PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Kirby Simon (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Grant Harris (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). 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.

Simon
vs
Harris

172 cm
24
178 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

195 cm
24
175 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Prefers standup

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Kirby Simon!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Grant Harris!
The judges for this bout are James Glass, Colin Fotheringham and Phil Schofield.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Harris shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Simon as he avoids it easily.
Harris sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Harris lands a nice hook to Simon's body. Simon takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.

Harris has taken the fight to the clinch.
Harris throws a knee to the head but misses.
Harris tries to break the clinch but Simon is controlling the position.
Simon is pressed up against the cage. Harris has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Simon down to the mat. Simon avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

Harris pushes Simon up against the cage in a clinch.
Simon avoiding damage as Harris throws knees to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Simon escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Simon gets tackled into the cage by Harris. Harris maintains the clinch.
Harris is looking to take this one to the mat.
Kirby Simon has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Grant Harris.

Simon is trying to trip Harris. He has hold of a leg but Harris is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Simon persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Simon throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Harris works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harris working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Simon.
Simon throws an elbow that misses. Harris uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Simon's guard. Nice move by Harris!

Simon throws his legs up looking for a submission but Harris uses it to pass to side control.
Harris throws a knee to the body but it doesn't do much damage.
Simon is trying to get back to half guard.
Harris throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Simon manages to work his way to half guard, despite Harris's best efforts.
Harris tries to pass the half guard into mount. Simon knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Simon looks like he's trying to stand up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Simon throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Harris looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Simon tries to get to full guard but Harris has control of the leg.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harris with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Simon wants to improve his position but Harris is controlling well.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Simon could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Simon fails in his attempt to clinch.
Simon displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Harris.
Harris fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Simon avoids it really well and circles away.

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.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Harris is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Harris wants to break free but Simon has control.
Simon is working for takedown but Harris is calmly controlling the position for now.
Simon has had enough of the clinch but Harris keeps him there for the moment.
Simon tries to score a body lock takedown but Harris shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Harris pulls guard effortlessly.

Harris is looking for a triangle but Simon pushes his legs off easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Grant Harris dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Harris fails with a takedown attempt.
Simon throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Harris shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Simon pinned against the cage. Simon gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
A swing and a miss from Simon.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Harris gets a clinch.
Simon looking to slow down the pace here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Harris wants to break the clinch but can't.
Harris has had enough of the clinch but Simon keeps him there for the moment.
Simon has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Harris after a bit of a struggle.

Simon manages to pull guard.
Harris loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

Simon is looking for a triangle but Harris pushes his legs off easily.
Simon utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

Harris got a little sloppy there for a moment and Simon has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Harris has managed to get both his arms back between Simon's legs - danger averted.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Harris accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Harris showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

Simon is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Harris defends well.
Harris working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Simon is looking to sweep but instead, Harris has passed into half guard.
Simon landing rabbit punches to the side of Harris's head. Not doing much damage but still scoring a few points.
Harris is taking a breather. Simon says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.

Harris escapes and gets back to his feet.
Grant Harris is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Harris shoots for a double leg takedown but Simon sprawls well. He's pushed Harris's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Kirby Simon has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Grant Harris.

Harris moves into the clinch.
Simon tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

Simon breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Harris shoots in looking for a takedown. Simon tries to sprawl out of it but Harris keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Simon manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Simon throws a poor cross that misses

and Harris holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

Simon breaks from the clinch.
Harris throws a head kick that misses.
Harris shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Simon pinned against the cage. Simon gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Harris shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Simon pinned against the cage. Simon gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Harris is breathing heavily.
Harris closes this distance looking for a takedown but Simon circles away.
Harris has a takedown stuffed.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Harris avoids a kick to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Kirby Simon will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Simon moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Harris fails with a takedown attempt.
Harris misses with a leg kick
and Simon counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Simon tries to land a front kick but Harris steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.

Simon tries to keep at a distance but Harris has taken the fight into the clinch.
Simon is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Harris is defending well.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Simon tries for a takedown but Harris manages to get underhooks.
Simon letting Harris take a breather here.

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

That's one minute gone in the round.

Harris closes the distance and clinches.
Harris is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Simon wants a takedown but no success here.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Kirby Simon. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Simon is working for takedown but Harris is calmly controlling the position for now.
Harris tries for a takedown but Simon manages to get underhooks.
Simon is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Harris jumps guard but Simon stands there with Harris around his waist. Harris gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Simon is looking to take this one to the mat.
Simon has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Harris is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Harris successfully pulls guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Harris kicks Simon off and gets to his feet.

Simon tries to keep at a distance but Harris has taken the fight into the clinch.
Harris tries for a takedown. No joy.
Harris fails to pull guard.
Harris tries for a takedown. No joy.
Harris jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Simon walks away with a smile on his face. Harris gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Harris closes this distance looking for a takedown but Simon circles away.
Simon looks for the body kick but Harris saw that one coming.

Harris closes the distance and pushes Simon back into the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Simon is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Harris pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Harris wants to get back to striking at distance but Simon won't allow it.
Harris takes an elbow to the forehead.
Simon drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Simon drops down looking for an ankle pick but Harris pulls his leg out and moves away.

Harris clinches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Simon manages to break the clinch.
Harris looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Simon is fending him off so far but Harris persists. Nope, Simon circles away and we're back to standing.
Harris misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Harris throws a sloppy head kick and Simon moves out of range easily.

Harris instigates a clinch.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Harris is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Simon is defending well.
Harris prevents a takedown attempt there.
Harris trying to land knees to the body.

And that's the end of the fight!
Grant Harris comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Harris 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 James Glass scores the fight 28:29
Judge Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 28:29
Judge Phil Schofield scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Grant Harris!