PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Mitch Drake (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Calvin Converse (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Mitch Drake could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Calvin Converse's chin.

Drake
vs
Converse

176 cm
19
159 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

175 cm
22
156 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Prefers ground

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Likes ground

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, Mitch Drake!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, Calvin Converse!
The judges for this bout are Paul Tew, William Gold and Daniel Bishop.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Drake keeps the fight on the outside.
Converse keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Drake.
Drake is looking to chop away at Converse's legs.
Converse shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Drake pinned against the cage. Drake gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

Converse clinches up against the cage.

Converse turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Converse manages to end up in side control.
Converse wants to lay and pray for a moment but Drake keeps working.
Converse looks gassed!
Drake wings away with a couple of strikes but they don't land.
Drake is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Converse is controlling him well.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Drake gets back to half guard.

Drake looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Drake is looking to improve his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Drake manages to get to full guard.

Drake is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Converse slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Converse postures up.

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.
Drake trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.

Drake is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Converse won't allow Drake to sweep him here.

Drake working for a triangle but Converse defends it easily.
Drake keeping moving, preventing Converse from controlling successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Drake has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Converse off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Drake throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Drake misses with a low kick.
Converse with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Drake slaps away a takedown attempt from Converse, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Drake throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Drake misses the shot to the body.

Drake feints and as Converse raises his hands in defense, Drake changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.

Drake drops back looking for a leg! Converse is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Converse manages to kick Drake off! Drake jumps back into Converse's guard.
Converse wants to stand and escape but Drake is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Drake throws and elbow that misses. Converse uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Drake's guard. Nice move by Converse!
Converse trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Drake keeping moving, preventing Converse from controlling successfully.

Drake working for a triangle but Converse defends it easily.
Drake is trying to control the position from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mitch Drake dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Drake closes the distance and pushes Converse back into the cage.
Drake is trying to break the clinch but Converse is controlling him.

Drake pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Converse pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Drake wants to clinch but Converse slips to the side
and Converse counters with a right hand to the body.
Drake swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Drake circles away from the clinch attempt

and Drake counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Drake postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Drake tries to free his leg and advance position but Converse is retaining full guard.
Drake won't allow Converse to sweep him here.
Drake pushing down on Converse's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Drake throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Converse flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Drake not landing any meaningful shots this time.

Drake decides he's had enough of the ground and stands up.
Drake throws a head kick but Converse moves out of range.
Converse circles away from the clinch attempt.
Converse slips under a jab from Drake.
Converse with a poor takedown

and Drake counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Converse's guard now.

Drake thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

Converse has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Drake can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Drake slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.

Drake goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Converse rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Drake's guard! Nice work there by Converse!

Drake is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Converse defends well.
Converse stands and throws Drake's legs to the side, diving into side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Converse working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Drake holds on to Converse's head and controls the position momentarily.
Drake is trying to get back to half guard.
Drake is trying to control Converse's posture but Converse avoids it.
Drake tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Converse wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Converse trying to control the action but Drake is working from the bottom.

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.
Drake regains half guard.
Converse not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Drake is trying to stand back up but Converse is controlling him
Converse blocks the strikes from Drake.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Drake tries to score a power double leg takedown but Converse sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Drake somewhat.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Converse wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mitch Drake dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

A head kick by Drake misses

and Converse counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

Drake manages to break the clinch.
Converse tries to clinch up
and Drake counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Converse looks to clinch

and Drake counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Converse!

Drake looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Converse is trying to stand up.
Drake throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Drake looking to finish with strikes here!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Drake is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Converse can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Drake jumps to the side looking to secure the arm triangle…. Ooooh, that looks tight… Converse is gargling but he's managed to escape! Nice work there by Converse and Drake has given up the dominant position trying to land that submission.

Drake thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Converse is trying to control Drake's posture but Drake avoids it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Drake decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Drake doesn't manage to clinch there - Converse circles away.

Drake closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Drake's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Converse tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Drake counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

Drake clinches.
Drake is trying to break free.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Drake.
Drake wants to get back to striking at distance but Converse won't allow it.
Converse keeps control of Drake as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Drake lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Drake has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Drake tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Drake looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Drake crunches a lovely knee into Converse's ribcage.
Drake lands a knee to the head.

Drake escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Converse tries to clinch but Drake moves away

and Drake decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Converse's guard.
Drake postures up.
Drake pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Converse is keeping the position for now.

Converse working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Drake has passed into half guard!

Drake is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

Drake trying to work for an americana but Converse has managed to regain full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Drake throwing strikes from guard but Converse blocks nicely.

Drake decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Converse circles away from the clinch attempt

and Converse counters with a nice double leg into guard.
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!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Drake looking for a guillotine here but Converse defends easily.
Converse slips nicely into half guard, despite the strikes coming from Drake.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mitch Drake showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Drake 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 Paul Tew scores the fight for Mitch Drake!
Judge William Gold scores the fight for Mitch Drake!
Judge Daniel Bishop scores the fight for Mitch Drake!

Mitch Drake wins by unanimous decision!