PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Jeremy Durden (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and James Vera (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The fight MMA fans around the world have waited their entire lives for!

Durden
vs
Vera

180 cm
27
170 lbs
6 - 6 - 0

175 cm
18
180 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Enjoys gardening

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Jeremy Durden!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, James Vera!
The judges for this bout are Steve Smith, William Peck and Gregory Folan.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Vera gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Durden misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Vera.
Vera avoiding damage as Durden throws knees to the body.
Knees to the body from Durden.
Vera lands a knee to the head.
The referee is keeping an eye on Durden - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Durden misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Vera.
Vera goes for a takedown attempt but Durden pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Durden scores with a three punch combo!
Vera changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Durden tries to avoid it but Vera manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Durden to the ground. Durden escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Durden clinches with his opponent.
Vera is trying to pull guard but Durden turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Jeremy Durden has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of James Vera.
Durden is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Vera is defending well for now.
Vera has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Durden after a bit of a struggle.
Durden missing with knees to the body.

Durden breaks from the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Durden connects with an inside leg kick.
Vera showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Durden.
Vera shoots in looking for a takedown. Durden tries to sprawl out of it but Vera keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Durden manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

Durden fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Vera, pushing him back against the cage.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Vera goes for a takedown in the clinch but Durden prevents it.
Durden missing with knees to the body.
Durden putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Vera in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Vera is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Durden pulls him back up using the underhooks.
A right hook to the body lands for Durden.
Vera is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Durden gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Vera wants to take the fight to the mat but Durden manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Vera looks gassed!
Durden with a knee to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Vera on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Vera blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Vera goes for a takedown attempt but Durden pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Vera drives through and clinches with Durden against the cage.
Durden landing knees to the head.
Vera is working for takedown but Durden is calmly controlling the position for now.
Durden is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.

Durden pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Some wild striking there from Durden.
Vera closes this distance looking for a takedown but Durden circles away.
Vera dodges the punch combination from Durden.
Durden lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Durden.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Durden has closed the distance and engaged Vera in a clinch.
Durden landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Durden trying to land knees to the body.

Durden breaks the clinch.

Durden clinches up against the cage.
Vera takes a knee to the side of the body.
Durden tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Vera avoids it.
Durden is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Vera wants to take the fight to the mat but Durden manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Vera is looking to take this one to the mat.

Durden breaks the clinch.

Durden takes the fight into the clinch.
Durden prevents the takedown attempt.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Durden lands a nice knee to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Durden lands an elbow that stopped Vera in his tracks for a moment.
Vera goes for a takedown in the clinch but Durden prevents it.
Durden unloads a knee to the mid-section. Vera lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Durden utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Durden is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Durden unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Durden lands a body punch in the clinch.
Durden lands a nice knee to the body.

Durden pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!

Durden rushes Vera and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
A left hand lands to the body for Durden.
Durden putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Vera in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Durden scores a nice knee to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jeremy Durden dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Durden clinches.
Vera looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Durden lands a nice knee to the body.
Vera is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Durden is defending well.
Durden working Vera over with knees to the body.
Durden gets underhooks to prevent Vera's takedown attempt.
Vera is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Durden is defending well.
Jeremy Durden has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of James Vera.
Durden using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Durden connects with a nasty looking knee right to Vera's face.
Durden looking to slow down the pace here.
Durden utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Durden tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Vera avoids it.
Durden missing with knees to the body.
Vera takes a knee to the side of the body.
Vera is breathing heavily.
Durden unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Jeremy Durden has scored more points in the clinch so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Durden lands a knee to the body.
Vera is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Durden unloads a knee to the mid-section. Vera lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Vera managing to block the knees to the body from Durden.
Durden landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Durden stalling in the clinch.
Knees to the body from Durden.
Knees in the clinch landing for Durden.
Durden is leaning against Vera and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Durden lands a knee to the body.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Durden scores a nice knee to the body.
Vera takes a knee to the side of the body.
Durden landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.

Durden pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Durden is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Vera can do to turn this around?

Durden forces Vera back against the cage and clinches.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Vera takes a knee to the side of the body.

Durden escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Durden moves into the clinch.

Durden breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Durden shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Vera eats them both and turns towards Durden to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.

Durden looking to score a takedown here. Vera is defending well but Durden drives through and ends up in Vera's guard.
Vera can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Durden controls the pace.
Durden keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Vera's head.

Vera is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Durden lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Durden trying to control but Vera is working from the bottom.
Durden advances position into side control!
Durden is looking to take a break and control but Vera is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vera seems a little lost for a moment, as Durden dominates the positioning.
Vera is not content to let Durden control the position.
Durden working away.
Durden trying to control the position but Vera is working away.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Jeremy Durden wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Vera has a takedown stuffed.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Durden.
Vera scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Durden moves into the clinch.
Vera tries for a takedown but Durden manages to get underhooks.

Durden pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Durden scores with a three punch combo!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Vera gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Durden counters with a lovely straight right hand!

Durden rushes Vera and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Vera tries to pull guard but Durden won't allow it.
Vera is trying to drag Durden to the mat but Durden just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Knees to the body from Durden.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Durden putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Vera in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jeremy Durden dominated that second 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. This is the final round!

Durden connects with a combination that backs up Vera into the cage. Durden lands a flurry of punches that gets past Vera's guard. Vera is down and the referee has seen enough. It is all over! Durden bursts into tears - this win obviously means a huge amount to him.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:05 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Jeremy Durden!
During a confident post fight interview, Jeremy Durden thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.