PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Billy Butch (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Cracker Joe (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Cracker Joe will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Butch
vs
Joe

190 cm
20
186 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

178 cm
19
185 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Intelligent

BJJ White 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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Billy Butch!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Cracker Joe!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Fujiwara, Hirohito Nitta and Yuuki Gou.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Butch shoots in but Joe avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Butch throws a front kick aimed at Joe's knee but Joe avoids it well.
Butch jabbing away but nothing is landing.

Butch shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Butch was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Butch controlling from the full mount.
Butch scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Joe really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Butch. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Butch controlling the position easily from mount.
Joe is in a horrible position here. Butch smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Butch raining down shots from the mount!
Butch putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Butch controlling from the full mount.
A nice elbow there by Butch.
Butch content just to control the position here.
Joe takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Joe is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Butch landing shots from mount.
Butch landing strikes from the mount and Joe is in trouble!
Butch looking to control and managing it successfully.
A nice elbow there by Butch.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Butch working Joe over with strikes here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Butch working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Butch lands a big elbow.
Butch landing strikes from the mount.
Butch controlling the position easily from mount.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Butch cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Butch looking to control and managing it successfully.
Joe taking shots to the head.
Butch controlling his opponent.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Butch is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Butch controlling his opponent.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Billy Butch just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Butch is defended easily by Joe.
Joe has a takedown stuffed.

Butch clinches with his opponent.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Butch pulls Joe into guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Billy Butch dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Butch fails with the takedown
and Joe counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Joe.

Butch drives through with a takedown into guard.
Butch slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Butch wants to control from the top but Joe keeps moving.

Joe looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Joe is trying to control the position but Butch postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Butch controlling from the top position.
Joe is breathing heavily.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two 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.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Billy Butch just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Joe shoots in for a takedown but Butch shows good takedown defense.
Joe gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Butch counters with a takedown into side control.
Billy Butch has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Cracker Joe.
Butch in side control, just content to control the action for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Butch is working Joe over with some ground and pound from side control.
Butch controlling the position.
Joe tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Butch wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Butch landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
The referee asks Butch politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Butch prefers to stall for the moment though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Butch working the head with strikes.
Butch just content to control the position.
Joe takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Butch is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.

Butch stands up and beckons Joe to his feet.
Butch throws a head kick that misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Billy Butch dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Joe tries to clinch there but Butch circles away.
Butch fails with a takedown attempt.
Butch shoots and misses
and Joe cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Joe tries to clinch but Butch moves away

and Butch counters with a shoot takedown. Joe fights it but they end up in guard.
Butch has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Butch is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Joe is controlling Butch's posture.
Joe is trying to control the position but Butch postures up.
Butch throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Joe works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Butch is looking to work some ground and pound but Joe has wrist control.
Butch throws a strike but Joe rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Joe is fighting to break Butch's control of his arms but Butch is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Butch kicks Joe off and gets to his feet.
Butch misses with a takedown attempt
and Joe counters with a nice low kick that buckles Butch's knee momentarily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Billy Butch. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Butch darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Butch tries to pass the half guard into mount. Joe knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Butch wants to control but Joe is keeping him busy.
Butch missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Joe is the more experienced fighter here and he's going to need to draw on some of that experience if he's going to pull this one out the bag.
Butch thows a huge punch but Joe dodges it nicely.
Butch lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Butch will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

Butch is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Butch is looking to advance position but Joe won't allow it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Butch is looking for a kimura here.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Joe lands a slapping body shot.
Joe lands a head shot.
Butch with a lazy takedown attempt
and Joe counters with a lovely straight right hand!

Joe drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Butch wants to sweep but no luck.
Joe stays in close to Butch's body and controls the position.
Butch bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Joe's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Butch throws a big right hand that misses.
Butch wants to control from the top but Joe keeps moving.

Butch drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Joe manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Butch has Joe in his guard.
Butch tries to land a sweep but no joy.

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 Billy Butch.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Butch, 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 Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight for Billy Butch!
Judge Hirohito Nitta scores the fight for Billy Butch!
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight for Billy Butch!

Billy Butch wins by unanimous decision!