PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Walt Potter (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Lyoto Tachia (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Potter might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Emalkay - When I Look At You. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Potter
vs
Tachia

189 cm
27
219 lbs
12 - 2 - 1

186 cm
27
217 lbs
13 - 3 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Very strong

BJJ Purple Belt
Good low kicks
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 2 - 1, fighting out of Montreal, Walt Potter!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 13 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Lyoto Tachia!
The judges for this bout are Gwen Towbar, Frank Dennis and Daniel Franklin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Potter keeps the fight on the outside.
Tachia tries to clinch but Potter is having none of it.
Potter shoots in for a takedown but Tachia shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Potter lands a nice hook to Tachia's body. Tachia takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
The fight stays on the outside here - Tachia looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Potter closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Tachia did well to prevent Potter getting side control.
Tachia wants to get back to his feet.
Potter tries to pass the half guard into mount. Tachia knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Tachia is looking to escape.
Potter not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Potter throwing shots but Tachia is blocking nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tachia blocking the ground and pound attempt from Potter.
Tachia looks like he's trying to stand up.
Potter 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.

Tachia kicks Potter off and gets back to his feet.
Tachia throws a big shot that misses.
Tachia tries to clinch up but Potter circles away and keeps his distance.
Tachia moves in looking to clinch but Potter pushes him off.
Tachia tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Potter manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Tachia tries to close the distance and clinch up but Potter swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Tachia displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Potter.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Tachia wants to clinch up but Potter keeps it at a distance.
The fight stays on the outside here - Tachia looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Potter fails to land the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Walt Potter. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Tachia tries to clinch but Potter moves out of range.
Tachia throws a big shot that misses.
Tachia tries to clinch up.

Tachia moves into the clinch.
Potter is trying to drag Tachia to the mat but Tachia just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Tachia pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Potter smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Potter keeps the fight on the outside.
Potter circles away from the clinch attempt.
Potter avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Potter avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Potter avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

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.
Potter shoots in looking for a takedown but Tachia manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Potter's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Potter swats away the attempt to clinch by Tachia.
A lazy left from Potter finds it's target.
Tachia is looking to clinch.
Tachia tries to close the distance and clinch but Potter swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Tachia tries to close the distance and clinch up but Potter swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Tachia tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Tachia tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Potter paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Potter closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Potter in particular looking to stall.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Walt Potter dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Potter scores with a takedown into Tachia's guard.
Potter won't allow Tachia to get back to his feet.
Potter postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Potter is looking to work some ground and pound but Tachia has wrist control.
Tachia wants to stand up but Potter is controlling him.

Tachia has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Potter off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Potter swats away the attempt to clinch by Tachia.
Tachia wants to clinch up but Potter keeps it at a distance.
Lyoto Tachia is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tachia tries to clinch there but Potter circles away.
Potter takes a head kick and shrugs it off.

It looks like Walt Potter has been cut.
Potter avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
The fight stays on the outside here - Tachia looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Tachia is looking to clinch but Potter is avoiding it.
Potter shoots in and drives through. Tachia sprawls well.
Potter fails with a takedown attempt.
Potter staying out of range there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Potter lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Tachia circles away quickly and effectively.
Potter swats away the attempt to clinch by Tachia.
Tachia moves in looking to clinch but Potter pushes him off.
Tachia doesn't manage to clinch there - Potter circles away.
Tachia tries to close the distance and clinch but Potter swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Potter misses with a takedown attempt - Tachia sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Walt Potter. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Potter shoots in but no luck this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tachia fails with an attempt to clinch.
Potter closes this distance looking for a takedown but Tachia circles away.
Tachia moves in looking to clinch but Potter pushes him off.

Potter shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Tachia wants to get back to his feet.
Tachia keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Potter looks to land a strike but Tachia avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
Tachia working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Potter.
Tachia preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Tachia is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Potter is controlling him.
Potter tries to free his leg and advance position but Tachia is retaining full guard.
Potter throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Tachia works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Potter stands and throws Tachia's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Potter fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Tachia wants to get back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Lyoto Tachia showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Walt Potter's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Tachia misses with a wild body shot.
Tachia doesn't manage to clinch there - Potter circles away.
Tachia slaps away a takedown attempt from Potter, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Tachia wants to clinch up but Potter keeps it at a distance.
Tachia scores with a head kick. Potter tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.
Lyoto Tachia seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Tachia tries a head kick but it misses.
Potter lands the left hand.

Potter shoots in and bounces Tachia off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Tachia utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Potter stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Tachia swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Potter is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Potter wants to control from the top but Tachia keeps moving.
Tachia keeping full guard, as Potter tries to pass.
Tachia is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Potter is controlling him.
Potter working some strikes from top position.

That's two 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.
Potter won't allow Tachia to get back to his feet.
Tachia keeping full guard, as Potter tries to pass.

Tachia pushes Potter off and gets back to his feet.
Tachia wants to clinch.
Tachia misses with a hook.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tachia tries a head kick but it misses.
Potter fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Tachia is looking to clinch but Potter is avoiding it.
Potter shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Tachia pinned against the cage. Tachia gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Potter avoids a punch combination nicely.
Tachia tries to close the distance and clinch up but Potter swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Tachia tries to clinch up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Tachia wants to clinch.
Tachia moves in looking to clinch but Potter pushes him off.
Tachia is looking to clinch.
Potter fails to land the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Walt Potter. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Tachia moves in looking to clinch but Potter pushes him off.
Tachia throws a head kick but Potter moves out of range.
Tachia tries to clinch but Potter is having none of it.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Lyoto Tachia.
I think Tachia 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 Gwen Towbar scores the fight 28:29
Judge Frank Dennis scores the fight 28:29
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Lyoto Tachia!