PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between James Spoon (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Marcus Beck (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The key to victory for James Spoon has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Spoon
vs
Beck

180 cm
22
118 lbs
1 - 4 - 0

174 cm
18
139 lbs
0 - 0 - 1

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Solid chin

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 1 - 4 - 0, fighting out of London, James Spoon!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 1, fighting out of London, Marcus Beck!
The judges for this bout are William Gold, James Glass and James Ackerman.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Spoon misses with a takedown attempt

and Beck counters with a shoot takedown. Spoon fights it but they end up in guard.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Beck pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Spoon is keeping the position for now.
Beck throws a big right hand that misses.

Spoon is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Beck content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Beck looking to pass the guard.
Beck controlling from the top position.
Beck stops Spoon from standing up.
Spoon looking to control but Beck passes into half guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Beck is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Spoon doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Beck.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Beck is looking to take a break and control but Spoon is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Beck prevents Spoon from improving his position.
Spoon trying to control but Beck postures up.
Beck tries to pass the half guard into mount. Spoon knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Beck is thwarting Spoon's attempts to control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Beck takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Beck landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Beck is keen to just control but Spoon is a slippery customer.

Beck is looking for submissions but instead, Spoon has regained full guard.
Beck forces his way into half guard.
Beck moves into full mount! Spoon won't be happy about that!
Beck lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Spoon is squirming around, avoiding Beck's attempts to control the action.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Beck unloading with bombs!
Beck lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.

Beck is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Spoon has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Spoon!
Spoon tries to free his leg and advance position but Beck is retaining full guard.
Beck has Spoon pulled in close to control his posture.
Let's hope that Beck has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
Spoon trying to control but Beck is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Spoon is really struggling to control Beck but he's trying to hold on to the position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of James Spoon.

Beck looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Beck trying to mount his opponent but Spoon defends it.
Spoon is trying to maintain the position but Beck is very close to passing his half guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Beck is pressing down on Spoon's thigh, looking to free his foot. Spoon is holding on for now.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Marcus Beck dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Beck defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Spoon.
Spoon tries for a takedown but Beck circles away easily

and Beck decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Spoon's guard.
Spoon is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Beck with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Beck passes into half guard.

Beck seems to be looking for submissions.
Beck wants to lay and pray for a moment but Spoon keeps working.
Beck scoring with strikes to the body and head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Beck is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Spoon blocking the ground and pound attempt from Beck.
Beck blocks the strikes from Spoon.
Spoon wants to control but Beck is keeping busy.

Beck is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.

Beck is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Spoon looks like he's trying to stand up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Beck is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Beck tries to pass the half guard into mount. Spoon knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Beck with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.

Beck wants to work for an arm triangle but Spoon is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Beck takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Beck seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Beck prevents Spoon from standing back up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Spoon throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Spoon really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Beck works his foot free and advances to mount.

Beck looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Beck dominating with strikes here.

Beck working for a submission but Spoon is keeping him at bay.
Beck with a couple of short strikes.

Beck working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Beck goes for an armbar but he's fallen flat on his backside there and now Spoon is on top in guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Beck has control of Spoon's left arm, preventing Spoon from doing any damage.
Beck looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Beck is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Beck has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Spoon working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Beck's head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Marcus Beck showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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!

Spoon throws a combination that misses

and Beck counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Beck.
Beck stands up over Spoon, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Spoon trying to control the position.
Beck scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Beck connects with a couple of short punches.
Spoon looking to control but Beck passes into half guard.
Beck throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Beck is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Beck has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Beck wants to pass to mount but Spoon is defending the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Beck 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.
Spoon is trying to stand up here but Beck is controlling him well.
Spoon regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Beck.
Beck works over Spoon with some ground and pound from guard.
Beck won't allow Spoon to sweep him here.
Beck must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Spoon striking off his back but it's not causing Beck any problems.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Beck working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Beck trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Beck trying to control the position from guard on top but Spoon is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Beck thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Spoon keeping moving, preventing Beck from controlling successfully.
Beck sitting in guard here, content to control.
Spoon controls Beck momentarily but Beck frees himself.
Beck is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Nice sprawl there from Beck as Spoon shoots in.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Beck.

Beck shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.

Beck got a little sloppy there for a moment and Spoon has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Beck has managed to get both his arms back between Spoon's legs - danger averted.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Beck's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Beck passes easily into side control. Nice work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Beck lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Spoon down.
Spoon on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Beck remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Beck working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.

Beck tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
James Spoon has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Marcus Beck is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.

And that's the end of the fight!
Marcus Beck comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Beck winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Gold scores the fight 27:30
Judge James Glass scores the fight 27:30
Judge James Ackerman scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Marcus Beck!
After winning the bout, Marcus Beck thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.