PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Alistair Struve (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Manny Wright (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Wright has chosen Superstar Remix as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Struve
vs
Wright

225 cm
20
275 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

208 cm
23
278 lbs
3 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

TFP Graphics

Butchered Fight Wear

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 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Alistair Struve!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Manny Wright!
The judges for this bout are Tiny Johnson, Daniel Franklin and Robert Twigg.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Wright slips under a jab.

Wright shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Struve's guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Wright loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Wright controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Struve looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Wright throws a big right hand that misses.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Struve tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Wright postures up.
Wright wants to stand but Struve has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

Wright avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Wright trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
A slow jab from Wright misses its intended target.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Wright wants to clinch.
Struve has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Wright finds it's way round the side to connect with Struve's head.

Struve decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Wright gets full guard.
Struve trying to control but Wright is working from the bottom.

Wright looking for a guillotine here but Struve defends easily.
Wright keeping moving, preventing Struve from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Wright escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Struve gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Struve trying to control the position from guard on top but Wright is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Wright is trying to keep Struve in close.
Struve will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Struve content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Wright throws some sloppy strikes off his back.

Wright is looking for a triangle but Struve pushes his legs off easily.
Struve trying to control the position from guard on top but Wright is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Wright tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Wright preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Struve trying to control but Wright is working from the bottom.
Wright trying to strike off his back.

Wright working for submissions but it's allowed Struve to get to half guard.
Wright on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Wright looks gassed!
Struve winds up and cracks Wright with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Struve looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Wright with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.

Struve is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Wright is just riding it out for now. Struve eventually gives up the hold.
Wright is trying to control but Struve passes into side control!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
You can see the frustration on Wright's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Wright tries to bench press Struve off him but Struve keeps the position.
Wright gives up the full mount - oops, sloppy defensive grappling there!
Wright wants to hold on but Struve pushes him away.
Struve breaks from Wright's wrist control and lands an elbow.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Struve in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Struve avoids the attempt from Wright to control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Alistair Struve dominated that round.
That's time! Struve's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Wright tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Struve doesn't manage to clinch there - Wright circles away.
Wright tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Struve paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Struve with a poor takedown

and Wright counters with a takedown into side control.
Struve prevents Wright from improving position.
Sloppy strikes there by Wright.
Struve has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Wright controlling the position.
Struve takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Struve is looking for a sweep.
Struve gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Struve is refusing to be controlled, as Wright sits in half guard.
Wright is nestled in close to Struve, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Wright trying to control from half guard but Struve is working away.
Struve wants to control but Wright is keeping busy.
Struve wants to get back to full guard.
Struve is working hard here to advance position.
Struve wants to control but Wright is keeping busy and won't allow it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Wright in particular looking to stall.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Struve has his takedown stuffed
and Wright counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Struve ducks under a wild hook from Wright.
Manny Wright seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

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

Wright working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Struve gets back to half guard.
Struve is trying to get back to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Wright lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Struve is trying to get back to full guard.
Struve keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Wright wants to stand up but Struve has a hold of him and won't allow it.
Wright wants to lay and pray for a moment but Struve keeps working.
Struve is looking to improve his position.

Struve looking for submissions off his back.
Alistair Struve overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Struve circles away from the clinch attempt.
Wright bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Struve's head backwards.
Struve dodges the punch combination from Wright.
Wright looks to clinch
and Struve counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Wright fails in his attempt to clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Wright is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Struve.
Wright tries to clinch but Struve is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Manny Wright showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! And we move into the final round!

Wright tries a head kick but it misses.
Struve has his takedown stuffed
letting Wright counter with a right hand.
Wright keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Struve.
Struve shoots and misses

and Wright counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Wright stands up over Struve, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Wright tries to stand but Struve is controlling from the bottom.
Wright with a flurry of punches that miss.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Wright controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Wright pushing down on Struve's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Struve wants to improve his position but Wright is controlling well.
Struve trying to control here.
Wright slips a nice elbow through Struve's hands, connecting with Struve's forehead.
Wright controlling the pace.
Struve flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Wright seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.
Wright content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Wright wants to lay and pray for a moment but Struve keeps working.
Struve gets full guard.

Struve escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Wright gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Wright passes Struve's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Wright prevents Struve from improving his position.
Struve wants to get back to full guard but Wright has passed into side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Wright can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Struve is looking to escape.
Struve is looking to improve his position but Wright isn't that keen on the idea.
Wright lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Struve hang on?
Wright working Struve over with strikes here.
Wright landing strikes from the mount and Struve is in trouble!
The referee warns Struve that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Wright is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Struve can't stay in a position like this for much longer.

Wright wants to finish this one by submission but Struve is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Wright.
Wright landing shots from mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wright tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Struve working to try and regain half guard.

Wright is working for a guillotine from mount but Struve frees his head quite easily.

Wright looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
Struve swinging wildly from the bottom but he's not landing.
Struve really trying hard to get back to half guard here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Manny Wright comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Wright has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Tiny Johnson scores the fight 28:29
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 28:29
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Manny Wright!