PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Anthony Pettis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jhay Vera (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters will be looking to make this an exciting fight for the fans, I'm sure!

Pettis
vs
Vera

178 cm
18
155 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

175 cm
22
159 lbs
2 - 7 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Good kicks
Knockout power

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 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Anthony Pettis!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Jhay Vera!
The judges for this bout are Taro Takaoka, Yuuki Gou and Ren Mimura.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pettis closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Vera bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.

Pettis drives through and clinches with Vera against the cage.
Pettis stalling in the clinch.
Pettis with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Pettis misses with a knee strike.
Pettis with a knee to the head.
Pettis stalling the fight.
Pettis with a knee to the head.

Pettis jumps guard.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Pettis is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Pettis keeping moving, preventing Vera from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Pettis slips a straight right by Vera.
Pettis darts in trying to clinch
and Vera cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Anthony Pettis seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Pettis is looking to clinch but Vera is avoiding it.
Pettis shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Vera but Vera pushes him off and we're back to square one.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pettis throws a right and a left that both miss.
Vera thows a left - swing and a miss!
Pettis will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Pettis doesn't manage to clinch there - Vera circles away.
Pettis shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Vera defends it nicely.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Anthony Pettis. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Pettis is breathing heavily.
Pettis lands a high kick!
Vera sizes up Pettis with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vera darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
A big right from Vera misses.
Nice jab there from Vera.
Pettis on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Pettis shoots in but no luck this time.
Vera connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Pettis momentarily.
Vera looks to land a left hand but Pettis moved out of range nicely.
Pettis shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Vera sprawls well. Vera wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Pettis gets slowly back to his feet.
Pettis fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pettis ducks under a wild hook from Vera.
Vera misses with a straight right.
Pettis looks to clinch
and Vera connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Vera throws a lazy right hand but Pettis sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Pettis is looking to clinch.
Pettis moves away from the strike by Vera.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Anthony Pettis will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Pettis avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Vera loads up on a big right hand but Pettis slips the punch.
Pettis misses with a head kick.
Pettis is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Pettis looks to clinch
and Vera counters with a nice uppercut.
Pettis fails with an attempt to clinch.
Vera with a hook.
Pettis fails in his attempt to clinch.
Vera keeps the fight on the outside.
Pettis moves in looking to clinch but Vera pushes him off.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pettis shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Vera defends it nicely.
Jhay Vera is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
A big right from Pettis misses.
Pettis takes one to the side of the head.
Pettis tries to clinch up.
Pettis tries to clinch there but Vera circles away.
Pettis tries to close the distance and clinch up but Vera swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Pettis tries to close the distance and clinch but Vera swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pettis tries to close the distance and clinch but Vera swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Pettis tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Vera counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Pettis tries for a takedown but Vera sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Pettis closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Pettis tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Vera paws at him with a jab and circles away.
A jab from Vera misses.
Anthony Pettis is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Pettis tries to clinch but Vera moves away
and Vera counters with a lovely straight right hand!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pettis is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Vera throws a jab but it's blocked by Pettis.
Pettis closes the distance looking to clinch
and Vera counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Vera is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Pettis.
Pettis fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Anthony Pettis. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Pettis looks to clinch
letting Vera counter with a right hand.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Vera throws out a loose jab but Pettis uses good head movement to avoid it.
Pettis throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Vera's waist but Vera gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Pettis off to one side.
Pettis on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Pettis moves away from the strike by Vera.
Jhay Vera seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Pettis tries to close the distance and clinch up but Vera swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Pettis has Vera up against the cage in a clinch.
Vera has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Pettis has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Vera after a bit of a struggle.
Pettis tries a knee to the head but Vera blocks it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Anthony Pettis will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

A jab from Vera misses.
Vera keeps the fight on the outside.
Pettis throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Vera's head.
Pettis tries to close the distance and clinch up but Vera swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Pettis takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.

Pettis pushes Vera up against the cage in a clinch.
Pettis using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Vera has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Pettis looking to throw knees to the head but Vera is blocking nicely.
Pettis throws a knee to the head but misses.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Vera wants to break free but Pettis has control.
Vera wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Vera breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Some wild striking there from Pettis.
Pettis tries to clinch there but Vera circles away.
The crowd cheers as Vera lands an impressive looking overhand right. Pettis doesn't seem phased though.
Vera might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
Pettis tries to clinch there but Vera circles away.
Vera lands a jab.
Vera waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Pettis.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pettis closes the distance but Vera moves to the side
and Pettis takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Pettis wants to clinch up but Vera keeps it at a distance.
Pettis tries a head kick but it misses.
The fighters circling - Vera throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Pettis tries to clinch
and Vera counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Pettis closes the distance but Vera moves to the side
and Vera counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Vera throws a lazy right hand but Pettis sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pettis is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Pettis punishes Vera's body with a nice straight punch.
Vera dodges the punch combination from Pettis.
Pettis is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Pettis looks to clinch
and Vera counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

Pettis rushes Vera and presses him up against the cage.
Pettis tries to pull guard but Vera won't allow it.
Vera is trying to break free.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Vera wants to break the clinch but can't.
Pettis looking to throw knees to the head but Vera is blocking nicely.
Pettis is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Vera is trying to break the clinch but Pettis has him pressed against the cage.
A frustrated look appears on Vera's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Pettis misses with a knee to the head.
Pettis prevents Vera from breaking the clinch.
A frustrated look appears on Vera's face as he tries to break the clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Pettis tries to land a knee to the head but Vera blocks with his arms.
Jhay Vera has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Anthony Pettis is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Vera is trying to break the clinch but Pettis has him pressed against the cage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Anthony Pettis showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Pettis, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Taro Takaoka scores the fight 30:27
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 30:28
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Anthony Pettis!