PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ricky Mcneill (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Thomas Riordan (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.

Mcneill
vs
Riordan

194 cm
18
200 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

183 cm
21
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Intelligent

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Very confident

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, Ricky Mcneill!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Thomas Riordan!
The judges for this bout are James Ackerman, Steven Brown and Andrew Berry.

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

Riordan instigates a clinch.
Mcneill is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Mcneill wants a takedown but no success here.
Mcneill is trying to pull guard but Riordan has him pressed against the cage.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Mcneill is trying to pull guard but Riordan has him pressed against the cage.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ricky Mcneill. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Mcneill tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Riordan smiles and moves away.

Riordan moves into range and clinches up with Mcneill.
Riordan keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Mcneill's efforts to push away.

Riordan manages to break the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mcneill tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

Riordan gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Riordan jumps guard.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Mcneill wants to control from the top but Riordan keeps moving.
Riordan is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Mcneill looking to sit in guard and control but Riordan gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Mcneill keeping moving, preventing Riordan from controlling successfully.
Mcneill wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Riordan stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Riordan misses with a two punch combination.
Riordan tries to score with a low kick but Mcneill moves his leg out of the way.
Mcneill fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Riordan avoids it really well and circles away.
Riordan swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Mcneill counters with a lovely straight right hand!

Riordan bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Riordan decides to stand back up. Riordan steps back and let's Mcneill get back to his feet.
Mcneill keeps the fight on the outside.
Riordan shoots in looking for a takedown. Mcneill tries to sprawl out of it but Riordan keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Mcneill manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

Riordan shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Riordan was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Riordan looks gassed!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mcneill tries to lock up and control but Riordan gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Mcneill is looking to improve his position but Riordan isn't that keen on the idea.

Riordan working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Mcneill is trying to escape the mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Riordan sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Riordan takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Riordan throws some wild stikes that Mcneill manages to avoid easily.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Riordan looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Riordan can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Mcneill is looking to escape.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Thomas Riordan dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Riordan shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Mcneill but Mcneill pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Nice defenses there by Mcneill.
Riordan tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Mcneill manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Mcneill slips under a jab.
Mcneill fails with a takedown attempt.
Riordan misses with a body kick.
Riordan looks for a takedown but Mcneill sprawls well.

Riordan closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Riordan lands in his opponent's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Riordan engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Mcneill knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Riordan on the ground.

Mcneill has his foot on Riordan's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Riordan works his way back into a safe position though.
Mcneill working a defensive guard here.
Mcneill is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Riordan forces his way into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Riordan wants to take a breather but Mcneill is having none of it.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Riordan in particular looking to stall.
Riordan wants to take a breather but Mcneill is having none of it.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Mcneill has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Riordan is working away from the top position though.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Thomas Riordan hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Mcneill checks a leg kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Riordan drives through with a takedown into guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Mcneill working for a triangle but Riordan defends it easily.
Riordan's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Mcneill will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Mcneill wants to stand up but Riordan is controlling him.
Riordan sitting in guard here, content to control.
Riordan trying to control the position from guard on top but Mcneill is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.

Thomas Riordan has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Good work by Mcneill as he checks the leg kick.

Riordan drives through and clinches with Mcneill against the cage.
Mcneill avoiding damage as Riordan throws knees to the body.

Mcneill pulls Riordan into guard.

Riordan decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Mcneill, up you get!

A momentary lapse in concentration from Mcneill enables Riordan to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Mcneill manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Riordan advances to half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Riordan is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Mcneill wants to control but Riordan is keeping busy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Thomas Riordan 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. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Mcneill bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Mcneill tries to clinch up.
Mcneill avoids the head kick by Riordan.
Mcneill shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Riordan shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Mcneill as he avoids it easily.
Mcneill shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Riordan as he avoids it easily.
Mcneill throws a sloppy head kick and Riordan moves out of range easily.
Mcneill just misses with a punch to the body.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
The fight stays on the outside here - Mcneill looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Riordan has Mcneill up against the cage in a clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mcneill tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Riordan just stands there and leans against the cage.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ricky Mcneill. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Riordan is trying to trip Mcneill. He has hold of a leg but Mcneill is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Riordan persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Riordan wants to control from the top but Mcneill keeps moving.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Mcneill tries to land a sweep but no joy.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Thomas Riordan was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Mcneill fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mcneill checks the leg kick nicely there.
Riordan misses with a body kick.
Mcneill shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Riordan defends it nicely.
Mcneill shoots in for a takedown but Riordan shows good takedown defense.
Riordan shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Mcneill pinned against the cage. Mcneill gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

Riordan closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Riordan escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Ricky Mcneill is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Riordan has managed to clinch.

Riordan breaks from the clinch.
Mcneill throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Riordan is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Mcneill's half guard.
Riordan scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Mcneill is staying active underneath Riordan, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Riordan looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Mcneill keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Riordan works his way into full mount!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Riordan controlling the position easily from mount.

And that's the end of the fight!
Thomas Riordan comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Riordan has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 James Ackerman scores the fight 27:30
Judge Steven Brown scores the fight 27:30
Judge Andrew Berry scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Thomas Riordan!