PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Mark Candle (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gang Lee (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Candle
vs
Lee

178 cm
19
190 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

180 cm
28
191 lbs
4 - 3 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

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 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Mark Candle!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Gang Lee!
The judges for this bout are Aafke Stam, Nard Betker and Paulsen Ambrosius.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A thudding body kick lands there by Lee!
Gang Lee seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Lee fails to land with a series of punches.
Lee throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.

It looks like Mark Candle has been cut.
Lee misses with a two punch combination.
Lee swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Lee fails to land with a series of punches.
Lee rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Candle moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Lee tries for a takedown but Candle circles away easily

and Candle counters with a single leg into guard. Lee didn't expect that.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Candle forces his way into half guard.
Lee strikes from the bottom but Candle uses the opportunity to move to side control.
Candle controls the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Lee sneaks out the side door and pushes Candle away - he's back to his feet. The crowd show their appreciation for the escape.
Lee throws a wild body kick that Candle sees coming a mile off.
Lee looking to land some kicks to the body here.
A punch combination from Lee misses.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Lee.
Lee doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Candle counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Lee looks winded!
Candle looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Candle passes Lee's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Candle moves into side control, avoiding the strikes from Lee.
Candle remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Lee tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Candle staying calm.
Lee striking from the bottom but nothing landed.
Candle scoring with punches from side control.
Candle staying calm.
Candle takes advantage of some sloppy striking from Lee to pass into mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lee can't escape the position.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Lee throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
Candle controlling the pace for now.
Lee throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
Candle controlling from the full mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lee can't escape the position.
Lee flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.
Candle takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Candle blocks Lee's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Candle blocks Lee's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Candle prevents Lee from getting the reversal.
Candle is in the full mount, landing strikes.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Lee is flailing around like a fish out of water, trying to land strikes.
Candle tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Mark Candle will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Mark Candle's cut.
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.

Lee shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

so Candle counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Lee throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Lee is striking from the bottom but Candle uses the opportunity to pass into half guard.
Candle blocks the strikes from Lee.
Lee has a hand on Candle's thigh, trying to get back to full guard. Candle takes advantage of the position though and mounts him!
Lee slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.
Candle tries to pass to full mount but Lee defends it.
Still in half guard, Candle seems content to control.
Lee is trying to get back to full guard.
Candle takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Candle tries to pass the half guard into mount. Lee knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Mark Candle wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Candle moves out of range as Lee throws a body kick.
Some wild striking there from Lee.
Candle blocks the body kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lee is looking to land body kicks.
Candle moves out of range as Lee throws a body kick.
Lee throws a body kick that misses.
Lee scores with a kick to the body.
Lee thows a body kick. Candle tries to catch it but that hurt him.
Lee misses with a jab, cross combination.
Lee lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Candle circles away quickly and effectively.
Lee is breathing heavily.
Lee shoots in looking for a takedown but Candle manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Lee's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
A slapping body kick lands there for Lee.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Lee.
Mark Candle has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Gang Lee.
Lee looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Lee throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Candle fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Lee to the ground. Candle is now in Lee's guard.
Candle slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Candle slips nicely into half guard, despite the strikes coming from Lee.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Candle in particular looking to stall.
Lee flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Lee throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Lee missing with punches from the bottom.
Candle sitting and controlling from the half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Lee strikes from the bottom but Candle passes into mount!
Lee is flailing around like a fish out of water, trying to land strikes.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Lee can't escape the position.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Lee's corner are shouting for him to stand up but that's bad cornering - how is he meant to stand up when he's mounted? He should be looking to improve his position on the ground before trying to stand back up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Gang Lee will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Mark Candle's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Lee throws a right hand that Candle ducks under and follows up with a left that Candle also avoids with ease.
No joy there for Lee, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Lee lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Candle backs up against the cage.
Lee is looking to land body kicks.
Lee misses with an attempted mid kick.
Mark Candle is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Lee throws a wild body kick that Candle sees coming a mile off.
Lee swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Candle moves out of range of the body kick from Lee.
Ooooh, nice body kick lands from Lee. Candle shrugs it off though.

Candle throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Lee tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Candle is in Lee's guard.
Lee wants to improve his position but instead Candle has moved into half guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Candle slows the pace down in half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Candle blocks the strikes from Lee.
Lee takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Candle controlling the pace.
Lee flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Candle controlling the pace.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Mark Candle wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Candle stuffs the takedown attempt from Lee. Lee gets slowly back to his feet.
A punch combination from Lee misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lee swinging wildly here.
Lee falls off balance throwing a combination

and Candle counters with a takedown into side control.
The referee asks Candle politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Candle prefers to stall for the moment though.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Candle has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
Candle landing strikes.
Candle is staying tight to Lee's torso, preventing him from escaping.
Lee tries to strike from the bottom but misses.
The referee asks Candle politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Candle prefers to stall for the moment though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lee throwing some weak shots from the bottom that do no damage.
Candle slows the pace down.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Lee is trying to get back to half guard.
The referee asks Candle politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. Candle prefers to stall for the moment though.
Candle seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Lee for as long as he can get away with.
Candle'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.

We're going to have a standup here because Mark Candle wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Lee scores with a three punch combo!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lee looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Lee throws the kick towards the body but Candle avoids it.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Candle crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Lee - the referee stops the clock and Candle gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Lee. Candle manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
Candle showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Lee.
Lee throws a left and a right that both miss

and Candle counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Lee throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Candle is stalling in the full guard.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!

And that's the end of the fight!
Mark Candle showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Candle has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Aafke Stam scores the fight 30:28
Judge Nard Betker scores the fight 30:27
Judge Paulsen Ambrosius scores the fight 30:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mark Candle!