PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Michael Clark (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Scott Sawyers (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.

Clark
vs
Sawyers

185 cm
22
170 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

176 cm
21
170 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Big right hand

BJJ Blue 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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Michael Clark!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Scott Sawyers!
The judges for this bout are Chris Edwards, Andrew Berry and Steven Brown.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sawyers looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
No joy there for Sawyers, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Sawyers avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Clark scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Clark slows the pace down.
Clark lands an elbow.
Sawyers is looking for a sweep.

Clark decides to stand back up.
Clark misses with a double jab

and Sawyers counters with a shoot takedown. Clark fights it but they end up in guard.
Sawyers tries to stand but Clark is controlling from the bottom.
Clark controls Sawyers momentarily but Sawyers frees himself.
Sawyers working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sawyers looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Clark is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Clark looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Clark has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Sawyers preventing the sweep.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.

Clark uses the cage to get back to his feet.
Clark tries for a takedown but Sawyers sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Clark takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Clark fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Sawyers manages to avoid it.
Clark lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!

It looks like Scott Sawyers has been cut.
Clark tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Sawyers paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Clark fails with a takedown attempt.
Sawyers looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
A left lands for Clark.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sawyers shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Clark pinned against the cage. Clark gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Michael Clark has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Scott Sawyers.
Sawyers looks gassed!
Sawyers fails with the takedown

and Clark counters with a shoot takedown. Sawyers fights it but they end up in guard.
Sawyers wants to get back to his feet but Clark is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Clark is stalling in the full guard.
Sawyers throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.

Sawyers has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Clark off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Clark stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Sawyers.
Sawyers tries to land a front kick but Clark steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Sawyers throws a combination. Clark tries to block but a couple of punches get through.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sawyers throws a right hand that Clark ducks under and follows up with a left that Clark also avoids with ease.
Horrible takedown by Clark or perhaps it was just good defense by Sawyers which made him look bad.
Clark is looking to clinch.
Clark tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Clark avoids the head kick by Sawyers.
Sawyers swinging wilding here.
Sawyers avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Clark closes the distance and clinches up with Sawyers, looking for a takedown. Clark pushes Sawyers against the cage but Sawyers circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Sawyers throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Clark tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Sawyers swivels and escapes.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Clark changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Sawyers tries to avoid it but Clark manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Sawyers to the ground. Sawyers escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Sawyers throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Sawyers shoots for a takedown but Clark saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Sawyers goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
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 Michael Clark will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Scott Sawyers's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Sawyers cracks a nice hook into Clark's ribs.
Clark walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Clark tries to clinch up but Sawyers circles away and keeps his distance.
Sawyers chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Clark tries to clinch but Sawyers is having none of it.
Clark throws a lazy head kick
and Sawyers counters with a series of strikes. Clark will be more careful next time no doubt.
Clark shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Sawyers counters with a nice double leg into side control. Clark won't be happy with that.

Clark is rocked!
I wouldn't like to be where Clark is right now.
Sawyers is chipping away with strikes.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Sawyers wants to lay and pray for a moment but Clark keeps working.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Clark gets back to half guard.
Clark wants to get back to full guard.
Sawyers seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Clark does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

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.
Clark makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Clark.
Clark keeping moving, preventing Sawyers from controlling successfully.
Clark manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Sawyers manages to get himself to full guard.
Clark showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Sawyers working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Clark doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Clark manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

Clark stands up and waves to Sawyers to follow him.

Clark moves into the clinch successfully.
Clark keeps control of Sawyers as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

Sawyers manages to pull guard.
Clark pushes down on Sawyers's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Sawyers pushes Clark off looking to stand but Clark dives back in and keeps control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sawyers keeping hold of Clark's head, controlling as best he can.
Sawyers is looking for a sweep. Clark is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Clark wants to pass to mount but Sawyers is defending the position.
Sawyers tries to roll over but Clark keeps him under control.
Clark wants to pass to mount but Sawyers is defending the position.
Sawyers has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Clark is working away from the top position though.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Scott Sawyers showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Scott Sawyers's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Sawyers gets a takedown into half guard.
Sawyers is thwarting Clark's attempts to control the position.
Clark is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Clark is trying to maintain the position but Sawyers is very close to passing his half guard.
Sawyers sitting and controlling from the half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Clark manages to get to full guard.

Clark has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Sawyers can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Sawyers throws a big right hand that misses.

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.
Clark is pulling down on Sawyers's head. It's preventing any offense from Sawyers, at least for the moment.
Clark not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Sawyers tries to free his leg and advance position but Clark is retaining full guard.
Clark trying to control the position.
Clark manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Sawyers takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Clark cracks Sawyers with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Clark avoids the attempt from Sawyers to control.
Sawyers sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Still in half guard, Clark seems content to control.
Sawyers is trying to control but Clark passes into side control!
Check out the look on Clark's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Sawyers can't do much from the bottom here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Sawyers throws Clark to one side and escapes!
Clark throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Clark tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Sawyers swivels and escapes.
Clark shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Sawyers but Sawyers pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Clark with a poor takedown
and Sawyers counters with an inside leg kick.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Michael Clark. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A chopping leg kick lands by Clark.
Sawyers fails to land the takedown.
Clark misses with the combination.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Sawyers scores a takedown into full mount!
Sawyers controlling from mount.

And that's the end of the fight!
Scott Sawyers comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Sawyers 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 Chris Edwards scores the fight 28:29
Judge Andrew Berry scores the fight 28:29
Judge Steven Brown scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Scott Sawyers!