PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Zac Edge (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mack Gerhardt (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.

Edge
vs
Gerhardt

180 cm
18
160 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

170 cm
18
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Zac Edge!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Mack Gerhardt!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gerhardt looks to land a combination but Edge avoids it well.
Gerhardt swinging wilding here.
Edge blocks a leg kick.
Edge tries to clinch up but Gerhardt circles away and keeps his distance.
Gerhardt swats away the attempt to clinch by Edge.
Gerhardt jabs Edge right on the nose. Edge blinks but takes it well.

It looks like Zac Edge has been cut.
Gerhardt will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Edge fails with an attempt to clinch.
Edge tries to clinch but Gerhardt moves out of range.
Gerhardt avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Edge wants to clinch up but Gerhardt keeps it at a distance.
Mack Gerhardt seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Gerhardt looks to land a combination. Edge sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Edge tries to close the distance and clinch up but Gerhardt swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Gerhardt throws a right and a left that Edge avoids nicely.
Edge is looking to clinch but Gerhardt is avoiding it.
Edge scores with a nice body kick.
Edge with a nice cross.
No joy there for Gerhardt, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Horrible takedown by Gerhardt or perhaps it was just good defense by Edge which made him look bad.

Edge closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Edge scores a nice knee to the body.
Gerhardt looks gassed!
Edge stalling in the clinch.

Edge breaks the clinch.
Edge thuds his right hand into Gerhardt's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.

Edge moves into range and clinches up with Gerhardt.
Edge lands an uppercut.

Edge breaks the clinch.

Edge closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Edge has Gerhardt pushed against the cage.
Edge with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Edge comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Edge lands an elbow just above Gerhardt 's eye.
Edge manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Gerhardt wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Edge throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Edge lands an elbow inside.

Edge gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Gerhardt regains guard.
Edge stopping the sweep attempt from Gerhardt.

Edge avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Edge stands up over Gerhardt, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Edge wants to control from the top but Gerhardt keeps moving.
Edge wants to pass the guard but Gerhardt is keeping the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Edge trying to control the position from guard on top but Gerhardt is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Edge with a flurry of punches that miss.
Edge has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Gerhardt is proving hard to escape from.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Edge is looking to clinch but Gerhardt is avoiding it.
Gerhardt misses with a straight left.

Edge instigates a clinch.
Gerhardt is trying to break free.
Nice elbow from Edge.
Gerhardt takes an elbow to the forehead.

Edge escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Edge tries to clinch up but Gerhardt circles away and keeps his distance.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Edge pushes Gerhardt up against the cage in a clinch.
Edge lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.

Edge breaks from the clinch.
Edge tries to clinch up but Gerhardt circles away and keeps his distance.
Edge fails with an attempt to clinch.
Gerhardt swats away the attempt to clinch by Edge.
Edge wants to clinch.
Edge tries to close the distance and clinch but Gerhardt swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Edge instigates a clinch.

Edge breaks from the clinch.

Edge darts in and clinches Gerhardt up against the cage.

Edge breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Gerhardt throws the left hand but Edge avoids the punch easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Zac Edge dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Zac Edge's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Gerhardt misses with the combination.
Edge tries to clinch there but Gerhardt circles away.
The fight stays on the outside here - Edge looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
The fight stays on the outside here - Edge looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Gerhardt throws a series of punches but Edge moves out of range.
Gerhardt will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Gerhardt throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

Edge gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Edge lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Edge breaks from the clinch.
Gerhardt is breathing heavily.
Gerhardt looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Edge is looking to clinch but Gerhardt is avoiding it.
Gerhardt swats away the attempt to clinch by Edge.
Edge scores with a crisp jab that stopped Gerhardt in his tracks.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Edge closes the distance and clinches.
Edge has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Gerhardt avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Edge crunches a lovely knee into Gerhardt's ribcage.

Edge manages to break the clinch.
Edge tries to close the distance and clinch but Gerhardt swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Gerhardt swats away the attempt to clinch by Edge.
Edge moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
A left and a right from Edge both land. Nice combination.

Edge drives through with a takedown into guard.

