PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between ben hornby (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rob Jr Cumming (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

hornby
vs
Jr Cumming

225 cm
18
189 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

184 cm
18
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Enjoys gardening

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, ben hornby!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Rob Jr Cumming!
The judges for this bout are Sam Margolis, Paul Tew and Colin Fotheringham.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
hornby shoots in and drives through. Cumming sprawls well.

Cumming shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Cumming showed some decent athleticism there.
hornby regains full guard. Nicely done.

hornby kicks Cumming off and gets to his feet.

hornby closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Cumming is trying to stand up here but hornby is controlling him well.
hornby tries to stand but his arm is trapped.
hornby trying to mount his opponent but Cumming defends it.
Cumming pushes hornby off looking to stand but hornby dives back in and keeps control.
hornby with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cumming gets back to full guard.
hornby stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Cumming swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Cumming is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Cumming wants to sweep but no luck.
hornby really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
hornby trying to control the position from guard on top but Cumming is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Cumming wants to get back to his feet but hornby passes into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Cumming is trying to control but can't.
Cumming is controlling hornby's position as best he can from this difficult position.
hornby trying to control the action but Cumming is working from the bottom.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Cumming cracks a nice hook into hornby's ribs.

Cumming shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches hornby napping and manages to drive through into side control!
hornby is breathing heavily.
hornby is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

Cumming thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
hornby gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.

hornby kicks off Cumming and gets to his feet.
hornby misses with a wild combination.

hornby clinches up against the cage.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by hornby as Cumming tries to tie him up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

hornby breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
hornby lands a nice hook to Cumming's body. Cumming takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Cumming misses with a low kick.
hornby shoots and misses

and Cumming holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

hornby breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
hornby gets cracked there but stands up to it.
hornby fakes the leg kick and cracks Cumming in the body.

Cumming gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

hornby pulls guard successfully.
hornby is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

Cumming decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on hornby, up you get!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Rob Jr Cumming will probably get the nod.
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.

Cumming shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
hornby misses with some strikes from the bottom.
hornby moves into full guard.
Cumming looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

hornby looking for a guillotine here but Cumming defends easily.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
hornby working a defensive guard here.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Cumming tries to free his leg and advance position but hornby is retaining full guard.
Cumming wants to control from the top but hornby keeps moving.

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.
hornby has a closed guard, preventing Cumming from standing up.
Cumming preventing the sweep.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
hornby throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
hornby swinging wilding here.
ben hornby is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
hornby throws a nice outside leg kick.
hornby shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Cumming counters with a nice double leg into guard.

hornby looking for a guillotine here but Cumming defends easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cumming pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. hornby is keeping the position for now.
Cumming postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

hornby working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Cumming doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Cumming manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Rob Jr Cumming has got the better of the ground game so far.

hornby is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Cumming is aware though and is defending well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
hornby throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
hornby is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
hornby looking to control but Cumming passes into half guard.

Cumming is looking for a kimura but hornby is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Cumming to get the leverage.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Cumming decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
hornby manages to get to full guard.
Cumming looking to sit in guard and control but hornby gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rob Jr Cumming showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! hornby's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Cumming fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. hornby sprawls well initially but Cumming persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
hornby is trying to control but can't.
Cumming trying to control from half guard but hornby is working away.
Cumming is controlling the pace.
hornby wants to get back to his feet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
hornby manages to get to full guard.
hornby looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
hornby trying to strike off his back.
Cumming must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
hornby seems keen to control Cumming's posture.
hornby is trying to control the position but Cumming postures up.
hornby is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Cumming is controlling him.

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.
Cumming controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Cumming is working hornby over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Cumming is looking to stand up but hornby won't let him.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

hornby shoots in and bounces Cumming off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
hornby is standing up over Cumming. Cumming looks to escape but hornby dives into side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
hornby wants to lay and pray for a moment but Cumming keeps working.
Cumming tries to buck hornby off but hornby is having none of it.
Cumming is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

hornby is trying to get an arm triangle but Cumming is defending well.
hornby tries to advance to mount but Cumming instead regains half guard.

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.
hornby works his foot free and advances to mount.
hornby landing punches.
Cumming is working to get back to half guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Cumming wants to improve position but instead he's given up his back.

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 ben hornby.
Well Cumming has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Sam Margolis scores the fight 29:29
Judge Paul Tew scores the fight 28:29
Judge Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Rob Jr Cumming!