PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Russel Ebert (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Elix Skipper (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ebert kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Mean Street - Van Halen. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Ebert
vs
Skipper

182 cm
31
185 lbs
16 - 11 - 0

184 cm
21
199 lbs
5 - 1 - 0

Great wrestler
Excellent boxer
Very quick

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Good gas tank

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 16 - 11 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Russel Ebert!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Elix Skipper!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, Frank Antenori and Don Winkell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Ebert closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Skipper's guard.
Skipper keeping moving, preventing Ebert from controlling successfully.
Ebert pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Skipper is keeping the position for now.
Skipper looking for a sweep. Not yet Skipper, not yet.
Ebert in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Ebert trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Ebert in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Ebert passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Skipper is looking for a sweep.
Ebert sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Skipper is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Skipper tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Ebert wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Skipper manages to work his way to half guard, despite Ebert's best efforts.
Ebert is trying to control the action in half guard but Skipper is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ebert lands with a punch from half guard.
Skipper blocking the ground and pound attempt from Ebert.
Skipper is looking for a sweep. Ebert is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Ebert thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Skipper's head.
Skipper has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Ebert is working away from the top position though.

Ebert is looking for a kimura here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Skipper is trying to maintain the position but Ebert is very close to passing his half guard.
Ebert seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ebert wants to pass to mount but Skipper is defending the position.
Ebert thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

Ebert is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Skipper has managed to free his arm - good work.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Ebert prevents Skipper from improving his position.

Skipper is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Ebert pulls his head out easily.
Skipper won't allow Ebert to pass to mount.
Skipper wants to improve his position but Ebert is controlling well.
Ground and pound from Ebert.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Skipper tries to roll over but Ebert keeps him under control.
Ebert throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Ebert trying to control the action but Skipper is working from the bottom.
Skipper tries to roll over but Ebert keeps him under control.

Ebert is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Ebert wants to lay and pray for a moment but Skipper keeps working.
Ebert seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ebert is trying to control. Skipper wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Ebert tries to pass the half guard into mount. Skipper knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Ebert lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Ebert frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Skipper is trying desperately to improve position.
Ebert is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Ebert looking to control but Skipper is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Skipper is working to get back to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Russel Ebert dominated that round.
That's time! Ebert's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Skipper swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Ebert counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Ebert avoids the body shot from Skipper.

Ebert scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Ebert advances nicely into full mount.
Ebert tries to control but Skipper wriggling away.
Ebert fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Ebert prevents Skipper from getting the reversal.
The referee warns Skipper that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
The referee warns Skipper that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
A nice elbow there by Ebert.
Ebert with the ground and pound from mount.
Ebert with good strikes from the mount here!
Ebert is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Skipper can't stay in a position like this for much longer.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ebert dominating with strikes here.
Ebert trying to control but Skipper is having none of it.
Ebert lands a big elbow.
Skipper is trying desperately to improve position.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Ebert cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Ebert landing punches.
BOOM! Ebert connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Skipper is desperately trying to improve his position but Ebert has a good base and remains in mount.
Ebert working away from the top, dropping strikes.

Skipper is rocked!

It looks like Elix Skipper has been cut.
Ebert connects with a couple of good shots from mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A nice elbow there by Ebert.
Skipper is still in real trouble! Can Ebert finish him?
Ebert raining down shots from the mount!
Ebert controlling the pace for now.
Ebert looking to control but Skipper is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Skipper seems to have recovered his senses.
Ebert with the ground and pound from mount.
Skipper bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Skipper stopping the sweep attempt from Ebert.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ebert not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Ebert bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Skipper's guard.
Ebert is in close to Skipper's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Ebert wants to control from the top but Skipper keeps moving.
Ebert stands up over Skipper, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Skipper can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Ebert controls the pace.
Ebert trying to control the position from guard on top but Skipper is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Skipper not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Skipper looking to hit a scissor sweep but Ebert is one step ahead there.
Ebert trying to control but Skipper is working from the bottom.

Skipper had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Ebert defends it easily.
Ebert working some strikes from top position.
Ebert wants to pass the guard but Skipper is keeping the position.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Skipper controls Ebert momentarily but Ebert frees himself.
Ebert is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Skipper can do to turn this around?
Ebert controls from within his opponent's guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Russel Ebert dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Elix Skipper's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Ebert throws an overhand right that lands on Skipper's shoulder, as Skipper tries to avoid the shot.
Ebert looks to score with a jab to the body but Skipper is just out of range.
Ebert lands a nice hook to Skipper's body. Skipper takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Skipper shoots in and drives through. Ebert sprawls well.
Skipper uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Ebert.
Ebert misses with a wild body shot.
Skipper defending well as Ebert loads up on a big left hand.
Ebert misses with a wild combination.
Ebert waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Skipper.
Skipper with a jab.
Ebert looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Skipper throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Ebert leaves Skipper with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
No luck for Skipper with that takedown attempt.
Russel Ebert has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Elix Skipper.
Ebert throws a body punch but Skipper moves out of range.
Skipper connects with a body shot that sends Ebert's belly button to the back.
The fighters circling - Ebert throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Skipper misses with a takedown attempt
letting Ebert counter with a right hand.
Sloppy strikes from Ebert. Those never looked like landing.
Ebert looks to land a left hand but Skipper moved out of range nicely.

Ebert closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Ebert winds up and cracks Skipper with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Ebert missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Skipper avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Ebert.
Ebert looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Skipper with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Ebert thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Skipper's head.
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!
Skipper is looking for a sweep. Ebert is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Skipper takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Skipper avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Ebert.
Skipper is looking for a sweep. Ebert is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Skipper manages to get to full guard.
Russel Ebert overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Ebert loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Skipper controls Ebert momentarily but Ebert frees himself.
Ebert missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ebert trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Skipper manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!
Ebert tries to land a sweep but no joy.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Ebert looking for subs off his back but Skipper has passed one foot through into half guard.
Skipper prevents Ebert from improving his position.
Ebert gets full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ebert keeping moving, preventing Skipper from controlling successfully.
Ebert controls Skipper momentarily but Skipper frees himself.
Skipper's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Ebert keeping moving, preventing Skipper from controlling successfully.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Elix Skipper was stalling too much, according to the referee.

Ebert clinches.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Skipper manages to pull guard.
Ebert throws a big elbow that misses.
Elix Skipper has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Skipper keeping full guard, as Ebert tries to pass.

And that's the end of the fight!
Russel Ebert showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Ebert has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 30:27
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 30:27
Judge Don Winkell scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Russel Ebert!
Russel Ebert bigged himself up after the win. The crowd seemed to love it.