is looking to regain half guard here but Tidwell keeps moving and retains side control.
Pekar is trying to work for a sweep but Tidwell has mounted him!
Pekar 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.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Tidwell patiently working for the choke. Which fighter will keep their nerve here?
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Tidwell is trying to stick to Pekar's back but Pekar is turning into Tidwell. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Tidwell's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Pekar.
Pekar trying to move into half guard but instead Tidwell has managed to sweep!
Tidwell preventing the sweep.
Tidwell trying to control but Pekar is working from the bottom.
Pekar wants to sweep here but Tidwell controlling him for the moment.

Pekar has his foot on Tidwell's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Tidwell works his way back into a safe position though.
Tidwell scoring with some ground and pound.
Pekar tries to strike from the bottom.

Pekar working for a triangle but Tidwell defends it easily.

Pekar looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pekar keeping moving, preventing Tidwell from controlling successfully.
Pekar punching from the bottom.
Pekar looking for a sweep. Not yet Pekar, not yet.
Tidwell wants to control from the top but Pekar keeps moving.
Pekar striking from the bottom.
Pekar avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Tidwell trying to control but Pekar is working from the bottom.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Pekar throws a body punch but Tidwell moves out of range.
Pekar just misses with a punch to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tidwell closes the distance and clinches up with Pekar, looking for a takedown. Tidwell pushes Pekar against the cage but Pekar circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Pekar has his takedown stuffed

and Tidwell counters with a takedown into side control.
Pekar is looking to reverse the position.
Pekar manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Tidwell is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Pekar scores with a couple of nice shots.
Ground and pound from Pekar.
Tidwell avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Pekar.
Pekar misses with a head shot. Tidwell uses the momentum to regain guard.
Tidwell not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Tidwell is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Tidwell trying to control the position.
Pekar lands a couple of elbows.
Pekar in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Pekar shoots in and bounces Tidwell off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Pekar lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Tidwell keeping full guard, as Pekar tries to pass.
Pekar with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
David Tidwell overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Pekar throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Tidwell works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
David Tidwell showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Tidwell 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 Frank Antenori scores the fight 29:28
Judge Suge Night scores the fight 29:28
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... David Tidwell!