PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Dennis Pitta (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Teddy Exley (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Pitta
vs
Exley

187 cm
21
180 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

185 cm
22
185 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Big right hand

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter striker
Solid 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 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Dennis Pitta!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Teddy Exley!
The judges for this bout are Bruno Lombardi, David Schapiro and Russell Pearce.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Exley shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Pitta's guard.
Exley forces his way into half guard.
Pitta wants to control but Exley is keeping busy and won't allow it.

Exley is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Pitta is controlling Exley's trapped leg to prevent Exley from advancing to side control.
Pitta is refusing to be controlled, as Exley sits in half guard.
Exley is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
Exley trying to control from Pitta's half guard. Pitta has other ideas though and has regained full guard.
Exley won't allow Pitta to sweep him here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Exley has gone for a leg lock! Pitta slips out almost immediately though and dives into Exley's guard.

Exley looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Pitta passes into side control.
Exley looks to move to half guard but instead Pitta has passed into mount! Damn!
Exley is wriggling around trying to escape.
Exley is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Exley flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.

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.
Exley wants to hold on but Pitta pushes him away.
Exley is in all sorts of trouble here.
Pitta knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Exley on the ground.
Exley tries to lock up and control but Pitta gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Exley is wriggling around trying to escape.
Exley sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Exley is concentrating on defense, preventing Pitta from advancing position.
Pitta perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Exley actively working from the bottom here.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Exley is refusing to be controlled, as Pitta sits in half guard.
Exley is trying to control but can't.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Pitta keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Exley is trying to maintain the position but Pitta is very close to passing his half guard.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
The fight stays on the outside here - Pitta looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

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.
Pitta rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Exley moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
A head kick misses from Pitta.
Exley tries to clinch but Pitta is having none of it.
Pitta works over Exley's head and body with a nice combination.
Pitta is breathing heavily.
Pitta misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

Exley shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Pitta is trying to defend but Exley finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.

Exley is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Exley tries to pass to full mount but Pitta defends it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Teddy Exley will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Pitta throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

Exley rushes Pitta and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Exley stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Exley continues to stall. The referee tells him to work or he's going to break them up.
Exley tries to pull guard but Pitta holds him up against the cage and eventually Exley drops back down to his feet.
Pitta tries to break free but Exley pushes him back against the cage.
Pitta wants to break the clinch but can't.

Pitta breaks from the clinch.

Exley changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Pitta looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
You can see the frustration on Pitta's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

Exley is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Pitta is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Pitta avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Exley.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Exley working the body and head with strikes.
Exley is looking to take a break and control but Pitta is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

Exley is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Pitta has escaped the position, nice work there.
Pitta is not content to let Exley control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Pitta is looking to regain half guard here but Exley keeps moving and retains side control.
Exley trying to control the action but Pitta is working from the bottom.

Exley thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Exley 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.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pitta regains half guard there - taking advantage of Exley's attempt to lay and pray for a moment.
Exley trying to control the pace.
Exley thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

Exley is looking for a kimura but Pitta is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Exley to get the leverage.
Still in half guard, Exley seems content to control.

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.
Pitta wants to improve his position but Exley is controlling well.

Exley is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Exley prevents Pitta from standing back up.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Pitta tries to get to full guard but Exley has control of the leg.
Exley seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Pitta does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Teddy Exley showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Exley moves into the clinch successfully.
Exley stalls.
Pitta is trying to drag Exley to the mat but Exley just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Pitta drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Exley gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Exley displaying some good clinch control by pressing Pitta up against the cage.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Pitta.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Pitta manages to break the clinch.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Pitta fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Exley fails with an attempt to clinch.

Exley closes the distance and pushes Pitta back into the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Exley keeps control of Pitta as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Pitta can't break the clinch.

Pitta gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Exley gets back to full guard.
Exley manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Pitta is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Exley tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Pitta wants to hold on but Exley pushes him away.
Teddy Exley is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Exley looking to control and managing it successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Exley throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Exley controlling from the full mount.
Exley throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
Pitta is squirming around, avoiding Exley's attempts to control the action.

Despite being in the dominant position, Teddy Exley just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Pitta closes the distance but Exley moves to the side

and Exley moves into the clinch.
Pitta looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Dennis Pitta has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

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.
Pitta tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Exley smiles and moves away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Dennis Pitta. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Exley throws a push kick but Pitta slaps the foot to one side.
Pitta throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Exley fails in his attempt to clinch.
Pitta with a poor takedown

and Exley counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Exley.
Pitta tries to break the clinch but Exley is controlling the position.

Exley pulls Pitta into guard.
Exley wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Exley throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Pitta preventing the sweep.
Exley looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Exley is trying to keep Pitta in close.

And that's the end of the fight!
Teddy Exley comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Exley 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 Bruno Lombardi scores the fight 27:30
Judge David Schapiro scores the fight 27:30
Judge Russell Pearce scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Teddy Exley!