PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Mikey Pepper (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sam Mack (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The fight MMA fans around the world have waited their entire lives for!

Pepper
vs
Mack

180 cm
19
190 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

188 cm
20
196 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Very strong

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Powerful

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 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Mikey Pepper!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Sam Mack!
The judges for this bout are Dean Styles, Bruno Lombardi and Russell Pearce.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pepper shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Mack sprawls well. Mack wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Pepper gets slowly back to his feet.
Pepper doesn't manage to clinch there - Mack circles away.
Pepper tries to clinch up but Mack circles away and keeps his distance.
Pepper with a nice cross.
Pepper is looking to clinch but Mack is avoiding it.
Pepper tries to close the distance and clinch but Mack swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Mack decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Mack sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Mack looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Mack throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Mack not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Pepper flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mack throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Mack is looking to advance position but Pepper won't allow it.
Mack moves into full mount! Pepper won't be happy about that!
Mack lands a nice shot to the head.
Mack tries to control but Pepper wriggling away.
Mack throwing strikes here but Pepper is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Mack blocks Pepper's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Mack trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Pepper in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mack raining down shots from the mount!
Mack looking to finish with strikes here!
The referee warns Pepper that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Pepper is wriggling around trying to escape.
Mack postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Pepper looks a forlorn figure.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Mack cracks Pepper with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
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!
Pepper is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Pepper bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mack is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Well, if Mack is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Pepper is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Mack wants to take a breather but Pepper is having none of it.
Mack missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Mack thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Pepper's head.

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.
Pepper is not content to let Mack control the position.
Pepper has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Mack is working away from the top position though.
Pepper manages to get to full guard.
Mack postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
No luck for Mack with that takedown attempt.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Mack keeps the fight on the outside.

Pepper rushes Mack and presses him up against the cage.

Mack pulls Pepper into guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Pepper darts in and clinches Mack up against the cage.
Pepper avoiding damage.
Pepper goes for a takedown in the clinch but Mack prevents it.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Pepper.
Mack tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Mack blocking some punches.
Pepper lands a right hand.
Pepper misses with some punches.
Mack slowing the pace effectively.
Pepper lands with a left to the head.
Pepper digs a right hand underneath Mack's ribcage. Mack let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Pepper throws a head punch that misses.
Pepper tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.

Mack pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Pepper tries to close the distance and clinch but Mack swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Mack avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Mack lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Pepper tries for a takedown but Mack circles away easily
and Mack counters with a lovely straight right hand!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mack throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Pepper.
Pepper tries to clinch up
and Mack counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Pepper fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Pepper looks to clinch

and Mack counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Pepper pushes Mack off looking to stand but Mack dives back in and keeps control.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Mack controlling the action here.
Mack working over Pepper with some ground and pound. Pepper looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pepper is staying active underneath Mack, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Sam Mack has got the better of the ground game so far.
Mack scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Mack thows a huge punch but Pepper dodges it nicely.
Mack stalling away here and it's allowed Pepper to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Pepper striking from the bottom here.
Pepper is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Mack is controlling him.
Mack looking to sit in guard and control but Pepper gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Pepper would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mack keeping moving, preventing Pepper from controlling successfully.
Mack seems keen to control Pepper's posture.

That's four 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.
Pepper wants to control from the top but Mack keeps moving.
Pepper pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Mack is keeping the position for now.

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

and Mack counters with a shoot takedown. Pepper fights it but they end up in guard.
Mack stands and throws Pepper's legs to the side, diving into side control.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Mack throwing ground and pound but whilst doing so, he forgets to control position and Pepper works his way back to half guard. Good composure under pressure.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sam Mack showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Pepper tries to clinch up

and Mack counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Pepper's guard now.
Pepper manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Mack is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Pepper wants to control the pace but Mack is squirming around nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mack wants to hold on but Pepper pushes him away.
Mack gets back to half guard.
Pepper is looking to advance position but Mack won't allow it.
Pepper takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Mack is looking to improve his position.

That's two 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.
Pepper is keen to just control but Mack is a slippery customer.
Mack is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Pepper's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Pepper's back!
Mack softening up his opponent with strikes here.
Mack has Pepper flattened out and is raining down punches.
Mack lands strikes to the head.
Mack scores with punches to the body.

Pepper is trying to get back to his feet. He's worked up on to his knees and now he's on his feet with his head on the canvas, trying to shake Mack off. It looks like it's working - Mack slides off, much to his dismay, and we're back to standing! Pepper displaying calm under pressure there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pepper darts in trying to clinch
and Mack counters with a nice uppercut.
Mikey Pepper is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Mack circles away from the clinch attempt

and Mack counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Pepper's guard now.
Mikey Pepper has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Pepper is wriggling around but Mack manages to pass to half guard.
Pepper is refusing to be controlled, as Mack sits in half guard.
Mack takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Pepper won't allow Mack to pass to mount.
Pepper missing with punches from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mack not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Pepper pushes Mack off looking to stand but Mack dives back in and keeps control.
Sam Mack is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Mack wants to take a breather but Pepper is having none of it.
Mack throws a strike but Pepper avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Mack trying to control the position from guard on top but Pepper is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Pepper working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Mack.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Pepper throws a left and a right that both miss

and Mack counters with a nice double leg into side control. Pepper won't be happy with that.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Pepper is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Mack's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.

Pepper looking for submissions off his back.

And that's the end of the fight!
Sam Mack comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Mack 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 Dean Styles scores the fight for Sam Mack!
Judge Bruno Lombardi scores the fight for Sam Mack!
Judge Russell Pearce scores the fight for Sam Mack!

Sam Mack wins by unanimous decision!