PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Peter Leonard (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Shane Warne (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Shane Warne told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Leonard
vs
Warne

175 cm
25
140 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

165 cm
18
145 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

Decent wrestler
Brawler
Big heart

Good wrestler
Counter fighter
Can Moonwalk

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Peter Leonard!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Shane Warne!
The judges for this bout are Kenichi Hosakawa, Shigeki Sano and Ren Mimura.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Leonard throws a leg kick but Warne moved away.
Leonard tries to clinch up.
Leonard fails with an attempt to clinch.
Warne feints the counter takedown.

Leonard drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Warne tries to bench press Leonard off him but Leonard keeps the position.
Warne being controlled for a moment.
Warne tries to buck Leonard off but Leonard is having none of it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Warne struggling a bit here.
Warne is looking for a sweep.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Warne takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Warne tries to buck Leonard off but Leonard is having none of it.
Leonard working the head and body with strikes.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Leonard is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Warne will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.
Warne is looking to regain half guard here but Leonard keeps moving and retains side control.
Warne gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Warne felt the need to train up his defensive grappling in the buildup to the fight. Presumably he was expecting to be in a difficult position like this, so let's see if he can get out of it.
Warne trying to control here.
Warne manages to get to full guard.
Leonard won't allow Warne to sweep him here.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Warne can do anything to dispel that myth.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Warne keeps trying to improve his position.
Warne controls Leonard momentarily but Leonard frees himself.
Warne is pulling down on Leonard's head to control his posture.
Leonard trying to control but Warne is working from the bottom.
Leonard advances position into side control!
Warne is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Warne wants to improve his position but Leonard is controlling well.
Warne is trying to control but Leonard manages to pass to mount!
Warne is looking to get to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Leonard lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Warne hang on?
Warne is looking to get to half guard.
Warne tries to lock up and control but Leonard gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Leonard can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Warne is looking to escape.
Warne is trying to escape the mount.
Warne is trying to reverse the position but instead Leonard has taken his back - oops!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Warne tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Warne keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Warne sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Leonard drops an elbow to the side of Warne's head.
Warne tries to roll over but Leonard keeps him under control.
Leonard is thwarting Warne's attempts to control the position.
Warne is trying to avoid being dragged into an even worse position than he's already in but Leonard is staying active.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Leonard wants to stand up but Warne has a hold of him and won't allow it.
Leonard lands strikes from half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Peter Leonard dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Leonard cracks a nice hook into Warne's ribs.
Peter Leonard is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Warne blocks a head kick by Leonard.
Warne is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
Leonard tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Warne paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Leonard staying out of range there.
Warne tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Leonard defends well and Warne ends up having to push Leonard into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Leonard attempts a counter takedown but Warne avoids it well and moves away.
Warne fails with a takedown attempt.
Leonard wants to clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Warne misses with a looping right.
Leonard is looking for a counter combo.
Leonard stuffs the takedown attempt from Warne. Warne gets slowly back to his feet.
Peter Leonard has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Shane Warne.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Leonard bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Leonard moves away from the strike by Warne.
Leonard throws a combination. Warne tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Warne shoots in and drives through. Leonard sprawls well.
Leonard tries to clinch but Warne is having none of it.
Leonard is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Leonard slips a straight right by Warne.

Warne fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Leonard to the ground. Warne is now in Leonard's guard.
Warne throwing strikes from guard but Leonard blocks nicely.

Leonard is looking for a triangle but Warne pushes his legs off easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Warne postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Leonard keeping moving, preventing Warne from controlling successfully.
Warne prevents Leonard from getting back to his feet.
Leonard avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Warne wants to pass the guard but Leonard is keeping the position.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.

Leonard looking for a guillotine here but Warne defends easily.
Warne throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Leonard works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Leonard keeping moving, preventing Warne from controlling successfully.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

Warne drives through with a takedown into guard.
Warne throws a big elbow that misses.
Warne throwing strikes but missing.
Leonard keeping full guard, as Warne tries to pass.

Warne postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Leonard is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Warne, into his guard.

Warne not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Warne looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Peter Leonard overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Warne controls Leonard momentarily but Leonard frees himself.
Warne is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.

Leonard drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Warne manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Leonard has Warne in his guard.

Warne wants to control from the top but Leonard keeps moving.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Warne wants to pass the guard but Leonard is keeping the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Shane Warne will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

A big right from Warne misses.
Leonard tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Leonard throws a combination. Warne tries to block but a couple of punches get through.

Leonard manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Warne on his heels. He'll look to pass Warne's guard now, I'm sure.
Leonard content to stall in guard here.
Warne wants to sweep here but Leonard controlling him for the moment.

Leonard drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Leonard jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Warne throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Warne keeping moving, preventing Leonard from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Leonard won't allow Warne to sweep him here.
Warne trying to keep a closed guard but Leonard is proving a slippery customer.
Leonard throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Warne working a defensive guard but Leonard passes into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Warne is trying to control but can't.
Warne regains full guard. Nicely done.
Leonard stays in close to Warne's body and controls the position.
Warne has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Leonard has passed into side control.
Warne is trying to control Leonard's posture but Leonard avoids it.
Warne tries to bench press Leonard off him but Leonard keeps the position.
Warne wants to control but Leonard postures up.
Leonard lands a few punches from side control.
Warne is looking for a sweep.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Warne sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Warne is looking to improve his position.
Leonard wants to pass to mount but Warne is defending the position.
Warne is looking for a sweep. Leonard is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Warne wants to control but Leonard is keeping busy.
Leonard slows the pace down in half guard.
Leonard is trying to control. Warne wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

Leonard is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

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.
The fighters are battling for position here. Warne manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

Warne working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Leonard doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Leonard manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Warne trying to keep a closed guard but Leonard is proving a slippery customer.
Leonard is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Warne can do to turn this around?
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

And that's the end of the fight!
Peter Leonard showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Leonard 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 Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 29:28
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight 29:28
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Peter Leonard!