PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Squid Ward (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and J M Punk (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Ward
vs
M Punk

189 cm
20
223 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

187 cm
25
218 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Likes comics

Good wrestler
Counter fighter
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Squid Ward!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, J M Punk!
The judges for this bout are Damien Edna, Eliza Hachem and Donatello Bradman.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Punk clinches.
Ward misses with a punch to the body.

Ward manages to break the clinch.
Ward fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Ward tries to clinch there but Punk circles away.
Ward misses with a low kick as Punk jumps back.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Ward.
Punk swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Ward fails with the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Squid Ward. That's going to take a lot out of him.
No luck for Ward with that takedown attempt.
Ward throws a low kick, looking for Punk's leg but Punk calmly moves out of range.
Ward tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ward swings for the body but Punk moves out of range.
Squid Ward seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A good leg kick by Ward.
Ward misses with a straight right.
Ward tries to close the distance and clinch but Punk swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Punk misses with a straight left.
A clash of legs there as Punk blocks the low kick.
Ward throws out a leg kick but Punk moves out of range and Ward only half commits.
Punk circles away from the clinch attempt.
Punk blocks a head kick by Ward.
A head kick misses from Ward.
Punk ducks under a wild hook from Ward.
Ward walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Punk checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Punk misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Ward is looking to clinch.
Ward is looking to score with low kicks.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Punk stuffs the takedown attempt from Ward. Ward gets slowly back to his feet.
Nice sprawl there from Punk as Ward shoots in.
Punk misses with a two punch combination.
Ward wants to clinch up but Punk keeps it at a distance.
Ward tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Punk swivels and escapes.
Ward tries for a takedown but Punk sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Ward looks to land a left hand but Punk moved out of range nicely.
Ward shoots in for a takedown but Punk shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Ward will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Ward throws out a leg kick but Punk moves out of range and Ward only half commits.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Punk throws a right hand that Ward ducks under and follows up with a left that Ward also avoids with ease.
Ward shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Punk sprawls well. Punk wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Ward gets slowly back to his feet.
Ward tries to score a power double leg takedown but Punk sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Ward somewhat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ward tries to clinch but Punk is having none of it.
A head kick misses from Ward.

Ward pushes Punk up against the cage in a clinch.

Punk decides to pull guard.
Ward wants to control from the top but Punk keeps moving.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Punk can do anything to dispel that myth.
Punk utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

Ward 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.
Punk wants to stand and escape but Ward is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Punk preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Punk wants to stand but Ward is controlling the position.
Ward wants to pass the guard but Punk is keeping the position.
Ward stops Punk from standing up.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Ward distracts Punk with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Ward trying to control but Punk is working from the bottom.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Ward drops back looking for a leg! Punk is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Punk manages to kick Ward off! Ward jumps back into Punk's guard.
Ward prevents Punk from getting back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Squid Ward dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Ward shoots in for a double leg but Punk sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Ward throws a chopping leg kick but Punk manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Ward doesn't manage to clinch there - Punk circles away.
Ward wants to clinch.
Punk checks a leg kick.
Ward misses the shot to the body.
Ward fails with a takedown attempt.
Ward dodges the punch combination from Punk.
Ward wants to clinch.
Ward throws a low kick but Punk avoids it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ward is looking to clinch but Punk is avoiding it.
Squid Ward is winning the standup battle so far.
Ward shoots in for a takedown but Punk shows good takedown defense.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Squid Ward. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Ward is looking to clinch.
Ward scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
A head kick misses from Ward.

Punk tries to keep at a distance but Ward has taken the fight into the clinch.
Punk is defending well against a takedown attempt.

Ward manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Punk stays in close to Ward's body and controls the position.
Punk wants to stand but Ward is controlling his posture from full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ward is pulling down on Punk's head to control his posture.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.

OK we're going to have a standup here. J M Punk hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Ward.
Ward shoots in for a double leg but Punk sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ward throws a chopping leg kick but Punk manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Punk keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Ward missing with a left hand there. Punk was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Punk avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Ward shoots in looking for a takedown. Punk tries to sprawl out of it but Ward keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Punk manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Ward closes this distance looking for a takedown but Punk circles away.
Punk swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Ward.
Ward tries to close the distance and clinch up but Punk swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Ward misses with a lunging right hand
enabling Punk to counter with a crisp jab.

It looks like Squid Ward has been cut.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Punk throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Ward.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Punk misses with an uppercut. Ward saw that one coming.
Nice takedown defense from Punk. No joy for Ward on that attempt.
Some wild striking there from Punk.
A nice inside leg kick there by Ward. That's going to slow Punk down.
Horrible takedown by Ward or perhaps it was just good defense by Punk which made him look bad.
Ward wants to slow Punk down by chopping away at his legs.
Ward attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Punk cracks Ward with a nasty uppercut that draws ooohs from the crowd and sends Ward tumbling backwards onto the mat. He tries to recover but Punk pounces and lands a hail of unanswered strikes that forces the referee to step in to end the fight! Ward is not happy but he gave the referee no choice!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:49 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). J M Punk!