PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Mighty Pness (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Zach Striker (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Zach Striker has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Pness
vs
Striker

180 cm
18
190 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

200 cm
19
189 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Very strong

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Solid chin

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Mighty Pness!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Zach Striker!
The judges for this bout are Yasuomi Hirokawa, Yukihiro Shimada and Ren Mimura.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pness tries to bum rush Striker with a series of wild strikes but Striker uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Pness throws a right hand that Striker ducks under and follows up with a left that Striker also avoids with ease.

Pness drives through with a takedown into guard.
Pness wanted to stand there but Striker had control of the position.
Pness postures up.
Pness won't allow Striker to sweep him here.

Pness avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Pness won't allow Striker to get back to his feet.
Striker is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Pness advances position into side control!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pness wants to lay and pray for a moment but Striker keeps working.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Pness tries to close the distance and clinch but Striker swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Pness keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.

Pness feints and as Striker raises his hands in defense, Pness changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Pness might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Striker looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Pness trying to control but Striker is working from the bottom.
Striker is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pness postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Striker working a defensive guard here.

Pness has gone for a leg lock! Striker slips out almost immediately though and dives into Pness's guard.
Striker wants to control from the top but Pness keeps moving.
Striker looks gassed!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Striker sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Pness looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Striker is working Pness over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Pness is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Striker prevents Pness from getting back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

Striker stands up from Pness's guard - Striker perhaps looking for a knockout.
Striker fails with the takedown

and Pness counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Striker using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Pness has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

Striker has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Pness regains guard immediately.
Pness manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!

Pness swings around for an armbar but it's a sloppy attempt and Striker is now in Pness's guard. A big mistake from Pness there, giving up the dominant position!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Striker trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Mighty Pness will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Striker instigates a clinch.
Striker is looking to control Pness's arms but Pness gets an underhook and turns him. Now Striker has his back to the cage.

Pness pulls guard successfully.
Striker throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Pness keeping moving, preventing Striker from controlling successfully.

Striker stands up and waves to Pness to follow him.
Striker is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Striker fails with the takedown

and Pness counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Pness.
Pness is pushing Striker up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Striker is looking to break free of the clinch but Pness has double underhooks.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Striker is pressed up against the cage. Pness has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Striker down to the mat. Striker avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pness tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Striker counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Pness is trying to control but can't.
Pness is looking for a sweep. Striker is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Striker is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Pness tries to kick Striker off but Striker keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pness is positioning himself well to prevent Striker advancing to mount.
Pness tries to roll over but Striker keeps him under control.
Striker is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.

Pness is defending against the submission attempts here by Striker.
Striker sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Pness defending well though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pness tries to roll over but Striker keeps him under control.
Still in half guard, Striker seems content to control.
Pness trying to control from the bottom.
Striker works his way into side control.
Striker has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for Pness!

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.
Pness is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Striker controlling from mount.

Striker jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Pness manages to avoid the submission attempt.
Zach Striker has got the better of the ground game so far.
Striker scoring with punches from side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Zach Striker showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Pness tries for a takedown but Striker circles away easily
and Striker counters with a nice uppercut.
Striker lands a lovely overhand right.
Striker looks to clinch

and Pness counters with a single leg into guard. Striker didn't expect that.
Striker looking to control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Pness would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Pness trying to control but Striker is working from the bottom.
Striker is trying to control the position but Pness postures up.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Pness avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Striker keeping moving, preventing Pness from controlling successfully.
Pness stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Striker swivels though and keeps the full guard.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Striker feints and as Pness raises his hands in defense, Striker changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Striker passes Pness's left leg - he's now in half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Striker postures up and decides to stand up, from the half guard. The ref calls for Pness to stand up.
Striker has a takedown stuffed.

Pness moves into range and clinches up with Striker.
Striker drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Pness gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Striker wants to break the clinch but can't.
Pness lands a good knee to the midsection. Striker won't want to take too many of those.
Pness tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Striker just stands there and leans against the cage.

Striker lands a takedown into guard.

Pness is looking for a triangle but Striker pushes his legs off easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pness keeping moving, preventing Striker from controlling successfully.
Pness is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Striker is controlling him.
Striker preventing the sweep.
Striker works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Striker trying to control the action but Pness is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Striker is looking to pass Pness's guard but actually Pness recovers to full guard.
Pness is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Striker scoring with punches to the head and body.
Pness wants to sweep but no luck.
Striker postures up.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Zach Striker.
I think Striker has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 28:29
Judge Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 28:29
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Zach Striker!