Edge gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Good leg kick by Edge there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Gerhardt throws a combination that misses

and Edge counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Edge.
Edge gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Edge lands a body shot in the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Edge breaks the clinch.

Edge pushes Gerhardt up against the cage in a clinch.
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!
Gerhardt is trying to break free.

Edge manages to break the clinch.
Gerhardt swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Edge counters by moving into the clinch.
Edge landing knees to the body.
Edge with a knee to the head.

Edge gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Gerhardt regains guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Gerhardt has his foot on Edge's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Edge works his way back into a safe position though.
Edge stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Gerhardt swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Gerhardt throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Gerhardt has his foot on Edge's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Edge works his way back into a safe position though.
Gerhardt looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Edge puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Edge prevents Gerhardt from improving his position.
Edge trying to control the pace.
Edge has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
Edge is looking to take a break and control but Gerhardt is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Gerhardt is trying to get back to full guard.

That's four 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.
Edge wants to stand up but Gerhardt is controlling the position.

Gerhardt looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Gerhardt throws a left and a right that both miss
and Edge counters with a stiff right hand.

Edge clinches up with Gerhardt and pushes him back against the cage.

Edge breaks the clinch.
Gerhardt falls off balance throwing a combination
and Edge counters with a nice leg kick.
Gerhardt throws a combination that misses
and Edge counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Edge tries to clinch there but Gerhardt circles away.

Edge fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Gerhardt, pushing him back against the cage.
Gerhardt blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Gerhardt blocks a punch to the side of the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Zac Edge dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Zac Edge's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Edge takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Edge swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Gerhardt swats away the attempt to clinch by Edge.

Edge forces Gerhardt back against the cage and clinches.
Edge keeps control of Gerhardt as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Gerhardt takes a shot to the head.
Edge looking to throw knees to the head but Gerhardt is blocking nicely.
Edge landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.

Edge breaks the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gerhardt throws a one two combo.
Edge tries to clinch up but Gerhardt circles away and keeps his distance.
Gerhardt throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Edge.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Edge fails in his attempt to clinch.
Gerhardt throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Edge counters with a left and a right that stings Gerhardt.
Edge fails with an attempt to clinch.
Zac Edge is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Edge drives through and clinches with Gerhardt against the cage.
Gerhardt wants to break the clinch but can't.
Edge lands a left hand.
Gerhardt blocks an elbow strike.
Edge lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Gerhardt backwards.
Edge lands with a light punch inside.

Edge escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Edge clinches with his opponent.

Edge manages to break the clinch.
Edge tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Edge moves into the clinch.

Edge breaks from the clinch.
Edge wants to clinch up but Gerhardt keeps it at a distance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Edge tries to clinch but Gerhardt is having none of it.
Edge moves away from the strike by Gerhardt.
Edge avoids a punch combination nicely.

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

Edge breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Gerhardt swats away the attempt to clinch by Edge.
Gerhardt misses with a double jab

and Edge counters with a single leg into guard. Gerhardt didn't expect that.
Edge wants to control from the top but Gerhardt keeps moving.
Gerhardt manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Edge is trying to stand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gerhardt looking to control and managing it successfully.
Edge is trying to get back to his feet but can't.

Gerhardt is working for a guillotine from mount but Edge frees his head quite easily.
Gerhardt with some aggressive grappling here, looking for the finish.
Gerhardt is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

Gerhardt swings around for an armbar but it's a sloppy attempt and Edge is now in Gerhardt's guard. A big mistake from Gerhardt there, giving up the dominant position!
Gerhardt looking to control.

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.
Edge preventing the sweep.
Gerhardt trying to control the position.
Zac Edge overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Gerhardt escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Edge gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Gerhardt manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Edge really wants to buck Gerhardt off and get back to his feet.
Mack Gerhardt has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Edge tries to reverse the position but Gerhardt maintains control.

And that's the end of the fight!
Zac Edge showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Edge has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Andi Peters scores the fight 30:27
Judge Gordon Ramsey scores the fight 30:27
Judge Frank Skinner scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Zac Edge!