PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between John Rice (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Joseph Wapner (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). John Rice could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Joseph Wapner's chin.

Rice
vs
Wapner

186 cm
19
177 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

180 cm
19
182 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Counter striker
KO power

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Determined

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 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, John Rice!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Joseph Wapner!
The judges for this bout are Gwen Towbar, Robert Twigg and Cecil Peabody.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Wapner finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Wapner tries a head kick but it misses.
Rice throws a lazy head kick
and Wapner counters with a low kick, right behind Rice 's knee.
Rice thows a body shot but no joy.
Rice showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Wapner.

Wapner instigates a clinch.
Nice elbow from Wapner.
Wapner just leaning against Rice, taking a breather.
Rice tries a body shot but Wapner blocks it.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Rice takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Wapner lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.

It looks like John Rice has been cut.
Rice dodges an elbow strike from Wapner.
Rice is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Wapner is defending well for now.
Wapner connects with a knee to the head.
Rice throws a knee to the head but misses.
Rice takes an elbow to the temple.
Rice tries to work over Wapner's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.

Wapner breaks the clinch.
Rice tries a head kick but it misses.
Rice throws a nice looking combination but Wapner bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Rice misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Rice takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Wapner throws a sloppy head kick
and Rice counters with a flying knee. Nice.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Wapner throws a head kick but Rice moves out of range.
Rice throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
No joy there for Rice, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Rice moves out of range of the body kick.
Wapner blocks a head kick by Rice.
Wapner tries to clinch up
and Rice counters with a left and a right that stings Wapner.
Rice throws a sloppy head kick and Wapner moves out of range easily.
Wapner lands a jab-cross combination.
Wapner lands with a slapping head kick.
Wapner throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Wapner blocks a head kick by Rice.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Rice!
Rice takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Rice tries a head kick but it misses.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Wapner.
Wapner tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Rice counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Rice misses with the combination.
Wapner throws a leg kick but Rice checks it.
Wapner tries to clinch up.
Wapner tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Rice counters with a head kick.
Rice takes a head kick and keeps coming.
A low kick from Wapner misses
and Rice counters with a series of strikes. Wapner will be more careful next time no doubt.
Wapner moves in looking to clinch but Rice pushes him off.
Rice misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Rice lands a head kick!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rice throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Wapner throws a leg kick
and Rice counters with a two punch combo.
Rice misses with the combination.
Wapner lands a nice leg kick that just misses Rice's sensitive parts.
Rice misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Wapner throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Rice counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Wapner is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Wapner tries to clinch up
and Rice counters with a series of strikes. Wapner will be more careful next time no doubt.
Rice misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

Wapner has Rice up against the cage in a clinch.
Wapner avoiding damage as Rice throws knees to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rice throws a knee to the head but misses.
Wapner lands a nice elbow.
Rice misses with a short punch on the inside.
Wapner landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Wapner blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Rice trying to control the position but instead, Wapner has worked for underhooks and has pushed Rice into the cage.
Rice trying to land knees to the body.
Wapner blocks the elbow strike.
Wapner avoiding damage.
Wapner connects with a nasty looking knee right to Rice's face.
Rice struggles to land a body shot inside as Wapner controls his hands.

Wapner pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Wapner tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Wapner closes the distance looking to clinch
and Rice counters with a stiff right hand.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Rice moves out of range of the leg kick from Wapner.
Wapner misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Wapner looks gassed!
Wapner swings and misses with a hook to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Joseph Wapner will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on John Rice's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

A head kick by Wapner misses
and Wapner takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Wapner moves in looking to clinch but Rice pushes him off.
Wapner throws a leg kick
and Rice counters with a left and a right that stings Wapner.
Rice works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Wapner misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
John Rice is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Wapner throws a body kick despite being completely out of range
and Rice counters with a series of strikes. Wapner will be more careful next time no doubt.
Wapner throws a solid leg kick but Rice takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Wapner.
Wapner throws a lazy head kick
and Rice counters with a head kick. That will keep Wapner thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
Wapner tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Rice counters with a head kick.

