PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between JJ Heezay (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and James Zafran (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Heezay's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Billionaire. James Zafran is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Heezay
vs
Zafran

190 cm
18
180 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
18
170 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, JJ Heezay!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, James Zafran!
The judges for this bout are Columbo Gatti, Joseph Jones and John Roberts.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A punch combination from Zafran misses.

Heezay drives through and clinches with Zafran against the cage.
Zafran blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Heezay wants to stall.

Heezay gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.

Heezay decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Zafran shoots for a takedown but Heezay saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Zafran lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Heezay backs up against the cage.
Zafran throws a wild body kick that Heezay sees coming a mile off.
Zafran fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Heezay avoids it really well and circles away.
Zafran shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
JJ Heezay has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of James Zafran.
Heezay tries for a takedown but Zafran circles away easily

and Zafran counters with a nice double leg into guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zafran controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Zafran pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Heezay is keeping the position for now.
Heezay looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Zafran preventing the sweep.
Heezay looking to control.
Zafran 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.
Heezay keeping moving, preventing Zafran from controlling successfully.
Zafran content to stall in guard here.
Zafran pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Heezay is keeping the position for now.

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.
Zafran wants to control from the top but Heezay keeps moving.
Heezay seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Heezay not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Heezay is breathing heavily.
Zafran is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Heezay keeping moving, preventing Zafran from controlling successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zafran 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.

Despite being in the dominant position, James Zafran just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Zafran has his takedown stuffed

and Heezay counters with a nice double leg into side control. Zafran won't be happy with that.
Zafran taking punishment in the form of punches.
Heezay taking a break here but Zafran is having none of it and regains half guard.
Heezay missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Heezay sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Heezay wants to lay and pray for a moment but Zafran keeps working.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Heezay slows the pace down in half guard.
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 JJ Heezay will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Zafran looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

Zafran drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Heezay tries to improve position but can't.
A lull in the action here as Zafran stalls from top position.
Heezay is trying to control Zafran's posture but Zafran avoids it.
Zafran content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
You can see the frustration on Heezay's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A lull in the action here as Zafran stalls from top position.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Zafran wants to lay and pray for a moment but Heezay keeps working.
Zafran controlling the position from side mount.
Heezay tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Zafran wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Heezay is being controlled here.
Zafran is looking to take a break and control but Heezay is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

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.

Despite being in the dominant position, James Zafran just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Heezay avoids a punch combination nicely.
Zafran will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Heezay misses with a takedown attempt

and Zafran counters with a single leg into guard. Heezay didn't expect that.
Zafran wants to control from the top but Heezay keeps moving.
Heezay wants to sweep but no luck.
Zafran sitting in guard here, content to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zafran wants to control from the top but Heezay keeps moving.
Zafran sitting in guard here, content to control.
Heezay tries to strike from the bottom.
Heezay is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Zafran drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.
Heezay tries to bench press Zafran off him but Zafran keeps the position.
Zafran content to control the pace. The referee will try and keep them active though.
James Zafran has got the better of the ground game so far.
Zafran trying to control the position but Heezay is working away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zafran throwing strikes but missing, from side control.
Heezay is letting Zafran control him for a moment.
Zafran laying and praying for a moment but Heezay takes advantage and regains half guard.
Zafran slows the pace down in half guard.
Zafran trying to control the action but Heezay is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James Zafran showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Heezay moves into range and clinches up with Zafran.
Heezay fails to pull guard.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Heezay.

Zafran has picked Heezay up - he's going for a ride! Zafran dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Zafran seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Heezay does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Heezay is in trouble now - Zafran has advanced to mount!
Zafran tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Heezay working to try and regain half guard.
Heezay wants to control but Zafran is having none of it.
Heezay is trying to escape the mount.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zafran sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Let's hope that Zafran has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.

Despite being in the dominant position, James Zafran just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Heezay misses with a takedown
and Zafran counters with a left and a right that stings Heezay.

Zafran shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Heezay napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Heezay tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Heezay is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Heezay is not content to let Zafran control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Still in half guard, Zafran seems content to control.
Heezay trying to control from the bottom.
Zafran perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Zafran wants to lay and pray for a moment but Heezay keeps working.
Zafran wants to free his trapped foot but Heezay is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Heezay tries to get to full guard but Zafran has control of the leg.
Zafran takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Heezay has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Zafran is working away from the top position though.
Zafran trying to control the pace.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zafran prevents Heezay from improving his position.
Zafran takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.

Despite being in the dominant position, James Zafran just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Heezay fails with the takedown

and Zafran counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Zafran.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for JJ Heezay. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zafran tries to free his leg and advance position but Heezay is retaining full guard.
Heezay keeping moving, preventing Zafran from controlling successfully.
Heezay can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Zafran controls the pace.
Zafran trying to control the position from guard on top but Heezay is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Heezay wants to sweep but no luck.
Zafran controls from within his opponent's guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
James Zafran comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Zafran 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 Columbo Gatti scores the fight 28:29
Judge Joseph Jones scores the fight 28:29
Judge John Roberts scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... James Zafran!