PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Jackson Walsh (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Matthew Stevenson (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.

Walsh
vs
Stevenson

180 cm
18
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

190 cm
20
212 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Inexperienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Solid chin

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Jackson Walsh!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Matthew Stevenson!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Bishop, Sam Margolis and Colin Fotheringham.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Walsh shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Stevenson sprawls well. Stevenson wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Walsh gets slowly back to his feet.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Walsh lands a body shot.
Stevenson wants to break the clinch but can't.
Stevenson wants to get back to striking at distance but Walsh won't allow it.

Stevenson manages to break the clinch.

Walsh has managed to clinch.

Walsh breaks from the clinch.

Stevenson rushes Walsh and presses him up against the cage.
Walsh tries for a takedown but Stevenson manages to get underhooks.

Walsh jumps into guard, dragging Stevenson to the mat.

Walsh is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Stevenson is aware though and is defending well.
Stevenson prevents Walsh from getting back to his feet.

Walsh looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

Walsh looking for a guillotine here but Stevenson defends easily.
Stevenson trying to control the position from guard on top but Walsh is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Walsh utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Stevenson wants to control from the top but Walsh keeps moving.
Stevenson postures up in Walsh's guard and throws a big left but Walsh blocks it.
Stevenson trying to control the position from guard on top but Walsh is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

Stevenson stands and steps away. Walsh gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Walsh.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jackson Walsh. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Stevenson instigates a clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Walsh lands a nice knee to the body.
Walsh tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

Stevenson breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Stevenson looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Jackson Walsh seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Stevenson lands a leg kick that knocks Walsh off balance momentarily.
Walsh is breathing heavily.
A combination from Stevenson does no damage.
Walsh could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Walsh tries to grapple but his opponent circles
enabling Stevenson to counter with a crisp jab.
Walsh misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Stevenson will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

Stevenson forces Walsh back against the cage and clinches.
Stevenson wants to get back to striking at distance but Walsh won't allow it.
Stevenson fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Stevenson is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Walsh trying to control the position but instead, Stevenson has worked for underhooks and has pushed Walsh into the cage.

Walsh manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Walsh wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Walsh looking to control.
Stevenson with a flurry of punches that miss.
Stevenson wants to control from the top but Walsh keeps moving.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Walsh tries to clinch but Stevenson moves out of range.
Stevenson works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Walsh fails with an attempt to clinch.
Stevenson circles away from the clinch attempt.

Stevenson moves into the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Stevenson tries to pull guard but Walsh holds him up against the cage and eventually Stevenson drops back down to his feet.
A frustrated look appears on Stevenson's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Walsh stalling the fight.
Stevenson looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Stevenson tries to circle away but Walsh has him pinned against the cage.
Stevenson is trying to break the clinch but Walsh is controlling him.
Stevenson working hard to break the clinch.
Walsh tries to pull guard but Stevenson won't allow it.

Walsh has picked Stevenson up - he's going for a ride! Walsh dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Stevenson keeping control of the leg, stopping his opponent passing to mount.
Stevenson keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Stevenson trying to control from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Matthew Stevenson will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Walsh scores with a head kick.
Stevenson throws a leg kick but Walsh checks it.
Walsh moves out of range of the leg kick from Stevenson.
Walsh is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Walsh misses with a series of wild punches.
Stevenson throws a right hand that Walsh ducks under and follows up with a left that Walsh also avoids with ease.

Walsh moves into the clinch.

Stevenson has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Walsh uses from the top position.
Walsh looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Walsh pushes down on Stevenson's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Stevenson is not content to let Walsh control the position.
Walsh passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Stevenson!
Walsh landing strikes from the mount.
Walsh tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Walsh throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Stevenson because Walsh loaded up on that one.
Stevenson is in a horrible position here. Walsh smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.

Walsh gets to his feet and calls his opponent to stand. Here come the fireworks!
Walsh darts in trying to clinch
letting Stevenson counter with a right hand.
Stevenson misses with a leg kick.
The fight stays on the outside here - Walsh looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Nice takedown defense from Stevenson. No joy for Walsh on that attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Walsh misses with a head kick.

Stevenson has taken the fight to the clinch.
Walsh tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Stevenson just stands there and leans against the cage.
Stevenson wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Walsh jumps guard but Stevenson stands there with Walsh around his waist. Walsh gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jackson Walsh. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Walsh prevents Stevenson from breaking the clinch.
Stevenson wants to break the clinch but can't.

Stevenson escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Stevenson takes the fight into the clinch.
A frustrated look appears on Stevenson's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Stalling in the clinch from Walsh.

Walsh turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Walsh manages to end up in side control.
Stevenson regains half guard there - taking advantage of Walsh's attempt to lay and pray for a moment.

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

That's four minutes gone in the round.

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

Walsh looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jackson Walsh dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Walsh closes this distance looking for a takedown but Stevenson circles away.

Stevenson gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Walsh has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Stevenson avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Walsh keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Stevenson's efforts to push away.
Stevenson wants to get back to striking at distance but Walsh won't allow it.
Walsh has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Stevenson is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jackson Walsh. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Walsh tries to score a body lock takedown but Stevenson shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Stevenson wants to break the clinch but can't.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Stevenson's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Stevenson swats away the attempt to clinch by Walsh.
Walsh tries to clinch up
and Stevenson makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A nice leg kick lands there from Stevenson.
Matthew Stevenson is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Stevenson goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.

Stevenson rushes Walsh and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Walsh prevents Stevenson from breaking the clinch.
Stevenson is looking to break free of the clinch but Walsh has double underhooks.
Stevenson wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Stevenson tries to break the clinch but Walsh is controlling the position.
Walsh missing with knees to the body.
A frustrated look appears on Stevenson's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Walsh misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Stevenson.
Walsh pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Stevenson tries to break the clinch but Walsh is controlling the position.

Stevenson breaks the clinch.
Walsh misses with a double jab
and Stevenson counters with a series of strikes. Walsh will be more careful next time no doubt.
Stevenson lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Stevenson lands a nice leg kick that just misses Walsh's sensitive parts.
Stevenson connects with a solid leg kick.

Stevenson gets in close and instigates a clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Stevenson is trying to push Walsh away but Walsh has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Stevenson working hard to break the clinch.
Stevenson has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Stevenson wants to break the clinch but can't.

Stevenson escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Walsh closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Walsh throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Walsh keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Stevenson's efforts to push away.
A right handed body shot lands from Walsh.
Walsh has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Stevenson avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Stevenson has had enough of the clinch but Walsh keeps him there for the moment.

Walsh pulls guard effortlessly.
Stevenson wants to control from the top but Walsh keeps moving.
Stevenson is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.

Walsh pushes Stevenson off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Jackson Walsh is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Walsh pushes Stevenson up against the cage in a clinch.
Stevenson tries to circle away but Walsh has him pinned against the cage.

Walsh works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Walsh trying to stand up but can't free himself from Stevenson's guard.
Stevenson keeping moving, preventing Walsh from controlling successfully.
Walsh wants to stand but Stevenson has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Walsh trying to control the position from guard on top but Stevenson is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Walsh controlling from the top position.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Jackson Walsh just wasn't active enough.

Walsh closes the distance and clinches.

Stevenson pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Walsh closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
You can see the frustration on Stevenson's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

Walsh stands up and beckons Stevenson to his feet.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Matthew Stevenson.
I think Stevenson has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Daniel Bishop scores the fight 28:29
Judge Sam Margolis scores the fight 28:29
Judge Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Matthew Stevenson!