PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Jack Withrow (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Pelayo Palhares (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Pelayo Palhares acknowledges the crowd's support as he enters the cage.

Withrow
vs
Palhares

185 cm
28
195 lbs
20 - 13 - 1

174 cm
26
196 lbs
12 - 8 - 0

Good wrestling
Lethal high kicks
Cardio machine

Olympic wrestler
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 20 - 13 - 1, fighting out of Los Angeles, Jack Withrow!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Pelayo Palhares!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, and Don Winkell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Palhares loads up on a big right hand but Withrow slips the punch.
Withrow lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Withrow misses with a double jab
and Palhares connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Palhares feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Withrows jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Withrow closes the distance and lands a one-two.

It looks like Pelayo Palhares has been cut.
Withrow throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
Withrow misses with a combination
and Palhares counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Palhares throws a right hand that misses
and Withrow counters with an outside leg kick.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Withrow displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Palhares throws out the jab.
Palhares misses with an uppercut
and Withrow counters with a solid body kick.
Withrow throws a right and a left that Palhares avoids nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Withrow swinging wildly here.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Palhares.
Withrow slips under a jab.
A head kick misses from Withrow.
Withrow throws the kick towards the body but Palhares avoids it.
A jab from Withrow misses.
Jack Withrow is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Withrow uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Palhares.
Palhares throws a shot to the body.
Withrow throws the kick towards the body but Palhares avoids it.
Palhares avoids the body shot from Withrow.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Palhares misses with a low kick.
Palhares scores with a leg kick.
A lazy body kick from Withrow
and Palhares counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Withrow misses with a double jab
and Palhares connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
A head kick misses from Withrow.
Palhares fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Withrow manages to avoid it.
Pelayo Palhares seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Palhares shoots in for a takedown but Withrow shows good takedown defense.
A solid body kick from Withrow.

Palhares shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Withrow is desperately trying to improve his position but Palhares has a good base and remains in mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Palhares unloading with bombs!
Palhares lands a heavy elbow.
Palhares has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Palhares trying to control but he's not successful this time.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Palhares controlling the position easily from mount.
Palhares with good strikes from the mount here!
Palhares dominating with strikes here.
Withrow can't escape the position.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Palhares working Withrow over with strikes here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Withrow tries to hold on but Palhares pushes him away.
Withrow takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.

Palhares jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Withrow manages to avoid the submission attempt.
Withrow is looking to regain half guard here but Palhares keeps moving and retains side control.
Palhares controlling the position from side mount.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Pelayo Palhares dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Pelayo Palhares's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

Withrow throws a shot from downtown. Palhares moves away and avoids it.
Withrow misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Withrow throws a head kick but Palhares moves out of range.

Palhares drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Withrow is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Palhares off and has taken his back!
Withrow keeps control of the position as Palhares tries to break free.
Withrow misses with a punch to the head.
Withrow is trying to control but Palhares is trying to escape here - he's now mounted.
Withrow tries to control but Palhares wriggling away.
Withrow with shots to the head and body - Palhares looks very uncomfortable down there.
Pelayo Palhares has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Palhares is squirming around, avoiding Withrow's attempts to control the action.
Palhares is working to get back to half guard.
Withrow looking to control and managing it successfully.
Palhares holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Withrow tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
Palhares keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Withrow tries to control but Palhares wriggling away.
Palhares regains half guard.
Withrow stalling away here and it's allowed Palhares to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Palhares has Withrow pulled in close to control his posture.

Palhares throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Palhares pulls Withrow in to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Palhares looking to control.
Withrow pushing down on Palhares's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Palhares trying to control from the bottom.
Withrow throwing shots but Palhares is blocking nicely.
Palhares holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.

Withrow seems to be looking for submissions.
Withrow wants to pass to mount but Palhares is defending the position.
Palhares moves into full guard.
Withrow wants to control from the top but Palhares keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Palhares pulls Withrow in to control the position.
Palhares keeping full guard, as Withrow tries to pass.

Palhares throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Withrow wants to control from the top but Palhares keeps moving.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Withrow trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Withrow trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Jack Withrow will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Pelayo Palhares's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! And we move into the final round!

A head kick misses from Withrow.
Palhares swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Withrow tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Palhares lands with a shot to the body.
A looping hook to the body misses from Palhares. Withrow does a little dance to reset his feet.
Palhares scores with a jab to the jaw.
Palhares looks to land a left hand but Withrow moved out of range nicely.
Withrow lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Palhares misses with a two punch combination.
Jack Withrow is winning the standup battle so far.
Withrow looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Palhares tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Withrow was well out of range. Poor timing from Palhares.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Palhares blocks a head kick by Withrow.
Withrow misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Palhares shoots in but Withrow avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Palhares misses the shot to the body.
Withrow pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Withrow just misses with a punch to the body.
Withrow throws a head kick that misses.
Withrow just misses with a punch to the body.
Palhares keeps the fight on the outside.
A left lands for Palhares.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Palhares avoids a punch combination nicely.
Palhares misses with a takedown
and Withrow counters with a leg kick.
Palhares dodges the punch combination from Withrow.
Withrow is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Palhares misses the body punch
and Withrow counters with a series of strikes. Palhares will be more careful next time no doubt.
Palhares showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Withrow.
A head kick misses from Withrow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Withrow slips a jab and a cross from Palhares.
Withrow plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Palhares shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Withrow pinned against the cage. Withrow gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Jack Withrow has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Pelayo Palhares.
Palhares digs a good body shot into Withrow's ribs.
Withrow misses with the combination.
Withrow keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Withrow misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Withrow misses with a shot to the body
and Palhares counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Withrow misses with a body shot.
Withrow pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.

Palhares shoots in and bounces Withrow off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Palhares passes into half guard.
Palhares passes to full mount!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Withrow keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Withrow is working hard here to advance position.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Jack Withrow.
I think Withrow 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 Jack Bonds scores the fight 28:30
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 27:30
Judge Don Winkell scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Pelayo Palhares!
Pelayo Palhares thanked the fans post fight for their support.