PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Bruce Darnell (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Bubba Jones (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Bubba Jones told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Darnell
vs
Jones

188 cm
23
210 lbs
5 - 1 - 0

188 cm
24
220 lbs
14 - 7 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Very quick

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Bruce Darnell!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 14 - 7 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Bubba Jones!
The judges for this bout are Igor Prikhodko, Sergei Dronov and Fedor Mirinova.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Jones lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Darnell looks to throw the jab but Jones is out of range.
Jones lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Darnell backs up against the cage.
Jones throws a jab when Darnell was well out of range.
Nice uppercut lands for Jones. That snapped Darnell's head back.
Darnell slaps away a takedown attempt from Jones, before circling back to the center of the mat.
The fighters circle momentarily. Jones darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.

Jones closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Darnell to the mat! Darnell manages to get full guard.

Darnell is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Darnell keeping moving, preventing Jones from controlling successfully.
Jones passes Darnell's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Darnell is trying to get back to full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jones content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

Darnell looking for submissions off his back.
Darnell regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Jones.
Jones prevents Darnell from getting back to his feet.

Darnell looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Jones trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Jones pushing down on Darnell's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Jones not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Darnell is not content to let Jones control the position.
Jones is pressing down on Darnell's thigh, looking to free his foot. Darnell is holding on for now.

Darnell looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Jones wants to pass the guard but Darnell is defending well.
Jones thows a huge punch but Darnell dodges it nicely.
Darnell trying to control here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jones is trying to advance to mount but he's lost his balance and Darnell reverses the position - he's now on top in Jones's guard.
Jones trying to control the position.
Jones manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Darnell manages to get himself to full guard.
Jones trying to control the position from guard on top but Darnell is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Jones tries to free his leg and advance position but Darnell is retaining full guard.

Jones got a little sloppy there for a moment and Darnell has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Jones has managed to get both his arms back between Darnell's legs - danger averted.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Darnell keeping moving, preventing Jones from controlling successfully.

Darnell is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Jones postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Jones trying to control but Darnell is working from the bottom.

Darnell is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Jones lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Jones postures up.
Jones loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Darnell just misses with a punch to the body.
Jones slips a jab from Darnell.
Jones bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Darnell swings for the body but Jones moves out of range.
Darnell throws an overhand right that lands on Jones's shoulder, as Jones tries to avoid the shot.
Darnell missing with a left hand there. Jones was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Jones misses with a low kick.
Darnell thows a body shot but no joy.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Jones keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Darnell.
Jones throws a shot to the body.
Darnell fails with an attempt to clinch.
Jones fails with a takedown attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Darnell ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Jones moves away.
Darnell looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Jones moves away from the strike by Darnell.
Darnell throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Jones sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Jones swats away the attempt to clinch by Darnell.
A nice leg kick lands there from Jones.
Jones swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Jones walks into a left hand.
Darnell throws a predictable looking body shot
and Jones cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Darnell misses the shot to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Jones closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Darnell lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Jones circles away quickly and effectively.
Darnell misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Jones.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Jones is defended easily by Darnell.
Darnell misses with a hook. Jones ducked under it nicely.
Jones shoots in for a takedown but Darnell shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Bruce Darnell has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bubba Jones.
Darnell thows a body shot but no joy.
Darnell looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Darnell misses with a hook. Jones ducked under it nicely.
Jones slips a straight right by Darnell.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nice shot lands for Darnell.
Darnell misses with a looping left.
Darnell takes a swing at Jones's ribcage but misses.
Jones uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Darnell.
Jones will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Darnell's corner calls for a 1-2. Darnell obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Jones misses with an uppercut.
Jones uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Darnell.
Bruce Darnell is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Darnell thows a body shot but no joy.
Darnell misses with an uppercut.
Darnell connects with a good right hand that stumbles Jones. Jones circles away out of range and recomposes himself.

Jones throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Darnell was covering up waiting for the punch and Jones finishes the takedown easily into guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Jones showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

Jones drops back, looking for a kneebar! Darnell looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Darnell looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Darnell!
Darnell working the ground and pound.

Darnell swings around for an armbar but Jones sees it coming a mile off and turns beautifully into Darnell's guard.
Jones postures up and lands a big shot to Darnell's brow.

Darnell is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Jones is aware though and is defending well.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Darnell looks to be working for a triangle here. Oh, it looks like he might have it! Jones has picked Darnell up and slammed him! Darnell can't keep hold of the triangle and Jones manages to pass to side control!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bruce Darnell dominated that second round.
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!

Jones throws a chopping leg kick but Darnell manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Jones looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Jones tries to work over Darnell's front leg with a kick but Darnell checks it.
Darnell is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Jones.

Darnell forces Jones back against the cage and clinches.
Darnell lands a shoulder strike.
Jones blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Darnell seems a little flustered. He's come in with the intention of controlling the clinch but Jones is preventing him from doing so, at least for the moment.
Jones slowing the pace effectively.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Jones tries to work over Darnell's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Darnell is trying to maintain a safe position but Jones gets an underhook and turns Darnell into the cage.
A frustrated look appears on Jones's face as he tries to break the clinch.
A nice right hand lands inside from Jones.
Darnell makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Darnell prevents the takedown attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jones fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Bruce Darnell has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Bubba Jones.
A right handed body shot lands from Darnell.
Jones takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Darnell working some nice short punches in the clinch.

Darnell pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Darnell misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Jones connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Jones ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Good shot there by Darnell.
A jab lands there for Jones.
Jones uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Darnell.
Jones staying out of range there.
Jones throws a good cross that connects.
Jones misses with a few strikes there.
Darnell takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Jones keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A jab from Darnell misses.
Darnell avoids the body shot from Jones.
Jones uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Darnell.
Jones moves out of range of the strikes.
Darnell throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Nice cross by Darnell.
Jones closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Darnell scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Jones shoots in for a takedown but Darnell shows good takedown defense.
Darnell misses with a hook.
Darnell misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Jones connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Jones misses with a low kick as Darnell jumps back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A big right from Darnell misses.
Jones avoids the body shot from Darnell.
Jones uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Darnell.
Darnell blocks a head kick by Jones.
A looping hook to the body misses from Darnell. Jones does a little dance to reset his feet.
Jones gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Darnell.
Darnell has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Jones.
Darnell scores with a body shot.
Darnell lands a nice shot that snaps Jones's head back.
Darnell scores with a sloppy right hand. Jones should have avoided that one.
Nice uppercut there from Darnell.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Jones throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Darnell tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Jones is in Darnell's guard.
Darnell manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Jones manages to get himself to full guard.

Jones throws his legs up looking for a submission but Darnell uses it to pass to side control.
Darnell works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Jones is trying to improve his position.

Darnell is trying to get an arm triangle but Jones is defending well.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Darnell decides to stand up, so the ref orders Jones to his feet.

And that's the end of the fight!
Bruce Darnell showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Darnell 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 Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 29:28
Judge Sergei Dronov scores the fight 29:28
Judge Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Bruce Darnell!