PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Dan Cardy (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ross Pearce (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). This should be a great matchup!

Cardy
vs
Pearce

175 cm
21
155 lbs
4 - 6 - 0

180 cm
18
155 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Experienced

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 6 - 0, fighting out of London, Dan Cardy!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, Ross Pearce!
The judges for this bout are Paul Tew, Donald Grub and Colin Fotheringham.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pearce tries to clinch up but Cardy circles away and keeps his distance.
Pearce dips down and scores with a jab to the body.

Cardy darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Pearce wants to get back to full guard.
Cardy thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Pearce's head.
Pearce wants to get back to his feet.

Cardy is looking for a kimura here.

Pearce is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Cardy pulls his head out easily.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Pearce is controlling Cardy's position as best he can from this difficult position.
Cardy is tying to control. Pearce wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Pearce tries to clinch up.
Pearce tries to close the distance and clinch but Cardy swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Pearce scores with a body shot.
Cardy misses with a double jab.
Cardy circles away from the clinch attempt.
Pearce throws a right hand that Cardy ducks under and follows up with a left that Cardy also avoids with ease.
Pearce tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Cardy paws at him with a jab and circles away.
A jab lands there for Pearce.
Cardy throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Cardy has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Pearce throws a body kick that misses.
Nice body kick there by Cardy.
Pearce tries to bum rush Cardy with a series of wild strikes but Cardy uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Pearce tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Cardy drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Cardy preventing the sweep.
Pearce really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Cardy. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cardy wants to control from the top but Pearce keeps moving.

Cardy is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Cardy is breathing heavily.
Pearce throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Pearce keeping moving, preventing Cardy from controlling successfully.
Pearce working a defensive guard but Cardy manages to pass into side control anyway.
Pearce bucks up and tries to throw Cardy off but instead Cardy has got his back!
Cardy controlling well, preventing Pearce from escaping the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Pearce defends a rear naked choke attempt by controlling one of Cardy's arms.
Pearce is trying to break free.
Pearce is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Pearce breaks Cardy's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
Pearce distracts Cardy with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.

Cardy has his foot on Pearce's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Pearce works his way back into a safe position though.
Pearce is in close to Cardy's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Pearce is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.

Pearce stands up from Cardy's guard - Pearce perhaps looking for a knockout.
Cardy dodges the punch combination from Pearce.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pearce tries for a takedown but Cardy circles away easily
and Cardy counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Pearce lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Cardy circles away quickly and effectively.
Pearce closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Pearce fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Cardy manages to avoid it.
No luck for Cardy with that takedown attempt.
Pearce lands a body shot.
Cardy showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Pearce.
Cardy lands with a slapping head kick.
Pearce misses with a few strikes there.
A combination from Pearce does no damage.

Cardy gets a takedown into half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Ross Pearce will probably get the nod.
That's time! Cardy's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Cardy stuffs the takedown.
Pearce lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Cardy circles away quickly and effectively.
Pearce moves in looking to clinch but Cardy pushes him off.
Pearce takes a kick to the side of the head.
Pearce tries to clinch but Cardy is having none of it.
Cardy throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Pearce's head.
A punch combination from Pearce misses.
Pearce misses with a few strikes there.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cardy throws a head kick that misses.
Cardy avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Cardy decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

Cardy decides to stand up.
Pearce tries to move into range but Cardy moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pearce tries to clinch up.
Pearce fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Pearce tries to clinch up.
Cardy swats away the attempt to clinch by Pearce.
Pearce throws a left and a right that both miss
and Cardy counters with a lovely straight right hand!

Cardy closes the distance and clinches.
Cardy is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Pearce throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Cardy blocks it with crossed arms.
Pearce wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Cardy has him pressed against the cage.

Cardy pulls guard.

Cardy throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Cardy had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Pearce is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Cardy Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Pearce's back instead.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pearce controlling the position well but he knows he's in a bad position.
Pearce is trying to break free.

