PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Hershel Carroll (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Billy Ray (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Billy Ray looks lathargic as he enters the arena. Wake up son, you're about to have a fight!

Carroll
vs
Ray

167 cm
24
279 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

183 cm
26
215 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Hershel Carroll!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Billy Ray!
The judges for this bout are Yves DeLean, Steve Smith and William Peck.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ray tries to clinch up
and Carroll counters with a leg kick.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Carroll.

Carroll clinches with his opponent.
Carroll has Ray pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Ray manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Ray is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Carroll manages to pull guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Ray tries to free his leg and advance position but Carroll is retaining full guard.
Ray looks winded!
Carroll is adopting a defensive guard.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Ray working his ground and pound in the gym. He isn't landing a great percentage of his ground strikes so far though.
Carroll might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

Carroll is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Carroll lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Ray!
Ray avoids a series of strikes thrown by Carroll.
Ray really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Carroll content just to control the position here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Carroll throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Carroll takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Ray suckers Carroll into throwing a sloppy strike and uses the momentum to reverse the position beautifully! Ray is now in Carroll's guard!
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Carroll pulls Ray in close to prevent any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Hershel Carroll just wasn't active enough.
Ray misses with a head kick.
Billy Ray seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Carroll leaves Ray with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Ray throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Carroll counters by moving into the clinch.

Carroll breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Ray stuffs the takedown attempt from Carroll. Carroll gets slowly back to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Hershel Carroll. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Carroll wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Carroll tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Ray swivels and escapes.
Carroll shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Ray as he jumps to the side.
Ray uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Carroll.
Ray will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Carroll lands a nice leg kick that just misses Ray's sensitive parts.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Carroll shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Ray but Ray pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Ray slaps away a takedown attempt from Carroll, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Carroll tries for a takedown but Ray sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Ray looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

Carroll gets the takedown into side control.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Ray is looking to reverse the position.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Carroll content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
Ray tries to bench press Carroll off him but Carroll keeps the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hershel Carroll dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Carroll darts in and clinches Ray up against the cage.
Stalling in the clinch from Carroll.
Ray working hard to break the clinch.

Carroll breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Carroll doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Some wild striking there from Ray.
Carroll has a takedown stuffed.
Ray shoots in for a double leg but Carroll sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Ray is breathing heavily.
Carroll shoots in looking for a takedown but Ray manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Carroll's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.

Carroll gets a clinch.
Ray changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Carroll fights it off and pushes away nicely.

Ray gets tackled into the cage by Carroll. Carroll maintains the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Carroll pulls guard.
Carroll bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Ray's guard.
Carroll seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Carroll stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Ray swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Carroll slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ray managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Carroll.
Carroll in side control, just content to control the action for now.
Carroll seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Ray for as long as he can get away with.
The strikes coming from Carroll are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Hershel Carroll overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Carroll trying to control the position but Ray is working away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Carroll controls the position.
Carroll really is a fat lump.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Hershel Carroll.
Carroll shoots in looking for a takedown but Ray manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Carroll's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Hershel Carroll. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Carroll fails with a takedown attempt.
Carroll throws the kick towards the body but Ray avoids it.
Carroll fails with a takedown attempt.
Ray is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Carroll has managed to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Carroll breaks from the clinch.
Ray changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Carroll tries to avoid it but Ray manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Carroll to the ground. Carroll escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Carroll dives in for a single leg takedown but Ray sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Carroll is struggling to control the position.

Carroll jumps into guard, dragging Ray to the mat.
Ray won't allow Carroll to sweep him here.
Ray stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Carroll swivels though and keeps the full guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Carroll controlling Ray's posture.
Ray trying to control the position from guard on top but Carroll is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hershel Carroll dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes 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.

Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Carroll.
Ray tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Ray throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Ray leaves Carroll with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Carroll thuds his shin into the meat of Ray's side.
Carroll shoots for a takedown but Ray saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Ray stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Ray wants it to stay on the feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Hershel Carroll. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Carroll has closed the distance and engaged Ray in a clinch.

Carroll escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Sloppy strikes from Ray. Those never looked like landing.
Carroll throws a head kick that looked like it stung.

Carroll forces Ray back against the cage and clinches.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ray looking for a takedown.

Carroll's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Hershel Carroll is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Nice takedown defense from Ray. No joy for Carroll on that attempt.
Ray misses with a jab, cross combination.
Carroll looks for a takedown but Ray sprawls well.

Ray closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Carroll to the mat! Carroll manages to get full guard.
Carroll managing to control the position.
Carroll wants to stand and escape but Ray is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Carroll looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Ray postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Ray works over Carroll with some ground and pound from guard.
Carroll trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Ray tries to free his leg and advance position but Carroll is retaining full guard.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Ray with a flurry of punches that miss.
Ray trying to control but Carroll is working from the bottom.
Ray has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Carroll is proving hard to escape from.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ray postures up in Carroll's guard and throws a big left but Carroll blocks it.
Ray throwing strikes but missing.
Carroll seems keen to control Ray's posture.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Carroll.
Ray fails to land the takedown.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
No luck for Carroll with that takedown attempt.
Crunch! Ray slams his shin into Carroll's torso.

Carroll gets a clinch.
Ray wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Carroll creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Ray's defenses.
Carroll has Ray pressed against the cage, preventing Ray from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

Carroll manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Ray trying to control the position from guard on top but Carroll is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Ray throws a strike but Carroll rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Hershel Carroll.
Well Carroll has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Yves DeLean scores the fight 30:27
Judge Steve Smith scores the fight 30:27
Judge William Peck scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Hershel Carroll!