PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Paul Sonnen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Frank White (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The key to victory for Paul Sonnen has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Sonnen
vs
White

198 cm
27
265 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

201 cm
21
240 lbs
5 - 5 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
KO power

Decent wrestler
Counter fighter
Solid chin

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 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Paul Sonnen !
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Frank White!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, and Jack Bonds.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

White shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Sonnen is trying to defend but White finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
White is figuring out what he wants to do next.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. White connects with a nice short shot to Sonnen 's temple.
Sonnen is looking for a sweep. White is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

White stands, ready to strike. The ref makes him back up and allows Sonnen to get to his feet.
Sonnen is trying hard to land a takedown here. White sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Sonnen leaves White with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.

White gets tackled into the cage by Sonnen . Sonnen maintains the clinch.
White tries to score a body lock takedown but Sonnen shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
White is working for takedown but Sonnen is calmly controlling the position for now.
Paul Sonnen has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Frank White.

That's one minute gone in the round.
White drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Sonnen pulls guard successfully.

Sonnen has his foot on White's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. White works his way back into a safe position though.
Sonnen has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
White throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Sonnen works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
White content to stall in guard here.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Sonnen holds on and takes a little breather.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
White engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Sonnen keeping moving, preventing White from controlling successfully.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Paul Sonnen .
White avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Sonnen fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but White avoids it really well and circles away.

White drives through and clinches with Sonnen against the cage.
White is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Sonnen pulls him back up using the underhooks.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

White breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Sonnen closes this distance looking for a takedown but White circles away.
Sonnen shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has White pinned against the cage. White gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Sonnen has a takedown stuffed.

White scores with a takedown into Sonnen 's guard.
Sonnen looking to control.
White showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Sonnen wants to sweep here but White controlling him for the moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Sonnen is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
White throwing strikes but missing.
White slips nicely into half guard.
White wants to lay and pray for a moment but Sonnen keeps working.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Sonnen wants to control but White is keeping busy.
White takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Frank White dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

White defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Sonnen .
Sonnen looks for a takedown but White sprawls well.

White closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
White is trying to control. Sonnen wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Sonnen wants to get back to full guard.
White controlling the pace.
Frank White has got the better of the ground game so far.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
White prevents Sonnen from improving his position.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Frank White hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Sonnen looks for a takedown but White sprawls well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Paul Sonnen . That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's one minute gone in the round.

White bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Sonnen knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for White on the ground.
Sonnen gives up the full mount - oops, sloppy defensive grappling there!

White is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Sonnen has managed to escape the submission attempt.
White content just to control the position here.
Sonnen is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
White controlling his opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
White working the ground and pound effectively.
White lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Sonnen is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
White controlling from mount.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
White is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Sonnen can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Sonnen is wriggling around trying to escape.
White tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

White is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Sonnen can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Sonnen tries to hold on but White pushes him away.
Sonnen regains half guard.
Sonnen is trying to control but can't.
White trying to control from half guard but Sonnen is working away.
White content to control rather than advance.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
White wants to control but Sonnen is keeping him busy.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
White avoids the head kick by Sonnen .
A combination from White does no damage.
Sonnen fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Sonnen displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from White.
Sonnen goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Sonnen goes for a double leg but White avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as White continues to drive forward.

Sonnen pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Frank White showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Sonnen 's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. And we move into the final round!

Sonnen moves in looking to clinch but White pushes him off.
Sonnen fails with a takedown attempt.
White shoots in but no luck this time.
Sonnen misses with a leg kick

and White counters with a nice double leg into guard.

White decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Sonnen wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
White shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Sonnen clobbers White with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Paul Sonnen is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Sonnen goes for a double leg but White avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as White continues to drive forward.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Sonnen manages to break the clinch.
Paul Sonnen seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Sonnen goes for a double leg but White avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as White continues to drive forward.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Paul Sonnen . That's going to take a lot out of him.

Sonnen breaks the clinch.
Sonnen is trying hard to land a takedown here. White sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Sonnen throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Horrible takedown attempt by White or perhaps it was just good defense by Sonnen , which made it look bad.
Nice takedown defense from Sonnen . No joy for White on that attempt.
White takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Sonnen fails with a takedown attempt.
Nice takedown defense from Sonnen . No joy for White on that attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sonnen fails with the takedown.
White will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Sonnen misses with a series of wild punches.

White gets the takedown into side control.
Sonnen looks to move to half guard but instead White has passed into mount! Damn!
Sonnen tries to hold on but White postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
White in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Sonnen is desperately trying to get back to half guard.

White with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
White looking to control but Sonnen is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
White with good strikes from the mount here!
White looking to control and managing it successfully.
Sonnen on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Sonnen tries to get out of the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
White tries to control but Sonnen wriggling away.
White working Sonnen over with strikes here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
White raining down shots from the mount!
White controlling the position easily from mount.
White with a couple of short strikes.
Paul Sonnen has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Frank White is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
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!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
White controlling his opponent.

And that's the end of the fight!
Frank White comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got White 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 Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 27:30
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 27:30
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Frank White!