Cardy is staying calm and holding on to the back position, whilst working on a rear naked choke. Pearce is defending well though. Cardy let's go of the attempt for now.
Pearce is holding onto Cardy's left hand, preventing any choke attempts.
Cardy trying desperately to keep hold of the dominant position.
Pearce tries to roll but Cardy sticks to his back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cardy struggling to keep hold of the position.
Cardy is not going to allow Pearce to sit and survive in this position.

Cardy has his hand under the chin of his opponent looking for the choke. He's nearly got it! This one could be all over! But no, Pearce has freed his hand and lives to survive another… well, another couple of seconds at least!
Pearce breaks Cardy's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.

Cardy is working an open guard so Pearce takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Pearce looks to clinch

and Cardy counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Pearce!
Pearce can't escape the position.
Cardy looking to control but Pearce is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Pearce bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Cardy working for submissions but it's allowed Pearce to get to half guard.
Pearce is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Pearce working Cardy over with strikes.
Pearce wants to stand but Cardy has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.
Pearce not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Pearce sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Cardy defending well though.
Pearce is thwarting Cardy's attempts to control the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dan Cardy dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Cardy pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Pearce takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Cardy shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Pearce but Pearce pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Cardy avoids the body shot from Pearce.
Pearce misses with a jab, cross combination.
Pearce tries to clinch up but Cardy circles away and keeps his distance.
A combination from Pearce does no damage.
The fight stays on the outside here - Pearce looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Horrible takedown by Cardy or perhaps it was just good defense by Pearce which made him look bad.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Pearce moves into range and connects with a jab.
Pearce tries for a takedown but Cardy sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cardy blocks the body kick.
Pearce wants to clinch.
Pearce swings for the body but Cardy moves out of range.
Pearce tries to close the distance and clinch but Cardy swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Cardy closes this distance looking for a takedown but Pearce circles away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Dan Cardy. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Pearce lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Cardy circles away quickly and effectively.
Cardy shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Pearce but Pearce pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Pearce tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Cardy paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Pearce is looking to clinch.
Good shot there by Pearce.
A punch combination from Pearce misses.

That's two 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.
Pearce tries to close the distance and clinch up but Cardy swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Pearce throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Cardy stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Pearce connects with a looping right hand.
Pearce tries to clinch up but Cardy circles away and keeps his distance.
Pearce blocks a head kick by Cardy.
Pearce swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Cardy keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Cardy lands with a cross.
Cardy lands a high kick!
Jab, jab by Pearce - just one landing.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Pearce crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Cardy - the referee stops the clock and Pearce gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Cardy. Pearce manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
Pearce misses with an uppercut.
Pearce will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cardy avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Cardy dodges the punch combination from Pearce.
Cardy misses with a head kick.

Cardy shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Cardy was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Pearce is working to get back to half guard.
Pearce has given up his back here.
You can see the frustration on Pearce's face… He knows he is in trouble unless he improves his position sooner rather than later.

Cardy looking to break Pearce's wrist control so he can sink in the choke. Pearce remaining controlled and patient though - he really has to keep calm otherwise Cardy will wrap this one up with the rear naked choke!

Cardy is looking to finish the fight by rear naked choke. Pearce knows exactly what he's got planned though, so he's defending well. Maybe a few strikes would soften Pearce for a finish.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pearce is trying to get back to his feet but Cardy has full control of the position and if anything, Pearce has just worked his way into a worse spot.
Dan Cardy overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Pearce wants to control his opponent's hands but Cardy gets his hands free.
Cardy has the hooks in. Pearce is trying to push off one leg but he has to do so cautiously to avoid being submitted.
Pearce trying to control the action but Cardy just sinks the hooks in.
Cardy has the hooks in. Pearce is trying to push off one leg but he has to do so cautiously to avoid being submitted.
Pearce just trying to survive but Cardy is wriggling into a better position, looking to finish.
Pearce rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Cardy passes to full mount!
Pearce really trying hard to get back to half guard here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Dan Cardy showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Cardy has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Paul Tew scores the fight 29:28
Judge Donald Grub scores the fight 29:28
Judge Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Dan Cardy!