PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Allen Jones (ranked 24315 p4p, 24188 weight class) and Ray Lawris (ranked 0 p4p, 636 weight class). Jones comes to the cage accompanied by Phenomenal. Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Jones
vs
Lawris

180 cm
19
218
1 - 9 - 0

167 cm
26
205
2 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 9 - 0, fighting out of New York, Allen Jones!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Ray Lawris!
The judges for this bout are Bruno Lombardi, Jonathan Paton and Dean Styles.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Lawris keeps the fight on the outside.

Lawris closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Jones did well to prevent Lawris getting side control.

Lawris stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.

Jones changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Lawris looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Jones in side control, just content to control the action for now.
Jones tries to advance to mount but can't.
Jones in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Jones is trying to get an arm triangle but Lawris is defending well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lawris is trying to escape and get back to his feet.
Jones wants to stand but Lawris has his arm trapped.
Lawris is not content to let Jones control the position.
Jones controlling the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Jones tries to advance to mount but Lawris denies him.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Lawris can do anything to dispel that myth.
Jones tries to stand but Lawris is controlling his head.
Jones could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.

Jones wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Lawris, who protects the arm well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jones tries to stand but Lawris is controlling his head.
Jones trying to control the action but Lawris is working from the bottom.
Lawris tries to escape but Jones is in control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Jones creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Lawris sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
Jones wants to control but Lawris is keeping him busy.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Lawris tries to bum rush Jones with a series of wild strikes but Jones uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Ray Lawris seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Lawris shoots in and gets a takedown into Jones's guard.
Lawris wants to stand but Jones is controlling his posture from full guard.
Jones will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Lawris being controlled here momentarily.
Jones is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Allen Jones will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Jones fails with an attempt to clinch.
Lawris misses with a double jab.
No joy there for Lawris, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Lawris misses with a wild combination.
Lawris looks to land a combination. Jones sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Lawris shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Sloppy strikes from Lawris. Those never looked like landing.
Lawris uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Jones.
Jones fails to land with a series of punches.
Lawris throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lawris swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Lawris misses with the combination.
Jones tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Lawris swivels and escapes.

Jones has Lawris up against the cage in a clinch.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!

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

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lawris rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Jones moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Jones fails with an attempt to clinch.
Jones slips a jab and a cross from Lawris.
Ray Lawris seems to be getting the better of the standup.

Lawris gets a takedown into half guard.
Lawris is breathing heavily.
Lawris wants to stand but his hand is trapped. Jones uses the opportunity to regain full guard.
Lawris wants to stand and escape but instead Jones has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.

Jones is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lawris wants to stand up but Jones is controlling him.
Jones tries to stand but Lawris is controlling from the bottom.
Jones trying to control the position from guard on top but Lawris is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Jones passes Lawris's right leg, so he's now in half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jones not doing much here.
Jones's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.

Jones looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Lawris really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Jones. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

Jones is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Lawris is just riding it out for now. Jones eventually gives up the hold.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Jones trying to control from half guard but Lawris is working away.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Ray Lawris will probably get the nod - 10:9.
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. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

A punch combination from Jones misses.
Lawris's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Lawris duly obliges.
Jones has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.

Jones darts in and clinches Lawris up against the cage.
Jones wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Lawris has him pressed against the cage.
Jones wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Jones looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Lawris blocks an elbow strike.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lawris gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Jones.
Jones is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lawris wants to get back to striking at distance but Jones won't allow it.
Lawris blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Jones wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Lawris has him pressed against the cage.
Jones tries to pull guard but Lawris won't allow it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Allen Jones. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Lawris breaks the clinch.
Lawris throws a nice looking combination but Jones bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Jones half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Allen Jones is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Lawris throws a nice looking combination but Jones bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Jones is looking for a counter combo.
Sloppy strikes from Lawris. Those never looked like landing.
Jones wants to clinch up but Lawris keeps it at a distance.
Lawris throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Jones.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lawris swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Jones feinted with a counter takedown.

Lawris shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Jones's guard.

Jones is working an open guard so Lawris takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Lawris throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Jones wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.
Lawris takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Lawris looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Jones seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.

Lawris gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Lawris has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Lawris displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Jones.
Lawris throws a right and a left that both miss.
Lawris looks to land a combination but Jones avoids it well.
Jones tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Lawris defends well and Jones ends up having to push Lawris into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jones is looking to take this one to the mat.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Jones takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Jones prevents Lawris from breaking the clinch.
Lawris is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Jones fails to pull guard.
Jones's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Jones is trying to break free.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Jones tries a body shot but Lawris blocks it.
Jones tries to pull guard but Lawris won't allow it.

Lawris breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
A punch combination from Lawris misses.
Lawris looks to land a combination. Jones sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
A left and a right from Lawris both land. Nice combination.
Jones dives in and grabs Lawris's left leg, looking for a takedown. Lawris pushes down on Jones's head and hops out.
Left hook, right uppercut from Lawris.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ray Lawris comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Lawris has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Bruno Lombardi scores the fight 28:29
Judge Jonathan Paton scores the fight 28:29
Judge Dean Styles scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ray Lawris!