PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between John Stuard (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Karl James (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). John Stuard had a look across the cage there at his opponent. He definitely means business

Stuard
vs
James

185 cm
25
215 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

190 cm
18
215 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, John Stuard !
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Karl James!
The judges for this bout are Chris Downing, Tiny Johnson and Cecil Peabody.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
James darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
James pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
James has been working on his striking defense in training and it's paying off as Stuard is landing a low percentage of strikes.
James misses with a looping right.
Stuard is looking for a counter combo.
James misses with a lunging right hand
and Stuard cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Stuard throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
A punch combination from James misses.
Stuard went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.

James gets tackled into the cage by Stuard . Stuard maintains the clinch.
Stuard is looking to break free of the clinch but James has double underhooks.
Stuard working hard to break the clinch.
Stuard is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Stuard breaks from the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Stuard scores with a jab to the jaw of his opponent.

Stuard clinches up with James and pushes him back against the cage.
James looking to slow down the pace here.
Stuard has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Stuard is trying to break free.
Stuard has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

Stuard breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
James misses with a lunging right hand
and Stuard counters with a stiff right hand.

James tries to keep at a distance but Stuard has taken the fight into the clinch.
James misses with a punch on the inside.
Stuard is looking to take this one to the mat.
Stuard is trying to push James away but James has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.

Stuard pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Stuard slips a straight right by James.
A lazy left from James finds it's target.
Stuard takes one to the chin there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
James throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

Stuard closes the distance and clinches.
Stuard wants to get back to striking at distance but James won't allow it.
Stuard is trying to break free.
Stuard drops down looking for an ankle pick but James pulls his leg out and moves away.

Stuard rushes James and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
James wants to break free but Stuard has control.
Stuard is trying to break the clinch but James is controlling him.
James slows down the pace here.
James has Stuard pressed against the cage, preventing Stuard from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Stuard breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
James looks to land a left hand but Stuard moved out of range nicely.
Stuard swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Stuard bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Stuard misses with a body shot
and James counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Stuard wants to clinch but James slips to the side
and James cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Stuard walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Stuard ducks under a wild hook from James.
James scores with a hook.
Stuard slips a straight right by James.

Stuard moves into the clinch successfully.
James stalling in the clinch but Stuard improves position.
James keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Stuard 's efforts to push away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
James keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Stuard 's efforts to push away.
Stuard is looking to break free of the clinch but James has double underhooks.
Stuard is looking to break free of the clinch but James has double underhooks.
Stuard is trying to break the clinch but James is controlling him.

Stuard breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
James misses with an uppercut.
Stuard moves into range and connects with a jab.
James swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Stuard counters with a left and a right that stings James.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
James throws a right and a left that Stuard avoids nicely.
Stuard throws a big counter combination but James scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.
A combination from James does no damage.
James throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Stuard on the side of the head.
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 John Stuard will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Stuard connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.

Stuard clinches with his opponent.
Stuard wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Stuard tries to break free but James pushes him back against the cage.
James keeps control of Stuard as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Stuard is looking to break free of the clinch but James has double underhooks.

Stuard 's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
James shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Stuard eats them both and turns towards James to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
James misses with a lunging right hand
and Stuard counters with a left and a right that stings James.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
James lands a jab.

Stuard gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
James keeps control of Stuard as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Stuard is trying to break free.
Stuard wants to break the clinch but can't.
James tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
James gets through Stuard 's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.

Stuard breaks the clinch.
James throws a shot from downtown. Stuard moves away and avoids it.
Stuard tries to clinch
and James counters with a lovely straight right hand!
The fighters circling - James throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
James misses with a looping right.
It looked like Stuard was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Stuard throws a poor cross that misses
and James counters with a stiff right hand.
Karl James seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
James jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
James throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
It looked like Stuard was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Stuard walks into a stiff left hand from James.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
James just misses with a punch to the body.
James might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
James smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
James misses with the combination.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Stuard is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
It seemed like James was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Stuard throws a right and a left that James avoids nicely.
James misses with a looping left.
John Stuard is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Stuard lands a two punch combo.
James throws a right hand that misses
and James takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Stuard blocks a jab.
Stuard doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
James looks to land a right hand but Stuard moved out of range.
James throws a jab but it's blocked by Stuard .
Stuard tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. James manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
James swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Stuard counters with a series of strikes. James will be more careful next time no doubt.

Stuard moves into the clinch.
James has Stuard pressed against the cage, preventing Stuard from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Stuard is trying to work for a single leg takedown but James pulls him back up using the underhooks.
James keeps control of Stuard as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
James swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Stalling in the clinch from James.
Stuard tries to circle away but James has him pinned against the cage.
James taking a breather.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
James keeps control of Stuard as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Stuard tries to pull guard but James won't allow it.
James misses with a hook to the ribs.
James wants to stall.
Stuard working hard to break the clinch.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for James.
Stuard is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
James prevents Stuard from breaking the clinch.
Stuard wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
James swings wildly with an uppercut but Stuard uses good head movement to avoid it.
Stuard working hard to break the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Karl James will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Stuard fails with an attempt to clinch.
James throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Stuard slips under a jab.
An attempted straight right counter from Stuard misses the target.

Stuard moves into the clinch successfully.
Stuard wants to get back to striking at distance but James won't allow it.
Stuard wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but James has him pressed against the cage.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Stuard as James tries to tie him up.

James escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
James is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Stuard .
James scores with a jab.
Stuard throws a jab when James was well out of range.
Stuard drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.

That's one minute gone in the round.
James throws a right hand that misses
and Stuard counters with a two punch combo.
Stuard ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
James throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
James throws a body shot but no joy.
As James looks to move away, Stuard throws a big counter combo but James just gets out of the way.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Stuard !
Stuard misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from James.
Stuard tries to clinch but James is having none of it.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from James! But no joy.
Stuard uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by James.
Karl James seems to be getting the better of the standup.
James swinging wildly here.
Stuard throws a series of punches but James avoids them all with ease.
James digs a good hook to Stuard 's body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
James misses with a lunging right hand
and James takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Stuard tries to clinch
and James counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
A left lands for Stuard .
Stuard moves to clinch but James breaks away
enabling James to counter with a crisp jab.
James scores with a body shot.
Nice shot lands for James.
James connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
James misses with a wild body shot.
Stuard looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
James looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Stuard tries to clinch up
and James counters with a lovely straight right hand!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A combination from James does no damage.

Stuard fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with James, pushing him back against the cage.
James's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Stuard tries to break the clinch but James is controlling the position.
Stuard wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

Stuard 's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
James keeps the fight on the outside.
James swings widly with a right hand
and Stuard counters with a straight right hand.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Stuard takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.

Stuard gets in close and instigates a clinch.
James is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.

Stuard breaks from the clinch.
A looping hook to the body misses from James. Stuard does a little dance to reset his feet.
Stuard has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Stuard there as he acknowledges the shot.
James throws a hook but Stuard avoids it easily.
Stuard blocks a jab.
Stuard throws a big counter combination but James scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.
Stuard looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
James scores with a jab. Stuard acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Stuard slips under a jab.

And that's the end of the fight!
Karl James comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think James 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 Downing scores the fight 28:29
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 28:29
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Karl James!