PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Waylon Mullen (ranked 4828 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jim Cricket (ranked 4825 p4p, 0 weight class). Cricket has chosen Sleep Now In The Fire as his entrance music. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Mullen
vs
Cricket

208 cm
18
177 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

188 cm
19
170 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Determined

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Waylon Mullen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Jim Cricket !
The judges for this bout are Colin Fray, Paul Gruel and Jeff Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Mullen gets tackled into the cage by Cricket . Cricket maintains the clinch.
Cricket tries a knee to the head but Mullen blocks it.
Cricket pushes Mullen back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Cricket lands a nice knee to the body.
Cricket avoiding damage.
A short uppercut from Cricket .
Mullen managing to block the knees to the body from Cricket .
Cricket misses with a hook to the ribs.
A nice left hand lands by Cricket .
Cricket with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Cricket swings away with an uppercut that misses.
A right hand to the body from Cricket .
Cricket tries a body shot but Mullen blocks it.
Cricket goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Mullen really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cricket trying to land knees to the body.
Cricket using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Mullen has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Cricket fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Cricket using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Mullen has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Mullen is trying to break the clinch but Cricket is controlling him.

Mullen breaks from the clinch.

Cricket closes the distance and clinches.
Mullen blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Cricket pushes Mullen back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Mullen wants to break the clinch but can't.
Cricket misses with some punches.
Cricket looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Cricket lands a knee to the head.

It looks like Waylon Mullen has been cut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cricket taking a breather.
Mullen on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Cricket with a knee to the head.
Cricket is looking to break free of the clinch but Mullen has double underhooks.
Mullen managing to block the knees to the body from Cricket .

Mullen pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Jim Cricket is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Mullen has taken the fight to the clinch.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Mullen breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Cricket moves into the clinch.
Cricket scores with a hook to the body.
Mullen blocks a body shot from Cricket .
Mullen keeps control of Cricket as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Mullen breaks the clinch.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Mullen managing to block the knees to the body from Cricket .
Cricket creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Mullen's defenses.
Cricket lands a hook to the side of the head.
Cricket with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Cricket throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Mullens head.
Cricket tries to land knees in the clinch but Mullen avoids the damage to the body.
Cricket misses with an elbow strike.
Cricket lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Mullen backwards.
Cricket tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Mullen avoids it.
Cricket tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Mullen avoids it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mullen prevents Cricket from breaking the clinch.
Come on Mullen - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Cricket scores with a shot to the side of Mullen's head.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Cricket tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Mullen avoids it.
Cricket fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Mullen managing to block the knees to the body from Cricket .
Cricket wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Mullen has him pressed against the cage.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Mullen.
Cricket looking to throw knees to the head but Mullen is blocking nicely.
Cricket looks winded!
Cricket lands a body shot.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Mullen as Cricket tries to tie him up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jim Cricket dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Waylon Mullen's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Cricket clinches up against the cage.

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

Cricket moves into the clinch successfully.
Cricket has Mullen pressed against the cage, preventing Mullen from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Cricket missing with knees to the body.
Cricket can't find room to land a body shot as Mullen controls the action.
Jim Cricket seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Cricket wants to stall.

Mullen pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Cricket tries to keep at a distance but Mullen has taken the fight into the clinch.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.

Cricket has closed the distance and engaged Mullen in a clinch.

Mullen breaks from the clinch.
Cricket scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.

Cricket pushes Mullen up against the cage in a clinch.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Cricket .
A head punch blocked on the inside by Mullen.
Cricket tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Mullen misses with a shot to the kidneys.

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

Mullen fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Cricket , pushing him back against the cage.
A nice right hand lands inside from Cricket .
Cricket missing with knees to the body.
Cricket is trying to break the clinch but Mullen is controlling him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cricket misses with a punch to the body.
A knee to the head by Cricket .
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Mullen lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Knees in the clinch landing for Cricket .
Cricket missing with knees to the body.
Mullen working hard to break the clinch.
Cricket is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Mullen is defending well for now.

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

Mullen rushes Cricket and presses him up against the cage.

Mullen breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Cricket moves forwards but Mullen connects with a nice, crisp jab.

Cricket forces Mullen back against the cage and clinches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cricket unloads a knee to the mid-section. Mullen lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Cricket trying to control the position but instead, Mullen has worked for underhooks and has pushed Cricket into the cage.
Cricket misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Cricket putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Mullen in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Cricket tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Mullen managing to block the knees to the body from Cricket .
Cricket gets through Mullen's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Cricket managing to block the knees to the body from Mullen.
Cricket utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cricket scores with a hook to the body.
Cricket has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Mullen tries to break the clinch but Cricket is controlling the position.
A short right from Cricket .
Cricket pushes off an throws an elbow but Mullen leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.

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

Cricket closes the distance and clinches.
Cricket is working Mullen over against the cage.
Cricket trying to land knees to the body.
Mullen avoids the elbow strike from Cricket , against the cage.
Mullen has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Cricket misses with a punch on the inside.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jim Cricket showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Waylon Mullen's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Cricket closes the distance and clinches.
Cricket working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Mullen looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

Mullen manages to break the clinch.

Mullen gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Cricket tries to land knees in the clinch but Mullen avoids the damage to the body.
Cricket working Mullen over with knees to the body.
Cricket working aggressively here.
Cricket is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Mullen looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Cricket is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Cricket misses with a knee strike.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Cricket working Mullen over with knees to the body.
Cricket lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Cricket with a knee to the head.
Cricket tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Mullen's elbow.
Cricket looking to throw knees to the head but Mullen is blocking nicely.
Cricket lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Mullen backwards.
Cricket lands a hook that snaps the head of Mullen backwards.
Mullen takes an elbow to the forehead.
Cricket lands a nice uppercut.
Cricket tries to circle away but Mullen has him pinned against the cage.
Mullen takes a shot to the head.
Cricket misses with a knee strike.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Good body shot from Cricket .
Mullen on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Mullen blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.

Mullen breaks the clinch.
Cricket connects with a high kick.

Cricket gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Cricket pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Mullen takes a knee to the side of the body.
Cricket digs a right hand underneath Mullen's ribcage. Mullen let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Mullen dodges an elbow strike from Cricket .

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mullen avoiding damage as Cricket throws knees to the body.
Cricket tries to throw a body punch but Mullen avoids it by throwing Cricket back against the cage.
Cricket can't find room to land a body shot as Mullen controls the action.
Cricket tries a body shot but Mullen blocks it.
Cricket doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Mullen lands a good knee to the midsection. Cricket won't want to take too many of those.
Mullen blocks the elbow strike.
Cricket cracks Mullen with a nice body shot.
Mullen avoiding damage as Cricket throws knees to the body.
Cricket has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Cricket doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Mullen takes a knee to the side of the body.
Knees in the clinch landing for Cricket .
Cricket doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Jim Cricket is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Mullen creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Mullen on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.

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

Cricket has taken the fight to the clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jim Cricket comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Cricket 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 Colin Fray scores the fight 27:30
Judge Paul Gruel scores the fight 27:30
Judge Jeff Smith scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jim Cricket !
After the fight, Jim Cricket was humble in paying tribute to his opponent but made it clear he wants to go on to bigger and better things. It seemed to go down well with the crowd who cheered him loudly.