PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Ed Sterns (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Buddha Babulanam (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look pumped up here. Let's hope this is a good fight!

Sterns
vs
Babulanam

175 cm
23
157 lbs
3 - 0 - 1

178 cm
22
160 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Prefers ground

BJJ Purple Belt
Good low kicks
Powerful

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 3 - 0 - 1, fighting out of New York, Ed Sterns!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Buddha Babulanam!
The judges for this bout are Columbo Gatti, Jorge Garcia and Alyssa Summers.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Sterns tries a head kick but it misses.
The fight stays on the outside here - Sterns looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Sterns feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Sterns postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

Sterns avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

Babulanam working for a triangle but Sterns defends it easily.
Babulanam working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Sterns.

Babulanam has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Sterns is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Babulanam.
Sterns scores with punches from side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sterns trying to control the action but Babulanam is working from the bottom.

Sterns looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Sterns throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Babulanam is looking to reverse the position.
Babulanam taking punishment in the form of punches.
Babulanam takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Sterns working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Sterns has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Babulanam is trying to improve his position.
Babulanam is working to avoid the ground and pound but Sterns connects with a decent elbow.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Babulanam tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Sterns connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Babulanam some visible discomfort.
Babulanam takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Sterns in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.

Sterns wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Babulanam, who protects the arm well.
Sloppy strikes there by Sterns.
Babulanam is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Sterns lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Babulanam regains half guard.
The fighters are battling for position here. Babulanam manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Babulanam looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sterns landing with the ground and pound.
Babulanam working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Sterns.
Sterns is working Babulanam over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.

Babulanam escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Sterns gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

Babulanam is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Babulanam preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Sterns working some strikes from top position.
Sterns trying to control but Babulanam is working from the bottom.

Sterns is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Sterns thows a big elbow that misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Sterns trying to control the position from guard on top but Babulanam is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Sterns throws a body punch but Babulanam moves out of range.
Sterns's corner calls for a 1-2. Sterns obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Babulanam tries to close the distance and clinch but Sterns swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Babulanam slips a straight right by Sterns.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ed Sterns dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Sterns shoots in for a double leg but Babulanam sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Babulanam tries a head kick but it misses.
Babulanam with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Babulanam tries to clinch but Sterns moves away

and Sterns counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Babulanam!
Babulanam is trying to escape the mount.
Sterns trying to control but Babulanam is having none of it.
Sterns lands a heavy elbow.
Sterns with good strikes from the mount here!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sterns tries to control but Babulanam wriggling away.

Sterns is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Babulanam can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Babulanam is trying to escape the mount.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Sterns throws some wild stikes that Babulanam manages to avoid easily.
Babulanam gets back to half guard.
Sterns passes to full mount!
Babulanam tries to get back to half guard but can't.
A nice elbow there by Sterns.
Babulanam is looking to improve his position but Sterns isn't that keen on the idea.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sterns raining down shots from the mount!
Sterns controlling the position easily from mount.
Poor strikes thrown by Sterns there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!
Sterns trying to control but Babulanam is having none of it.
Sterns lands a big shot there that rocks Babulanam but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Babulanam bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Babulanam wants to pass the guard but Sterns is keeping the position.
Sterns tries to land a sweep but no joy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Babulanam drops back, looking for a kneebar! Sterns looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Sterns looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Sterns!
You can see the frustration on Babulanam's face as Sterns controls the position.
Sterns passes to full mount! That's big trouble for Babulanam!
Babulanam regains half guard.
Babulanam wants to improve his position but Sterns is controlling well.
Sterns works his foot free and advances to mount.
Babulanam really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Sterns with shots to the head and body - Babulanam looks very uncomfortable down there.
Sterns landing punches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Babulanam is in a horrible position here. Sterns smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Sterns postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Babulanam looks a forlorn figure.
Sterns controlling the pace for now.
Babulanam is looking to improve his position but Sterns isn't that keen on the idea.
Babulanam slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Babulanam is looking to escape.
Sterns scoring with strikes to the body and head.
Sterns is controlling the pace.

Sterns is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ed Sterns dominated that second round.
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!

Babulanam throws a front kick aimed at Sterns's knee but Sterns avoids it well.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Sterns tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Sterns wants to clinch but Babulanam slips to the side
and Babulanam counters with a good low kick that Sterns was not able to check.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sterns doesn't manage to clinch there - Babulanam circles away.
Babulanam tries to clinch but Sterns moves out of range.
Sterns misses with a looping right.
Babulanam ducks under a wild hook from Sterns.
Nice body kick from Babulanam.
Sterns misses with an uppercut. Babulanam saw that one coming.
Babulanam throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sterns misses the jab.
Sterns throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Babulanam's waist but Babulanam gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Sterns off to one side.

Sterns closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.

Babulanam looking for submissions off his back.
Sterns is looking to advance position but Babulanam won't allow it.

Babulanam actively working from the bottom here.

Babulanam looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Babulanam takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sterns is trying to control the action in half guard but Babulanam is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

Sterns is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Babulanam doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Sterns.
Sterns is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Sterns thows a huge punch but Babulanam dodges it nicely.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Sterns misses with a two punch combination.
Babulanam lands with a nice body kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Sterns fails with an attempt to clinch.
A solid leg kick lands there for Babulanam.
Sterns takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Babulanam throws a front kick that sends Sterns stumbling back into the cage.
Babulanam connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
No joy there for Sterns, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

And that's the end of the fight!
Buddha Babulanam comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Sterns 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 Columbo Gatti scores the fight for Ed Sterns!
Judge Jorge Garcia scores the fight for Ed Sterns!
Judge Alyssa Summers scores the fight for Ed Sterns!

Ed Sterns wins by unanimous decision!