PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Spank Crank (ranked 1324 p4p, 191 weight class) and Malcolm Merlin (ranked 1950 p4p, 292 weight class). This should be fireworks!

Crank
vs
Merlin

180 cm
24
224 lbs
12 - 4 - 0

190 cm
26
208 lbs
9 - 4 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Aspire Clothing
Aspire Nutrition

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 12 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Spank Crank!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 4 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Malcolm Merlin!
The judges for this bout are William Gold, James Atkins and Donald Grub.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A big left from Crank misses.
Merlin flicks out a counter leg kick but Crank steps away.
A slow jab from Crank misses its intended target.
Crank scores with a nice right hand.
Merlin misses with a looping right.
Crank tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Merlin manages to circle out of the way.
Merlin misses with a straight left.
A punch lands to the side of Crank 's head but he takes it in his stride.

It looks like Spank Crank has been cut.
A big left from Merlin misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Merlin is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Merlin looks to land a left hand but Crank moved out of range nicely.
Nice uppercut lands for Merlin. That snapped Crank's head back.
Merlin blocks a jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Merlin takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Crank looks to score with a jab to the body but Merlin is just out of range.
A bone on bone clash there as Merlin blocks the leg kick.
Merlin throws out a counter right but Crank avoids it with no problem.
Crank tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Despite the aggression on Merlin's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Merlin blocks a jab.
Crank on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Merlin lands an overhand right.
Merlin throws the left hand but Crank avoids the punch easily.
Crank moves out of range as Merlin strikes.
Merlin might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Crank throws a half hearted mid kick.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Crank.
Merlin lands with a nice body kick.
Crank throws a push kick but Merlin slaps the foot to one side.
Crank changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Merlin scoring well with a low kick there.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A head kick misses from Merlin.
Crank darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Crank looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Merlin throws a looping overhand right but Crank ducks down to avoid it.
Crank dips down and scores with a jab to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Crank tries to close the distance and clinch but Merlin swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Some wild striking there from Merlin.
Crank throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Crank misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Merlin.
Merlin misses with a low kick.
A looping hook to the body misses from Crank. Merlin does a little dance to reset his feet.
Merlin let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.
Merlin gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Crank.
Crank throws a looping overhand right but Merlin ducks down to avoid it.
Merlin looks like he wanted to counter with a high kick but didn't throw it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Merlin cracks the inside of Crank's front leg.
Merlin connects with a crisp jab.
Crank connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Merlin's hands.
Merlin swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Merlin cracks Crank with an open hand slap.
Merlin lands a jab to the nose.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Merlin throws a leg kick

and Crank counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Crank.
Merlin wants to sweep here but Crank controlling him for the moment.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Merlin is on top in guard.

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

A close round but Malcolm Merlin will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Spank Crank's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Merlin has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Crank finds it's way round the side to connect with Merlin's head.
Crank will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Crank ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Merlin tries to land a leg kick but Crank saw it coming and moves away.
Crank lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Merlin at a distance.
Merlin clobbers Crank with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Merlin keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Crank.
Crank slips a straight right by Merlin.
Merlin avoids a lazy jab quite easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Crank ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Merlin moves away.
A countering left hand to the body from Merlin misses.
Crank getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Merlin bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Merlin throws a jab but it's blocked by Crank.
A bone on bone clash there as Merlin blocks the leg kick.
Crank scores with a nice strike.
Crank is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Merlin.
Crank misses with an uppercut. Merlin saw that one coming.
Crank takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
The fighters circling - Crank throws out the jab but it was never going to land.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Merlin looks to land a left hand but Crank moved out of range nicely.

Crank gets a clinch.
Merlin fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Merlin lands a body punch.
Merlin is looking to control Crank's arms but Crank gets an underhook and turns him. Now Merlin has his back to the cage.
Crank blocking some punches.
Merlin tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Crank's elbow.
Merlin misses with a body punch.
Merlin tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Crank's elbow.
Merlin has a couple of punches blocked by Crank.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Merlin creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Merlin prevents a body shot from Crank.
Crank throws a head punch that misses.
Merlin misses with some punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Merlin swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Merlin is stalling here.
Merlin misses with the head strike.
Merlin misses with a short punch on the inside.
Merlin swings away with an uppercut that misses.
A short uppercut from Merlin.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Merlin takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Merlin struggles to land a body shot inside as Crank controls his hands.
Crank blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Merlin misses with a hook to the ribs.
Merlin lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Crank backwards.

Spank Crank's cut is getting worse.
Merlin pushes Crank back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Merlin misses with a short punch on the inside.
Crank doesn't land with the attempted body shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Crank blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Merlin lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Merlin goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Merlin misses with the head strike.
Merlin goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Crank creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Crank's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Crank throws a head punch that misses.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Merlin.
Crank lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Merlin backwards.
Merlin tries to work over Crank's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Crank swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Merlin working aggressively here.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Crank.
A nice right hand lands inside from Merlin.
Merlin fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Malcolm Merlin showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Spank Crank's cut.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Merlin moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Crank moves out of range of the strikes.
Merlin missing with a left hand there. Crank was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Nice defenses there by Crank.
Crank throws an overhand right that lands on Merlin's shoulder, as Merlin tries to avoid the shot.
Crank is looking to score with low kicks.
Merlin connects with a body shot.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Crank uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Merlin.
Malcolm Merlin seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Crank misses with a hook to the body
and Crank takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Merlin walks into a straight right hand from Crank.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Crank moves out of range as Merlin strikes.
Merlin takes a jab right on the kisser.
Crank throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Merlin only half commits to the counter leg kick.

Crank closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Merlin did well to prevent Crank getting side control.
The fighters are battling for position here. Merlin manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Crank throws a big elbow that misses.
Merlin trying to control the position.
Crank throwing strikes from guard but Merlin blocks nicely.
Crank working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Merlin's head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Merlin is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Crank working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Merlin's head.
Merlin is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Merlin pulls Crank in close to his closed guard and prevents Crank from doing any damage or advancing position.
Merlin wants to sweep but no luck.
Crank working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Merlin is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Crank has hold of Merlin's hands but Merlin slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Merlin with the ground and pound but Crank uses the opportunity to regain guard.
Crank looking for a sweep. Not yet Crank, not yet.
Spank Crank has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Merlin lands a couple of digs.
Crank wants to sweep but no luck.
Merlin working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Crank's head.
Crank controls Merlin momentarily but Merlin frees himself.
Merlin controlling from the top position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Merlin postures up.
Malcolm Merlin is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Merlin wants to control from the top but Crank keeps moving.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Crank has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Merlin throws a looping overhand right but Crank ducks down to avoid it.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Merlin pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Crank misses the shot to the body.
Crank lands a nice shot to the body.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Malcolm Merlin.
Well Merlin has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 William Gold scores the fight 27:30
Judge James Atkins scores the fight 27:30
Judge Donald Grub scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Malcolm Merlin!