PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between terry cheese (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and denis opal (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). denis opal has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with terry cheese's chin.

cheese
vs
opal

150 cm
21
146 lbs
6 - 4 - 0

156 cm
23
135 lbs
3 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Experienced

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 4 - 0, fighting out of London, terry cheese!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of London, denis opal!
The judges for this bout are Colin Fotheringham, Steven Brown and William Gold.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
opal shoots in but cheese avoids the takedown attempt easily.
cheese misses with a takedown

and opal counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by opal.
opal won't allow cheese to sweep him here.

cheese is working an open guard so opal takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
cheese closes the distance but opal moves to the side

and opal counters with a nice double leg into side control. cheese won't be happy with that.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

opal decides to stand back up. opal steps back and let's cheese get back to his feet.
cheese fails with the takedown

and opal counters with a takedown into side control.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.

opal has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
opal with a lazy takedown attempt

and cheese counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
cheese trying to control but opal is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.

cheese is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! opal is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! opal has escaped and now he's on top!
cheese is breathing heavily.
cheese trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
opal wants to control from the top but cheese keeps moving.
opal throws a big right hand that misses.
cheese is controlling opal's posture.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
opal trying to control the position from guard on top but cheese is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

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.
cheese avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
opal looking to pass the guard.

opal stands and steps away. cheese gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
opal throws a right and a left that cheese avoids nicely.
cheese closes the distance but opal moves to the side

and opal counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
cheese is not content to let opal control the position.
cheese has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. opal is working away from the top position though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
cheese is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
opal trying to advance position but cheese counters by regaining guard.
cheese working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from opal.
cheese keeping full guard, as opal tries to pass.
opal trying to control but cheese is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
cheese is trying to keep opal in close.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
opal misses with a takedown

and cheese counters with a nice double leg into side control. opal won't be happy with that.
terry cheese has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of denis opal.
opal tries to buck cheese off but cheese is having none of it.
opal wants to control but cheese postures up.

cheese stands up.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
cheese tries to score a power double leg takedown but opal sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten cheese somewhat.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

denis opal dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

opal misses with a takedown attempt

and cheese decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in opal's guard.
denis opal has got the better of the ground game so far.
cheese trying to control but opal is working from the bottom.
cheese loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
cheese has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of opal is proving hard to escape from.
opal keeping moving, preventing cheese from controlling successfully.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

opal has his foot on cheese's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. cheese works his way back into a safe position though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
cheese is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
opal controls cheese momentarily but cheese frees himself.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
opal tries for a takedown but cheese circles away easily

and cheese counters with a nice double leg into guard.
cheese is standing up over opal. opal looks to escape but cheese dives into side control.

cheese thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
You can see the frustration on opal's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
opal is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
cheese perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
opal trying to control from the bottom.
opal wants to stand back up but cheese manages to pass into side control.
cheese postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
opal looks to move to half guard but instead cheese has passed into mount! Damn!
cheese controlling from the full mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
cheese can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as opal is looking to escape.
opal wants to control but cheese is having none of it.
opal is in all sorts of trouble here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
opal sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.

cheese is looking for a kimura but opal is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for cheese to get the leverage.
cheese slows the pace down in half guard.
opal is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.
opal is pressing down on cheese's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

terry cheese dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Excellent takedown into side control there by opal.
cheese is looking to reverse the position.
opal lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
opal cracks cheese with an elbow. That is naaassty.
opal cracks cheese with an elbow. That is naaassty.

opal has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
A head kick misses from cheese.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
opal tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but cheese was well out of range. Poor timing from opal.

That's one minute gone in the round.
opal moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
opal tries to clinch there but cheese circles away.

opal gets the takedown into side control.
cheese wants to get back to his feet.
opal trying to control the action but cheese is working from the bottom.
opal throwing ground and pound but whilst doing so, he forgets to control position and cheese works his way back to half guard. Good composure under pressure.
opal seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
cheese tries to get to full guard but opal has control of the leg.
opal is figuring out what he wants to do next.
opal works his foot free and advances to mount.
opal raining down shots from the mount!
opal landing strikes from the mount and cheese is in trouble!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
cheese wants to use the cage to get back to his feet here.
cheese tries to lock up and control but opal gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
opal working the ground and pound effectively.
opal landing punches.
opal wants to control the pace but cheese is squirming around nicely.
opal working cheese over with strikes here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
cheese can't escape the position.
opal fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!

opal is standing up out of mount! Strange tactic there - he must really want this one on the feet!
opal shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
letting cheese counter with a right hand.
opal with a poor takedown

and cheese counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by cheese.
cheese fails to pull the fight into his guard.
cheese manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
opal is trying to maintain a safe position but cheese gets an underhook and turns opal into the cage.

cheese lands a takedown into guard.
opal looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

And that's the end of the fight!
denis opal comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think opal 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 Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 28:29
Judge Steven Brown scores the fight 28:29
Judge William Gold scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... denis opal!