PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Jon Fitch (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Alex Garcia (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Fitch comes to the ring accompanied by Rob Zombie - House Of 1000 Corpses. Alex Garcia has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Jon Fitch's chin.

Fitch
vs
Garcia

183 cm
19
170 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
24
170 lbs
2 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Jon Fitch!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Alex Garcia!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Blasius, Wagner Zegers and Patrick Alders.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Some wild striking there from Garcia.
Garcia shoots in and drives through. Fitch sprawls well.
A combination from Fitch does no damage.
Fitch throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Garcia sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Garcia looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Fitch is fending him off so far but Garcia persists. Nope, Fitch circles away and we're back to standing.
Garcia lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Garcia is looking to clinch but Fitch is avoiding it.
Garcia looks to land a combination but Fitch avoids it well.
Fitch has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Garcia.
Fitch throws a low kick but Garcia moves out of range easily.
Garcia tries to clinch but Fitch moves out of range.
Garcia shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Fitch defends it nicely.
Jon Fitch has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Alex Garcia.
Fitch sizes up Garcia with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.

Fitch bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fitch trying to control the position but Garcia is working away.

Fitch is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Garcia knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Fitch wants to lay and pray for a moment but Garcia keeps working.
Fitch tries to move into full mount but can't pass Garcia's legs.
Fitch trying to control the position but Garcia is working away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Garcia taking a bit of punishment here - Fitch scoring with strikes.

Fitch stands up and beckons Garcia to his feet.
Garcia throws a head kick but Fitch moves out of range.
Fitch is looking to clinch but Garcia is avoiding it.
Nice takedown defense from Fitch. No joy for Garcia on that attempt.
Fitch slaps away a takedown attempt from Garcia, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Garcia tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Fitch shoots in and drives through. Garcia sprawls well.
Garcia throws a left and a right that both miss

and Fitch counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Fitch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fitch keeps control of Garcia as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

Garcia pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Fitch scores with a takedown into Garcia's guard.
Fitch lands a couple of digs.
Fitch prevents Garcia from getting back to his feet.

Fitch decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Garcia, up you get!

Fitch closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Garcia did well to prevent Fitch getting side control.
Fitch knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Garcia on the ground.

Fitch decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Fitch drives through and clinches with Garcia against the ropes.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Garcia gets underhooks to prevent Fitch's takedown attempt.
Fitch managing to block the knees to the body from Garcia.
Garcia blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Garcia prevents Fitch from breaking the clinch.

Garcia breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Fitch throws a head kick that misses.

Garcia clinches up with Fitch and pushes him back against the ropes.
Garcia lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Garcia avoiding damage as Fitch throws knees to the body.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Garcia is looking to control Fitch's arms but Fitch gets an underhook and turns him. Now Garcia has his back to the ropes.

Fitch drags the fight down to the ground.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Garcia loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Fitch tries to sprawl but Garcia drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Fitch wants to control but Garcia is keeping busy.
Garcia is trying to get back to his feet now but his leg is trapped.
Fitch is controlling Garcia's trapped leg to prevent Garcia from advancing to side control.
Garcia wants to take a breather but Fitch is having none of it.
Garcia missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Fitch is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Garcia seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Fitch does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Fitch throws a leg kick that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Garcia has a takedown stuffed.
Garcia shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Fitch as he jumps to the side.
Garcia lands with an overhand left.
Garcia lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Fitch shoots in looking for a takedown. Garcia tries to sprawl out of it but Fitch keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the ropes. Garcia manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Fitch shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Garcia pinned against the ropes. Garcia gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Garcia scores with a head kick.

It looks like Jon Fitch has been cut.
Garcia shoots in but no luck this time.
Jon Fitch has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Alex Garcia.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Garcia throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Garcia lands with a kick to the temple. Fitch shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Garcia is breathing heavily.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Garcia fails in his attempt to clinch.

Fitch looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Fitch is controlling the pace.
Fitch throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Jon Fitch overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Garcia makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Garcia.
Fitch wants to pass the guard but Garcia is keeping the position.
Fitch has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Fitch looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Fitch won't allow Garcia to get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Fitch stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Garcia swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Fitch passes into half guard.
Fitch trying to control the action but Garcia is working from the bottom.
Garcia wants to get back to his feet.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Fitch wants to work for an arm triangle but Garcia is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Fitch blocks the strikes from Garcia.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alex Garcia showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Jon Fitch's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Fitch misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Garcia.
Fitch stuffs the takedown.
Fitch takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Fitch shoots for a double leg takedown but Garcia sprawls well. He's pushed Fitch's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Garcia tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Fitch will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Horrible takedown attempt by Garcia or perhaps it was just good defense by Fitch, which made it look bad.
Garcia darts in looking for a takedown but Fitch gets double underhooks and turns Garcia into the ropes.
Jon Fitch has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Alex Garcia.
Garcia missing with knees to the body.
Fitch takes a knee right on the jaw!
Garcia looking to slow down the pace here.
Garcia takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fitch fails to pull the fight into his guard.

Garcia breaks from the clinch.
Nice cross by Garcia.
Garcia does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Fitch shoots in for a takedown but Garcia shows good takedown defense.

Fitch shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Garcia manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Fitch wants to pass the guard but Garcia is keeping the position.
Garcia looking for a sweep. Not yet Garcia, not yet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fitch slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Garcia throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Fitch trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Garcia manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!
Garcia tries to stand but Fitch is controlling from the bottom.

Fitch is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Garcia is aware though and is defending well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Garcia wants to get up but he can't break Fitch's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Fitch controls Garcia momentarily but Garcia frees himself.
Garcia wants to stand but Fitch is controlling his posture from full guard.

Fitch throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Fitch working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Garcia.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Fitch doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Garcia wants to stand but Fitch has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Garcia trying to control the position from guard on top but Fitch is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Garcia postures up.
Garcia wants to stand but Fitch has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Fitch looking to hit a scissor sweep but Garcia is one step ahead there.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Alex Garcia.
I think Garcia 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 Daniel Blasius scores the fight 28:29
Judge Wagner Zegers scores the fight 28:29
Judge Patrick Alders scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Alex Garcia!
Alex Garcia seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.