PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Ivan Volsi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and John Harris (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). John Harris 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!

Volsi
vs
Harris

190 cm
21
180 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
20
160 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Ivan Volsi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, John Harris!
The judges for this bout are Andrew Berry, Colin Fotheringham and Donald Grub.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Volsi tries for a takedown but Harris sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

Harris decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Harris throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Harris has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

Harris is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Harris passes into side control, despite Volsi's attempt to control the position.
Volsi is looking for a sweep.
Volsi is working hard here to advance position.

Harris decides to stand back up.
Harris looks gassed!

That's one minute gone in the round.

Volsi clinches.

Volsi breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Volsi shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Harris pinned against the cage. Harris gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

Volsi has closed the distance and engaged Harris in a clinch.
Harris is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Volsi pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Volsi tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ivan Volsi. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Volsi has picked Harris up - he's going for a ride! Volsi dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Volsi looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Volsi is trying to control the action in half guard but Harris is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Volsi seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Volsi trying to control the action but Harris is working from the bottom.
Volsi controlling the action here.

Volsi postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Harris to stand up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harris has his takedown stuffed

and Volsi counters by clinching up.

Harris has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Volsi uses from the top position.
Volsi wants to control from the top but Harris keeps moving.
Volsi preventing the sweep.
Harris keeping moving, preventing Volsi from controlling successfully.
Volsi postures up in Harris's guard and throws a big left but Harris blocks it.

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.

Volsi gets to his feet. Harris looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Volsi tries for a takedown but Harris manages to get underhooks.
Volsi has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Harris avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Harris throws a knee to the head but misses.

Volsi drags the fight down to the ground.
Volsi 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.
Volsi keeping moving, preventing Harris from controlling successfully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ivan Volsi dominated that round.
That's time! Volsi's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Harris tries for a takedown but Volsi circles away easily

and Volsi counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Volsi uses his free foot to push down on Harris's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Harris.
A nice elbow there by Volsi.
Volsi raining down shots from the mount!
Volsi looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Harris in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Volsi trying to control but Harris is having none of it.
Volsi is really struggling to control Harris but he's trying to hold on to the position.
Volsi controlling from mount.
Volsi has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.

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.
Volsi scoring with strikes but Harris is staying in there.
Volsi trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Volsi has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Harris's face.
Volsi breaks from Harris's wrist control and lands an elbow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Volsi goes for an armbar but he's not got it… Harris turns into him and now he's in Volsi's guard.
Volsi looking to hit a scissor sweep but Harris is one step ahead there.
Harris pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Volsi is keeping the position for now.

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.

Harris avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Volsi is looking to stand back up but Harris counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Volsi.
Volsi is looking to improve his position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ivan Volsi dominated that second round.
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!

Harris shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Harris showed some decent athleticism there.
Volsi is trying to get back to full guard.
Harris wants to get back to his feet.

Volsi kicks Harris off and gets back to his feet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Volsi throws a head kick that half lands.
Harris shoots and misses
and Volsi counters with a stiff right hand.
Volsi lands a jab-cross combination.
Volsi changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Harris tries to avoid it but Volsi manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Harris to the ground. Harris escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Harris with a poor takedown
and Volsi counters with a low kick, right behind Harris 's knee.

Volsi closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Harris is looking to slip a leg under and get half guard but Volsi is one step ahead and moves to full mount!
Volsi unloading with bombs!
Volsi tries to control but Harris wriggling away.
Volsi thowing shots but they're missing.
Ivan Volsi overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Volsi can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Harris is looking to escape.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harris tries to hold on but Volsi pushes him away.
Harris is trying to escape but when you're mounted that's not too easy.
Volsi looking to control but Harris is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Volsi is standing up, even though he is in mount.
Volsi shoots and misses

and Harris counters with a single leg into guard. Volsi didn't expect that.

Harris stands and steps away. Volsi gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Harris shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Volsi counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Ivan Volsi has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of John Harris.
Harris keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Harris is refusing to be controlled, as Volsi sits in half guard.
John Harris has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Ivan Volsi is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Harris misses with some strikes from the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Ivan Volsi.
Well Volsi 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 Andrew Berry scores the fight 30:27
Judge Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 30:27
Judge Donald Grub scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ivan Volsi!