PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Tony Bullard (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jon Askren (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Bullard comes to the cage accompanied by Wrecking Ball. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Bullard
vs
Askren

175 cm
31
170 lbs
25 - 5 - 0

177 cm
30
185 lbs
16 - 3 - 0

Decent wrestler
World class MT
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Good gas tank

Milwaukee's Best 160 (80% laundry)
Underworld Clothing

Highland Clothing
Voodoo Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the welterweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 25 - 5 - 0, fighting out of London, Tony Bullard!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 16 - 3 - 0, fighting out of London, Jon Askren!
The judges for this bout are James Glass, Donald Grub and Richard Clark.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Askren fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Bullard avoids it really well and circles away.
Bullard is looking to counter punch.
Bullard takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Bullard uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Askren has time to react.
Bullard fails with an attempt to clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Askren closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Bullard pushes Askren off but Askren dives into side control.
Askren wants to control but Bullard is keeping him busy.
Askren might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Bullard haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Askren looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Bullard is avoiding damage well.
Bullard avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Askren.
Bullard on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Bullard tries to get out of the position.
Askren wants to lay and pray for a moment but Bullard keeps working.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Bullard is working to avoid the ground and pound but Askren connects with a decent elbow.
Askren prevents Bullard from escaping the position.
Askren taking a breather here.
Askren working the body and head with strikes.
Askren prevents Bullard from escaping the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bullard wants to get back to his feet but Askren is dominant here and he's now got Bullard's back!
Bullard wants to get back to his feet.
Askren lands punches and elbows.
So, who will make the next big move? In this position it could be crucial.
Bullard is trying to get back to his feet but Askren has full control of the position and if anything, Bullard has just worked his way into a worse spot.
Askren connects with a big shot to the side of Bullard's head.
Askren lands shots from the back.
Bullard is trying to stand back up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bullard trying desperately to get back to his feet here but he's not having any joy at all. He's going to tire himself out if he's not careful.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Askren is landing with strikes from the back.

That's four 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.
Bullard avoids the strikes from Askren.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Askren gets his hooks in and is throwing strikes.
Bullard knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Askren on the ground.
Askren is working the ground and pound here and the referee is taking a close look at Bullard. He must escape soon or this one will be stopped.
Bullard covers up after taking a massive shot to the side of the head.
Askren lands with a big left hand that may well have hurt his opponent. Can Bullard hold on?!
Bullard prevents Askren from getting a body triangle.
Askren lands a punch to the side of the head from the back.
Bullard wants to get back to his feet.
Askren has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
A bit of a pause in the action here. Askren controlling the positon.
Bullard wants to get back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jon Askren dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Bullard throws a lazy right hand but Askren sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Askren pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Bullard is looking to clinch.
Askren scores with a sloppy right hand. Bullard should have avoided that one.
Askren's coach down at Canadian Top Team was telling us pre-fight that they have been working on Askren's balance. Obviously they view that as a key factor in the outcome of this fight.
Bullard scores with a punch to the head.
Askren displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Bullard throws out the jab.
Bullard moves out of range of the strikes.
Askren avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Askren lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Askren has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Askren misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Bullard.
Askren moves out of range of the strikes.
Askren looks to score with a jab to the body but Bullard is just out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bullard tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Askren manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Bullard throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Bullard misses with a hook
and Askren counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Bullard looks to clinch
and Askren counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Bullard fails with an attempt to clinch.
Askren is looking for the big counter here.
Bullard swings for the body but Askren moves out of range.
Bullard loads up on a big right hand but Askren slips the punch.
Bullard misses with a straight right.
Bullard throws a body shot but no joy.
A telegraphed right hand from Bullard misses the target.
Askren throws a hook to the side of Bullard's head but Bullard sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Tony Bullard is winning the standup battle so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Askren stuns Bullard with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Bullard goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Bullard is looking to clinch.
Bullard looks to throw the jab but Askren is out of range.
We've been told by Bullard's head coaches at London MMA Club that he's been working on his takedown defense in preparation for this fight.

Askren gets a takedown into half guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Bullard is trying to stand up here but Askren is controlling him well.
Askren trying to control the pace.

Bullard manages to create a bit of space in order to work his way back to his feet. Askren keeps hold of his opponent and drives him back against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bullard goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Still in the clinch, Askren scores with a nice short uppercut.
Askren leaning his opponent against the cage.
Askren blocks an uppercut.
Askren leaning his opponent against the cage.
Bullard lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Bullard is working Askren over against the cage.
Bullard misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Bullard softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Bullard digs a right hand into Askren's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Askren's gas tank.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Bullard scores with a nice hook to the head.
Askren tries for a takedown. No joy.
Askren wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Bullard has him pressed against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Askren pressing his opponent against the cage.

Askren's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Tony Bullard is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Bullard misses with a wild body shot.

Bullard gets a clinch.
Bullard misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Askren lands a right hand.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Bullard working aggressively here.
Bullard misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Bullard throws a head punch that misses.

Askren breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
A jab lands there for Bullard.
Bullard misses with a looping left.
Askren dives in for a single leg takedown but Bullard sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tony Bullard dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Bullard moves into the clinch.
A nice left hand lands by Bullard.
Bullard misses with a hook from the clinch.
Askren doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Askren slows down the pace here.
Askren lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Bullard misses with a punch on the inside.
Bullard misses with a punch to the body.
Bullard throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Askrens head.
Tony Bullard has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Bullard struggles to land a body shot inside as Askren controls his hands.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bullard misses with some punches.
Still in the clinch, Bullard scores with a nice short uppercut.
Askren lands a body punch in the clinch.
Bullard tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Bullard gets through Askren's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Bullard doesn't land with the attempted body shot.

Askren works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Askren stands and throws Bullard's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Askren controlling the position from side mount.
Bullard wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Bullard takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Askren working the head with strikes.
Bullard is letting Askren control him for a moment.
Askren grinds an elbow into Bullard's temple.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Askren working the ground and pound.
Askren working the ground and pound but Bullard is defending the strikes.
Askren scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Bullard to see if he's OK.
Askren lands a decent elbow from side control.

It looks like Tony Bullard has been cut.
Bullard on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Askren wants to lay and pray for a moment but Bullard keeps working.
Askren lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Bullard down.
Bullard is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Jon Askren has got the better of the ground game so far.
Askren trying to control the action but Bullard is working from the bottom.
Askren takes a little break here. Bullard wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Askren scores with punches from side control.
Askren is chipping away with strikes.
Askren lands a decent elbow from side control.
Askren works to advance to full mount. Bullard defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
Askren landing punches.
Askren has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Bullard's face.
Askren raining down shots from the mount!

Bullard is rocked!
Askren lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Oh Bullard is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Bullard is trying to escape but when you're mounted that's not too easy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bullard is bucking up trying to escape but Askren cracks him with another couple of good strikes.

Tony Bullard's cut is bleeding quite badly. He's got to try and protect it.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Askren postures up and throws a big right hand. BOOM! Right on the button! Bullard is out cold - huge knockout for Askren!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:27 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Strikes). Jon Askren!
Jon Askren is the new welterweight champion!
Our winner, Jon Askren, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.