PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Pierre Whitley (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ben Clarke (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.

Whitley
vs
Clarke

196 cm
18
214 lbs
0 - 0 - 1

215 cm
18
265 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 1, fighting out of London, Pierre Whitley!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Ben Clarke!
The judges for this bout are Steven Brown, Paul Tew and James Ackerman.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Clarke looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Whitley!
Whitley is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Whitley is trying to escape the position but Clarke is controlling the position.
Whitley is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Clarke's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Whitley is looking to improve his position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Clarke looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Whitley is looking to control Clarke's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Whitley avoid being mounted?

That's one minute gone in the round.
Clarke missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

Clarke decides to return to a standing position.

Clarke looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Whitley!
Whitley tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Clarke wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

Clarke stands up and we're back to a striking position.
Whitley tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Clarke defends well and Whitley ends up having to push Clarke into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.

Clarke closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Whitley drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Whitley is breathing heavily.

Clarke jumps guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Clarke has his hands on Whitley's head, controlling the position.
Clarke is continuing to stall.

Clarke looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Whitley throwing strikes from guard but Clarke blocks nicely.
Whitley is looking to work some ground and pound but Clarke has wrist control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Whitley is looking to stand up but Clarke won't let him.
Whitley is fighting to break Clarke's control of his arms but Clarke is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Clarke bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Whitley's guard.

The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Clarke slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.

Whitley has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Clarke can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Clarke preventing the sweep.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

Clarke looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Clarke is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Clarke is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ben Clarke dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Whitley fails in his attempt to clinch.

Clarke bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Clarke fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Whitley misses with a strike from the bottom.
Whitley can't do much from the bottom here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Clarke wants to lay and pray for a moment but Whitley keeps working.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Whitley tries to buck Clarke off but Clarke is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Whitley is trying to escape the position but Clarke is controlling the position.
Clarke fails to land a wild elbow strike.

Clarke stands up and we're back to a striking position.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Clarke drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.

Clarke is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Whitley is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Whitley is looking for a sweep.
Clarke misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Clarke slows the pace down.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Clarke postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Whitley tries to buck Clarke off but Clarke is having none of it.
Clarke gets to mount! Whitley was on the offensive and wasn't defending properly.
Whitley is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Clarke thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
Whitley holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Clarke tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
Clarke has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Clarke controlling from the full mount.
Poor strikes thrown by Clarke there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Clarke tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Clarke avoids the attempt from Whitley to control.
Whitley is trying to escape the mount.

Clarke looking for a guillotine from mount but Whitley is having none of it.
Clarke controlling the pace for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Clarke landing strikes from the mount and Whitley is in trouble!
Clarke thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
Clarke tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Whitley wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Clarke.
Clarke content just to control the position here.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ben Clarke showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Clarke drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Clarke wants to control but Whitley is keeping him busy.
Whitley avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Clarke.
Whitley might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Clarke happy to just control the position for now.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Clarke throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Whitley is trying to control Clarke's posture but Clarke avoids it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Whitley manages to get back to half guard.
Clarke sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Whitley tries to get to full guard but Clarke has control of the leg.

Whitley actively working from the bottom here.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Clarke not doing much here.
Clarke wants to pass the guard but Whitley is defending well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Whitley is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Clarke content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.

Oooooh!!! Clarke has knocked Whitley down with a huge combo! Clarke steps away and waves a wobbly Whitley back to his feet! This one might not go much longer!

Whitley is rocked!

It looks like Pierre Whitley has been cut.

Clarke has taken the fight to the clinch.
Oh Whitley is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Clarke displaying some good clinch control by pressing Whitley up against the cage.
Clarke working hard to break the clinch.
A frustrated look appears on Clarke's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Clarke wants to break free but Whitley has control.
A right hand to the body from Clarke.

Clarke has picked Whitley up - he's going for a ride! Clarke dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Clarke stalling.
Ben Clarke has got the better of the ground game so far.
Whitley is trying to get back to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Clarke seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

Clarke stands up out of the half guard.
Ben Clarke seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Clarke is looking for a takedown. Wow, that's a brutal slam - Whitley is in big trouble! Clarke is landing strikes from the mount and this one is all over! The ref jumps in to save a confused looking Whitley. Poor guy.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:16 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Slam). Ben Clarke!