PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Murray Townsend (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Andrew Giampa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Murray Townsend could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Andrew Giampa's chin.

Townsend
vs
Giampa

176 cm
21
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 1

180 cm
21
165 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

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 0 - 0 - 1, fighting out of Montreal, Murray Townsend!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Andrew Giampa!
The judges for this bout are Elvis Blanc, Trevor Gratis and Steve Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Giampa is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Townsend lands with a cross.
Giampa looks to land a combination but Townsend avoids it well.
Townsend shoots in and drives through. Giampa sprawls well.
Townsend looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Giampa is fending him off so far but Townsend persists. Nope, Giampa circles away and we're back to standing.
Giampa misses with a jab, cross combination.
Townsend shoots in for a takedown but Giampa shows good takedown defense.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Murray Townsend. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Giampa keeps the fight on the outside.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Townsend.

Giampa drives through and clinches with Townsend against the cage.
Townsend letting Giampa take a breather here.
A shot in the inside from Giampa.
Townsend's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.

Giampa pulls Townsend into guard.
Townsend postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Giampa is pulling down on Townsend's head to control his posture.
Giampa has a closed guard, preventing Townsend from standing up.

Townsend thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

Giampa is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Giampa takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Townsend goes for a takedown attempt but Giampa pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Townsend fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Townsend is breathing heavily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Giampa throws a shot to the body.
Giampa misses with a series of wild punches.
Townsend closes this distance looking for a takedown but Giampa circles away.
Giampa is looking to clinch but Townsend is avoiding it.
Giampa takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Townsend fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Giampa lands a two punch combo.

Townsend is rocked!
Townsend circles away from the clinch attempt
and Townsend counters with a body kick that brings a smile to the face of both fighters.
Oh Townsend is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Giampa closes the distance but Townsend moves to the side

and Townsend counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Townsend content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Townsend seems to have got his legs back now.
Townsend has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Giampa is proving hard to escape from.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Giampa is trying to keep Townsend in close.
Townsend looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Townsend trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Townsend postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Giampa keeping moving, preventing Townsend from controlling successfully.
Townsend landing some decent shots from guard.
Townsend trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

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.
Giampa wants to sweep here but Townsend controlling him for the moment.
Townsend is looking to work some ground and pound but Giampa has wrist control.
Townsend stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Giampa swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Townsend trying to control but Giampa is working from the bottom.
Townsend passes easily into side control. Nice work.

Townsend has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Giampa takes a shot right to the bread basket.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Murray Townsend 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.

Townsend moves into range and clinches up with Giampa.
Townsend is pressed up against the cage. Giampa has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Townsend down to the mat. Townsend avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
A punch combination from Giampa misses.
Townsend has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Townsend there as he acknowledges the shot.
Townsend shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Giampa as he jumps to the side.
Townsend shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Townsend dodges the punch combination from Giampa.
Giampa fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Townsend fails with the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Murray Townsend. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Townsend fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

Giampa clinches up against the cage.
Townsend is pressed up against the cage. Giampa has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Townsend down to the mat. Townsend avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Andrew Giampa seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Giampa looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Giampa clobbers Townsend with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Townsend shoots in but Giampa avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Giampa swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Townsend.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Townsend feints and then cracks Giampa's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Giampa down.
Andrew Giampa is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Townsend throws a head kick that Giampa semi-blocks.
Giampa tries to clinch but Townsend moves away

and Townsend holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Giampa drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Townsend gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Townsend has had enough of the clinch but Giampa keeps him there for the moment.
Townsend goes for a takedown attempt but Giampa pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Giampa closes the distance but Townsend moves to the side

and Townsend counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

Townsend has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Giampa uses from the top position.

Giampa gets to his feet. Townsend looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Giampa misses with a wild combination.
Townsend tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Townsend shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Townsend shoots for a takedown but Giampa saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Townsend shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Townsend fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Giampa tries to close the distance and clinch but Townsend swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Townsend tries to clinch there but Giampa circles away.

Townsend scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Giampa is trying to control but can't.
Giampa punching from the bottom.
The fighters are battling for position here. Giampa manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Giampa is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Giampa sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Townsend tries to get to full guard but Giampa has control of the leg.
Giampa frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Townsend is working to get back to half guard.
Giampa can't control as he wanted to and Townsend manages to get the fight back to his half guard.
Townsend is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Giampa's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Giampa's back!
Giampa looking to stop the rear naked choke attempt by controlling the hands.
Townsend misses with punches from the back.
Giampa trying to control the position but Townsend manages to sink in the hooks.
A lull in the action here.

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.
Giampa looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.

Townsend has his hand under the chin of his opponent looking for the choke. He's nearly got it! This one could be all over! But no, Giampa has freed his hand and lives to survive another… well, another couple of seconds at least!
Giampa turns into Townsend and is now in his guard.
Giampa stopping the sweep attempt from Townsend.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Townsend swats away the attempt to clinch by Giampa.
Giampa stuffs the takedown.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Andrew Giampa will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Townsend throws a half hearted mid kick.
Townsend pivots, looking for a leg kick but Giampa is out of range and Townsend settles back down.
Townsend tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Townsend showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Giampa.
Giampa throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Townsend shoots in for a double leg but Giampa sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
A lazy left from Giampa finds it's target.
Townsend tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Giampa swivels and escapes.
Townsend takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Giampa doesn't manage to clinch there - Townsend circles away.
Townsend looks to clinch
enabling Giampa to counter with a crisp jab.
Giampa stuffs the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Murray Townsend. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Giampa tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Giampa throws a shot to the body.

Giampa has taken the fight to the clinch.

Giampa jumps into guard, dragging Townsend to the mat.
Giampa looking for a sweep. Not yet Giampa, not yet.
Giampa is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Townsend has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Giampa keeping moving, preventing Townsend from controlling successfully.
Giampa takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Giampa keeping full guard, as Townsend tries to pass.
Townsend passes into half guard.
Townsend is looking to take a break and control but Giampa is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Townsend wants to stand but Giampa has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Townsend looks for a takedown but Giampa sprawls well.

That's two 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.
Giampa swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Townsend counters with a head kick.

Townsend drives through and clinches with Giampa against the cage.
Townsend unloads a knee to the mid-section. Giampa lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Townsend tries to pull guard but Giampa won't allow it.
Townsend tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Townsend changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Giampa fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Giampa misses with a body shot.
Giampa blocks a head kick by Townsend.
Giampa clinches but Townsend breaks the clinch

and Townsend counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Townsend.

Townsend manages to pull guard.
Giampa trying to stand up but can't free himself from Townsend's guard.
Townsend managing to control the position.
Giampa trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Giampa not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Giampa trying to control but Townsend is working from the bottom.
Townsend throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Giampa trying to control the position from guard on top but Townsend is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Townsend throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Giampa's waist but Giampa gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Townsend off to one side.
Giampa misses with a double jab
and Townsend counters with a left and a right that stings Giampa.
Andrew Giampa seems to be getting the better of the standup.

Townsend darts in and clinches Giampa up against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Giampa is trying to break free.
Townsend drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Townsend successfully pulls guard.
Townsend pulls Giampa in close to prevent any damage.
Townsend controls Giampa momentarily but Giampa frees himself.
Townsend looking for a sweep. Not yet Townsend, not yet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Townsend is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Giampa postures up.
Townsend has a closed guard, preventing Giampa from standing up.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Andrew Giampa.
I think Giampa 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 Elvis Blanc scores the fight 28:29
Judge Trevor Gratis scores the fight 28:29
Judge Steve Smith scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Andrew Giampa!