PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Henry Gastonbury (ranked 4677 p4p, 447 weight class) and Jack Willen (ranked 5067 p4p, 458 weight class). The atmosphere really building for this one as we go over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Gastonbury
vs
Willen

180 cm
18
185 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

180 cm
18
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Counter fighter
Good in bed

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

Urban Fighter

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Henry Gastonbury!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Jack Willen!
The judges for this bout are Steve Smith, Alec Ball and Robert Douchet.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nice body kick from Willen.
Gastonbury fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Willen avoids it really well and circles away.
Willen shoots in looking for a takedown. Gastonbury tries to sprawl out of it but Willen keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Gastonbury manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

Willen clinches with his opponent.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Gastonbury manages to break the clinch.

Willen moves into the clinch.
A nice right hand lands inside from Gastonbury.
Gastonbury is trying to break the clinch but Willen has him pressed against the cage.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gastonbury misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

Gastonbury clinches up against the cage.
Gastonbury looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Gastonbury is trying to maintain a safe position but Willen gets an underhook and turns Gastonbury into the cage.
Gastonbury tries to stall but Willen uses the opportunity to gain a better position.

Willen breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Willen throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Gastonbury was covering up waiting for the punch and Willen finishes the takedown easily into guard.

Willen stands up from guard. Let's bang!

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Willen gets in close and instigates a clinch.
A short left from Willen.
Gastonbury takes a knee to the side of the body.
Gastonbury is breathing heavily.
Willen drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Gastonbury gets the underhooks and prevents it.

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

Willen instigates a clinch.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Willen.
Gastonbury fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

Willen pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Gastonbury lands a two punch combo.

Willen fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Gastonbury, pushing him back against the cage.
Gastonbury wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Willen fails to pull guard.
Henry Gastonbury has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jack Willen.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gastonbury missing with knees to the body.
Gastonbury lands a nice elbow.

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

Willen drives through with a takedown into guard.
Willen passes Gastonbury's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Willen tries to pass the half guard into mount. Gastonbury knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
We've been hearing good reports from Gastonbury's training camp. Apparently he has been rolling around with some good quality BJJ practitioners and has been sharpening his skills. Let's see if that has an impact on the fight today.
Willen seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Gastonbury does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Willen is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Willen controlling the pace.
Willen has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Gastonbury takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Willen lands a big shot there that rocks Gastonbury but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Gastonbury is squirming around, avoiding Willen's attempts to control the action.
Willen pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jack Willen dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Willen misses with a takedown attempt - Gastonbury sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Willen tries to keep at a distance but Gastonbury has taken the fight into the clinch.
Gastonbury lands a shot to the body.
Gastonbury stops a takedown attempt from Willen.

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

Willen shoots in and bounces Gastonbury off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Willen tries to free his leg and advance position but Gastonbury is retaining full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Willen trying to control the position from guard on top but Gastonbury is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Willen pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Gastonbury is keeping the position for now.
Gastonbury is trying to control the position but Willen postures up.
Willen looking to sit in guard and control but Gastonbury gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Gastonbury trying to stand up but can't free himself from Willen's guard.
Gastonbury trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Willen has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Willen really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Gastonbury. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Gastonbury working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Gastonbury trying to control but Willen is working from the bottom.
Willen controls Gastonbury momentarily but Gastonbury frees himself.
Jack Willen has got the better of the ground game so far.
Gastonbury won't allow Willen to sweep him here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Gastonbury accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Willen can do anything to dispel that myth.
Willen looking for a sweep. Not yet Willen, not yet.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Gastonbury wants to stand and escape but instead Willen has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.

Willen trying to control the position from guard on top but Gastonbury is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Willen might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Gastonbury haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Willen stands up over Gastonbury, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.

Willen decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.

Willen drives through and clinches with Gastonbury against the cage.
Willen has Gastonbury pressed against the cage, preventing Gastonbury from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Gastonbury prevents a takedown attempt there.
Henry Gastonbury has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jack Willen.
Willen tries for a takedown. No joy.

Willen's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Gastonbury tries for a takedown but Willen sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Willen's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Gastonbury fails with a takedown attempt.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Willen keeps the fight on the outside.
Willen is looking for the big counter here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jack Willen 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!

Willen lands a nice leg kick that just misses Gastonbury's sensitive parts.
Gastonbury goes for a double leg but Willen avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Willen continues to drive forward.
Jack Willen seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Willen closes the distance and clinches.

Gastonbury gets control of Willen's arms and successfully pulls guard. Gastonbury will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Gastonbury is looking to stand up but Willen isn't so interested in that idea.
Gastonbury keeping moving, preventing Willen from controlling successfully.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Willen lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Willen wants to control from the top but Gastonbury keeps moving.
Willen looking to sit in guard and control but Gastonbury gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Willen has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Gastonbury can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Willen looking to hit a scissor sweep but Gastonbury is one step ahead there.
Willen tries to strike from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Willen tries to strike from the bottom.
Willen wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Willen is trying to control the position but Gastonbury postures up.

Willen pushes Gastonbury off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.

Willen fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Gastonbury sprawls well initially but Willen persists and gets the takedown into half guard.

Gastonbury has one foot on Willen's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.
Gastonbury tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Willen swivels and escapes.
Gastonbury moves out of the way of the counter high kick fromWillen.
Henry Gastonbury is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Willen closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Gastonbury quickly recovers to half guard.

Gastonbury makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Willen feints a jab promting Gastonbury to slip. Willen then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Gastonbury slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.

Willen bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Willen trying to control the action but Gastonbury is working from the bottom.
Willen is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.
Willen is looking to take a break and control but Gastonbury is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Willen in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Gastonbury prevents Willen from moving into mount.
Henry Gastonbury has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Willen in side control lands a decent elbow.
Willen working the ground and pound from side control.
Jack Willen is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Gastonbury tries to strike from the bottom but misses.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Jack Willen.
Well Willen 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 Steve Smith scores the fight 27:30
Judge Alec Ball scores the fight 27:30
Judge Robert Douchet scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jack Willen!
A determined Jack Willen didn't want to dwell on this fight in his post fight interview. Instead he was more keen to state he wants a title shot. Let's see if he gets it!