PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between John Sambo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Samual Powers (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Powers's choice of entrance music: Saved by the Bell. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Sambo
vs
Powers

188 cm
22
190 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

179 cm
22
192 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Basic striking
Good in bed

Good takedowns
Basic striking
Solid chin

Imperial Clothing($15)

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 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, John Sambo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Samual Powers!
The judges for this bout are Jonathan Paton, John Kavanagh and Lou da Vinci.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Powers drives through with a takedown into guard.
Powers looking to pass the guard.
Powers is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Sambo controls Powers momentarily but Powers frees himself.

Sambo is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

Powers has gone for a leg lock! Sambo slips out almost immediately though and dives into Powers's guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Powers looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Sambo trying to control but Powers is working from the bottom.
Powers managing to control the position.
Sambo with a flurry of punches that miss.
Powers keeping moving, preventing Sambo from controlling successfully.
Sambo loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Powers wants to sweep but no luck.
Powers keeping full guard, as Sambo tries to pass.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Powers feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Sambo is trying to control the position but Powers postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Sambo trying to punch from his back but it's not doing any damage.
Powers trying to control the position from guard on top but Sambo is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Sambo has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Powers can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

Powers drops back looking for a leg! Sambo is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Sambo manages to kick Powers off! Powers jumps back into Sambo's guard.
Powers showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Let's hope that Powers has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Sambo has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Powers has passed into side control.
Powers slows the pace down.

Powers thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Powers working away.

Powers working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.

Powers tries for a kimura but Sambo is defending well.

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.
Powers wants to lay and pray for a moment but Sambo keeps working.
Sambo is looking to reverse the position.
Powers happy to just control the position for now.
Sambo is looking for a sweep.

Powers is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Sambo has escaped the position, nice work there.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Powers prevents Sambo from escaping the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Samual Powers dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Sambo!
John Sambo is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Sambo displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Sambo looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Powers slips a jab and a cross from Sambo.
Sambo scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!

Powers changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Sambo looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Sambo is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Powers asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Sambo tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Powers taking a breather here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Powers tries for a kimura but Sambo is defending well.
Sambo can't do much from the bottom here.
Powers happy to just control the position for now.
Sambo gets back to half guard.

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.
Sambo trying to control here.
Sambo is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Powers performing his best blanket impression for a moment.

Sambo looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Powers seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

Powers is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Sambo is just riding it out for now. Powers eventually gives up the hold.
Powers sitting and controlling from the half guard.

Despite being in the dominant position, Samual Powers just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Sambo misses with a two punch combination.

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.
A telegraphed right hand from Powers misses the target.
Sambo misses with the combination.
Sambo displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Powers throws out the jab.

Powers drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Powers slows the pace down.
Sambo tries to improve position but can't.

Powers tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

Powers looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Sambo regains half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Samual Powers showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Powers just misses with a punch to the body.
Powers misses with a looping left.
Powers blocks a head kick by Sambo.
Sambo misses with a hook.
Powers checks the leg kick.
Sambo misses with a two punch combination.
Sambo avoids the body shot from Powers.
Powers is looking to clinch but Sambo is avoiding it.
Sambo fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Powers on the side of the head.
Sambo throws a right hand that Powers ducks under and follows up with a left that Powers also avoids with ease.

Powers shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Powers was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Powers avoids the attempt from Sambo to control.

Sambo defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Powers.
Powers looking to control and managing it successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Powers prevents Sambo from getting the reversal.
Powers controlling the position easily from mount.
Sambo keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Powers controlling the pace for now.

Powers has hold of Sambo's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Sambo manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Samual Powers has got the better of the ground game so far.

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.
Powers controlling his opponent.
Powers wants to take his opponent's back but he's not managed it.
John Sambo has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Sambo is trying to escape the mount.
Powers sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Powers takes Sambo's back.
Powers biding his time, controlling Sambo.
Sambo breaks Powers's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
Sambo sitting in guard, not really doing much.

Powers is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Sambo defends well.
Sambo throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Samual Powers is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Powers is controlling Sambo's posture.
Sambo looking to sit in guard and control but Powers gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Powers advances position into side control!
Sambo seems a little lost for a moment, as Powers dominates the positioning.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

And that's the end of the fight!
Samual Powers comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Powers 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 Jonathan Paton scores the fight 27:30
Judge John Kavanagh scores the fight 27:30
Judge Lou da Vinci scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Samual Powers!