PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Lavern Koch (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jon Savage (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Well, I have no idea who's going to take this one!

Koch
vs
Savage

163 cm
18
193 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

185 cm
22
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Lavern Koch!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Jon Savage!
The judges for this bout are John Kavanagh, David Schapiro and John Roberts.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Savage scores with a hook to the body. Koch takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.

Savage lands a big head kick that sends Koch tumbling to the mat! Savage takes a step backwards and waves Koch back to his feet - he wants the finish!

It looks like Lavern Koch has been cut.
Savage throws a right and a left that both miss.
Koch is looking for a counter combo.

Savage closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.

Koch is rocked!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Koch is trying to control Savage's posture but Savage avoids it.
Oh Koch is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Savage staying calm.
Koch seems to have got his legs back now.
Savage working away.
Savage working the body and head with strikes.
Koch wants to control but Savage postures up.
Koch really is a fat lump.
Koch is pushing Savage's head away, looking to escape. Savage manages to hold on to the position though.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Koch wants to control but Savage postures up.
Koch is looking for a sweep.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Savage scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Koch to see if he's OK.
Koch is trying to control Savage's posture but Savage avoids it.
Koch prevents Savage from moving into mount.
Savage landing a few strikes.
Koch might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Koch is looking for a sweep.
Savage landing a few strikes.
Koch is looking for a sweep.
Koch is not content to let Savage control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Savage working the body and head with strikes.
Savage tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
Savage is staying tight to Koch's torso, preventing him from escaping.

Savage stands up and we're back to a striking position.

Savage pushes Koch up against the cage in a clinch.

Savage gets control of Koch's arms and successfully pulls guard. Savage will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Savage controls Koch momentarily but Koch frees himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Koch avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Koch won't allow Savage to sweep him here.
Koch is fighting to break Savage's control of his arms but Savage is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Koch landing with the ground and pound.
Savage controlling Koch's posture.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Koch throwing strikes but missing.
Savage looking to control.
Savage trying to control the position here.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Koch will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

Savage closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Koch's guard.
Koch looking for a sweep. Not yet Koch, not yet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jon Savage dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Lavern Koch's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

Savage throws a front kick that sends Koch stumbling back into the cage.

Koch tries to keep at a distance but Savage has taken the fight into the clinch.
A nice left hand lands by Savage.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Savage is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Savage landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.

Savage jumps into guard, dragging Koch to the mat.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Koch with a flurry of punches that miss.
Savage wants to sweep here but Koch controlling him for the moment.
Savage has momentary wrist control but Koch slips an elbow through the middle.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Savage is controlling Koch's posture.

Savage has his foot on Koch's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Koch works his way back into a safe position though.
Koch throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Savage works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Koch won't allow Savage to get back to his feet.
Savage trying to control the position here.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Savage can do anything to dispel that myth.
Koch throws a big elbow that misses.

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

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.
Savage has his takedown stuffed
and Koch counters with a two punch combo.
Jon Savage seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Savage closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Savage lands in his opponent's guard.
Koch keeping moving, preventing Savage from controlling successfully.
Koch looking to hit a scissor sweep but Savage is one step ahead there.
Koch looking to control.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Koch keeping moving, preventing Savage from controlling successfully.
Jon Savage has got the better of the ground game so far.
Savage might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Koch haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Koch looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Savage working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Koch's head.
Koch pulls Savage in close to prevent any damage.

Koch is working an open guard so Savage takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.

Savage closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Koch's guard.

Koch has his feet on Savage's hips. He pushes off and gets to his feet. Nice work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Savage throws a right and a left that both miss.
Koch was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Koch shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Savage closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Koch is trying to control but can't.
Savage controlling the action here.
Savage trying to mount his opponent but Koch defends it.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Savage controlling the pace.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jon Savage showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Lavern Koch's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Savage closes the distance and pushes Koch back into the cage.
Savage with a knee to the head.
Koch tries to break free but Savage pushes him back against the cage.
Stalling in the clinch from Savage.
A right hand to the body from Savage.
Koch wants to take the fight to the mat but Savage manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.

Koch breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Savage closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Savage lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Savage working the ground and pound from side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Savage scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Koch to see if he's OK.

Savage tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Savage has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
You can see the frustration on Koch's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Savage wants to lay and pray for a moment but Koch keeps working.

Savage is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Koch has escaped the position, nice work there.

Savage is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Koch has escaped the position, nice work there.
Koch tries to buck Savage off but Savage is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Koch wants to control but Savage postures up.

Savage working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Savage trying to control the action but Koch is working from the bottom.
Koch is trying to control Savage's posture but Savage avoids it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Koch is looking for a sweep.
Savage trying to control the action but Koch is working from the bottom.
Koch wants to control but Savage postures up.

Savage decides to stand back up.

Savage clinches up with Koch and pushes him back against the cage.
Koch is trying to force a seperation but Savage has the dominant position.
Koch being controlled against the cage.
Savage is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Koch gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Savage is trying to pull guard but Koch turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.

Savage breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Savage ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Savage no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.

Koch got a little sloppy there for a moment and Savage has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Koch has managed to get both his arms back between Savage's legs - danger averted.
Koch postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Lavern Koch has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Jon Savage is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Koch trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jon Savage comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Savage 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 John Kavanagh scores the fight 27:30
Judge David Schapiro scores the fight 27:30
Judge John Roberts scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jon Savage!