PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Wacko Warner (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Neck Cranka (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Wacko Warner has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Warner
vs
Cranka

225 cm
18
130 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

165 cm
22
140 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Decent elbows
Cuts easily

Good takedowns
Basic striking
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Wacko Warner!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Neck Cranka!
The judges for this bout are Eliza Hachem, Hugh Johnson and Donatello Bradman.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Warner tries to clinch up but Cranka circles away and keeps his distance.
Warner has a takedown stuffed.
Cranka throws a half hearted mid kick.
Nice body kick there by Cranka.
Cranka tries to clinch there but Warner circles away.
Cranka moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Cranka throws a head kick that misses.
Warner keeps the fight on the outside.

Cranka scores with a takedown into Warner's guard.
Cranka forces his way into half guard.
Warner trying to control but Cranka postures up.
Cranka thows a huge punch but Warner dodges it nicely.
Cranka throwing shots but Warner is blocking nicely.
Warner trying to control from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cranka thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Warner avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Cranka.
Cranka thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Warner doesn't manage to clinch there - Cranka circles away.
Cranka keeps the fight on the outside.
Warner tries to clinch but Cranka is having none of it.
Warner is looking to clinch but Cranka is avoiding it.
Warner tries to clinch up.
Warner tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Cranka avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Wacko Warner seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Warner throws an overhand right that lands on Cranka's shoulder, as Cranka tries to avoid the shot.

Cranka drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.

Cranka working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Cranka wants to lay and pray for a moment but Warner keeps working.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Warner regains half guard, as Cranka was trying to land strikes.
Cranka sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Warner defending well though.
Warner is trying to control but can't.
Cranka throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Cranka missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cranka thows a huge punch but Warner dodges it nicely.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.

Warner clinches with his opponent.
Cranka takes an elbow to the forehead.

Warner escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Cranka throws a sloppy head kick and Warner moves out of range easily.
Warner dodges the punch combination from Cranka.
Warner tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Warner avoids the head kick by Cranka.
Warner with a poor takedown

and Cranka counters with a single leg into guard. Warner didn't expect that.
Cranka with a flurry of punches that miss.
Cranka looks gassed!
Warner pulls Cranka in close to prevent any damage.
Warner avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cranka trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Cranka trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Warner not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Cranka pushing down on Warner's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Warner really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Cranka looks to land a strike but Warner avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
Warner is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Cranka stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Warner swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Warner preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Neck Cranka dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Warner tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Cranka paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Warner throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Cranka's waist but Cranka gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Warner off to one side.
Warner tries to clinch but Cranka is having none of it.
Warner tries to clinch up.
Warner wants to clinch.
Warner tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Cranka paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Cranka keeps the fight on the outside.
Warner wants to clinch.
Cranka circles away from the clinch attempt.
Warner wants to clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Warner tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Cranka paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Warner fails in his attempt to clinch.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Cranka is trying to stall.
Cranka misses with an elbow over the top.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cranka has had enough of the clinch but Warner keeps him there for the moment.
Cranka tries to break the clinch but Warner is controlling the position.
Warner tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Cranka tries to break the clinch but Warner is controlling the position.
Cranka is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Warner pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Warner lands a knee to the body.
Cranka is breathing heavily.
Warner fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

Warner pulls guard effortlessly.
Cranka thows a big elbow that misses.
Warner is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Cranka throws and elbow that misses. Warner uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Cranka's guard. Nice move by Warner!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Warner stands and steps away. Cranka gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Cranka throws a head kick but Warner moves out of range.
Warner shoots and misses

and Cranka counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Warner!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cranka sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Cranka throws some wild stikes that Warner manages to avoid easily.
Warner avoids a series of strikes thrown by Cranka.
Warner slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Warner keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.
Cranka looks to land a strike but Warner avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
Cranka throws and elbow that misses. Warner uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Cranka's guard. Nice move by Warner!
Cranka has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Warner has passed into side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
You can see the frustration on Cranka's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Warner tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.

Warner has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
Warner misses with a looping right.
Cranka misses with a wild body shot.
Warner tries to clinch up but Cranka circles away and keeps his distance.
Warner tries to clinch there but Cranka circles away.
Warner is looking to clinch.

That's four 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.
Cranka fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Warner checks it well.
Warner tries to clinch but Cranka is having none of it.
Warner thows a body shot but no joy.
Warner fails with an attempt to clinch.
Warner misses with a wild combination.

Cranka shoots in and bounces Warner off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Cranka thows a big elbow that misses.
Cranka wants to control from the top but Warner keeps moving.
Warner looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Warner is working hard here to advance position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Wacko Warner will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Warner is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Cranka throws a head kick but Warner moves out of range.
Warner tries to clinch but Cranka moves out of range.
Cranka throws the kick towards the body but Warner avoids it.

Cranka tries to keep at a distance but Warner has taken the fight into the clinch.
Cranka blocks an uppercut.
Cranka goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Cranka managing to block the knees to the body from Warner.
Warner landing knees to the body.
Cranka misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Cranka goes for a takedown attempt but Warner pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Warner shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Cranka as he avoids it easily.
Warner tries to clinch but Cranka is having none of it.
Cranka takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Warner misses with a takedown

and Cranka counters with a takedown into side control.
Cranka wants to take a breather but Warner manages to regain guard - a lesson learnt for Cranka.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cranka postures up in Warner's guard and throws a big left but Warner blocks it.
Cranka is standing up over Warner. Warner looks to escape but Cranka dives into side control.
Warner is trying to control Cranka's posture but Cranka avoids it.
Cranka looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Warner is avoiding damage well.
Cranka throws an elbow but Warner slips to the side and avoids it well.

Cranka tries for a kimura but Warner is defending well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Cranka throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Cranka is looking to land body kicks.
Cranka lands a nice leg kick that just misses Warner's sensitive parts.
A chopping leg kick lands by Cranka.
Cranka throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Warner wants to clinch.
Warner tries to clinch there but Cranka circles away.

Cranka shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Warner's guard.
Cranka advances position into side control!
Cranka tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Warner stops Cranka from passing to mount.
Cranka cracks Warner with a big elbow.
Sloppy strikes there by Cranka.
Cranka working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Cranka cracks Warner with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Warner is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Cranka trying to control the action but Warner is working from the bottom.

That's four 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.
Cranka throwing ground and pound but whilst doing so, he forgets to control position and Warner works his way back to half guard. Good composure under pressure.
Cranka missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Warner keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Cranka circles away from the clinch attempt.

Warner has closed the distance and engaged Cranka in a clinch.
Warner swings wildly with an uppercut but Cranka uses good head movement to avoid it.
Cranka goes for a takedown attempt but Warner pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Warner blocks a jab.

And that's the end of the fight!
Neck Cranka comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Cranka has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Eliza Hachem scores the fight 28:29
Judge Hugh Johnson scores the fight 28:29
Judge Donatello Bradman scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Neck Cranka!