Wapner is rocked!
Rice throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
A solid leg kick lands there for Wapner.
No joy there for Rice, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
John Rice is winning the standup battle so far.
Wapner throws a left and a right that both miss
and Rice counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Wapner is breathing heavily.
A head kick misses from Rice.
Rice throws a head kick but Wapner moves out of range.
Rice will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rice throws a nice looking combination but Wapner bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Wapner throws a leg kick that is checked
and Rice counters with a one-two to the body.
Wapner darts in trying to clinch
and Rice counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Rice circles away from the clinch attempt
and Rice counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Rice misses with a few strikes there.
Rice tries to bum rush Wapner with a series of wild strikes but Wapner uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Rice misses with a jab, cross combination.
Rice connects with a high kick.
Wapner throws a lazy head kick
and Rice counters with a left and a right that stings Wapner.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A leg kick checked by Rice.
Rice fails to land with a series of punches.
Rice takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Rice moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Rice tries a head kick but it misses.
Wapner throws a sloppy head kick
and Rice counters with a lovely shot to the body.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Rice throws a head kick but Wapner moves out of range.
Rice misses with a double jab.
A head kick by Wapner misses
and Rice counters with a big head kick but Wapner shrugs it off.
Wapner looks to clinch
and Rice counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Rice throws a head kick but Wapner moves out of range.
Rice misses with the combination.
Rice misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rice circles away from the clinch attempt
and Rice counters with a nice body shot.
Rice throws a head kick but Wapner moves out of range.
Rice misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
A low kick from Wapner misses
and Rice counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Rice takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
Rice pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Rice throws a sloppy head kick and Wapner moves out of range easily.
Wapner throws a body kick the misses
and Rice counters with a three punch combo that has Wapner backing up. Wapner nods at Rice to acknowledge the strikes.
Rice swinging wilding here.
Wapner tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Rice counters with a series of strikes. Wapner will be more careful next time no doubt.
Wapner tries to clinch but Rice moves away
and Rice counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Wapner blocks a head kick by Rice.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rice swinging wilding here.
Rice misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Wapner throws a sloppy head kick
and Rice counters with a two punch combo.
Rice throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Rice lands a high kick!
Wapner throws a head kick that misses
and Rice counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Rice looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
A low kick from Wapner is predictable there
and Rice counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Wapner blocks a head kick by Rice.
Rice rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Wapner moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Rice connects with a high kick.
Wapner is still on wobbly legs! Can Rice finish him?
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Wapner misses with the body kick
and Rice counters with a one-two to the body.
Rice moves out of range of the body kick from Wapner.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Rice dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on John Rice's cut.
That's time! Rice's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Wapner throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Rice counters with a one-two to the body.
Wapner clinches but Rice breaks the clinch
enabling Rice to counter with a crisp jab.
Wapner has a pretty nasty looking mouse under his right eye.
Some bone on bone action there as Rice checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Wapner seems to have recovered his senses.
Rice looks to land a combination. Wapner sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Rice lands with a slapping head kick.
Wapner blocks a head kick by Rice.
Rice tries a head kick but it misses.
A head kick misses from Rice.
Rice lands a head kick. Wapner smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Rice is working the combinations to good effect here.
Rice lands with a kick to the temple. Wapner shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Wapner tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Rice counters with a two punch combo.
Rice tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Wapner takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rice misses with a series of wild punches.
Rice throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Wapner tries to clinch up.
Rice throws a head kick but Wapner moves out of range.
Wapner is looking to clinch but Rice is avoiding it.
Wapner misses with the body kick
and Rice counters with a big head kick but Wapner shrugs it off.
Rice misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Rice goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Wapner lands with a thumping leg kick.
Wapner dodges the punch combination from Rice.
Wapner tries to clinch up
and Rice connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Wapner clinches.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Wapner.
Rice works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Wapner throws an elbow that misses.
Rice misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Rice lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Rice lands an elbow just above Wapner 's eye.
Rice is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Wapner is keeping busy.
Rice tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Rice with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Rice is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
Wapner has had enough of the clinch but Rice keeps him there for the moment.

Rice pulls guard successfully.
Rice controls Wapner momentarily but Wapner frees himself.
Rice is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Wapner is controlling him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Rice working for submissions but it's allowed Wapner to get to 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.
Rice is trying to stand back up but Wapner is controlling him
Wapner moves nicely into side control.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Wapner takes a little break here. Rice wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.

And that's the end of the fight!
John Rice showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Rice 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 Gwen Towbar scores the fight 29:28
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 29:27
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 29:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... John Rice!