PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Brian Bourque (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Stephen Harper (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Stephen Harper is staring across the cage at his opponent, tweaking his nipples.

Bourque
vs
Harper

194 cm
23
220 lbs
6 - 4 - 0

202 cm
23
250 lbs
5 - 3 - 1

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Experienced

Decent wrestler
Brawler
Granite chin

Team S.W.A.T.

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brian Bourque!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 3 - 1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Stephen Harper!
The judges for this bout are Emerson Jorge, Edson Gomes and Luis Engracia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Harper shoots in for a double leg but Bourque sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.

Harper shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Harper showed some decent athleticism there.
Harper content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Harper passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Bourque!
Bourque is wriggling around trying to escape.
Harper controlling his opponent.
Harper's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bourque tries to hold on but Harper postures up.
Bourque on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Bourque tries to get out of the position.
Harper controlling the pace for now.
Harper is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Bourque can't stay in a position like this for much longer.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Harper tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Bourque is looking to get to half guard.
Harper throws some wild stikes that Bourque manages to avoid easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bourque is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.
Harper tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.

Despite being in the dominant position, Stephen Harper just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Harper circles away from the clinch attempt.
Bourque tries to clinch there but Harper circles away.
Jab, jab by Harper - just one landing.
Bourque wants to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Harper will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Harper takes one on the chin but seems OK.

Harper clinches up with Bourque and pushes him back against the cage.
Bourque blocking some punches.
Bourque scores with a knee to the head.
Bourque gets underhooks to prevent Harper's takedown attempt.
Bourque is stalling here.
Bourque throws a knee to the head but misses.
Bourque looking to slow down the pace here.
Bourque gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Bourque gets underhooks to prevent Harper's takedown attempt.
Brian Bourque has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Stephen Harper.
Harper tries for a takedown. No joy.
Harper changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Bourque fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Harper looks gassed!
Bourque wants to clinch but Harper slips to the side
and Bourque takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Bourque fails in his attempt to clinch.
Brian Bourque seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Bourque tries to clinch there but Harper circles away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Stephen Harper dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Bourque tries to close the distance and clinch up but Harper swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Bourque tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Bourque is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Harper throws a jab but it's blocked by Bourque.
Brian Bourque is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Bourque closes the distance but Harper moves to the side

and Harper counters with a shoot takedown. Bourque fights it but they end up in guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Harper wants to pass the guard but Bourque is keeping the position.
Harper controlling from the top position.
Harper looking to pass the guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bourque has control of Harper's left arm, preventing Harper from doing any damage.
Harper passes Bourque's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Well, if Harper is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Bourque is trying to get back to full guard.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Harper in particular looking to stall.
Bourque is positioning himself well to prevent Harper advancing to mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bourque is trying to stand up here but Harper is controlling him well.
Harper has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Harper cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Harper takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bourque really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Harper controlling from the full mount.

Despite being in the dominant position, Stephen Harper just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Bourque tries to clinch but Harper moves away

and Harper decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Bourque's guard.
Bourque being controlled here, momentarily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Stephen Harper showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Bourque gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Bourque.
Harper tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Bourque is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Harper has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Bourque avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Bourque stalling.
Bourque lands a knee to the body.
Harper tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Bourque just stands there and leans against the cage.
Brian Bourque has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Stephen Harper.
Harper fails to pull guard.
Bourque scores with a knee to the head.
Bourque prevents the takedown attempt.
Bourque lands a nice knee to the body.
Bourque looking to slow down the pace here.
Bourque seems a little flustered. He's come in with the intention of controlling the clinch but Harper is preventing him from doing so, at least for the moment.
Harper takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Bourque is pressed up against the cage. Harper has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Bourque down to the mat. Bourque avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

Bourque forces Harper back against the cage and clinches.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bourque working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Harper is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Bourque pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Harper tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Bourque just stands there and leans against the cage.
A short uppercut from Bourque.
Harper wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Bourque has him pressed against the cage.
Stalling in the clinch from Bourque.
Bourque landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Bourque lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Bourque with a knee to the head.
Bourque avoiding damage.
A short right from Bourque.
Bourque lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Harper wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Bourque connects with a knee to the head.
Bourque connects with a nasty looking knee right to Harper's face.
A knee to the head by Bourque.
Harper takes an elbow to the temple.
Bourque trying to stall but Harper improves his position.
Bourque lands a nice elbow.
Bourque landing knees to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bourque lands a nice elbow.
Harper wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Bourque lands an elbow inside.
Harper takes a shot to the head.
A nice right hand lands inside from Bourque.
Bourque crunches a lovely knee into Harper's ribcage.
Bourque slows down the pace here.
Harper can't get the takedown.
Bourque scores with a knee to the head.
A knee to the head by Bourque.
Harper manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Harper looking for a takedown.
Bourque scores with a shot to the side of Harper's head.
Bourque is pressed up against the cage. Harper has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Bourque down to the mat. Bourque avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
A head kick from Bourque lands but Harper takes it in his stride.
Bourque looks to clinch

and Harper counters with a nice double leg into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bourque is trying to control but can't.
Harper is looking to advance position but Bourque won't allow it.
Harper is trying to control the action in half guard but Bourque is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Bourque is trying to stand back up but Harper is controlling him
Harper seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Harper passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Bourque!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Harper takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Harper punching from mount but Bourque doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Harper controlling from mount.
Harper trying to control but Bourque is having none of it.

And that's the end of the fight!
Brian Bourque showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Harper 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 Emerson Jorge scores the fight 28:29
Judge Edson Gomes scores the fight 28:29
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Stephen Harper!