PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Ray Wickleby (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Max Rush (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Max Rush has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Wickleby
vs
Rush

173 cm
23
195 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

187 cm
21
196 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Very quick

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

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 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Ray Wickleby!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Max Rush!
The judges for this bout are Steve Erwin, Skip Squint and Damien Edna.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Wickleby scores with a jab.
A big right from Wickleby misses.
Wickleby misses with a wild combination.
Wickleby looks to score with a jab to the body but Rush is just out of range.

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

Wickleby tightens his grip and picks Rush up, before dumping him to the ground. Rush manages to land in guard.
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.
Rush looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Wickleby has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Rush is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Wickleby is aware though and is defending well.
Wickleby lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Wickleby wants to control from the top but Rush keeps moving.
Wickleby cracks Rush with a solid left hand.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Wickleby is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Wickleby thows a big elbow that misses.
Wickleby 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.
Wickleby trying to control the position from guard on top but Rush is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Rush isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Wickleby stacks Rush on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Wickleby!
Wickleby lands an elbow.
Rush is not content to let Wickleby control the position.
Rush tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Wickleby wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Rush on the wrong end of some ground and pound.

Wickleby is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Rush has escaped the position, nice work there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wickleby lands some shots froms side control.
Rush is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Rush can't do much from the bottom here.
Wickleby cracks Rush with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Wickleby cracks Rush with an elbow. That is naaassty.
Wickleby working the head and body with strikes.
Wickleby remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
Wickleby working away.
Rush looks gassed!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Wickleby taking a breather here.
Rush tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Wickleby wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Wickleby trying to control the position but Rush is working away.
Wickleby content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
Wickleby lands a few punches from side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Wickleby content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
Wickleby landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Wickleby lands a decent elbow from side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wickleby remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
Wickleby is looking to take a break and control but Rush is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Rush taking punishment in the form of punches.
Wickleby cracks Rush with a big right hand but Rush just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Rush taking a bit of punishment here - Wickleby scoring with strikes.
Wickleby lands a decent elbow from side control.
Wickleby is looking to take a break and control but Rush is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Rush taking punishment in the form of punches.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rush taking a bit of punishment here - Wickleby scoring with strikes.
Rush is working to avoid the ground and pound but Wickleby connects with a decent elbow.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Wickleby misses with an uppercut.
Rush showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Wickleby.
Rush shoots in but no luck this time.
Wickleby throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Wickleby displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Rush.
Rush avoids the body shot from Wickleby.
A lazy left from Wickleby finds it's target.
Rush ducks under a wild hook from Wickleby.
Rush is breathing heavily.
Wickleby scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Rush walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.

It looks like Max Rush has been cut.
Wickleby thows a body shot but no joy.
Wickleby throws a body punch but Rush moves out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Wickleby throws a jab but it's blocked by Rush.
Rush bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Rush slips under a jab.
Rush moves away from the strike by Wickleby.

Wickleby scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
You can see the frustration on Rush's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

Wickleby tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Wickleby has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!

Wickleby decides to stand back up. Wickleby steps back and let's Rush get back to his feet.
Wickleby looks to land a right hand but Rush moved out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A big left from Wickleby misses.
Wickleby throws a jab but it's blocked by Rush.
Wickleby thows a body shot but no joy.

Wickleby shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Rush's guard.
Wickleby's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Rush looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Wickleby controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Wickleby distracts Rush with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Wickleby connects with a couple of short punches.
Wickleby postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Wickleby lands a couple of elbows.
Wickleby slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Wickleby might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Wickleby chips away with some ground and pound.
Rush can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Wickleby controls the pace.

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.

Wickleby drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Wickleby jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Wickleby controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Ray Wickleby overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Ray Wickleby just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Rush fails with the takedown
and Wickleby counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Ray Wickleby has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Max Rush.
Wickleby misses with an uppercut. Rush saw that one coming.
Wickleby looks to score with a jab to the body but Rush is just out of range.
Wickleby throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rush blocks a jab.
Rush keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Ray Wickleby seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rush moves out of range of the strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ray Wickleby dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Max Rush's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Wickleby looks to throw the jab but Rush is out of range.
Wickleby jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Rush with a lazy takedown attempt
and Rush takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Wickleby just misses with a punch to the body.
Wickleby is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Rush can do to turn this around?
Wickleby scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Wickleby swings for the body but Rush moves out of range.
Rush displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Wickleby throws out the jab.
Rush takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Wickleby lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Rush circles away quickly and effectively.
Wickleby throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Rush takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Wickleby swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Wickleby throws a hook but Rush avoids it easily.
Rush has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Rush there as he acknowledges the shot.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Wickleby throws a hook but Rush avoids it easily.
Wickleby ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Rush moves away.
Wickleby swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Rush.
Wickleby misses with an uppercut. Rush saw that one coming.
Wickleby is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Rush.
Wickleby waving his hands out infront of him, looking to distract Rush.
Decent striking displayed by Wickleby there.
Wickleby ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Rush moves away.
Wickleby lands with a hook. Rush tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Max Rush is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Wickleby lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Rush at a distance.
Rush takes one on the button.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Rush ducks under a wild hook from Wickleby.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wickleby scores with a jab.
Wickleby throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Rush takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Rush doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Wickleby fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Rush manages to avoid it.
Wickleby connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.

Wickleby shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Wickleby was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Wickleby cracks Rush with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Rush takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Wickleby looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Wickleby is landing with some decent strikes but Rush is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Wickleby controlling from mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Wickleby unloading with bombs!
Wickleby lands with some strikes.
Wickleby punishing his opponent with strikes.
Wickleby is landing with some decent strikes but Rush is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Wickleby looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Wickleby unloading with bombs!
Wickleby looking to control and managing it successfully.
Wickleby is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Wickleby raining down shots from the mount!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wickleby scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Rush?
Wickleby content just to control the position here.
Wickleby lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Wickleby lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Rush hang on?
Wickleby lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Rush is bucking up trying to escape but Wickleby cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Wickleby controlling the position easily from mount.
Wickleby lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Max Rush has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Wickleby controlling from mount.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ray Wickleby showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Wickleby, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Steve Erwin scores the fight 30:25
Judge Skip Squint scores the fight 30:25
Judge Damien Edna scores the fight 30:25

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ray Wickleby!