PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Lee Struthers (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Christian Howard (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Struthers
vs
Howard

186 cm
22
169 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

174 cm
27
166 lbs
12 - 7 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Very strong

Good wrestler
Counter striker
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Lee Struthers!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 7 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Christian Howard!
The judges for this bout are Konstantin Menshow, Fedor Mirinova and Viktor Lagutenko.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Howard slips a jab and a cross from Struthers.
Struthers throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Howard.
Howard on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Struthers connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Struthers throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Howard.
Struthers fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Struthers throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Struthers lands with a right hand.
Struthers keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Struthers tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Howard paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Lee Struthers seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Struthers fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Struthers scores with a sloppy right hand. Howard should have avoided that one.
Struthers throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Howard misses with the combination.
Struthers will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Howard wants to clinch up but Struthers keeps it at a distance.
A nice combination there by Struthers.

Struthers clinches up against the cage.
A frustrated look appears on Struthers's face as he tries to break the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Howard drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Struthers swings wildly with an uppercut but Howard uses good head movement to avoid it.

Struthers manages to break the clinch.
Struthers stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.

Struthers closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Struthers is looking to break free of the clinch but Howard has double underhooks.
Struthers struggles to land a body shot inside as Howard controls his hands.
A left hand lands to the body for Struthers.
Struthers is looking to break free of the clinch but Howard has double underhooks.
Struthers tries a body shot but Howard blocks it.
Struthers digs a right hand into Howard's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Howard's gas tank.
Struthers wants to get back to striking at distance but Howard won't allow it.
Struthers lands a hook to the side of the head.
Struthers tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Howard's elbow.
Howard has Struthers pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Struthers manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Struthers goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Struthers presses Howard against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Struthers scores with an uppercut up the middle.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Struthers misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Howard is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Struthers gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Lee Struthers has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Christian Howard.
Struthers lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Howard or not.
Howard looks gassed!
Struthers misses with a body punch.
Struthers wants to get back to striking at distance but Howard won't allow it.
Struthers doesn't land with the attempted body shot.

Struthers breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Struthers's corner calls for a 1,2 combination and Struthers duly obliges.
Struthers closes the distance looking to clinch
and Howard counters with a head kick.
Struthers throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Howard on the side of the head.
Left hook, right uppercut from Struthers.
Struthers lands with a nice combination. Howard backs away looking to recover.
Struthers moves into range and connects with a jab.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Struthers lands with an overhand left.
Struthers moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Struthers tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Howard counters by clinching up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A right hand to the body from Struthers.
Struthers is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.

Howard is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. Struthers can't fight it off and eventually Howard manages to take the fight to the floor. Struthers looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Howard wants to pass the guard but Struthers is keeping the position.
Howard stops Struthers from standing up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Howard tries to free his leg and advance position but Struthers is retaining full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Howard throwing strikes but missing.
Howard stops Struthers from standing up.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Howard wants to control from the top but Struthers keeps moving.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Howard tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Good exchange - Struthers coming out on top.
Howard is looking to clinch.
Struthers lands a head shot.
Struthers fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Howard gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Struthers.
Howard on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Struthers misses with a series of wild punches.
Struthers swinging wildly here.
Howard tries to clinch there but Struthers circles away.
Struthers fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Howard manages to avoid it.
Howard misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Struthers fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Howard tries to clinch there but Struthers circles away.
Howard throws a wild combination but nothing lands.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Struthers scores with a hook.
Howard on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Howard misses the shot to the body.
Howard is looking to clinch.
Howard is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Struthers.
Howard tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Struthers paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Howard misses with a body kick.
Struthers tries to clinch but Howard moves out of range.
Struthers throws a jab but it's blocked by Howard.
Struthers throws a looping overhand right but Howard ducks down to avoid it.
A decent looking cross lands there for Struthers.

Howard takes the fight into the clinch.
Howard has a pretty nasty looking mouse under his right eye.
Howard blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Howard wants a takedown but no success here.
Struthers pushes Howard back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Struthers.
Struthers tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Struthers scores with a shoulder strike.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Struthers tries to throw a body punch but Howard avoids it by throwing Struthers back against the cage.
Struthers scores with an uppercut up the middle.
A short body shot lands from Struthers as the two fighters clinch.
Struthers lands with a left to the head.
Howard is breathing heavily.
Struthers misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Struthers misses with some punches.
Howard blocking some punches.
Struthers misses with a punch on the inside.
Struthers wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Struthers wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Howard fails to pull guard.
Struthers lands a right hand that snaps the head of Howard backwards.
Struthers lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Howard backwards.
Struthers pushes Howard back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Struthers is trying to break free.

Howard has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Struthers is trying to keep an underhook but Howard manages to get the takedown into half guard.
Howard lands with a punch from half guard.
Struthers tries to kick Howard off but Howard keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Howard throwing shots but Struthers is blocking nicely.
Howard wants to lay and pray for a moment but Struthers keeps working.
Howard throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

Struthers kicks Howard off and gets back to his feet.

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.
Struthers tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Howard was well out of range. Poor timing from Struthers.
Struthers scores with a shot to the body.
Howard dodges the punch combination from Struthers.

Howard fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Struthers, pushing him back against the cage.
Struthers lands a shot to the body.

Struthers breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Struthers connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Struthers throws a right and a left that both miss.
Howard walks into a straight right hand from Struthers.
Struthers dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Struthers fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Howard avoids the body shot from Struthers.
Struthers looks to land a combination but Howard avoids it well.
Howard misses with a few strikes there.

Howard shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Struthers's guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Lee Struthers dominated that second 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. This is the final round!

Howard doesn't manage to clinch there - Struthers circles away.
Struthers swings away with a body shot that misses
and Howard counters with a head kick.
Struthers lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.

Struthers forces Howard back against the cage and clinches.
Struthers presses Howard against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.

Struthers pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Jab, jab by Struthers - just one landing.

Howard gets the takedown into side control.
Howard in side control, throwing shots but Struthers defends.
Howard prevents Struthers from escaping the position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Howard throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Howard takes a little break here. Struthers wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Struthers is trying to get back to his feet.
Struthers stops Howard from passing to mount.
Struthers is trying to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Howard trying to control the action but Struthers is working from the bottom.
Howard works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Christian Howard has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Struthers wants to get back to his feet.
Howard lands a nice forearm strike.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Struthers wants to get back to his feet.
Struthers defending against the ground and pound.
Struthers takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Howard fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Struthers takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Lee Struthers is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Howard decides to stand up, so the ref orders Struthers to his feet.
Struthers moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Struthers punishes Howard's body with a nice straight punch.
Howard lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Howard doesn't manage to clinch there - Struthers circles away.
Howard fails with a takedown attempt.
Struthers lands a nice shot to the body.
Struthers falls off balance throwing a combination

and Howard counters with a shoot takedown. Struthers fights it but they end up in guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Howard with a flurry of punches that miss.

And that's the end of the fight!
Christian Howard comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Struthers 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 Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 29:28
Judge Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 29:28
Judge Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Lee Struthers!