PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Mike Ryba (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Brian Messersmith (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Mike Ryba has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Ryba
vs
Messersmith

198 cm
22
256 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

200 cm
22
245 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Intelligent

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Mike Ryba!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Brian Messersmith!
The judges for this bout are Lou da Vinci, Dean Styles and Columbo Gatti.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Messersmith with a hook.
Ryba tries to clinch but Messersmith moves out of range.
Messersmith shoots in looking for a takedown. Ryba tries to sprawl out of it but Messersmith keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Ryba manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Ryba moves in looking to clinch but Messersmith pushes him off.
Messersmith circles away from the clinch attempt.
Ryba tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Messersmith swinging wilding here.
Ryba stuffs the takedown attempt from Messersmith. Messersmith gets slowly back to his feet.

Ryba moves into the clinch.
Ryba using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Messersmith has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Messersmith takes a knee right on the jaw!
Ryba lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Messersmith has had enough of the clinch but Ryba keeps him there for the moment.
Ryba throws a knee to the head but misses.
Ryba is breathing heavily.
Messersmith wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Ryba throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Messersmith blocks it with crossed arms.
Messersmith tries to break the clinch but Ryba is controlling the position.
Ryba blocking some punches.
Messersmith is trying to break the clinch but Ryba has him pressed against the cage.
Messersmith is looking to break free of the clinch but Ryba has double underhooks.
Messersmith is trying to stall.
Messersmith wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Ryba has him pressed against the cage.
Ryba using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Messersmith has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Ryba using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Messersmith has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Messersmith is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Ryba misses with a knee strike.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Messersmith misses with a hook to the ribs.
Ryba looking to throw knees to the head but Messersmith is blocking nicely.
Ryba looking to throw knees to the head but Messersmith is blocking nicely.
Ryba lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Ryba throws a knee to the head but misses.
Messersmith has had enough of the clinch but Ryba keeps him there for the moment.
Messersmith wants to get back to striking at distance but Ryba won't allow it.
Messersmith tries to break the clinch but Ryba is controlling the position.
Messersmith is trying to break free.
Ryba with a knee to the head.
Ryba using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Messersmith has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Messersmith tries a body shot but Ryba blocks it.
Ryba misses with a knee strike.
Ryba throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Messersmith blocks it with crossed arms.
Ryba prevents Messersmith from breaking the clinch.
Messersmith struggles to land a body shot inside as Ryba controls his hands.
Messersmith wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Messersmith is trying to break the clinch but Ryba has him pressed against the cage.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Ryba.
Ryba with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Messersmith wants to get back to striking at distance but Ryba won't allow it.
Nice body punch from Messersmith.
Messersmith wants to get back to striking at distance but Ryba won't allow it.
Ryba throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Messersmith blocks it with crossed arms.
Ryba misses with a knee strike.
Ryba lands a knee to the head.
Ryba throws a knee to the head but misses.
Messersmith is trying to break the clinch but Ryba has him pressed against the cage.
Ryba throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Messersmith blocks it with crossed arms.
Ryba looking to throw knees to the head but Messersmith is blocking nicely.
A knee to the head by Ryba.
Messersmith tries to break the clinch but Ryba is controlling the position.
Ryba using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Messersmith has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Messersmith is trying to break the clinch but Ryba has him pressed against the cage.
Ryba throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Messersmith blocks it with crossed arms.
Ryba's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Ryba using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Messersmith has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Ryba connects with a knee to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ryba using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Messersmith has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Ryba tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Messersmith looking to stall.
Ryba scores with a knee to the head.

Messersmith is rocked!
Ryba throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Messersmith blocks it with crossed arms.
Ryba looking to throw knees to the head but Messersmith is blocking nicely.
Ryba using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Messersmith has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Messersmith is trying to break free.
Ryba throws a knee to the head but misses.
Ryba tries to land a knee to the head but Messersmith blocks with his arms.
Messersmith wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Ryba misses with a knee to the head.
Ryba misses with a knee strike.
Ryba tries to land a knee to the head but Messersmith blocks with his arms.
Messersmith is trying to break free.
Messersmith misses with a punch to the body.

Messersmith pulls Ryba into guard.
Messersmith keeping moving, preventing Ryba from controlling successfully.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Messersmith has a closed guard, preventing Ryba from standing up.
Messersmith trying to control the position.
Messersmith has a closed guard, preventing Ryba from standing up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Messersmith trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Messersmith is trying to keep Ryba in close.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Nice sprawl there from Ryba as Messersmith shoots in.
Mike Ryba has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Brian Messersmith.
Messersmith lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Ryba backs up against the cage.
Ryba keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Messersmith.
Ryba wants to clinch up but Messersmith keeps it at a distance.
Ryba keeps the fight on the outside.
Messersmith swinging wilding here.
Brian Messersmith seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Messersmith thows a body shot but no joy.

Ryba gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Messersmith wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Ryba blocks an uppercut.
Messersmith wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Ryba has him pressed against the cage.
Messersmith misses with a hook to the ribs.
Ryba misses with a knee to the head.
A head punch on the inside from Messersmith fails to land.
Ryba with a knee to the head.
Ryba blocks a body shot from Messersmith.
Ryba misses with a knee to the head.
Ryba lands a knee to the head.
Messersmith is still on wobbly legs! Can Ryba finish him?
Ryba with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Messersmith seems to have recovered his senses.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Ryba with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Ryba scores with a knee to the head.
Ryba tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Ryba using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Messersmith has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Messersmith wants to break free but Ryba has control.
Ryba tries a knee to the head but Messersmith blocks it.

Ryba lands a big knee from the Thai clinch and Messersmith goes down hard! The ref takes a good look at him but he's still defending himself. Ryba in side control.

Ryba stands up and we're back to a striking position.
Messersmith throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Ryba's waist but Ryba gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Messersmith off to one side.
Nice takedown defense from Ryba. No joy for Messersmith on that attempt.

Ryba moves into the clinch.
Ryba connects with a nasty looking knee right to Messersmith's face.
Messersmith tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Ryba's elbow.
Ryba throws a knee to the head but misses.
Ryba tries to land a knee to the head but Messersmith blocks with his arms.
Ryba throws a knee to the head but misses.
Messersmith can't break the clinch.
Ryba lands a big knee to the head and Messersmith goes down! Ryba pounces and finishes the fight with strikes! He jumps to his feet and celebrates with the crowd!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:37 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Mike Ryba!