PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Josh Countess (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Martaza Gazafi (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). I can't wait for this one - let's get the fighter introductions out of the way and get this one started!

Countess
vs
Gazafi

186 cm
19
165 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

175 cm
25
165 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter striker
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Josh Countess!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Martaza Gazafi!
The judges for this bout are , Jack Bonds and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gazafi throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Gazafi wants to clinch
and Countess counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Gazafi wants to clinch but Countess slips to the side
and Countess counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Gazafi takes a swing at Countess's ribcage but misses.
Gazafi throws a lazy uppercut
and Countess counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Gazafi closes the distance looking to clinch
and Countess counters with a left and a right that stings Gazafi.
Gazafi gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Gazafi tries to clinch but Countess moves away
enabling Countess to counter with a crisp jab.
Countess is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
Gazafi tries to clinch there but Countess circles away.
Jab from Countess.
Countess misses with a straight left.
Countess throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Josh Countess is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Countess thows a left - swing and a miss!
Countess showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Gazafi.
Countess lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Gazafi circles away quickly and effectively.
Gazafi throws a shot from downtown. Countess moves away and avoids it.
Gazafi tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Countess manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Countess is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Gazafi wants to clinch.
Gazafi darts in trying to clinch
letting Countess counter with a right hand.
Countess circles away from the clinch attempt
and Countess cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gazafi tries to clinch but Countess is having none of it.
Gazafi tries to clinch
and Countess counters with a nice body shot.
Gazafi avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Countess scores with a jab to the head.
Gazafi is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Countess misses with a jab, cross combination.

Gazafi has closed the distance and engaged Countess in a clinch.
Gazafi misses with a knee strike.
Countess jumps guard but Gazafi stands there with Countess around his waist. Countess gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Countess tries to throw a body punch but Gazafi avoids it by throwing Countess back against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gazafi with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Countess goes for a takedown in the clinch but Gazafi prevents it.
Gazafi wants a takedown but no success here.
Gazafi is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Countess is defending well for now.
Gazafi is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Countess is defending well for now.
Gazafi goes for a takedown attempt but Countess pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Countess misses the jab.
Countess with a jab.
Gazafi showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Countess.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gazafi is looking to clinch.
Gazafi misses with a looping right.
Countess stuffs the takedown attempt from Gazafi. Gazafi gets slowly back to his feet.
Josh Countess has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Martaza Gazafi.
Left hook, right uppercut from Countess.
Countess misses with an uppercut. Gazafi saw that one coming.
A slow jab from Countess misses its intended target.
Gazafi darts in trying to clinch
and Countess counters with a series of strikes. Gazafi will be more careful next time no doubt.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
A looping hook to the body misses from Countess. Gazafi does a little dance to reset his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Josh Countess dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

A looping hook to the body misses from Countess. Gazafi does a little dance to reset his feet.
Countess throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.

Gazafi gets a clinch.
Gazafi tries to land knees in the clinch but Countess avoids the damage to the body.
A battle for position here, against the cage.

Countess breaks the clinch.
Gazafi tries to close the distance and clinch up but Countess swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Gazafi tries to clinch but Countess moves out of range.
Countess misses with the combination.
Countess misses with a two punch combination.
Gazafi misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Countess.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gazafi is looking to clinch but Countess is avoiding it.
Gazafi tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Countess makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Countess avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Countess avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Gazafi misses with a straight right.
Gazafi waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Countess.
Gazafi tries to clinch
and Countess counters with a straight right hand.
Gazafi is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Countess throws a lazy right hand but Gazafi sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Gazafi tries to clinch but Countess moves out of range.
Nice shot by Countess.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Countess cracks a nice hook into Gazafi's ribs.
Josh Countess is winning the standup battle so far.
Gazafi tries to clinch but Countess is having none of it.
Josh Countess is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Countess bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Gazafi fails to land with a series of punches.
Gazafi moves to clinch but Countess breaks away
and Countess counters with a straight right hand.
Gazafi on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Gazafi tries to clinch up but Countess circles away and keeps his distance.
A right-left combo lands from Countess.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Gazafi misses with a body shot.

Gazafi closes the distance and pushes Countess back into the cage.
Gazafi tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Countess avoids it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Countess tries to pull guard but Gazafi won't allow it.
Countess can't get the takedown.
Gazafi throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Countess blocks it with crossed arms.
Gazafi stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Gazafi misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Countess.
Gazafi is really struggling to land any decent head shots against his taller opponent.
Countess letting Gazafi take a breather here.
Countess swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Gazafi tries to land a knee to the head but Countess blocks with his arms.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Countess pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Gazafi is looking to clinch but Countess is avoiding it.

Gazafi shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Gazafi was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Gazafi throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Gazafi thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Gazafi unloads with some shots from mount but Countess bucks and avoids them well.
Gazafi landing strikes, looking to finish!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Countess tries to lock up and control but Gazafi gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Martaza Gazafi showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Countess moves out of range as Gazafi strikes.
Gazafi misses with a combination
and Countess counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.

Gazafi drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Gazafi throws a big right hand that misses.
Countess on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Countess tries to get out of the position.
Countess working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Gazafi.
Gazafi throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Gazafi scoring with punches to the head and body.
Countess knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Gazafi on the ground.
Gazafi throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Gazafi with a flurry of punches that miss.
Gazafi postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Countess utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Countess preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Gazafi in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Gazafi is looking to work some ground and pound but Countess has wrist control.
Gazafi postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Countess working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Gazafi.
Gazafi is working Countess over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Countess working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Gazafi.
Gazafi throwing strikes but missing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Countess utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Gazafi prevents Countess from getting back to his feet.
Gazafi cracks Countess with a solid left hand.
Gazafi is looking to work some ground and pound but Countess has wrist control.
Gazafi with a flurry of punches that miss.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gazafi missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Countess keeping full guard, as Gazafi tries to pass.
Countess avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Countess is looking to stand up but Gazafi isn't so interested in that idea.
Gazafi throwing strikes but missing.
Gazafi passes into half guard.
Gazafi thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Gazafi is keen to just control but Countess is a slippery customer.
Gazafi missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Martaza Gazafi has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gazafi throwing shots but Countess is blocking nicely.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Gazafi lands a nice short elbow.
Gazafi wants to pass the guard but Countess is defending well.
Countess has hold of Gazafi's hands but Gazafi slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Gazafi not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Gazafi is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Countess keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Gazafi thows a huge punch but Countess dodges it nicely.
Gazafi trying to control from half guard but Countess is working away.

And that's the end of the fight!
Martaza Gazafi comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Gazafi 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 Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 28:29
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 27:29
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Martaza Gazafi!