PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Diego St Pierre (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and James Martin (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). This should be fireworks!

St Pierre
vs
Martin

187 cm
20
175 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

180 cm
19
171 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Basic striking
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 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Diego St Pierre!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, James Martin!
The judges for this bout are Donald Grub, James Atkins and William Gold.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Martin avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
St Pierre wants to clinch up but Martin keeps it at a distance.
Martin throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
St Pierre has a takedown stuffed.
Martin throws a right hand that St Pierre ducks under and follows up with a left that St Pierre also avoids with ease.
St Pierre shoots in but no luck this time.
St Pierre shoots in but Martin avoids the takedown attempt easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Diego St Pierre. That's going to take a lot out of him.
St Pierre tries to clinch but Martin moves out of range.
Martin stuffs the takedown.

Martin gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Martin breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
St Pierre shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Martin tries to clinch up
and St Pierre counters with a flying knee. Nice.

Martin darts in and clinches St Pierre up against the cage.
St Pierre managing to block the knees to the body from Martin.
St Pierre is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Martin gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
St Pierre tries to pull guard but Martin won't allow it.
St Pierre is breathing heavily.
Martin can't break the clinch.
St Pierre jumps guard but Martin stands there with St Pierre around his waist. St Pierre gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Martin scores with a shot to the side of St Pierre's head.

Martin breaks from the clinch.
St Pierre looks for a takedown but Martin sprawls well.

Martin instigates a clinch.

Martin breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
St Pierre throws a sloppy head kick and Martin moves out of range easily.
Martin lands a jab-cross combination.
Martin will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Martin tries to clinch up but St Pierre circles away and keeps his distance.

Martin shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in St Pierre's guard.
St Pierre not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Martin won't allow St Pierre to sweep him here.
Martin tries to stand but St Pierre is controlling from the bottom.
Martin must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
St Pierre trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
St Pierre has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
St Pierre tries to land a sweep but no joy.

St Pierre is looking for a triangle but Martin pushes his legs off easily.
St Pierre tries to land a sweep but no joy.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Martin looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
St Pierre tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Martin counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in St Pierre's guard now.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for leaving it all in the cage!
St Pierre controls Martin momentarily but Martin frees himself.
Martin really doesn't want to stay on the ground with St Pierre. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
St Pierre keeping moving, preventing Martin from controlling successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Martin stopping the sweep attempt from St Pierre.

St Pierre looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Martin trying to stand up but can't free himself from St Pierre's guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Martin is stalling in the full guard.
Martin looking to sit in guard and control but St Pierre gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
St Pierre with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.

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.
St Pierre wants to control from the top but Martin keeps moving.
St Pierre stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Martin swivels though and keeps the full guard.
St Pierre working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
St Pierre trying to control but Martin is working from the bottom.
St Pierre stopping the sweep attempt from Martin.
Martin tries to strike from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James Martin dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Martin gets a clinch.

Martin breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Martin avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Nice sprawl there from Martin as St Pierre shoots in.
St Pierre shoots in but Martin avoids the takedown attempt easily.

Martin scores with a takedown into St Pierre's guard.
Martin looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
St Pierre looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Martin postures up.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Martin has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of St Pierre is proving hard to escape from.

That's one minute gone in the round.
St Pierre is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
St Pierre throwing shots but Martin is blocking nicely.
Martin is refusing to be controlled, as St Pierre sits in half guard.
Martin is looking to control St Pierre's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Martin avoid being mounted?
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. St Pierre lands a nice short elbow.
Martin is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Martin taking some punishment here, with St Pierre in his half guard.

It looks like James Martin has been cut.
Martin wants to improve his position but St Pierre is controlling well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
St Pierre working Martin over with strikes.

St Pierre is trying to work for a kimura but Martin is defending well.
St Pierre trying to mount his opponent but Martin defends it.

