PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Sal Phelps (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mason Borne (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Mason Borne has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Phelps
vs
Borne

177 cm
24
215 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

184 cm
25
200 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
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 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Sal Phelps!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Mason Borne!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, Timothy Bukovac and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Phelps fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Borne manages to avoid it.
Phelps could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.

Borne has Phelps up against the cage in a clinch.

Phelps manages to pull guard.
Borne distracts Phelps with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Borne stopping the sweep attempt from Phelps.

Phelps has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Borne can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

Phelps escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Borne gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Borne pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Phelps is keeping the position for now.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Phelps keeping moving, preventing Borne from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Phelps escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Borne gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

Phelps working for a triangle but Borne defends it easily.
Borne working some strikes from top position.

Sal Phelps's cut is getting worse.
Borne passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Borne postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Phelps sneaks back into half guard.
The fighters are battling for position here. Phelps manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Phelps bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Borne's guard.

Borne looking for a guillotine here but Phelps defends easily.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Phelps accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Borne wants to sweep but no luck.

Phelps stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Borne shoots in looking for a takedown but Phelps manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Borne's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Borne stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Borne wants it to stay on the feet.

Borne moves into the clinch.
Phelps is pushing Borne up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.

Phelps pulls Borne into guard.

Phelps is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Borne works over Phelps with some ground and pound from guard.
Borne wants to control from the top but Phelps keeps moving.

Borne postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Phelps is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Borne, into his guard.

Borne trying to control the position here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Borne has an active guard here but Phelps has managed to pass into half guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Borne is looking to get back to full guard here but Phelps has managed to pass to side control instead.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sal Phelps dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Sal Phelps's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Phelps ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Borne moves away.
Phelps darts in looking for a takedown but Borne gets double underhooks and turns Phelps into the cage.

Borne breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Phelps ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Borne moves away.
Phelps shoots in and drives through. Borne sprawls well.
Sal Phelps is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Phelps has taken the fight to the clinch.

Borne pulls guard effortlessly.
Phelps cracks Borne with a solid left hand.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Borne not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Phelps is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Borne can do to turn this around?
Borne is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Phelps is controlling him.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Borne looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Phelps passes into side control.

Phelps decides to stand back up.

Borne moves into the clinch.
Borne wants to break free but Phelps has control.

Phelps breaks from the clinch.
Borne looks for a takedown but Phelps sprawls well.
Phelps throws a right and a left that both miss.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Borne goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Borne looks for a takedown but Phelps sprawls well.
Phelps fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Sal Phelps. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Borne fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Phelps, pushing him back against the cage.
Borne has Phelps pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Phelps manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Borne is looking to break free of the clinch but Phelps has double underhooks.
Borne is trying to pull guard but Phelps has him pressed against the cage.
Phelps jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Borne walks away with a smile on his face. Phelps gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Borne goes for a double leg but Phelps avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Phelps continues to drive forward.

Phelps pulls Borne into guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Phelps looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Phelps is looking to stand up but Borne isn't so interested in that idea.
Borne trying to control the position from guard on top but Phelps is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The fighters are working up against the cage. Phelps manages to wriggle his way back to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched against the cage.
Borne lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Borne is trying to drag Phelps to the mat but Phelps just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Phelps is pressed up against the cage. Borne has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Phelps down to the mat. Phelps avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Borne is breathing heavily.
Borne tries to score a power double leg takedown but Phelps sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Borne somewhat.

Borne pushes Phelps up against the cage in a clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Borne looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Borne is trying to break free.

Phelps pulls guard.
Borne looking to sit in guard and control but Phelps gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Phelps stands up and waves to Borne to follow him.
A nice combination there by Borne.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Borne misses with a combination
and Phelps counters with a two punch combo.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sal Phelps dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Sal Phelps's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Borne scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Phelps gets back to half guard.
Borne throwing shots but Phelps is blocking nicely.
The fighters are battling for position here. Phelps manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

Phelps is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Borne defends well.
Borne wants to control from the top but Phelps keeps moving.
Borne must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.

Borne looking to improve position, pressing down on Phelps's thigh with his hand. Phelps seems to be working to lock up a guilotine though... is Borne paying attention? Apparently not! He's locked it up tight! Borne's face has turned purple! Will he tap? Will he! YES! He's tapped! Phelps picked his opening and made it count! Great finish!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:57 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Guillotine). Sal Phelps!