PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Blaine Jackson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Valentin Torner (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Valentin Torner will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Jackson
vs
Torner

192 cm
18
217 lbs
0 - 4 - 0

220 cm
18
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Good knees
Prefers ground

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Intelligent

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 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Blaine Jackson!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Valentin Torner!
The judges for this bout are Frank Dennis, Robert Twigg and Stewart Dunkirk.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The fight stays on the outside here - Jackson looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Torner checks a leg kick nicely.
Jackson tries to clinch up.
Torner fails to land the takedown.
Torner circles away from the clinch attempt.
Jackson with a lazy takedown attempt

and Torner counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Torner.
Jackson has a couple of punches blocked by Torner.
Jackson wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Jackson missing with knees to the body.
Jackson lands a knee to the body.

Torner works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Jackson wants to get back to his feet but Torner is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Jackson is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Torner is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Torner slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Torner thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Torner tries to advance to mount but Jackson denies him.
Torner in side control lands a decent elbow.
Torner controls the position.
Torner's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Torner is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
I looks like Torner might be adopting somewhat of a lay and pray gameplan here, which I'm sure won't go down too well with the paying fans in attendance... Or the ring announcers come to think of it.
Jackson gives up the full mount - oops, sloppy defensive grappling there!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Jackson wants to hold on but Torner pushes him away.
Jackson tries to reverse the position but Torner maintains control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Jackson tries to hold on but Torner pushes him away.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Torner punishing his opponent with strikes.
Jackson looking to escape from mount but he's given up his back!
Torner controlling from the back.
Jackson trying to control the action but Torner just sinks the hooks in.

Jackson is staying cool under pressure, defending well against the rear naked choke attempt from his opponent.
Torner is working the ground and pound. Can Jackson escape?

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Jackson preventing the rear naked choke attempt from Torner.
Torner looks gassed!
Jackson looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.
Torner looking to soften up his opponent with punches.

Jackson defends a rear naked choke attempt by controlling one of Torner's arms.
Jackson looking to stop the rear naked choke attempt by controlling the hands.
Torner gets his hands free as Jackson looks to control.
Jackson might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Jackson trying to get back to his feet but Torner is in full control for now.

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.
Torner lands a shot to the head.
Jackson is trying to stand back up.
Jackson trying to control the action but Torner just sinks the hooks in.
Torner is hanging on to Jackson's back as he tries to escape.
Jackson trying to control the position but Torner manages to sink in the hooks.
Torner keeps control of the position easily here as Jackson tries to buck him off.
Torner keeps control of the position as Jackson tries to break free.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Valentin Torner dominated that 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.

Jackson scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Jackson looks to clinch

so Torner counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Torner slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Jackson is trying to keep Torner in close.
Jackson can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Torner controls the pace.
Jackson is trying to keep Torner in close.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jackson looking to hit a scissor sweep but Torner is one step ahead there.
Jackson looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Torner puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Torner perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Jackson wants to get back to his feet.
Torner keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.

Torner decides he's had enough of the ground and stands up.
Torner is breathing heavily.
Jackson looks for a takedown but Torner sprawls well.
Jackson is looking to clinch.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Jackson.
Torner swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Blaine Jackson is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Torner changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Jackson tries to avoid it but Torner manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Jackson to the ground. Jackson escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Jackson closes the distance looking to clinch

and Torner holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Jackson is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Torner successfully pulls guard.
Torner trying to control the position here.
Jackson has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Jackson wants to get up but he can't break Torner's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Torner wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Jackson missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

Torner has his foot on Jackson's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Jackson works his way back into a safe position though.
Torner is looking to stand up but Jackson isn't so interested in that idea.
Torner managing to control the position.

Torner working for a triangle but Jackson defends it easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Torner lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Jackson!
Torner landing strikes, looking to finish!
Jackson is desperately trying to improve his position but Torner has a good base and remains in mount.
Torner scoring with strikes but Jackson is staying in there.
Torner with shots to the head and body - Jackson looks very uncomfortable down there.
Valentin Torner has got the better of the ground game so far.
Jackson in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.

Jackson is rocked!
Torner controlling his opponent.
Oh Jackson is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Jackson has given up his back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
I would not like to be Jackson right now.
Jackson seems to have got his legs back now.

Torner is looking for the choke from the back position but Jackson is controlling his hands well.
Torner controls the position.
Torner controlling well, preventing Jackson from escaping the position.
Jackson trying to control the hands but Torner won't let him.
Jackson looking to stop the rear naked choke attempt by controlling the hands.
Torner keeps control of the position as Jackson tries to break free.
Jackson is trying to stand back up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Valentin Torner showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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!

Torner drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Torner taking a breather here.

Torner decides to stand back up. Torner steps back and let's Jackson get back to his feet.
Jackson gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Torner counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Jackson's guard now.
Torner won't allow Jackson to get back to his feet.
Torner scoring with punches to the head and body.
Jackson looking to control.
Torner seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Jackson not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jackson being controlled here, momentarily.
Jackson wants to stand but Torner is controlling the position.
Torner is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Jackson wants to hit a switch here but Torner passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for Jackson there!
Jackson is trying to escape the mount.
Jackson wants to try and get back to his feet.
Torner controlling from mount.
Jackson is trying to get back to his feet but can't.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Torner sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Torner lands a heavy elbow.
Torner controlling the position easily from mount.
Torner dominating with strikes here.

Torner working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Jackson knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Torner on the ground.
Torner trying to control but he's not successful this time.

Torner looking to secure an arm triangle but Jackson defends it well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jackson is trying to escape the mount.
Torner takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.

Despite being in the dominant position, Valentin Torner just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
The fight stays on the outside here - Torner looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Jackson throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Jackson shoots and misses

and Torner counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Torner winds up and cracks Jackson with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Torner slips a nice elbow through Jackson's hands, connecting with Jackson's forehead.
Torner controlling the pace.
Torner takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Torner working the head and body with strikes.
Jackson on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Torner looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Jackson is looking to improve his position.
Jackson is trying to control but Torner passes into side control!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.
Blaine Jackson has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Torner has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.

And that's the end of the fight!
Valentin Torner comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Torner 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 Frank Dennis scores the fight 25:30
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 26:30
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 25:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Valentin Torner!