PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between James White (ranked 3936 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mike Lewis (ranked 4684 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

White
vs
Lewis

200 cm
25
232 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

180 cm
19
220 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, James White!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Mike Lewis!
The judges for this bout are John Roberts, Reed Andrews and Anthony Taglia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

White pushes Lewis up against the cage in a clinch.
Lewis throws a head punch that misses.

White has clasped his hands together around Lewis's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
Lewis wants to control but White postures up.
White in side control, just content to control the action for now.
White postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.

White is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Lewis is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Lewis can do anything to dispel that myth.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lewis struggling a bit here.
Lewis stuck in half guard on the bottom here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
White working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Lewis is trying to control White's posture but White avoids it.
White remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
Sloppy strikes there by White.
Lewis tries to bench press White off him but White keeps the position.

That's two 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.
Lewis can't do much from the bottom here.
White misses with the ground and pound.
Lewis defending against the ground and pound.
Lewis struggling a bit here.

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

White gets tackled into the cage by Lewis. Lewis maintains the clinch.
Lewis is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.

White pulls guard.
Lewis is looking to work some ground and pound but White has wrist control.
Lewis pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. White is keeping the position for now.

White is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Lewis defends well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lewis is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
White is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
White utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Lewis throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as White works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
White wants to stand and escape but Lewis is having none of it.
Lewis pushing down on White's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
White tries to roll over but Lewis keeps him under control.
Lewis thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Lewis throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Lewis scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Lewis missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
White is staying active underneath Lewis, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Lewis controlling the action here.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
White closes the distance and clinches up with Lewis, looking for a takedown. White pushes Lewis against the cage but Lewis circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
White is breathing heavily.
Lewis tries to close the distance and clinch up but White swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Lewis throws a sloppy head kick and White moves out of range easily.
Lewis thuds his right hand into White's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Lewis throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
White tries to clinch up but Lewis circles away and keeps his distance.
Lewis tries to clinch there but White circles away.

White clinches up with Lewis and pushes him back against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James White dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Lewis fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Lewis should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.

Lewis clinches.

White has hold of one of Lewis's legs. Lewis is fighting the takedown attempt but White gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
Lewis looking to hit a scissor sweep but White is one step ahead there.
White trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
White is working hard here to advance position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
White trying to control the position from guard on top but Lewis is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
White prevents Lewis from getting back to his feet.
Lewis working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from White.

That's one minute gone in the round.
White wants to control from the top but Lewis keeps moving.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
White is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Lewis is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Lewis tries to clinch up.
White thinks about countering with a head kick.

White looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
White will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
White trying to control but Lewis is working from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
White looking to pass the guard.
White stopping the sweep attempt from Lewis.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lewis is trying to control the position from the bottom.
White tries to free his leg and advance position but Lewis is retaining full guard.
Lewis is pulling down on White's head. It's preventing any offense from White, at least for the moment.
Lewis 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.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Lewis is breathing heavily.
White content to stall in guard here.

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

Lewis tries to keep at a distance but White has taken the fight into the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

White breaks from the clinch.

White drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
White wants to control from the top but Lewis keeps moving.
Lewis looking for a sweep. Not yet Lewis, not yet.
Lewis is controlling White's posture.
White looking to sit in guard and control but Lewis gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

White is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Lewis is aware though and is defending well.
White keeping moving, preventing Lewis from controlling successfully.
Lewis not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Lewis scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
White not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
White keeping moving, preventing Lewis from controlling successfully.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
White wants to stand up but Lewis is controlling him.
Lewis lands a couple of elbows.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James White dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Lewis tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Lewis takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
White scores with the left hand. Lewis knows he should have avoided that one.
Lewis misses with a lunging right hand
and White finishes the little exchange by landing a big kick to the body.
Lewis tries to clinch up.

Lewis has managed to clinch.

White lands a takedown into guard.
White wants to control from the top but Lewis keeps moving.
White is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Lewis can do to turn this around?
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lewis wants to sweep here but White controlling him for the moment.
White throwing strikes but missing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
White trying to control but Lewis is working from the bottom.
Lewis is adopting a defensive guard.
White trying to control but Lewis is working from the bottom.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
White is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Lewis throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Good work by White as he checks the leg kick.
Lewis tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and White counters with a nice uppercut.
White tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
White wants to clinch.
Lewis with the counter takedown but White avoids it easily.
White moves into range and lands a nice body kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lewis closes the distance looking to clinch
and White counters with a body kick.
Lewis takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
A nice combination there by White.

Lewis closes the distance and clinches.
Lewis taking a break, stalling in the clinch.

Lewis has picked White up - he's going for a ride! Lewis dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
White is refusing to be controlled, as Lewis sits in half guard.
White wants to control but Lewis is keeping busy and won't allow it.
White looks like he's trying to stand up.

White has managed to escape just enough to sneak back to his feet but Lewis is on him like a limpet, forcing White back against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
White is trying to maintain a safe position but Lewis gets an underhook and turns White into the cage.

White breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Lewis closes the distance and pushes White back into the cage.
Mike Lewis has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
White wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Lewis wants a takedown but no success here.
Lewis throws an elbow that misses.

White breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Mike Lewis seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A big left from Lewis misses.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

White throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Lewis tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. White is in Lewis's guard.
James White overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
White slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
James White is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Lewis keeping moving, preventing White from controlling successfully.

And that's the end of the fight!
James White showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for White, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 John Roberts scores the fight 30:27
Judge Reed Andrews scores the fight 30:27
Judge Anthony Taglia scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... James White!