PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Sigfried Lionheart (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Brook Sledge (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Lionheart
vs
Sledge

178 cm
22
130 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

175 cm
20
145 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Solid chin

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 London, Sigfried Lionheart!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Brook Sledge!
The judges for this bout are Sam Margolis, Donald Grub and Colin Fotheringham.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Lionheart throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

Sledge instigates a clinch.
Lionheart tries to circle away but Sledge has him pinned against the cage.
Lionheart taking a breather.
Lionheart tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Knees in the clinch landing for Lionheart.

Sledge escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Sledge.

Sledge closes the distance and pushes Lionheart back into the cage.
Sledge is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Lionheart lands a nice shot to the body.
Lionheart will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Sledge up against the cage.
Lionheart lands a body punch in the clinch.
Sledge lands a body shot.
Sledge missing with knees to the body.
Lionheart working hard to break the clinch.
Lionheart lands with a left to the head.
Sledge using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Lionheart can't get the takedown.
Sledge is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Lionheart is defending well for now.
Sledge looks gassed!
Sledge misses with an elbow strike.

Sledge breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Lionheart fails with the takedown

and Sledge counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Lionheart is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lionheart striking off his back but it's not causing Sledge any problems.
Lionheart wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Sledge with a flurry of punches that miss.
Sledge stopping the sweep attempt from Lionheart.
Sledge loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Sledge has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Sledge stops Lionheart from standing up.
Sledge throwing strikes from guard but Lionheart blocks nicely.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Lionheart tries to clinch but Sledge moves away
and Sledge counters with a two punch combo.
Lionheart tries to clinch but Sledge moves away

so Sledge counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Sledge looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Sledge scoring with punches to the head and body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lionheart throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Sledge working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Lionheart really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Sledge preventing the sweep.

Lionheart isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Sledge stacks Lionheart 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 Sledge!
Sledge lands some shots froms side control.
Sledge lands a decent elbow from side control.
Sledge lands a few punches from side control.
Sledge scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Lionheart to see if he's OK.
Lionheart tries to bench press Sledge off him but Sledge keeps the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sledge working the body and head with strikes.
Lionheart taking punishment in the form of punches.
Sledge working the head and body with strikes.

Sledge wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Lionheart, who protects the arm well.
Sledge trying to control the action but Lionheart is working from the bottom.
Lionheart takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Lionheart is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Sledge blocks the strikes from Lionheart.
Sledge working Lionheart over with strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Lionheart moves into full guard.
Sledge is working Lionheart over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Lionheart has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Sledge has passed into side control.

Sledge stands up and we're back to a striking position.

Lionheart drives through and clinches with Sledge against the cage.

Sledge breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Lionheart tries to clinch
and Sledge counters with a slapping leg kick.
Sledge fails with an attempt to clinch.
Lionheart closes the distance looking to clinch

and Sledge counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Lionheart is looking to control Sledge's arms but Sledge gets an underhook and turns him. Now Lionheart has his back to the cage.
Sledge lands an elbow inside that Lionheart shrugs off.

Lionheart breaks from the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Brook Sledge 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.

Lionheart tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Sledge swivels and escapes.

Lionheart scores with a takedown into Sledge's guard.
Lionheart takes a decent strike to the side of the head.
Sledge controls Lionheart momentarily but Lionheart frees himself.
Lionheart is looking to work some ground and pound but Sledge has wrist control.

Sledge looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Sledge is on top in guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Sledge stopping the sweep attempt from Lionheart.
Sledge working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sledge controlling from the top position.
Sledge trying to control but Lionheart is working from the bottom.

Sledge avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Sledge stopping the sweep attempt from Lionheart.
Sledge looking to control the position here, rather than advance.

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.
Lionheart thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Lionheart throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Sledge trying to control but Lionheart is working from the bottom.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Lionheart tries to clinch up

and Sledge counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Lionheart!
Lionheart is looking to get to half guard.
Sledge landing punches.
Sledge trying to control but Lionheart is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sledge pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Sledge prevents Lionheart from getting the reversal.
Sledge landing shots from mount.
Lionheart is trying to escape the mount.
Sledge avoids the attempt from Lionheart to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Lionheart really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Sledge blocks Lionheart's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Sledge is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Lionheart can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Sledge wants to control the pace but Lionheart is squirming around nicely.
Lionheart regains half guard.
Sledge winds up and cracks Lionheart with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Sledge missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Lionheart trying to control here.
Sledge trying to control the pace.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Brook Sledge showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Lionheart closes the distance looking to clinch

and Sledge counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Sledge.
A short body shot lands from Lionheart as the two fighters clinch.
Lionheart is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Sledge has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Lionheart regains guard immediately.
Lionheart throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Lionheart is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Sledge takes a decent strike to the side of the head.
Sledge works over Lionheart with some ground and pound from guard.
Sledge prevents Lionheart from getting back to his feet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Sledge working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Sledge is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Brook Sledge has got the better of the ground game so far.
Sledge keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Lionheart's head.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Lionheart tries to clinch

and Sledge counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Lionheart utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Sledge is working Lionheart over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Lionheart keeping moving, preventing Sledge from controlling successfully.
Sledge is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
Lionheart bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Sledge's guard.
Sledge is trying to control the position from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Lionheart won't allow Sledge to sweep him here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Sledge is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

Sledge had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Lionheart defends it easily.
Sledge tries to strike from the bottom.
Sledge keeping full guard, as Lionheart tries to pass.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Sledge is on top in guard.
Lionheart is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

Sledge gets to his feet - Lionheart follows without any prompting.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sledge misses with a takedown attempt - Lionheart sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Sledge circles away from the clinch attempt

and Sledge counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Lionheart trying to hold on to Sledge's head to control him but Sledge postures up.
Sledge perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Lionheart is looking for a sweep. Sledge is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Sledge content to control rather than advance.
Lionheart is trying to control but can't.
Sledge trying to control from Lionheart's half guard. Lionheart has other ideas though and has regained full guard.
Lionheart throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Sigfried Lionheart has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Sledge looking to pass the guard.
Sledge showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Brook Sledge is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Sledge slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
You can see the frustration on Lionheart's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Lionheart is looking to regain half guard here but Sledge keeps moving and retains side control.

And that's the end of the fight!
Brook Sledge comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Sledge 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 Sam Margolis scores the fight 27:30
Judge Donald Grub scores the fight 27:30
Judge Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Brook Sledge!