|
|
PBP Commentary |
Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Jackson Starling (ranked 23376 p4p, 0 weight class) and Matthew Harvey (ranked 25324 p4p, 0 weight class). Jackson Starling has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.
 |
|
 |
| 200 cm
22
280 lbs
4 - 6 - 0 |
|
187 cm
18
248 lbs
1 - 2 - 0 |
BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Experienced |
|
BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Intelligent |
|
| |
|
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
4 - 6 - 0, fighting out of New York, Jackson Starling!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of
1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Matthew Harvey!
The judges for this bout are John Roberts, Bruno Lombardi and Eddie Farnsworth.
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The fight stays on the outside here - Starling looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Starling tries to move into range but Harvey moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Nice sprawl there from Starling as Harvey shoots in.
Starling darts in and clinches Harvey up against the cage.
Harvey is trying to force a seperation but Starling has the dominant position.
Harvey decides to pull guard.
Harvey looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
Starling wants to pass the guard but Harvey is keeping the position.
Starling has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.
Harvey trying to control the position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Harvey is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Harvey is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Starling is aware though and is defending well.
Starling slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Starling wants to control but Harvey is keeping him busy.
Harvey should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Starling stands up and beckons Harvey to his feet.
Harvey closes the distance and clinches up with Starling, looking for a takedown. Harvey pushes Starling against the cage but Starling circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Starling drives through and clinches with Harvey against the cage.
Starling pulls guard.
Harvey trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Harvey is pushing down on Starling's leg trying to pass to half guard. Starling is fighting to maintain full guard but Harvey has managed to sneak the leg through.
Starling is refusing to be controlled, as Harvey sits in half guard.
Starling pushes Harvey off and gets back to his feet.
Starling throws a good cross that connects.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Starling shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Harvey but Harvey pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Starling has taken the fight to the clinch.
Starling jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Harvey walks away with a smile on his face. Starling gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Harvey shoots and misses
and Starling counters with a three punch combo that has Harvey backing up. Harvey nods at Starling to acknowledge the strikes.
Jackson Starling has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Matthew Harvey.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Starling clinches up against the cage.
Harvey tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Starling smiles and moves away.
Starling shoots for a double leg takedown but Harvey sprawls well. He's pushed Starling's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Starling shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Starling is breathing heavily.
Harvey finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.
Harvey fails with a takedown attempt.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harvey clinches.
Starling lands a left hand.
Starling lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Harvey is trying to push Starling away but Starling has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Starling tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Starling misses with the head strike.
Starling throws a head punch that misses.
Starling softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Starling misses with a hook from the clinch.
Starling avoiding damage as Harvey throws knees to the body.
Harvey is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Starling is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Harvey to keep the fight standing.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Starling has Harvey pressed against the cage, preventing Harvey from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Harvey tries to pull guard but Starling won't allow it.
Starling lands an uppercut.
Harvey is struggling to control the position.
Starling lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Starling misses with some punches.
Starling successfully pulls guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Harvey forces his way into half guard.
Starling looks like he's trying to stand up.
Harvey looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.
Jackson Starling dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!
Harvey forces Starling back against the cage and clinches.
Harvey jumps guard but Starling turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Harvey taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Starling manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Harvey trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Starling has scooted to the edge of the canvas and used the cage to get back to his feet. Harvey has stuck on his opponent and is forcing him back against the cage.
Starling misses with a punch on the inside.
A head punch on the inside from Starling fails to land.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Starling is trying to pull guard but Harvey turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
A head punch on the inside from Starling fails to land.
Starling is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Harvey can do to turn this around?
Starling pulls Harvey into guard.
Starling wants to stand up but Harvey is controlling him.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Harvey controls from within his opponent's guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Starling wants to get back to his feet but Harvey is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Harvey is stalling in the full guard.
Starling wants to get back to his feet but Harvey passes into half guard.
Starling has managed to escape just enough to sneak back to his feet but Harvey is on him like a limpet, forcing Starling back against the cage.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Starling decides to pull guard.
Starling will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Starling is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Harvey is controlling him.
Starling working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Harvey.
Harvey sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Starling's guard.
Starling is looking to escape.
Harvey takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Starling is trying to stand back up but Harvey is controlling him
Harvey throwing shots but Starling is blocking nicely.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Starling tries to kick Harvey off but Harvey keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Harvey shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Starling pinned against the cage. Starling gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Harvey avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
And Harvey tries to counter it with a takedown but Starling pushes his down on his head and steps out.
Starling throws a looping overhand right but Harvey ducks down to avoid it.
Starling stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Starling wants it to stay on the feet.
Jackson Starling has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Matthew Harvey.
Starling shoots in for a double leg but Harvey sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
It seemed like Harvey was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Harvey instigates a clinch.
Harvey trying to control the position but instead, Starling has worked for underhooks and has pushed Harvey into the cage.
Starling jumps guard but Harvey turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Harvey scores with a nice hook to the head.
Harvey's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Harvey blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Starling fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Harvey is looking to break free of the clinch but Starling has double underhooks.
Starling tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Harvey smiles and moves away.
Harvey clinches.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Harvey is looking to take this one to the mat.
Starling on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Starling prevents the takedown attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.
Jackson Starling dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!
Starling tries to clinch but Harvey is having none of it.
Harvey shoots and misses
enabling Starling to counter with a crisp jab.
Harvey throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Starling's waist but Starling gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Harvey off to one side.
Harvey shoots for a double leg takedown but Starling sprawls well. He's pushed Harvey's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Jackson Starling has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Matthew Harvey.
No luck for Starling with that takedown attempt.
Starling tries to close the distance and clinch but Harvey swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Starling throws a left and a right that both miss
and Harvey counters with a series of strikes. Starling will be more careful next time no doubt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Harvey scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
It looks like Jackson Starling has been cut.
Starling blocks a head kick by Harvey.
Matthew Harvey is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Starling fails with a takedown attempt.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Harvey moves into the clinch.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Starling jumps guard but Harvey stands there with Starling around his waist. Starling gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Starling lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Harvey has Starling pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Starling manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Harvey pulls Starling into guard.
Starling drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Harvey manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Starling has Harvey in his guard.
Harvey stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Starling swivels though and keeps the full guard.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Starling wants to stand up but Harvey is controlling him.
Starling pushes Harvey off and gets back to his feet.
Harvey fails with a takedown attempt.
Starling closes this distance looking for a takedown but Harvey circles away.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Harvey.
Starling is looking to clinch.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Starling is defended easily by Harvey.
Harvey doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Starling connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Starling tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Harvey avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Starling gets tackled into the cage by Harvey. Harvey maintains the clinch.
Nice body punch from Harvey - that landed with a thud.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Starling lands a right hand that snaps the head of Harvey backwards.
Starling jumps guard.
Harvey thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Harvey content to stall in guard here.
Jackson Starling is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Starling avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Harvey wants to pass the guard but Starling is keeping the position.
Matthew Harvey has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Harvey accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
And that's the end of the fight!
Matthew Harvey comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Starling 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 John Roberts scores the fight 29:28
Judge Bruno Lombardi scores the fight 29:28
Judge Eddie Farnsworth scores the fight 29:28
In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jackson Starling!
Matthew Harvey was interviewed post fight and said 'I feel like that fight was fair and gentle. He had a good fight and I think I will hit the gym and come back again.'.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| S |
C
A |
G |
S |
C
B |
G |
|
S |
C |
G |
|
energy
A | B |
|
hype
A | B |
|
pop
A | B |
|
mgr
A | B |
|
FIGHT
RATING
39% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
