PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between John Valor (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jack Harden (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Valor
vs
Harden

175 cm
18
130 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

165 cm
20
143 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
KO power

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, John Valor!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Jack Harden!
The judges for this bout are William Peck, Trevor Gratis and Gregory Folan.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Valor shoots in looking for a takedown. Harden tries to sprawl out of it but Valor keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Harden manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Valor fails to land the takedown.
Harden tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Harden throws a sloppy head kick and Valor moves out of range easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Harden throws a head kick but Valor moves out of range.
Harden pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Harden looks to clinch

and Valor counters with a shoot takedown. Harden fights it but they end up in guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Harden holds on and takes a little breather.
Valor is looking to stand up but Harden won't let him.

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

Harden takes the fight into the clinch.
Harden tries for a takedown but Valor manages to get underhooks.
Harden is trying to break the clinch but Valor has him pressed against the cage.
Harden wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Valor blocks an elbow strike.
Harden avoids the elbow strike from Valor, against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A frustrated look appears on Harden's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Valor keeps control of Harden as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Harden tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Valor just stands there and leans against the cage.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Harden misses with an elbow strike.
Harden has had enough of the clinch but Valor keeps him there for the moment.
Valor blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Valor misses with an elbow over the top.
Harden wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Valor has him pressed against the cage.
Harden tries to break the clinch but Valor is controlling the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harden with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Harden misses with a knee strike.
Valor comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.

It looks like Jack Harden has been cut.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Valor just misses with a elbow thrown towards Harden's brow.
Harden unloads a knee to the mid-section. Valor lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Harden misses with some punches.
Valor throws an elbow but it misses.
Harden wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Harden can't break the clinch.
Valor keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Harden's efforts to push away.
Harden stalling.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Harden is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
With the fighters up against the cage, Valor throws an elbow but misses.
Harden misses with a knee strike.
Harden is trying to break free.
Harden is trying to break the clinch but Valor has him pressed against the cage.
Harden dodges an elbow strike from Valor.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Harden looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Harden throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Harden has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jack Harden dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Jack Harden's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

A head kick misses from Harden.
Harden tries to land a front kick but Valor steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Harden tries to clinch but Valor moves out of range.
Harden misses with a head kick.
John Valor is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Valor closes the distance and clinches up with Harden, looking for a takedown. Valor pushes Harden against the cage but Harden circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Harden pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Harden pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Harden will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Valor has his takedown stuffed
and Harden counters with a thumping low kick.
Harden tries to clinch up

and Valor counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Harden's guard now.

Valor gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Harden misses with the combination.
Harden tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Valor is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Harden.
Harden misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Harden is breathing heavily.
Harden misses with a looping right.
Harden throws a head kick but Valor moves out of range.
Valor really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Harden throws a lazy head kick

and Valor counters with a takedown into side control.
Harden really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Valor. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Valor stands up and beckons Harden to his feet.
Harden darts in trying to clinch

and Valor counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Valor decides to stand and escape the position.
Jack Harden seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Harden throws a lazy right hand but Valor sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Harden throws a low kick but Valor moves out of range easily.
Valor shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Harden sprawls well. Harden wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Valor gets slowly back to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for John Valor. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Harden tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Valor misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Harden fails with an attempt to clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Harden misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Valor shoots in looking for a takedown but Harden manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Valor's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Valor dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Jack Harden's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Harden tries to close the distance and clinch but Valor swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Harden drives through and clinches with Valor against the cage.
Harden blocks the elbow strike.
Harden has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Valor avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Harden tries to land knees in the clinch but Valor avoids the damage to the body.
Harden blocks an elbow strike.
Harden tries to work over Valor's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Harden throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Harden wants to break free but Valor has control.
Valor creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Harden's defenses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harden tries to break the clinch but Valor is controlling the position.
Harden looking to throw knees to the head but Valor is blocking nicely.
Harden looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Harden blocks an elbow strike from Valor.
A head punch on the inside from Harden fails to land.
Harden avoids a wild elbow strike from Valor.
Harden working hard to break the clinch.
Valor throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.

Harden escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Harden tries a head kick but it misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Harden tries to clinch but Valor is having none of it.
Valor tries for a takedown but Harden sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Valor has a takedown stuffed.
Harden is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Valor.
Jack Harden is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Harden fails in his attempt to clinch.
Harden tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Harden wants to clinch but Valor slips to the side

and Valor counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Valor.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Harden is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.
Jack Harden seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Harden takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Harden wants to break the clinch but can't.
Valor pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
A frustrated look appears on Harden's face as he tries to break the clinch.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Harden just misses with a elbow thrown towards Valor's brow.
Harden dodges an elbow strike from Valor.
Harden lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Harden blocks the elbow strike.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Valor pushes off an throws an elbow but Harden leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Harden misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Valor.
Valor lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Harden swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Harden has had enough of the clinch but Valor keeps him there for the moment.
Valor creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
A frustrated look appears on Harden's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Harden blocks an elbow strike.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Harden looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Harden can't break the clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jack Harden comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Harden 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 William Peck scores the fight 28:29
Judge Trevor Gratis scores the fight 28:29
Judge Gregory Folan scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jack Harden!