PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Archie Clay (ranked 3629 p4p, 7524 weight class) and Shane Larkin (ranked 432 p4p, 665 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Clay
vs
Larkin

190 cm
22
195
6 - 1 - 0

180 cm
19
185
0 - 1 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Good kicks
Very quick

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Solid chin

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 6 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Archie Clay!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Shane Larkin!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, Wesley Smith and Cecil Peabody.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Larkin takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Clay displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Larkin.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Larkin.
Larkin looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Clay is fending him off so far but Larkin persists. Nope, Clay circles away and we're back to standing.
Archie Clay has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Shane Larkin.
Clay dives in and grabs Larkin's left leg, looking for a takedown. Larkin pushes down on Clay's head and hops out.

Clay shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Larkin napping and manages to drive through into side control!

Clay working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Clay laying and praying for a moment but Larkin takes advantage and regains half guard.
Clay wants to control but Larkin is keeping him busy.
Larkin really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Clay. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Clay throwing shots but Larkin is blocking nicely.
Clay missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Larkin is refusing to be controlled, as Clay sits in half guard.
Clay 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.
Clay throwing shots but Larkin is blocking nicely.
Larkin is staying active underneath Clay, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Clay missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Clay thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Larkin's head.

Clay is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Clay seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Larkin does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Larkin trying to control here.
Clay with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Clay is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Larkin blocking the ground and pound attempt from Clay.
Clay sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Larkin defending well though.
Clay is keen to just control but Larkin is a slippery customer.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Ground and pound from Clay.
Clay controlling the action here.
Larkin trying to control here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Clay wants to control but Larkin is keeping him busy.

Clay 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.

Clay is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Clay seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Larkin does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Clay works his way into full mount!
Clay controlling the position easily from mount.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Larkin can do anything to dispel that myth.
Clay throws some wild stikes that Larkin manages to avoid easily.
Larkin is squirming around, avoiding Clay's attempts to control the action.
Clay with good strikes from the mount here!
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Clay working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.

Clay is working for a guillotine from mount but Larkin frees his head quite easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Archie Clay dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Larkin gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Clay counters with an inside leg kick.
Clay buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Larkin loads up on a big right hand but Clay slips the punch.

Clay darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Larkin blocking the ground and pound attempt from Clay.
Clay is trying to control. Larkin wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Clay missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Clay takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Clay wants to take a breather but Larkin is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Clay sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Larkin defending well though.
Clay trying to control the action but Larkin is working from the bottom.
Larkin looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Clay thows a huge punch but Larkin dodges it nicely.
Clay is looking to take a break and control but Larkin is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Clay wants to free his trapped foot but Larkin is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Clay sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Larkin defending well though.
Clay trying to mount his opponent but Larkin defends it.
Clay thows a huge punch but Larkin dodges it nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Larkin is staying active underneath Clay, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Shane Larkin seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Larkin gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Clay passes Larkin's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Clay thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Clay trying to control from half guard but Larkin is working away.
Clay works his way into side control.
Clay in side control, throwing shots but Larkin defends.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Clay wants to control but Larkin is keeping him busy.

Clay thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Clay scoring with punches from side control.
Clay throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
The referee asks Clay politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Clay prefers to stall for the moment though.

Clay tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Clay has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Larkin dodges the ground and pound from Clay.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Clay has hold of Larkin's arm. He's looking for a kimura. Larkin seems comfortable defending it but Clay has shifted his position slighty and is cranking on the arm! Larkin is real pain and he's forced to tap out! Larkin is disgusted with himself for not defending it better but Clay couldn't care less - he's delighted!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:14 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Archie Clay!