PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Ronnie Baxter (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Markus Warren (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Rumors backstage are that the fighters have been paid to keep it standing but we know that would never happen in MMA!

Baxter
vs
Warren

190 cm
18
135 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

163 cm
18
133 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid boxing
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the bantamweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Ronnie Baxter!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Markus Warren!
The judges for this bout are Steven Brown, Richard Clark and Andrew Berry.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Baxter throws a right hand that Warren ducks under and follows up with a left that Warren also avoids with ease.
Warren moves out of range of the body kick from Baxter.
Warren avoids the head kick by Baxter.
A leg kick checked by Warren.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Warren using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Warren connects with a nasty looking knee right to Baxter's face.
Warren lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Baxter takes a knee right on the jaw!
Baxter wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Warren has him pressed against the cage.
Warren gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Knees to the body from Warren.
Warren lands a nice elbow from the clinch.

Warren breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Warren tries to clinch up but Baxter circles away and keeps his distance.
Warren doesn't manage to clinch there - Baxter circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Warren tries to close the distance and clinch up but Baxter swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Baxter avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Warren changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Baxter tries to avoid it but Warren manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Baxter to the ground. Baxter escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Ronnie Baxter seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Baxter throws a low kick but it's checked well by Warren.
Baxter tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Baxter throws a head kick but Warren moves out of range.
Baxter is breathing heavily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Baxter keeps the fight on the outside.
Baxter fails to land with a series of punches.
Baxter keeps the fight on the outside.

Warren scores with a takedown into Baxter's guard.
Warren sitting in guard here, content to control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Warren decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Baxter, up you get!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Markus Warren dominated that round.
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.

Baxter swats away the attempt to clinch by Warren.
Warren tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Baxter swivels and escapes.
Warren wants to clinch up but Baxter keeps it at a distance.
Baxter misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Warren tries to close the distance and clinch up but Baxter swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Warren slips a jab and a cross from Baxter.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Warren blocks the body kick.
Baxter smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Warren is looking to clinch but Baxter is avoiding it.
Baxter throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Warren tries to clinch but Baxter is having none of it.
Baxter throws a right and a left that Warren avoids nicely.

Warren closes the distance and pushes Baxter back into the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Warren keeps control of Baxter as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Baxter takes an elbow to the temple.

Warren turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!

Warren decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Baxter misses with a wild combination.
Warren tries to close the distance and clinch up but Baxter swats him away and circles back towards the center.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Warren will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Warren tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Baxter paws at him with a jab and circles away.
No luck for Warren with that takedown attempt.
Ronnie Baxter has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Markus Warren.
Warren takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Warren is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Warren closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.

Warren escapes and gets back to his feet.
Warren tries to clinch but Baxter moves out of range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Markus Warren showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Baxter's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

The fight stays on the outside here - Warren looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Warren rushes Baxter and presses him up against the cage.
Warren lands a nice knee to the body.
Warren scores a nice knee to the body.
Baxter wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Warren has him pressed against the cage.
Knees in the clinch landing for Warren.

Warren escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Warren is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Warren tries to close the distance and clinch but Baxter swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Both fighters are looking to counter, which isn't making for the most exciting fight in the world.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Warren lands a nice leg kick that just misses Baxter's sensitive parts.
Warren tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Baxter paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Warren wants to clinch up but Baxter keeps it at a distance.
Warren tries to close the distance and clinch up but Baxter swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Baxter waving his hands out infront of him, looking to distract Warren.

Warren moves into the clinch successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Baxter is trying to break the clinch but Warren has him pressed against the cage.
Warren lands an elbow inside.
Warren unloads a knee to the mid-section. Baxter lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.

Warren has Baxter pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Warren pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Baxter tumbling to the mat - Warren dives into Baxter's guard.
Warren makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Warren slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Warren's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Markus Warren really dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Baxter throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Ronnie Baxter is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Warren showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Baxter.
Warren tries to close the distance and clinch but Baxter swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Warren throws a body punch but Baxter moves out of range.
It's got to the stage where if one of these guys blows hard enough, the other might fall over.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Baxter misses with a wild body shot.
Baxter misses with a kick to the body.
Ronnie Baxter is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The fight stays on the outside here - Warren looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Warren pushes Baxter up against the cage in a clinch.
Warren with a knee to the head.
Knees in the clinch landing for Warren.
Warren can't get the takedown.

Warren is trying to trip Baxter. He has hold of a leg but Baxter is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Warren persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Warren sitting in guard here, content to control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Warren decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.

Warren clinches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

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

Warren has closed the distance and engaged Baxter in a clinch.

Warren has Baxter pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Warren pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Baxter tumbling to the mat - Warren dives into Baxter's guard.
Baxter is looking to stand up but Warren isn't so interested in that idea.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Warren content to stall in guard here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Markus Warren dominated that fourth round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Warren tries to close the distance and clinch up but Baxter swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Baxter circles away from the clinch attempt.
Donk. Baxter catches Warren right on the button with a cross.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Warren tries to clinch up but Baxter circles away and keeps his distance.
Warren tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Baxter paws at him with a jab and circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Warren throws a nice looking combination but Baxter bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Warren tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Baxter paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Baxter rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Warren moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Both of our modern day gladiators look out of it here - an gruelling 5 rounds of action taking it's toll on them, no doubt.

Warren gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Baxter wants to get back to striking at distance but Warren won't allow it.
Warren lands a knee to the body.

Warren has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Baxter is trying to keep an underhook but Warren manages to get the takedown into half guard.

Warren decides to stand up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Warren is looking to clinch but Baxter is avoiding it.
Baxter keeps the fight on the outside.
Baxter really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Warren fails with an attempt to clinch.
Baxter closes the distance and lands a one-two.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Warren moves in looking to clinch but Baxter pushes him off.
Baxter swats away the attempt to clinch by Warren.
Warren wants to clinch.
Baxter circles away from the clinch attempt.
Ronnie Baxter has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Markus Warren is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Baxter keeps the fight on the outside.
Baxter throws a leg kick

and Warren counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Warren stays in close to Baxter's body and controls the position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Markus Warren comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Warren 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 5 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.

Judge Steven Brown scores the fight for Markus Warren!
Judge Richard Clark scores the fight for Markus Warren!
Judge Andrew Berry scores the fight for Markus Warren!

Markus Warren wins by unanimous decision!
Markus Warren is the new bantamweight champion!