PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Hal Horne (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Chris Ashcroft (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ashcroft has chosen Numb-Linkin Park as his entrance music. Hal Horne has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Horne
vs
Ashcroft

206 cm
24
194 lbs
0 - 4 - 0

191 cm
23
215 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Good in bed

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Inexperienced

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 0 - 4 - 0, fighting out of London, Hal Horne!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Chris Ashcroft!
The judges for this bout are Paul Tew, Andrew Berry and Daniel Bishop.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ashcroft fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Horne misses with a double jab.
Ashcroft shoots in for a takedown but Horne shows good takedown defense.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Ashcroft.

Horne gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Horne pulls Ashcroft into guard.
Horne keeping moving, preventing Ashcroft from controlling successfully.
Ashcroft stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Horne swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Horne throws his legs up looking for a submission but Ashcroft uses it to pass to side control.
Ashcroft is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Horne is trying to get back to half guard.
Horne is not content to let Ashcroft control the position.
A lull in the action here.
Ashcroft trying to control the action but Horne is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Chris Ashcroft hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Horne circles away from the clinch attempt.
Ashcroft takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Ashcroft tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Horne was well out of range. Poor timing from Ashcroft.
Ashcroft throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Ashcroft misses with a takedown attempt - Horne sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Hal Horne has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Chris Ashcroft.
Ashcroft misses the shot to the body.
Ashcroft shoots for a double leg takedown but Horne sprawls well. He's pushed Ashcroft's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ashcroft wants to clinch up but Horne keeps it at a distance.
The fight stays on the outside here - Ashcroft looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Ashcroft takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Horne wants to clinch up but Ashcroft keeps it at a distance.
No luck for Ashcroft with that takedown attempt.

Horne moves into range and clinches up with Ashcroft.
Horne misses with a hook from the clinch.
Ashcroft jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Horne walks away with a smile on his face. Ashcroft gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Horne stuffs the takedown.
Horne shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Ashcroft as he jumps to the side.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Ashcroft is defended easily by Horne.
Ashcroft looks winded!
Ashcroft shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Horne defends it nicely.
Horne avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Horne shoots in for a takedown but Ashcroft shows good takedown defense.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Ashcroft tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Horne paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Horne shoots for a takedown but Ashcroft saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Ashcroft misses with a takedown attempt - Horne sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Chris Ashcroft will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Horne tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Ashcroft defends well and Horne ends up having to push Ashcroft into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Horne taking a breather.
Horne misses with a knee strike.
Horne really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Ashcroft fails to pull guard.
Horne has a couple of punches blocked by Ashcroft.
Horne is looking for a takedown.
Ashcroft drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Horne gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Horne is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Ashcroft gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Hal Horne. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Ashcroft tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Horne smiles and moves away.
Ashcroft will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ashcroft lands a nice looking body shot.
Horne lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Ashcroft is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Ashcroft misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Horne slips a jab and a cross from Ashcroft.
Horne stuffs the takedown attempt from Ashcroft. Ashcroft gets slowly back to his feet.
Ashcroft fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nice sprawl there from Horne as Ashcroft shoots in.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Ashcroft.
Horne tries to clinch up.
Ashcroft misses with a takedown
and Horne counters with a right hand to the body.
Horne dives in for a single leg takedown but Ashcroft sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.

Horne pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Ashcroft misses with a double jab.
Horne tries to clinch but Ashcroft is having none of it.
Hal Horne is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Horne fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Ashcroft.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ashcroft shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Horne sprawls well. Horne wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Ashcroft gets slowly back to his feet.
Horne shoots in but no luck this time.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Ashcroft is defended easily by Horne.
Horne scores with a head kick.
Horne tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Ashcroft manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Horne lands a kick to the ribs of his opponent. Nice work there - in and out in a flash.
Ashcroft fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Horne throws a right and a left that both miss.
Horne keeps Ashcroft at a distance using the push kick.
Ashcroft is looking to clinch but Horne is avoiding it.
Ashcroft moves in looking to clinch but Horne pushes him off.
Ashcroft fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Horne shoots in looking for a takedown. Ashcroft tries to sprawl out of it but Horne keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Ashcroft manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Horne tries for a takedown but Ashcroft sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Ashcroft shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Horne throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Ashcroft's waist but Ashcroft gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Horne off to one side.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Hal Horne dominated that second round.
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.

Ashcroft has Horne up against the cage in a clinch.
Horne looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Ashcroft manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Ashcroft is looking to take this one to the mat.
Ashcroft is trying to pull guard but Horne turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Horne wants a takedown.
Ashcroft jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Horne walks away with a smile on his face. Ashcroft gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Hal Horne has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Chris Ashcroft.
Ashcroft takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Ashcroft shoots for a takedown but Horne saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Ashcroft forces Horne back against the cage and clinches.
Horne is trying to pull guard but Ashcroft turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Ashcroft wants to stall.
Stalling in the clinch from Horne.
Ashcroft tries to land knees in the clinch but Horne avoids the damage to the body.

Horne breaks from the clinch.
Ashcroft misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

Ashcroft closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Ashcroft is looking to take this one to the mat.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ashcroft is pressed up against the cage. Horne has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Ashcroft down to the mat. Ashcroft avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Horne goes for a double leg but Ashcroft avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Ashcroft continues to drive forward.

Horne breaks from the clinch.

Ashcroft takes the fight into the clinch.
Ashcroft wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Horne has him pressed against the cage.
Ashcroft lands a hook that snaps the head of Horne backwards.
Ashcroft jumps guard but Horne stands there with Ashcroft around his waist. Ashcroft gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Horne taking a breather.
Ashcroft is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Horne tries to land knees in the clinch but Ashcroft avoids the damage to the body.
Horne tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Ashcroft's elbow.
Horne can't get the takedown.
A frustrated look appears on Horne's face as he tries to break the clinch.

Horne breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Horne defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Ashcroft.
Horne throws a head kick that Ashcroft semi-blocks.
Ashcroft fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
A lazy left from Ashcroft finds it's target.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Horne throws a combination that misses

and Ashcroft moves into the clinch.
Come on Ashcroft - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Ashcroft is working for takedown but Horne is calmly controlling the position for now.

Horne manages to break the clinch.
Horne fails with a takedown attempt.
Ashcroft looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Horne darts in looking for a takedown but Ashcroft gets double underhooks and turns Horne into the cage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Chris Ashcroft comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Ashcroft 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 Paul Tew scores the fight 28:29
Judge Andrew Berry scores the fight 28:29
Judge Daniel Bishop scores the fight 29:29

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Chris Ashcroft!
During a confident post fight interview, Chris Ashcroft thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.