PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Akira Harada (ranked 589 p4p, 82 weight class) and Ronnie White (ranked 722 p4p, 97 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying White's choice of entrance music: The Bleeding. I don't know about you partner, but I'm pumped for this one!

Harada
vs
White

169 cm
23
171 lbs
13 - 7 - 0

164 cm
23
178 lbs
8 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

OLIMPO

Ma Balls Is Hot Clothing
Zenith Nutrition (160q/$200)

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 13 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Akira Harada!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Ronnie White!
The judges for this bout are Winston Howard, Chris Dean and Donatello Bradman.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

White instigates a clinch.
A head punch on the inside from White fails to land.
Harada blocking some punches.
White is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.

White has hold of one of Harada's legs. Harada is fighting the takedown attempt but White gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
White is in close to Harada's body, working some short punches and elbows.
White is looking to stand up but Harada won't let him.
Harada utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Harada pulls White in close to his closed guard and prevents White from doing any damage or advancing position.
White with a flurry of punches that miss.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
White looking to sit in guard and control but Harada gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

White bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Harada's guard.

White postures up and lands a big shot to Harada's brow.
White controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Harada knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for White on the ground.
This has been an exciting period of action!
White postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harada controls White momentarily but White frees himself.
White postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
White connects with a couple of short punches.
White trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
White scoring with some ground and pound.
White working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
White preventing the sweep.
White trying to control but Harada is working from the bottom.
White scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
White stands up over Harada, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Harada avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
White lands a couple of decent looking shots.
White lands a couple of decent looking shots.
White looking to sit in guard and control but Harada gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

White escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Harada gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Harada landing some decent shots from guard.
Harada won't allow White to sweep him here.

White is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Harada postures up.
Harada won't allow White to sweep him here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harada has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Harada with a flurry of punches that miss.
White has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
White working a defensive guard but Harada passes into half guard.
White trying to keep hold of his opponent's head but Harada manages to pass to mount!
White working to try and regain half guard.
White is still trying to improve position.
White tries to hold on but Harada postures up.
Harada with good strikes from the mount here!
White is trying to escape the mount.
White manages to regain half guard. Good work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Harada not landing any meaningful shots this time.
White works his way to full guard. Good work.

White working for a triangle but Harada defends it easily.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Harada accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Harada throwing strikes but missing.
White working a defensive guard but Harada passes into half guard.
White wants to get back to full guard.
White trying to control here.
White gets full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ronnie White 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.

Harada scores with a hook to the body. White takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Harada pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Harada looking to land some kicks to the body here.
White has tried to improve his agility in the runup to this fight.

White gets a clinch.
White lands a hook to the side of the head.
White swings wildly with an uppercut but Harada uses good head movement to avoid it.
White works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Harada wants to break free but White has control.
White has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Harada's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Harada is trying to break the clinch but White has him pressed against the cage.
Harada is looking to break free of the clinch but White has double underhooks.

White has Harada pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. White pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Harada tumbling to the mat - White dives into Harada's guard.
Harada trying to control the position.

White gets to his feet. Harada looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!

That's one minute gone in the round.
White misses with a body shot.

White closes the distance and clinches.
Harada scores with a nice hook to the head.
A nice right hand lands inside from White.
White lands with a short shot to the head.
A nice right hand lands inside from White.
White has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Harada avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
White lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Harada with an attempt at a knee that misses.

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

White darts in and clinches Harada up against the cage.
White gets through Harada's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
White working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
White wants a takedown but no success here.
Harada blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
White misses with a hook from the clinch.
A head punch on the inside from White fails to land.
White is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Akira Harada has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ronnie White.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A short uppercut from White.
White throws a punch but it's blocked by Harada.
Harada lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of White backwards.
Harada scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Harada wants to break the clinch but can't.
A short uppercut from White.
White goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Harada tries a body shot but White blocks it.
White wants a takedown but no success here.

Harada breaks the clinch.
White moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.

White moves into the clinch.
Ronnie White seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.

Harada breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Harada looks to throw the jab but White is out of range.
White tries to move into range but Harada moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Harada throws out a leg kick but White moves out of range and Harada only half commits.
White is definitely looking for the counter takedowns here.
White displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Harada throws out the jab.
White has a takedown stuffed.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
White wants to clinch up but Harada keeps it at a distance.

White instigates a clinch.
White changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Harada fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Harada is looking to land body kicks.
White tries to clinch up.
A looping hook to the body misses from Harada. White does a little dance to reset his feet.
Harada tries to clinch up but White circles away and keeps his distance.
White is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Harada with a body shot.
Harada doesn't manage to clinch there - White circles away.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
A short right hand to the side of the head by White.
White changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Harada fights it off and pushes away nicely.

Harada fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with White, pushing him back against the cage.
White is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Harada is defending well.

Harada breaks from the clinch.

Harada closes the distance and pushes White back into the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Harada blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Harada pushes White back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
White lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Harada blocks an uppercut.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A shot in the inside from White.
White blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Harada misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from White.
Harada softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.

Harada pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
White connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Akira Harada is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

White has closed the distance and engaged Harada in a clinch.
White throws a punch but it's blocked by Harada.
White lands a left hand that snaps the head of Harada backwards.
White swings away with an uppercut that misses.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
White misses with a short punch on the inside.
White lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Harada.
White lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Harada backwards.
White lands a hook to the side of the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ronnie White showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

A telegraphed takedown attempt from White is defended easily by Harada.
Harada throws a good cross that connects.

White instigates a clinch.
White is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Harada is defending well.
White lands with a right to the head.
White has a couple of punches blocked by Harada.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Harada trying to land knees to the body.
White misses with a punch on the inside.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
White has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Harada avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Akira Harada has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ronnie White.
White wants a takedown.
White scores with a nice hook to the head.
Harada working hard to break the clinch.

Harada manages to break the clinch.
Harada tries to close the distance and clinch up but White swats him away and circles back towards the center.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Harada gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
White tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Harada blocking some punches.
A hook to the body from Harada.
Harada missing with knees to the body.
A right hand to the body from Harada.
A frustrated look appears on Harada's face as he tries to break the clinch.
White scores with a shoulder strike.
White swings wildly with an uppercut but Harada uses good head movement to avoid it.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for White.

White gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
White trying to control but Harada is working from the bottom.
White postures up.

White stands and steps away. Harada gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
White takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Harada has managed to clinch.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

White lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Harada is looking to escape.
White throws a strike but Harada avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Harada is trying to control the position but White postures up.
White keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Harada's head.
White wanted to stand there but Harada had control of the position.
White postures up.
White wants to get up but he can't break Harada's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Harada preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
White lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Harada is trying to keep White in close.
White forces his way into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
White sitting and controlling from the half guard.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. White connects with a nice short shot to Harada's temple.
Akira Harada has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Nice strikes from White there.
Harada is trying to get back to full guard.
Harada holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.
White throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
White takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
White trying to control from half guard but Harada is working away.
Ronnie White has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Harada makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Harada.

White drops back, looking for a kneebar! Harada looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Harada looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Harada!

Harada creates some space and throws a big elbow, but White sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
White gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
White wants to improve his position but Harada is controlling well.
Harada thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed White's head.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Ronnie White.
I've got White 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 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Winston Howard scores the fight 27:30
Judge Chris Dean scores the fight 27:30
Judge Donatello Bradman scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ronnie White!
During a confident post fight interview, Ronnie White thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.