PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between JG Ballard (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bill Arkham (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Bill Arkham acknowledges the crowd's support as he enters the cage.

Ballard
vs
Arkham

168 cm
19
144 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

170 cm
23
140 lbs
3 - 3 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, JG Ballard!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Bill Arkham!
The judges for this bout are Stewart Dunkirk, Chris Downing and Gwen Towbar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ballard is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Ballard tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Arkham paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Arkham avoids a punch combination nicely.
Ballard lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Arkham circles away quickly and effectively.

Arkham shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Arkham showed some decent athleticism there.
Arkham passes to side control.

Arkham looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Arkham is looking to take a break and control but Ballard is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ballard is not content to let Arkham control the position.
Arkham content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.

Arkham tries for a kimura but Ballard is defending well.
Arkham is staying tight to Ballard's torso, preventing him from escaping.

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.
Ballard pushes Arkham away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Arkham gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Ballard is trying to escape the position but Arkham is controlling the position.
Ballard wants to get back to his feet.
Ballard knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Arkham on the ground.
Arkham wants to lay and pray for a moment but Ballard keeps working.
Ballard is trying to get back to his feet.
Arkham takes a little break here. Ballard wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.
Ballard is trying to get back to his feet.
Arkham slows the pace down.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Despite being in the dominant position, Bill Arkham just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Ballard misses with a takedown

and Arkham decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Ballard's guard.
Ballard keeping moving, preventing Arkham from controlling successfully.
Arkham advances to half guard.
Ballard wants to get back to his feet.
Ballard is staying active underneath Arkham, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Arkham stops Ballard from getting back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Arkham is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Ballard defends it well.
Arkham is taking a breather. Ballard 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 Arkham 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.
Ballard tries to kick Arkham off but Arkham keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Ballard swings for the body but Arkham moves out of range.
Ballard tries to grapple but his opponent circles

so Arkham counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Ballard is breathing heavily.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Arkham looking to sit in guard and control but Ballard gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bill Arkham dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Arkham shoots in looking for a takedown. Ballard tries to sprawl out of it but Arkham keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Ballard manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Arkham walks into a stiff left hand from Ballard.
Ballard throws a nice looking combination but Arkham bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Arkham.
Ballard clinches but Arkham breaks the clinch

and Arkham counters with a takedown into side control.
Arkham is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Ballard will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.
Ballard is pushing Arkham's head away, looking to escape. Arkham manages to hold on to the position though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Arkham is looking to take a break and control but Ballard is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Arkham laying and praying for a moment but Ballard takes advantage and regains half guard.
Arkham wants to lay and pray for a moment but Ballard keeps working.
Arkham is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.

Arkham is looking for a kimura but Ballard is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Arkham to get the leverage.
Arkham is breathing heavily.

Arkham is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Ballard doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Arkham.

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.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
A left and a right from Ballard both land. Nice combination.

It looks like Bill Arkham has been cut.
Ballard clinches but Arkham breaks the clinch

and Arkham counters with a shoot takedown. Ballard fights it but they end up in guard.
Arkham trying to control but Ballard is working from the bottom.
Arkham won't allow Ballard to get back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Arkham wants to pass the guard but Ballard is keeping the position.
Arkham slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Ballard wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!

Ballard explodes and escapes back to his feet! Nice escape there!
Ballard wants to clinch but Arkham slips to the side

and Arkham counters with a nice double leg into side control. Ballard won't be happy with that.
Arkham is looking to take a break and control but Ballard is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Arkham looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Ballard tries to escape but Arkham is in control.
Arkham working the ground and pound but Ballard is defending the strikes.
Arkham works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Arkham controlling the position.
Bill Arkham has got the better of the ground game so far.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Arkham wants to control but Ballard is keeping him busy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bill Arkham showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Bill Arkham's cut.
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!

Ballard tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Arkham counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Arkham passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Ballard!
Arkham lands a heavy elbow.
Ballard is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.

Arkham looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
Arkham tries to control but Ballard wriggling away.
Arkham takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Ballard takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Arkham trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Ballard wants to try and get back to his feet.
Arkham can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Ballard is looking to escape.
Ballard is trying to stand up.
Arkham trying to control but Ballard is having none of it.

Arkham swings around for an armbar but it's a sloppy attempt and Ballard is now in Arkham's guard. A big mistake from Arkham there, giving up the dominant position!

That's two 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.
Arkham pulls Ballard in close to prevent any damage.
Ballard wants to get up but he can't break Arkham's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Arkham lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Ballard!
Arkham controlling his opponent.

Despite being in the dominant position, Bill Arkham just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Ballard tries to clinch up

and Arkham counters with a shoot takedown. Ballard fights it but they end up in guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Arkham slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Arkham slips nicely into half guard.
Ballard won't allow Arkham to pass to mount.
Arkham working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Ballard is trying to stand.
Arkham missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Arkham wants to pass the guard but Ballard is defending well.

Arkham is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Ballard has managed to free his arm - good work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Arkham wants to take a breather but Ballard is having none of it.
Ballard is trying to stand.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Arkham has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Some wild striking there from Ballard.
Ballard has his takedown stuffed

and Arkham counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

Arkham is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Ballard has managed to free his arm - good work.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Ballard is refusing to be controlled, as Arkham sits in half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Bill Arkham comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Arkham 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 Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 27:30
Judge Chris Downing scores the fight 27:30
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Bill Arkham!