PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Stephen Harper (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Cameron Dollar (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). I'm sure you'll be fascinated to know that I was talking to some pointless Z list celebrity before the fight and he thought that Cameron Dollar was going to win. Let's see if he was right.

Harper
vs
Dollar

202 cm
22
250 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

225 cm
22
266 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Decent wrestler
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Likes ground

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 Rio de Janeiro, Stephen Harper!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Cameron Dollar!
The judges for this bout are Luis Engracia, Paulo Santos and Felipe Paraventi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Harper bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Harper in side control, just content to control the action for now.
An elbow from Harper crashes against the mat.
Dollar is trying to get back to half guard.
Harper trying to control the action but Dollar is working from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Harper tries to stand but Dollar controls the position and pulls Harper into his guard.
Harper working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harper stops Dollar from standing up.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Harper tries to clinch up.
Dollar fails with the takedown

and Harper counters with a nice double leg into side control. Dollar won't be happy with that.
Dollar is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Harper's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Dollar trying to hold on to Harper's head to control him but Harper postures up.
Harper performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Harper tries to pass the half guard into mount. Dollar knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

Dollar looking for submissions off his back.
Dollar looks gassed!
Dollar tries to get to full guard but Harper has control of the leg.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Harper keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Dollar gets back to full guard.
Harper tries to free his leg and advance position but Dollar is retaining full guard.
Harper passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Dollar is not content to let Harper control the position.
Harper lands an elbow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harper trying to control the position but Dollar is working away.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Harper prevents Dollar from escaping the position.
Dollar prevents Harper from moving into mount.
Harper tries to stand but Dollar is controlling his head.
Harper just content to control the position.
Dollar gets back to half guard.

Harper stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.

Harper feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Dollar wants to sweep but no luck.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Harper is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Dollar is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Dollar is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Harper knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Dollar on the ground.
Dollar trying to control from half guard but Harper is working away.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Dollar connects with a nice short shot to Harper's temple.
Harper might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

Dollar stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.
Dollar lands with a cross.

Dollar scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
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!
Dollar advances to mount.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Harper is in all sorts of trouble here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Stephen Harper dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Dollar shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Dollar stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Harper swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Harper is trying to keep Dollar in close.
Harper is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Dollar wants to control from the top but Harper keeps moving.
Harper wants to sweep but no luck.
Dollar sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Stephen Harper overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Harper has his hands on Dollar's head, controlling the position.
Dollar is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Harper working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Dollar doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Dollar manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Dollar won't allow Harper to get back to his feet.
Dollar passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Dollar happy to just control the position for now.
Harper manages to get back to half guard.
Harper wants to get back to full guard.
Dollar trying to control from half guard but Harper is working away.
Dollar is looking to advance position but Harper won't allow it.

That's two 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.
Harper controlling the position for now.
Harper has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
Harper tries to roll over but Dollar keeps him under control.
Harper is working hard here to advance position.
Dollar trying to mount his opponent but Harper defends it.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Harper closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Harper works to advance to full mount. Dollar defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
Dollar is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.
Dollar tries to get back to half guard but can't.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harper looking to control but Dollar is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Dollar is trying desperately to improve position.
Dollar is squirming around, avoiding Harper's attempts to control the action.
Harper controlling the position easily from mount.
Harper dominating with strikes here.
Harper content just to control the position here.
Harper seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Dollar for as long as he can get away with.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Dollar wants to control but Harper is having none of it.
Harper landing punches.
Harper raining down shots from the mount!
Harper sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Harper's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Harper wants to control the pace but Dollar is squirming around nicely.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Stephen Harper dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Harper tries to clinch up.
Harper shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Dollar as he jumps to the side.
Dollar is looking to clinch.
Dollar fails with an attempt to clinch.

Harper feints and as Dollar raises his hands in defense, Harper changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Harper tries to free his leg and advance position but Dollar is retaining full guard.
Harper is in close to Dollar's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Harper stopping the sweep attempt from Dollar.
Dollar keeping moving, preventing Harper from controlling successfully.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Harper stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Dollar swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Harper throwing strikes but missing.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Dollar working for a triangle but Harper defends it easily.
Harper content to stall in guard here.
Harper works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Dollar is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Harper is looking to advance position but Dollar won't allow it.
Dollar moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Dollar tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Dollar keeping moving, preventing Harper from controlling successfully.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Dollar looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
It really doesn't seem like the step up in weight is hurting Harper here at all. He's more than holding his own against the bigger man.
Dollar pushes down on Harper's leg and manages to get into half guard.

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

Harper manages to escape and get back to his feet!
Dollar has a takedown stuffed.
Harper scores with a nice head shot.

Harper gets a takedown into half guard.
Harper looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Dollar trying to control from the bottom.
Dollar keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

Dollar pushes Harper off and gets back to his feet.
Harper closes the distance but Dollar moves to the side
and Dollar counters with a straight right hand.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Harper closes the distance and clinches up with Dollar, looking for a takedown. Harper pushes Dollar against the cage but Dollar circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Dollar fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Harper tests Dollar's chin there with a solid looking shot.

Harper moves into range and clinches up with Dollar.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Dollar is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Harper gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Dollar fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Stephen Harper has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Cameron Dollar.
Dollar tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Dollar gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Harper.
Dollar tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Harper just stands there and leans against the cage.
Harper fails to pull guard.

Harper lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Dollar tries to kick Harper off but Harper keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Harper is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Dollar is pressing down on Harper's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.

And that's the end of the fight!
Stephen Harper showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Harper, 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 Luis Engracia scores the fight 30:27
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 30:27
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Stephen Harper!