PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Horace Buckle (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rasheed Willis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Willis comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Kendrick Lamar - HiiiPower kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Buckle
vs
Willis

190 cm
23
190 lbs
5 - 7 - 0

187 cm
25
200 lbs
7 - 5 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Cardio machine

Powerful takedowns
Counter striker
Powerful

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 5 - 7 - 0, fighting out of New York, Horace Buckle!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 5 - 0, fighting out of New York, Rasheed Willis!
The judges for this bout are Columbo Gatti, Russell Pearce and John Roberts.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Willis dives in and grabs Buckle's left leg, looking for a takedown. Buckle pushes down on Willis's head and hops out.
Buckle misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Buckle pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Buckle throws a head kick but Willis moves out of range.
Horace Buckle seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Good shot there by Buckle.
Willis will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

Buckle closes the distance and clinches.
Willis pushes off an throws an elbow but Buckle leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Buckle.
Nice body punch from Buckle - that landed with a thud.
Buckle misses with a punch to the body.
A frustrated look appears on Buckle's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Willis digs a right hand into Buckle's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Buckle's gas tank.
Buckle blocks an uppercut.
Willis is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Willis has a couple of punches blocked by Buckle.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Willis scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Willis misses with a hook from the clinch.

Buckle has picked Willis up - he's going for a ride! Buckle dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Buckle prevents Willis from improving his position.

Willis looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Willis trying to control from the bottom.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Willis wants to get back to full guard.
Willis is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Willis trying to control from the bottom.

Buckle stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.
Willis stuns Buckle with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Willis fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Horace Buckle has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rasheed Willis.
Buckle tries to clinch but Willis is having none of it.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Buckle swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Buckle tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Willis paws at him with a jab and circles away.
A big left from Buckle misses.
Willis throws a body kick, spinning off balance
and Buckle counters with an outside leg kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Willis takes one to the side of the head.
Buckle tests Willis's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Buckle closes the distance and lands a one-two.

Willis fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Buckle to the ground. Willis is now in Buckle's guard.
Willis passes Buckle's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Willis performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Willis seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Buckle does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

Willis is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Buckle sees it coming and defends easily.
Buckle is trying to stand back up but Willis is controlling him

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Buckle scrambles, trying to get to his feet, but Willis manages to mount him!
Willis trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Buckle can't escape the position.
Buckle is squirming around, avoiding Willis's attempts to control the action.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Buckle is trying desperately to improve position.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Buckle sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Willis sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Buckle defending well though.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Horace Buckle dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Willis shoots in but no luck this time.
Buckle misses with a few strikes there.
Buckle throws a body punch but Willis moves out of range.
Willis misses with a wild combination.
Buckle lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Willis circles away quickly and effectively.
Buckle blocks a jab.

Willis gets the takedown into side control.
Buckle manages to work his way to half guard, despite Willis's best efforts.
Buckle is trying to get back to full guard.
Buckle is trying to control but can't.
Buckle wants to improve his position but Willis is controlling well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Willis is looking to stall here but Buckle recovers full guard.
Willis tries to free his leg and advance position but Buckle is retaining full guard.
Buckle not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Willis wants to pass the guard but Buckle is keeping the position.
Willis working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

Willis has gone for a leg lock! Buckle slips out almost immediately though and dives into Willis's guard.
Willis working a defensive guard here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Buckle trying to control the position from guard on top but Willis is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Willis had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Buckle defends it easily.
Willis tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Willis escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Buckle gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Buckle looking to sit in guard and control but Willis gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Buckle working a defensive guard here.
Willis pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Buckle is keeping the position for now.

Buckle has his feet on Willis's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.
Willis rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Buckle moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

Buckle gets a clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Buckle wants to take the fight to the mat but Willis manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Buckle wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Willis misses with a punch on the inside.

Buckle pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Willis misses with a double jab
and Buckle counters with a slapping leg kick.
Horace Buckle is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Buckle misses with a wild combination.
A slow jab from Buckle misses its intended target.
Buckle throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
A head kick misses from Buckle.
No joy there for Willis, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Rasheed Willis will probably get the nod - 10:9.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Buckle misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Willis avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Willis shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Buckle is trying to defend but Willis finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Willis controlling the pace.

Willis is looking for a kimura but Buckle is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Willis to get the leverage.

Willis looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Willis thows a huge punch but Buckle dodges it nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Willis slows the pace down in half guard.
Buckle is staying active underneath Willis, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Buckle is trying to stand up here but Willis is controlling him well.

Rasheed Willis has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Buckle misses with a jab, cross combination.
Sloppy strikes from Buckle. Those never looked like landing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Willis swats away the attempt to clinch by Buckle.
Willis keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Buckle.
A lazy body kick from Buckle

and Willis counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Willis trying to control but Buckle is working from the bottom.
Willis missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Buckle manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Willis manages to get himself to full guard.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Willis manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Willis working the ground and pound effectively.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Willis looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.

Willis goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Buckle is on top in guard.
Buckle trying to control but Willis is working from the bottom.
Buckle has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Willis looking to hit a scissor sweep but Buckle is one step ahead there.

Willis had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Buckle defends it easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Willis has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Buckle can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

Willis looks to be working for a triangle here. Oh, it looks like he might have it! Buckle has picked Willis up and slammed him! Willis can't keep hold of the triangle and Buckle manages to pass to side control!

Buckle stands up and beckons Willis to his feet.
Horace Buckle is winning the standup battle so far.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Willis 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.
Willis takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Buckle working a defensive guard here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rasheed Willis comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Willis 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 Columbo Gatti scores the fight 28:29
Judge Russell Pearce scores the fight 29:28
Judge John Roberts scores the fight 29:29

The fight is ruled a draw!