PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Joseph Brennan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Chen Zhen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Zhen has a niggling injury. He would have liked to come in 100% fit but that's not always possible. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Brennan
vs
Zhen

187 cm
18
212 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

192 cm
24
205 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Self confident

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Joseph Brennan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Chen Zhen!
The judges for this bout are Alec Ball, Ian Loll and Gregory Folan.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Brennan missing with a left hand there. Zhen was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Brennan wants to clinch.
Zhen slips a jab and a cross from Brennan.
Zhen is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Joseph Brennan seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Zhen is looking to clinch.
Brennan throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Zhen counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Brennan scores with a head kick. Zhen tried to block it but didn't get his arm up in time.
Zhen will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
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!
Brennan falls off balance throwing a combination

and Zhen moves into the clinch.
Brennan throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Zhen blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zhen is trying to break the clinch but Brennan has him pressed against the cage.
Zhen being controlled against the cage.
Brennan wants to break the clinch but can't.

Brennan breaks the clinch.
Zhen avoids a punch combination nicely.
Brennan tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Zhen counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Zhen blocks a head kick by Brennan.
Brennan darts in trying to clinch
and Zhen counters with a left and a right that stings Brennan.

Brennan moves into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Brennan throws a knee to the head but misses.
Brennan is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Zhen is keeping busy.
Brennan tries a knee to the head but Zhen blocks it.
Brennan is breathing heavily.
Zhen is trying to push Brennan away but Brennan has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.

Zhen jumps into guard, dragging Brennan to the mat.
Brennan won't allow Zhen to get back to his feet.
Brennan has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Brennan wants to get up but he can't break Zhen's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Zhen seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Zhen can do anything to dispel that myth.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Zhen has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Brennan off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Zhen works over Brennan's head and body with a nice combination.

Zhen gets a double leg takedown into Brennan's guard.
Zhen trying to control the position from guard on top but Brennan is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Zhen working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Brennan's head.
Zhen connects with a couple of short punches.
Zhen scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Zhen trying to control but Brennan is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Brennan is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Zhen is controlling him.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Brennan keeping moving, preventing Zhen from controlling successfully.

Zhen thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Zhen is working Brennan over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Zhen passes into half guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Brennan is trying to stand up here but Zhen is controlling him well.
Zhen winds up and cracks Brennan with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Chen Zhen dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

A punch combination from Zhen misses.
Zhen is looking to score with low kicks.
Brennan scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Joseph Brennan is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Brennan tries to clinch there but Zhen circles away.
Zhen moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.

Brennan gets tackled into the cage by Zhen. Zhen maintains the clinch.
Brennan connects with a nasty looking knee right to Zhen's face.
Brennan wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Zhen has him pressed against the cage.
Brennan misses with a knee to the head.
Zhen on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Zhen breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Brennan misses with a telegraphed body shot
and Zhen counters with a one-two to the body.
Brennan throws a sloppy head kick and Zhen moves out of range easily.
Joseph Brennan is winning the standup battle so far.
Zhen shoots in for a takedown but Brennan shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Brennan throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Zhen sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Zhen on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
A solid body kick from Brennan.
Zhen avoids the head kick by Brennan.
Brennan throws a head kick but Zhen moves out of range.
Zhen throws a right and a left that Brennan avoids nicely.

Zhen moves into the clinch successfully.

Brennan breaks from the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zhen dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Brennan. That did some damage!
Zhen misses with the combination.
Brennan showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Zhen.
No joy there for Brennan, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
A head kick misses from Zhen.
Zhen throws a chopping leg kick but Brennan manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Zhen swats away the attempt to clinch by Brennan.
Zhen shoots in and drives through. Brennan sprawls well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Brennan pushes Zhen up against the cage in a clinch.
Brennan is stalling here.
Zhen tries to break free but Brennan pushes him back against the cage.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Zhen as Brennan tries to tie him up.
Brennan tries to land knees in the clinch but Zhen avoids the damage to the body.
Brennan is trying to break free.
Zhen is trying to break the clinch but Brennan is controlling him.
Brennan tries to land a knee to the head but misses.

Zhen's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zhen works over Brennan's head and body with a nice combination.
Zhen throws a leg kick that misses.
Zhen keeps the fight on the outside.
Brennan misses with a double jab
and Zhen counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Zhen scores with a one two! Brennan had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Zhen.
Joseph Brennan has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Chen Zhen.
Brennan throws a right hand that Zhen ducks under and follows up with a left that Zhen also avoids with ease.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Zhen closes the distance and clinches.
Brennan is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Chen Zhen will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Zhen decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Zhen stops Brennan from getting back to his feet.
Chen Zhen has got the better of the ground game so far.
Zhen prevents Brennan from improving his position.
Zhen with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.

Zhen is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Brennan has managed to free his arm - good work.
Brennan wants to get back to full guard.
Zhen is looking to take a break and control but Brennan is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zhen wants to pass the guard but Brennan is defending well.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Zhen seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Brennan does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Brennan tries to roll over but Zhen keeps him under control.
Brennan is refusing to be controlled, as Zhen sits in half guard.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Chen Zhen was stalling too much, according to the referee.
Brennan throws a lazy body kick
and Zhen counters with a one-two to the body.
Horrible takedown by Zhen or perhaps it was just good defense by Brennan which made him look bad.
Brennan throws a head kick but Zhen moves out of range.
Zhen throws a one two combo.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Brennan tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Brennan tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Zhen pushes forward with a 1-2 combination that forces Brennan back to the cage. Zhen follows up with a solid lead hook to the liver.
Brennan throws a combination that misses
and Zhen counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Zhen feints a jab promting Brennan to slip. Zhen then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Brennan slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.
An inside leg kick lands from Zhen.
Brennan takes a swing at Zhen's ribcage but misses.
Brennan tries to close the distance and clinch up but Zhen swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Brennan throws a nice looking combination but Zhen bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A nice leg kick lands there from Zhen.
Zhen's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Zhen duly obliges.
Brennan throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Brennan tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Zhen circles away from the clinch attempt.

Zhen gets a clinch.
Brennan lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Zhen has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Brennan is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Zhen is trying to force a seperation but Brennan has the dominant position.
Brennan with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Brennan misses with a knee strike.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Zhen jumps guard but Brennan turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Joseph Brennan has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Chen Zhen.
Zhen managing to block the knees to the body from Brennan.
Brennan looking to throw knees to the head but Zhen is blocking nicely.
Zhen can't break the clinch.
Brennan throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Zhen blocks it with crossed arms.
Brennan misses with a knee to the head.
Brennan using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Zhen has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Brennan tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Zhen avoids it.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Brennan tries to stall but Zhen uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Zhen has Brennan pressed against the cage, preventing Brennan from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Chen Zhen.
I've got Zhen winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Alec Ball scores the fight 28:29
Judge Ian Loll scores the fight 27:30
Judge Gregory Folan scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Chen Zhen!