PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Ray Chan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sinclair Church (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Church is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Jesus is Just Alright. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Chan
vs
Church

166 cm
22
193 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

188 cm
23
185 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

Decent wrestler
Basic striking
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Ray Chan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Sinclair Church!
The judges for this bout are Damien Edna, Eliza Hachem and Chris Dean.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Church scores with a takedown into Chan's guard.
Church is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Church advances position into side control!
Chan really is a fat lump.
Chan is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Church winds up and cracks Chan with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Chan flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
The fighters are battling for position here. Chan manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Church throws a big right hand that misses.
Chan wants to sweep but no luck.
Church looking to pass the guard.
Chan tries to land a sweep but no joy.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Church is on the wrong end of a couple of strikes there.
Church postures up.
Church wants to pass the guard but Chan is keeping the position.
Church wants to control from the top but Chan keeps moving.

That's one minute gone in the round.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Chan is on top in guard.

Church working a defensive guard here.
Chan throwing strikes but missing.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Chan scoring with some ground and pound.
Church trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Church trying to control the position.
Church wants to sweep here but Chan controlling him for the moment.
Church looks winded!
Church trying to control the position.
Chan postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Church is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Church throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Church tries to strike from the bottom.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Chan scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Church is trying to control Chan's posture but Chan avoids it.

Chan tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Chan working away.
Both fighters have adopted an aggressive gameplan on the ground!
Chan scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Church to see if he's OK.
You can see the frustration on Church's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

Chan tries for a kimura but Church is defending well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Church keeping his opponent close.

Chan tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

Chan is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Church has escaped the position, nice work there.
Church tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Church wants to control but Chan postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Church is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.

Chan is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.

Chan seems to be looking for submissions.
Chan 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.
Church makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Church.
Church has momentary wrist control but Chan slips an elbow through the middle.
Church is trying to control the position but Chan postures up.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Chan with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Church wants to sweep but no luck.
Chan throws a big elbow that misses.
Chan throwing strikes but missing.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Church tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Chan manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Chan looking to score a takedown here. Church is defending well but Chan drives through and ends up in Church's guard.
Chan with a flurry of punches that miss.
Chan is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Church can do to turn this around?
Church is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Church wants to sweep here but Chan controlling him for the moment.
Chan stands up over Church, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Chan is looking to work some ground and pound but Church has wrist control.
Church lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Church is breathing heavily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Church lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Church is stalling in the full guard.
Church missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Ray Chan overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Chan bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Church's guard.

Church avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Church wants to sweep here but Chan controlling him for the moment.
Church lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Church missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Chan thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Church trying to control but Chan is working from the bottom.
Church scoring with punches to the head and body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Chan not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Church is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Church won't allow Chan to sweep him here.
Church postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Church working some strikes from top position.
Church landing with the ground and pound.
Chan is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Church trying to control the position from guard on top but Chan is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Church stopping the sweep attempt from Chan.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Church slips nicely into half guard.
Church not doing much here.
Church is looking to take a break and control but Chan is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Chan gets back to full guard.
Chan wants to sweep but no luck.
Church landing with the ground and pound.
Church scoring with punches to the head and body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Chan looking for a sweep. Not yet Chan, not yet.
Church content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Chan can't keep his opponent in guard - Church advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Church tries to pass the half guard into mount. Chan knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Church is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Chan is staying active underneath Church, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Church throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Chan is trying to get back to full guard.
Chan is not content to let Church control the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sinclair Church showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Chan looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.

Chan is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Church trying to control but Chan postures up.
Chan thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Church's head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Chan looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Chan not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Church is controlling Chan's trapped leg to prevent Chan from advancing to side control.
Chan working over Church with some ground and pound. Church looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Chan throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Church tries to get to full guard but Chan has control of the leg.

Chan is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Church defends it well.
Chan thows a huge punch but Church dodges it nicely.
Church trying to control here.
Church has hold of Chan's hands but Chan slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Church moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Chan might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Church looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Church is looking to sweep but instead, Chan has passed into half guard.
Church regains full guard. Nicely done.
Church will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Chan with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Chan is looking to work some ground and pound but Church has wrist control.
Chan postures up.
Church throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Chan postures up and lands a big shot to Church's brow.
Church is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Chan trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Church has momentary wrist control but Chan slips an elbow through the middle.
Church lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Church throws a big elbow that misses.
Church trying to control but Chan is working from the bottom.
Church postures up in Chan's guard and throws a big left but Chan blocks it.
Church trying to control but Chan is working from the bottom.
Chan is trying to keep Church in close.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Church wants to control from the top but Chan keeps moving.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Sinclair Church seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Chan gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Church to score an easy takedown into full guard.

Church got a little sloppy there for a moment and Chan has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Church has managed to get both his arms back between Chan's legs - danger averted.
Church lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Church wants to control from the top but Chan keeps moving.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Chan trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Chan keeping moving, preventing Church from controlling successfully.
Church looking to sit in guard and control but Chan gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ray Chan showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Chan 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 Damien Edna scores the fight 29:28
Judge Eliza Hachem scores the fight 29:28
Judge Chris Dean scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ray Chan!