PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Josh Lebow (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Edward Black Scholes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). This should be a great matchup!

Lebow
vs
Black Scholes

179 cm
23
167 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

178 cm
21
168 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Experienced

Good wrestler
Counter fighter
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Josh Lebow!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Edward Black Scholes!
The judges for this bout are George Francis, Stewart Dunkirk and Daniel Franklin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Lebow tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Black Scholes is able to avoid easily.
Lebow misses with a hook. Black Scholes ducked under it nicely.
Lebow lands with a slapping head kick.
Black Scholes tries to check the leg kick but that clearly hurt him.
Lebow defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Black Scholes.
Lebow lands a nice hook to Black Scholes's body. Black Scholes takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Lebow misses with a wild body shot.
Lebow pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Lebow throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Lebow tries to close the distance and clinch up but Black Scholes swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Lebow misses with a head kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lebow throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Black Scholes slips under a jab from Lebow.
Lebow throws a leg kick but Black Scholes sees it coming and moves out of range.
Lebow tries a head kick but it misses.
Lebow throws a sloppy head kick and Black Scholes moves out of range easily.
Black Scholes takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Lebow tries a head kick but it misses.
Black Scholes lands a jab to Lebow's midsection.
Lebow takes a swing at Black Scholes's ribcage but misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Black Scholes moves forwards but Lebow connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Lebow fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Black Scholes checks it well.
Lebow misses with a body kick.
Lebow misses with a combination

and Black Scholes counters with a takedown into side control! That could mean trouble for Lebow!
Lebow tries to improve position but can't.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Black Scholes happy to just control the position for now.
Black Scholes scores with punches from side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Black Scholes is putting a hurting on Lebow here, landing some big shots from side control.
Lebow is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Black Scholes working the head and body with strikes.
The referee asks Black Scholes politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Black Scholes prefers to stall for the moment though.
Black Scholes prevents Lebow from escaping the position.
Black Scholes controls the position from side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lebow is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
A lull in the action here.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Josh Lebow will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Horrible takedown by Black Scholes or perhaps it was just good defense by Lebow which made him look bad.
Lebow looks to clinch
and Black Scholes connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Lebow pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Black Scholes sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Lebow pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Lebow throws a sloppy head kick and Black Scholes moves out of range easily.
Lebow lands a head kick. Black Scholes smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Lebow looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Lebow wants to clinch
and Black Scholes counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Josh Lebow is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lebow throws the kick towards the body but Black Scholes avoids it.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Lebow.
Sloppy strikes from Black Scholes. Those never looked like landing.
Lebow is looking to slow Black Scholes down with leg kicks.
Lebow fails with an attempt to clinch.
Lebow lands a head kick. Black Scholes smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Lebow misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Lebow fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Black Scholes checks it well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lebow throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Lebow pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Black Scholes closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Lebow is being controlled here.
Black Scholes throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Lebow tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Black Scholes wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Black Scholes throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.
Lebow tries to buck Black Scholes off but Black Scholes is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Black Scholes content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
Lebow is trying to control Black Scholes's posture but Black Scholes avoids it.
Lebow being controlled for a moment.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Lebow throws a half hearted mid kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lebow scoring well with a low kick there.
Black Scholes on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
A swing and a miss from Lebow.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Lebow.
Lebow throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Black Scholes's head.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Black Scholes shoots in for a double leg but Lebow sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Lebow misses with a double jab.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Josh Lebow dominated that second round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

A shot to the body from Lebow misses

and Black Scholes counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Lebow's guard now.
Black Scholes must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Black Scholes is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Lebow is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Lebow swings and misses with a hook to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Black Scholes connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Lebow is looking to wear down Black Scholes with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Lebow throws a head kick that misses.
Black Scholes checks a low kick from Lebow.

Black Scholes shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Lebow's guard.
Black Scholes content to stall in guard here.
Lebow controls Black Scholes momentarily but Black Scholes frees himself.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Black Scholes is pushing down on Lebow's leg trying to pass to half guard. Lebow is fighting to maintain full guard but Black Scholes has managed to sneak the leg through.
Black Scholes looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.

Josh Lebow has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Black Scholes checks a leg kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
That kick from Lebow tenderised Black Scholes's leg. Black Scholes is trying to keep his angry face on.
Lebow pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Lebow connects with a solid leg kick.
Black Scholes swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Lebow throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Black Scholes avoids the head kick by Lebow.
Lebow tried to score with a low kick but Black Scholes checks it.
Lebow misses with a head kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lebow walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Black Scholes checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Lebow looks for the body kick but Black Scholes saw that one coming.
Edward Black Scholes has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Lebow pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Lebow throws a head kick but Black Scholes moves out of range.
Lebow throws a head kick that misses.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Black Scholes throws a series of punches but Lebow avoids them all with ease.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Lebow thumps Black Scholes with a low kick.
Black Scholes takes a shot to the body in his stride.

And that's the end of the fight!
Edward Black Scholes comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Lebow has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 George Francis scores the fight 29:29
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 28:29
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 29:29

The fight is ruled a majority draw!