PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Jimmy Zone (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Umba Matumba (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Zone comes into the arena with Pop The Trunk blaring out of the sound system. Jimmy Zone has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Zone
vs
Matumba

190 cm
26
196 lbs
4 - 4 - 0

189 cm
20
195 lbs
5 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Experienced

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Knockout power

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 4 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Jimmy Zone!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Umba Matumba!
The judges for this bout are George Francis, Stewart Dunkirk and Robert Twigg.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Matumba swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Zone counters with a takedown into side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Matumba is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Zone has just dragged him back down to the mat.

Zone decides to stand back up.
Matumba misses with a double jab
and Zone counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Zone.
Matumba connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Zone lands a nice shot to the body.
Matumba throws a combination that misses
and Zone makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Zone looks to land a combination but Matumba avoids it well.
Matumba fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Zone fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Matumba swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Zone counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Matumba misses with a double jab

and Zone counters by clinching up.
Matumba can't break the clinch.
Matumba wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zone with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Come on Zone - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.

Matumba breaks from the clinch.
Matumba misses with an uppercut

and Zone counters by moving into the clinch.
Matumba is trying to force a seperation but Zone has the dominant position.
Matumba is trying to break free.

Zone gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
Zone wants to stand but Matumba has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Matumba really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Zone. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Matumba is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Zone is controlling him.
Matumba keeping moving, preventing Zone from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zone is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Matumba is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Matumba can do anything to dispel that myth.

We're going to have a standup here because Jimmy Zone wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Matumba misses with a jab, cross combination.
Matumba lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Zone circles away quickly and effectively.
Matumba swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Zone counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Matumba throws a right and a left that Zone avoids nicely.
Matumba misses with a hook
and Zone counters with a three punch combo that has Matumba backing up. Matumba nods at Zone to acknowledge the strikes.
Zone throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
A head kick misses from Zone.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Matumba misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Zone cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Matumba throws a combination that misses

and Zone moves into the clinch.
Matumba is trying to break free.

Matumba's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Matumba throws a combination that misses
and Zone counters with a straight right hand.
Matumba swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Matumba misses with a combination
and Zone counters with a two punch combo.
Zone is breathing heavily.
Matumba throws a left and a right that both miss
and Zone connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Matumba pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Zone back to the cage. Matumba follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.

It looks like Jimmy Zone has been cut.
Matumba misses with a combination

and Zone counters with a nice double leg into guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Zone postures up in Matumba's guard and throws a big left but Matumba blocks it.
Zone trying to control but Matumba is working from the bottom.
Zone forces his way into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zone wants to control but Matumba is keeping him busy.
Zone tries to stand but his arm is trapped.
Matumba is trying to stand.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jimmy Zone dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Jimmy Zone's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Zone avoids a punch combination nicely.
Matumba misses with a double jab.
Matumba throws a lazy uppercut
letting Zone counter with a right hand.
Matumba takes a jab right on the kisser.
Matumba throws a left and a right that both miss
and Zone makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Zone pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Matumba thuds a left hand into Zone's body.
Matumba lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Zone circles away quickly and effectively.
Matumba misses with a wild combination.
Matumba throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Zone counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Matumba thinking.
Matumba throws a combination that misses
and Zone counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Nice jab there from Matumba.
Matumba throws a poor cross that misses
and Zone counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Matumba throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Zone counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Matumba blocks a head kick by Zone.
Matumba misses with a double jab.
Matumba swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Zone counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zone is trying hard to land a takedown here. Matumba sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Matumba lunges at Zone with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Zone's hand.
Matumba throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Zone.
Matumba tests Zone's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Matumba swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Zone counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
A combination from Matumba does no damage.
Matumba showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Zone.
Matumba falls off balance throwing a combination

and Zone counters with a shoot takedown. Matumba fights it but they end up in guard.
Matumba is looking to stand up but Zone isn't so interested in that idea.
Zone trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zone has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Matumba is proving hard to escape from.
Zone stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Matumba swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Matumba is looking to stand up but Zone isn't so interested in that idea.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Zone trying to control the position from guard on top but Matumba is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Jimmy Zone has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
No joy there for Matumba, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Zone throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Matumba connects with a jab.
Matumba swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Zone closes the distance looking to clinch
and Matumba counters with a nice uppercut.
Matumba drops Zone with a naaaaasty hook - Zone is in real trouble here! Matumba dives in to side control and pounds out his opponent for a TKO victory! The crowd goes nuts!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:56 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Umba Matumba!