PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Sung Puckett (ranked 24933 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kevin Stevens (ranked 5507 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Puckett
vs
Stevens

210 cm
21
177 lbs
2 - 5 - 0

180 cm
25
173 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Experienced

Good wrestler
Brawler
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Sung Puckett!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Kevin Stevens!
The judges for this bout are Wesley Smith, Chris Downing and Gwen Towbar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Stevens closes the distance and pushes Puckett back into the cage.

Puckett manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.

Puckett has his foot on Stevens's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Stevens works his way back into a safe position though.
Stevens postures up.
Puckett is really struggling to control Stevens but he's trying to hold on to the position.
Stevens tries to free his leg and advance position but Puckett is retaining full guard.
Puckett preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Stevens trying to control the position from guard on top but Puckett is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Puckett is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Stevens looking to sit in guard and control but Puckett gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Stevens is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Puckett working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Stevens looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Puckett puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Stevens is looking to improve his position.
Stevens is looking to control Puckett's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Stevens avoid being mounted?
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Puckett not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Stevens regains full guard. Nicely done.
Stevens preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

Stevens scrambles and gets back to his feet.

Puckett tries to keep at a distance but Stevens has taken the fight into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Stevens escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Stevens pushes Puckett up against the cage in a clinch.

Stevens manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Stevens wants to stand but Puckett is controlling the position.
Puckett throwing strikes but missing.
Puckett has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Stevens doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Puckett will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Stevens not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Puckett landing some decent shots from guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Puckett with a flurry of punches that miss.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Stevens can do anything to dispel that myth.
Puckett throws an elbow that misses. Stevens uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Puckett's guard. Nice move by Stevens!

Puckett managing to control the position.
Stevens working some strikes from top position.

Puckett escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Stevens gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Stevens trying to control the position from guard on top but Puckett is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Stevens would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Puckett has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Puckett keeping moving, preventing Stevens from controlling successfully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kevin Stevens dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Puckett gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Stevens accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Stevens throws a big elbow that misses.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Puckett has a closed guard, preventing Stevens from standing up.
Puckett keeping moving, preventing Stevens from controlling successfully.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Puckett thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Stevens trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Puckett wants to sweep here but Stevens controlling him for the moment.
Stevens pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Puckett is keeping the position for now.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Stevens throws a body shot but no joy.
Puckett tries to close the distance and clinch but Stevens swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Stevens closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Puckett to the mat! Puckett manages to get full guard.
Stevens works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Ground and pound from Stevens.
Puckett is staying active underneath Stevens, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

Stevens is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Puckett wants to control but Stevens is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Puckett moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Stevens trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Puckett is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Stevens postures up in Puckett's guard and throws a big left but Puckett blocks it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Stevens trying to move into half guard but instead Puckett has managed to sweep!

Kevin Stevens has got the better of the ground game so far.
Stevens pulls Puckett in close to his closed guard and prevents Puckett from doing any damage or advancing position.
Puckett is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Puckett is in close to Stevens's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Stevens controls Puckett momentarily but Puckett frees himself.
Puckett really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Stevens wants to stand but Puckett is controlling the position.
Stevens looking to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Stevens is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Puckett is controlling him.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

Stevens throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Puckett was covering up waiting for the punch and Stevens finishes the takedown easily into guard.
Stevens working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Puckett being controlled here, momentarily.

Puckett looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kevin Stevens showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Stevens has Puckett up against the cage in a clinch.

Puckett's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Stevens rushes Puckett and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Stevens escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Stevens looking to score a takedown here. Puckett is defending well but Stevens drives through and ends up in Puckett's guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Puckett working a defensive guard here.
Stevens must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Puckett keeping moving, preventing Stevens from controlling successfully.
Stevens controls from within his opponent's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Puckett wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Stevens won't allow Puckett to sweep him here.

Puckett throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Puckett wants to sweep here but Stevens controlling him for the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Stevens trying to control the position from guard on top but Puckett is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Puckett avoids the head kick by Stevens.
Puckett appears to be looking for a big counter.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Puckett trying to control the position but instead, Stevens has worked for underhooks and has pushed Puckett into the cage.

Puckett's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Stevens shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.

Puckett manages to wriggle out and sneak his way back up to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched up against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Stevens can't get the takedown.
Stevens tries for a takedown but Puckett manages to get underhooks.
Stevens stalling in the clinch.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Stevens is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Sung Puckett has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Kevin Stevens.
Stevens takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Stevens tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Puckett just stands there and leans against the cage.
Stevens fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Stevens tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Puckett just stands there and leans against the cage.
Puckett tries to pull guard but Stevens forces him back to his feet, against the cage.

Puckett pulls guard.
Stevens wants to stand and escape but instead Puckett has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.

Hammerfist, elbow! yells Puckett's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Stevens has momentary wrist control but Puckett slips an elbow through the middle.
Puckett keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Stevens's head.

Stevens is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Puckett is aware though and is defending well.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Stevens is on top in guard.

Stevens won't allow Puckett to get back to his feet.
Stevens has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Stevens looking to sit in guard and control but Puckett gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Puckett with a nice head shot there.

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 Sung Puckett.
Well Stevens 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 Wesley Smith scores the fight 28:29
Judge Chris Downing scores the fight 28:29
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kevin Stevens!