PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Josiah Starr (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Haka Maka (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Maka's choice of entrance music: Island Music. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Starr
vs
Maka

180 cm
20
175 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
22
180 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Inexperienced

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Josiah Starr!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Haka Maka!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Maka has managed to clinch.
Starr wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Maka wants to get back to striking at distance but Starr won't allow it.
Maka is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Starr pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Maka throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Starrs head.

Starr's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Starr tries to clinch up

and Maka counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Maka goes for a takedown attempt but Starr pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Starr throws a combination that misses

and Maka counters with a takedown into side control.
Maka tries to advance to mount but can't.

Maka stands up.
Josiah Starr seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Starr throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Maka decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Starr's guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Maka is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

Maka stands up from guard. Let's bang!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maka fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Starr avoids it really well and circles away.
Josiah Starr has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Haka Maka.
Starr closes the distance looking to clinch

and Maka counters by moving into the clinch.
Starr is looking for a takedown up against the ropes. Maka gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Starr swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Maka jumps guard but Starr stands there with Maka around his waist. Maka gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Maka tries to pull guard but Starr holds him up against the ropes and eventually Maka drops back down to his feet.
Maka trying to control the position but instead, Starr has worked for underhooks and has pushed Maka into the ropes.

Maka decides to pull guard.

Maka scrambles and gets back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Starr throws a left and a right that both miss

and Maka counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Maka looks gassed!
Maka trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Starr manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Starr cracks Maka with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Starr swings around for an armbar but it's a sloppy attempt and Maka is now in Starr's guard. A big mistake from Starr there, giving up the dominant position!
Maka trying to control the position from guard on top but Starr is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Starr throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Maka trying to control but Starr is working from the bottom.
Starr wants to get back to his feet but Maka passes into half guard.
Maka moves nicely into side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Maka stands up and we're back to a striking position.
Starr looks to land a combination but Maka avoids it well.
Starr with a lazy takedown attempt

and Maka counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Maka.
Maka's corner is telling him to maintain position.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Maka trying to control the position from guard on top but Starr is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Haka Maka dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Starr rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Maka moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

Maka pushes Starr up against the ropes in a clinch.
Maka looking to stall.

Maka is working on a single leg takedown against the ropes. Starr can't fight it off and eventually Maka manages to take the fight to the floor. Starr looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Maka not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Maka trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Starr being controlled here, momentarily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maka wants to get up but he can't break Starr's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Starr wants to sweep here but Maka controlling him for the moment.
Maka wants to pass the guard but Starr is keeping the position.
Maka stays in close to Starr's body and controls the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Maka wants to pass the guard but Starr is keeping the position.
Maka passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Maka trying to control the action but Starr is working from the bottom.
Starr is looking for a sweep.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Starr is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Maka is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Starr keeping hold of Maka's head, controlling as best he can.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Maka controlling the action here.
Maka is trying to control the action in half guard but Starr is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Maka content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Haka Maka showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Maka drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Haka Maka has got the better of the ground game so far.

Despite being in the dominant position, Haka Maka just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Some bone on bone action there as Maka checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Maka misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Maka throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Starr's waist but Starr gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Maka off to one side.
Maka lands with a kick to the temple. Starr shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Starr closes the distance looking to clinch

and Maka counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Starr's guard now.
Starr trying to keep a closed guard but Maka is proving a slippery customer.
Maka prevents Starr from getting back to his feet.
Maka takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maka postures up.
Maka would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Starr looking for a sweep. Not yet Starr, not yet.
Maka sitting in guard here, content to control.
Maka stops Starr from standing 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.
Starr looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Maka throws a head kick but Starr moves out of range.
Maka buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Maka falls off balance throwing a combination
and Starr counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Starr falls off balance throwing a combination

and Maka counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Starr controls Maka momentarily but Maka frees himself.
Maka is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Maka wants to pass the guard but Starr is keeping the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maka controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Maka pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Starr is keeping the position for now.

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.
Maka won't allow Starr to get back to his feet.
Maka pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Starr is keeping the position for now.
Starr trying to control the position.
Josiah Starr has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Starr blocks a head kick by Maka.

Maka fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Starr sprawls well initially but Maka persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Haka Maka is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

Maka stands up from half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Haka Maka comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Maka winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Jack Bonds scores the fight 27:30
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 27:30
Judge Suge Night scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Haka Maka!