St Pierre seems to be looking for submissions.
Martin looks like he's trying to stand up.
St Pierre moves into full mount! Martin won't be happy about that!
Martin tries to lock up and control but St Pierre gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Martin trying desperately to get to his feet.
Martin is looking to improve his position but St Pierre isn't that keen on the idea.
St Pierre with a couple of short strikes.
Martin is trying desperately to improve position.
Martin tries to lock up and control but St Pierre gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Martin swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.
Martin wants to control but St Pierre is having none of it.
Martin tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Martin is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
St Pierre looking to control but Martin is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's four 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.
St Pierre landing strikes, looking to finish!
Martin tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Martin wants to hold on but St Pierre pushes him away.
Martin is really trying hard to get back to his feet.
St Pierre wants to control the pace but Martin is squirming around nicely.
St Pierre working Martin over with strikes here.
Martin is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
St Pierre can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Martin is looking to escape.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Diego St Pierre dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on James Martin's cut.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

St Pierre closes the distance but Martin moves to the side
and Martin counters with a straight right hand.
James Martin seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Martin doesn't manage to clinch there - St Pierre circles away.
St Pierre tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
St Pierre misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Martin tries for a takedown but St Pierre circles away easily

and St Pierre counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
St Pierre lands a couple of decent looking shots.
St Pierre stopping the sweep attempt from Martin.
St Pierre wants to pass the guard but Martin is keeping the position.
Martin keeping moving, preventing St Pierre from controlling successfully.
Martin seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.

That's one minute gone in the round.
St Pierre wants to control from the top but Martin keeps moving.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Martin wants to stand and escape but St Pierre is having none of it.
Diego St Pierre overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Martin keeping moving, preventing St Pierre from controlling successfully.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
St Pierre tries to clinch there but Martin circles away.
St Pierre throws a combination that misses
and Martin counters with a left and a right that stings St Pierre.
Diego St Pierre is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Nice takedown defense from Martin. No joy for St Pierre on that attempt.
Martin fails to land with a series of punches.
St Pierre throws a sloppy head kick and Martin moves out of range easily.
St Pierre darts in trying to clinch

and Martin counters by clinching up.

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.
Martin can't break the clinch.
St Pierre wants to get back to striking at distance but Martin won't allow it.
St Pierre is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Martin is trying to break free.

Martin is fighting off a takedown attempt but St Pierre is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Martin to the mat. Martin regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
St Pierre wanted to stand there but Martin had control of the position.
Martin utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Martin is trying to control the position from the bottom.
St Pierre tries to free his leg and advance position but Martin is retaining full guard.
St Pierre trying to control the position from guard on top but Martin is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Martin wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Martin keeping moving, preventing St Pierre from controlling successfully.
Martin wants to stand and escape but St Pierre is having none of it.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
St Pierre tries for a takedown but Martin circles away easily
enabling Martin to counter with a crisp jab.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Diego St Pierre. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Martin displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Martin stalling the fight.
Martin gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from St Pierre.
Martin is trying to work for a single leg takedown but St Pierre pulls him back up using the underhooks.
St Pierre fails to pull the fight into his guard.
St Pierre is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Martin pulls him back up using the underhooks.
St Pierre wants to break the clinch but can't.
St Pierre swings away with an uppercut that misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Martin wants to get back to striking at distance but St Pierre won't allow it.
St Pierre is trying to break free.

St Pierre jumps into guard, dragging Martin to the mat.
Martin stands up out of St Pierre's guard for a moment - St Pierre manages to land a nice upkick.
Martin trying to stand up but can't free himself from St Pierre's guard.
St Pierre trying to strike off his back.
Martin stopping the sweep attempt from St Pierre.
St Pierre trying to keep a closed guard but Martin is proving a slippery customer.
Martin wants to stand but St Pierre has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
St Pierre trying to keep a closed guard but Martin is proving a slippery customer.

And that's the end of the fight!
Diego St Pierre showed his dominance in that final round.
I think St Pierre 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 Donald Grub scores the fight 29:28
Judge James Atkins scores the fight 29:28
Judge William Gold scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Diego St Pierre!