PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Jace Phillips (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Eamon Dougherty (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Phillips
vs
Dougherty

195 cm
25
192 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

187 cm
25
195 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter fighter
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter fighter
Determined

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 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Jace Phillips!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Eamon Dougherty !
The judges for this bout are Michael Johnstone, Peter Branson and Daniel Franklin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Phillips attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Phillips thuds his right hand into Dougherty 's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Dougherty has done a lot of speed work in the buildup to this fight.
Dougherty takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
A shot to the body from Dougherty misses

and Phillips counters by clinching up.

Dougherty has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Phillips regains guard immediately.
Dougherty pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Phillips is keeping the position for now.
Phillips working a defensive guard here.
Phillips wants to sweep but no luck.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Phillips keeping full guard, as Dougherty tries to pass.
Dougherty is looking to advance position but Phillips has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!

Phillips prevents Dougherty from getting the reversal.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Phillips fails to take his opponent's back.
Dougherty wants to hold on but Phillips pushes him away.
Phillips has improved his flexibility recently so we will have to see if he can use that to his advantage.
Dougherty tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Dougherty tries to hold on but Phillips postures up.
Dougherty bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Dougherty stopping the sweep attempt from Phillips.
Phillips is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dougherty stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Phillips swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Dougherty controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Phillips looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Phillips preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Phillips escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Dougherty gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Dougherty trying to control but Phillips is working from the bottom.

Dougherty thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Dougherty throwing strikes from guard but Phillips blocks nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Phillips is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Dougherty wants to control from the top but Phillips keeps moving.
Phillips not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Dougherty 's corner is telling him to maintain position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Phillips with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
A shot to the body from Dougherty misses
and Phillips counters with a thumping low kick.
Dougherty avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Despite the aggression on Dougherty 's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Phillips scores with a kick to the midsection.
Phillips avoids the head kick by Dougherty .
Phillips appears to be looking for a counter takedown.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Dougherty moves into range and clinches up with Phillips.

Dougherty breaks the clinch.
Dougherty throws a right and a left that both miss.

Dougherty scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Phillips sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Phillips is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Dougherty scores with a couple of nice shots.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Dougherty landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.

Phillips looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Dougherty is trying to control. Phillips wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Dougherty frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Phillips is trying desperately to improve position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Phillips buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Phillips uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Dougherty .
Phillips half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.

Dougherty darts in and clinches Phillips up against the cage.

Dougherty has Phillips pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Dougherty pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Phillips tumbling to the mat - Dougherty dives into Phillips's guard.
Dougherty has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Dougherty advances position into side control!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Phillips is not content to let Dougherty control the position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Phillips sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Phillips tries to roll over but Dougherty keeps him under control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dougherty trying to control the action but Phillips is working from the bottom.
Phillips trying to control from the bottom.
Dougherty is stalling here. Phillips is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Dougherty seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Phillips has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
Dougherty regains half guard.
Phillips tries to pass to full mount but Dougherty defends it.
Dougherty makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Dougherty .
Dougherty wants to sweep but no luck.
Phillips trying to control the position from guard on top but Dougherty is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dougherty tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Dougherty keeping moving, preventing Phillips from controlling successfully.

Phillips postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Dougherty is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Phillips, into his guard.

Phillips is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Dougherty accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Dougherty trying to control but Phillips is working from the bottom.
Dougherty content to stall in guard here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dougherty trying to control but Phillips is working from the bottom.

Phillips escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Dougherty gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Dougherty accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Dougherty postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Phillips can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Dougherty controls the pace.
Phillips working a defensive guard here.
Dougherty pushing down on Phillips's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.

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.
Dougherty prevents Phillips from improving his position.
Eamon Dougherty has got the better of the ground game so far.
Phillips gets full guard.
Phillips wants to sweep but no luck.
Phillips trying to keep a closed guard but Dougherty is proving a slippery customer.
Dougherty content to stall in guard here.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Let's hope that Dougherty 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.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Dougherty working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Phillips working a defensive guard here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Eamon Dougherty showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Phillips's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Dougherty throws a series of punches but Phillips moves out of range.
Dougherty ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Phillips moves away.
Dougherty throws a combination that misses
and Phillips counters with a nice low kick that buckles Dougherty 's knee momentarily.
Dougherty scores with a nice strike.
Eamon Dougherty is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Phillips scores with a leg kick.
Dougherty cracks Phillips with a good jab.
Phillips with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.

Dougherty drives through with a takedown into Phillips's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Dougherty postures up in Phillips's guard and throws a big left but Phillips blocks it.
Phillips wants to sweep here but Dougherty controlling him for the moment.
Dougherty trying to control the position from guard on top but Phillips is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Phillips is working actively from the bottom, looking for submissions. He's escaped his hips to the side and he's going for an armbar! Dougherty has his hands clasped together but Phillips extends and breaks Dougherty 's desperate grasp, forcing a tap out due to armbar! Nice BJJ displayed there by Phillips.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:21 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Jace Phillips!