PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Bill Baringer (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Matthew Davis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Bill Baringer could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Matthew Davis's chin.

Baringer
vs
Davis

183 cm
22
185 lbs
5 - 4 - 0

190 cm
23
193 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Experienced

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

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 5 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Bill Baringer!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Matthew Davis!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, Frank Antenori and Timothy Bukovac.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A nice inside leg kick there by Baringer. That's going to slow Davis down.

Davis shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Davis was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Davis wants to control the pace but Baringer is squirming around nicely.
Davis controlling from the full mount.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Davis cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Davis controlling from mount.
Baringer is squirming around, avoiding Davis's attempts to control the action.
Baringer tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Davis tries to control but Baringer wriggling away.
Davis prevents Baringer from getting the reversal.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Davis content just to control the position here.
Davis can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Baringer is looking to escape.

Despite being in the dominant position, Matthew Davis just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Baringer looks for a takedown but Davis sprawls well.
Davis doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Baringer counters with a takedown into side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Davis is trying to buck Baringer off.
Davis is looking to reverse the position.

Baringer is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Davis knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
A lull in the action here.
Davis tries to buck Baringer off but Baringer is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Davis taking a bit of punishment here - Baringer scoring with strikes.
Baringer taking a break here but Davis is having none of it and regains half guard.
Davis wants to get back to full guard.

Baringer is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.

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.
Baringer is looking to take a break and control but Davis is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Davis wants to improve his position but Baringer is controlling well.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Baringer uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Davis.
Baringer fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Davis avoids it really well and circles away.
Baringer takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Baringer moves out of range of the strikes.
Davis tries to clinch up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Bill Baringer will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Baringer throws a head kick but Davis moves out of range.
Baringer shoots in for a double leg but Davis sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Baringer shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Davis sprawls well. Davis wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Baringer gets slowly back to his feet.

Baringer tries to keep at a distance but Davis has taken the fight into the clinch.

Baringer breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Davis cracks a nice hook into Baringer's ribs.
Baringer throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Davis drives through with a takedown into guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Davis trying to stand up but can't free himself from Baringer's guard.
Davis seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Davis's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Davis trying to control the position from guard on top but Baringer is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Davis works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Baringer is looking to get back to is feet but Davis passes into side control.
Davis controlling the position from side mount.

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.
Baringer is not content to let Davis control the position.

Despite being in the dominant position, Matthew Davis just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Baringer clinches but Davis breaks the clinch
and Davis counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Davis misses with a takedown
and Baringer counters with a thumping low kick.
Baringer misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Davis thows a body shot but no joy.
Baringer takes a jab right on the kisser.
Baringer fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bill Baringer. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Davis moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.

It looks like Bill Baringer has been cut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Davis throws a combination that misses
letting Baringer counter with a right hand.
Davis looks to score with a jab to the body but Baringer is just out of range.
Davis misses with a wild body shot.
Davis tries to close the distance and clinch up but Baringer swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Davis tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Baringer is looking to clinch.
Davis is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Baringer rather than just go for the knockout.
Baringer dodges the punch combination from Davis.
Davis tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Baringer was well out of range. Poor timing from Davis.
Davis waving his hands out infront of him, looking to distract Baringer.
Some wild striking there from Davis.
Baringer throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Davis's waist but Davis gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Baringer off to one side.

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.
Baringer with a lazy takedown attempt
and Davis counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
A big right from Davis misses.
A combination from Davis does no damage.
Davis lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.

Baringer gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Davis wants a takedown but no success here.

Baringer's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Baringer closes this distance looking for a takedown but Davis circles away.
Baringer misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Baringer stuffs the takedown.
Davis fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matthew Davis showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Bill Baringer's cut.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Baringer dives in and grabs Davis's left leg, looking for a takedown. Davis pushes down on Baringer's head and hops out.
Davis lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Davis.
Baringer shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Davis as he avoids it easily.
Davis lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Baringer circles away quickly and effectively.
Davis tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Baringer was well out of range. Poor timing from Davis.
Davis throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.

Davis gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Davis wants to sweep but no luck.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Baringer looking to pass the guard.
Davis is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Baringer avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Davis.
Baringer is staying active underneath Davis, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Baringer is trying to get back to full guard.
Davis is taking a breather. Baringer says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Let's hope that Davis has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Baringer moves into full guard.
Davis wants to control from the top but Baringer keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Baringer is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Davis is controlling him.
Davis looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Davis wants to control from the top but Baringer keeps moving.
Baringer wants to stand but Davis is controlling the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Davis content to stall in guard here.
Baringer is looking to stand up but Davis isn't so interested in that idea.

Davis stands up from Baringer's guard - Davis perhaps looking for a knockout.
Davis shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Baringer counters with a two punch combo.
Davis misses with a straight left.

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.
Davis throws a looping overhand right but Baringer ducks down to avoid it.
Davis misses with a looping left.
Davis tries to bum rush Baringer with a series of wild strikes but Baringer uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Davis throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Baringer throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Davis's waist but Davis gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Baringer off to one side.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bill Baringer. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Davis shoots in looking for a takedown. Baringer tries to sprawl out of it but Davis keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Baringer manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

Baringer shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Davis napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Baringer lands an elbow.
Baringer tries to move into full mount but can't pass Davis's legs.
Davis manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.

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 Bill Baringer.
I think Baringer has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 28:29
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 29:29
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 29:28

The fight is ruled a draw!