PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Travis Overeem (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Micky Ward (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ward has a niggling injury. He would have liked to come in 100% fit but that's not always possible. Micky Ward has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Overeem
vs
Ward

192 cm
19
240 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

188 cm
25
224 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

Decent wrestler
Basic striking
KO power

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

Vendetta Supplements 160Q

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 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Travis Overeem!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Micky Ward!
The judges for this bout are John Kavanagh, Steve Montenegro and John Roberts.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Overeem tries to clinch there but Ward circles away.
Overeem ducks right into an uppercut from Ward.
Ward throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Ward lands with a cross.

Overeem pushes Ward up against the cage in a clinch.
Overeem with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.

It looks like Micky Ward has been cut.
Overeem swings away with an uppercut that misses.
A short right from Overeem.
Ward misses with a short punch on the inside.

Overeem jumps into guard, dragging Ward to the mat.
Overeem controls Ward momentarily but Ward frees himself.
Overeem looking to hit a scissor sweep but Ward is one step ahead there.
Overeem on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Overeem tries to get out of the position.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ward missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Overeem wants to sweep but no luck.
Ward trying to control but Overeem is working from the bottom.
Overeem is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Ward preventing the sweep.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Overeem staying out of range there.
Ward throws a body punch but Overeem moves out of range.

Overeem takes the fight into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Overeem keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Ward's efforts to push away.
Ward slowing the pace effectively.
Ward lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Ward stalling in the clinch but Overeem improves position.
Overeem blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Overeem has Ward pressed against the cage, preventing Ward from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Overeem's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Ward.
Ward trying to stall but Overeem improves his position.
Overeem misses with a knee to the head.
Overeem is looking for a takedown.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Overeem with a knee to the head.
Overeem misses with a punch on the inside.
Overeem has Ward pushed against the cage.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Overeem.
Overeem tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
A head punch on the inside from Overeem fails to land.
Overeem tries to pull guard but Ward holds him up against the cage and eventually Overeem drops back down to his feet.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Ward lands a body shot in the clinch.
Overeem stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Ward tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Overeem tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Ward avoids it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Overeem tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Ward smiles and moves away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Travis Overeem. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A jab lands there for Ward.
Ward cracks a nice hook into Overeem's ribs.

Overeem moves into the clinch.
Overeem lands a good knee to the midsection. Ward won't want to take too many of those.
Ward looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Ward is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Overeem prevents Ward from breaking the clinch.
A head punch on the inside from Ward fails to land.

Overeem manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
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!
Overeem is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Overeem is on top in guard.

And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Travis Overeem dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Micky Ward's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Overeem lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Ward throws a hook but Overeem blocks it.
Overeem tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Ward manages to circle out of the way.
Overeem is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Ward can do to turn this around?
Overeem keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Ward.
Overeem looks to be in better condition than last time we saw him fight. Obviously he's been working hard on his cardio.
Overeem is looking to clinch but Ward is avoiding it.
Ward swats away the attempt to clinch by Overeem.
Nice defenses there by Overeem.
Ward misses with a looping right.
Overeem seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Ward swats away the attempt to clinch by Overeem.
Ward looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Ward circles away from the clinch attempt.
Ward let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Overeem throws a hook but Ward avoids it easily.
Overeem tries to clinch but Ward moves out of range.
Overeem fails to land with a series of punches.

Overeem closes the distance and pushes Ward back into the cage.
A head punch on the inside from Ward fails to land.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Overeem working aggressively here.
Overeem throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Ward blocks it with crossed arms.
Ward misses with a punch on the inside.
Overeem drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Ward gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Overeem fails to pull guard.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Overeem.
Overeem misses with a hook from the clinch.
Ward being controlled against the cage.
Overeem keeps control of Ward as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Overeem taking a breather.
Ward misses with a body punch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Overeem is trying to maintain a safe position but Ward gets an underhook and turns Overeem into the cage.
Overeem throws a punch but it's blocked by Ward.
Overeem keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Ward's efforts to push away.
Ward lands with a left to the head.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Overeem.
Ward has a couple of punches blocked by Overeem.
Ward tries a body shot but Overeem blocks it.
Ward throws a head punch that misses.
Ward is looking to control Overeem's arms but Overeem gets an underhook and turns him. Now Ward has his back to the cage.
Overeem is pushing Ward up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Overeem.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Overeem is struggling to control the position.
Ward blocking some punches.
Overeem tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Overeem keeps control of Ward as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Overeem lands a right hand.
Ward throws a head punch that misses.
Overeem is stalling here.
Ward is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Overeem is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Ward is defending well for now.
Overeem content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Overeem looking to throw knees to the head but Ward is blocking nicely.
Overeem fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ward working aggressively here.
Ward wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Overeem has him pressed against the cage.
Ward goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Ward.
Come on Ward - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Overeem jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Ward walks away with a smile on his face. Overeem gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Travis Overeem. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Overeem is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Ward misses with an uppercut.
Overeem is looking to counter the offense by Ward and move into the clinch.
Overeem connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Ward connects with a crisp jab.
Overeem throws a jab when Ward was well out of range.
A slapping leg kick lands for Overeem.
Travis Overeem is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Overeem fails with an attempt to clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Travis Overeem will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Micky Ward'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. This is the final round!

Ward misses with a looping right.
Overeem buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Overeem tries to clinch but Ward is having none of it.
Overeem slips under a jab from Ward.
The fight stays on the outside here - Overeem looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Overeem on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Ward lunges at Overeem with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Overeem's hand.
Overeem tries to clinch
letting Ward counter with a right hand.
Ward thows a left - swing and a miss!
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Overeem wants to clinch up but Ward keeps it at a distance.
Overeem throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Ward slips a jab and a cross from Overeem.
A big left from Ward misses.
Ward is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Overeem.
Ward misses with an uppercut. Overeem saw that one coming.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Overeem tries to clinch there but Ward circles away.

Overeem takes the fight into the clinch.
Ward is trying to push Overeem away but Overeem has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Knees to the body from Overeem.
Overeem stalling the fight.
Ward is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Overeem misses with some punches.
Overeem keeps control of Ward as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Overeem lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Overeem missing with knees to the body.
Overeem prevents Ward from breaking the clinch.
Overeem with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Ward takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Overeem keeps control of Ward as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ward throws a punch but it's blocked by Overeem.
Overeem tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Ward tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Overeem's elbow.
Ward working hard to break the clinch.
Ward takes a knee right on the jaw!
Overeem doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Overeem will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Ward up against the cage.
Ward looking to stall.
Ward can't find room to land a body shot as Overeem controls the action.
Ward managing to block the knees to the body from Overeem.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Overeem obliges.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ward lands a hook that snaps the head of Overeem backwards.
Overeem avoiding damage.
Overeem lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Overeem's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Overeem prevents Ward from breaking the clinch.
Overeem will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Ward up against the cage.
Overeem is stalling here.
Overeem has Ward pressed against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Travis Overeem.
Ward stuns Overeem with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Ward is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Overeem.
Micky Ward seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Overeem steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Ward.
Overeem fails in his attempt to clinch.
Ward lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Ward swats away the attempt to clinch by Overeem.
Ward swats away the attempt to clinch by Overeem.
Overeem feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Ward's calf.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
A short left from Overeem.
Micky Ward has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Travis Overeem is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Overeem blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

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 Travis Overeem.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Overeem, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 John Kavanagh scores the fight 30:27
Judge Steve Montenegro scores the fight 29:28
Judge John Roberts scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Travis Overeem!
A very excited looking Travis Overeem made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.