PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Andy Ridge (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and James Lyger (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Lyger has chosen Holy Diver as his entrance music. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Ridge
vs
Lyger

177 cm
20
199 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

185 cm
24
190 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Good knees
KO power

Decent wrestler
Counter striker
Determined

Untouchable Fight Gear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Andy Ridge!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, James Lyger!
The judges for this bout are Anthony Taglia, Dean Styles and Jonathan Paton.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ridge lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Lyger circles away quickly and effectively.
Lyger slips a jab and a cross from Ridge.
Ridge lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Lyger circles away quickly and effectively.
Lyger misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Lyger moves out of range of the leg kick from Ridge.
Lyger takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Ridge swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Lyger counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Lyger is looking to advance position but Ridge has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!
Lyger wants to control but Ridge is having none of it.
Ridge wants to get back to his feet but Lyger is holding on tight.

That's one minute gone in the round.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Lyger can do anything to dispel that myth.
Lyger sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.
Lyger is looking for a sweep. Ridge is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lyger trying to control from the bottom.

We're going to have a standup here because Andy Ridge wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Ridge throws a leg kick but Lyger sees it coming and moves out of range.
Lyger avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Ridge misses with a combination

and Lyger counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Ridge looking to hit a scissor sweep but Lyger is one step ahead there.
Lyger throwing strikes but missing.
Lyger throwing strikes from guard but Ridge blocks nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lyger stopping the sweep attempt from Ridge.
Ridge controls Lyger momentarily but Lyger frees himself.
Lyger wants to control from the top but Ridge keeps moving.
Lyger throws a strike but Ridge rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Lyger is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Andy Ridge wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Ridge looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Lyger will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Lyger slips a jab and a cross from Ridge.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Lyger checks a leg kick nicely.
Ridge with a nice cross.
Lyger checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Ridge looks to land a combination but Lyger avoids it well.
Lyger slips a jab and a cross from Ridge.

Lyger closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Ridge to the mat! Ridge manages to get full guard.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Lyger throws a big right hand that misses.
Lyger wants to control from the top but Ridge keeps moving.
Lyger lands a couple of elbows.
Lyger in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Ridge preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Lyger throws a big right hand that misses.
Lyger throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Lyger wants to control from the top but Ridge keeps moving.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lyger throws a big right hand that misses.
James Lyger has got the better of the ground game so far.
Lyger is looking to work some ground and pound but Ridge has wrist control.
Ridge working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Lyger.
Lyger postures up in Ridge's guard and throws a big left but Ridge blocks it.
Ridge trying to keep a closed guard but Lyger is proving a slippery customer.
Lyger trying to control the position from guard on top but Ridge is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Lyger throwing strikes from guard but Ridge blocks nicely.
Lyger tries to free his leg and advance position but Ridge is retaining full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ridge trying to control the position.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Ridge misses with a two punch combination.
Lyger closes the distance and clinches up with Ridge, looking for a takedown. Lyger pushes Ridge against the cage but Ridge circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Andy Ridge is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Lyger takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Lyger chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Ridge can pounce on him.
Some wild striking there from Ridge.
Ridge misses with a series of wild punches.
Ridge misses with a double jab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ridge moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Ridge throws out a token jab with nothing on it.

Lyger closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Ridge did well to prevent Lyger getting side control.
Lyger tries to pass the half guard into mount. Ridge knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Ridge blocking the ground and pound attempt from Lyger.
Ridge blocking the ground and pound attempt from Lyger.
Lyger is trying to control the action in half guard but Ridge is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Ridge won't allow Lyger to pass to mount.
Lyger throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Lyger throws a big elbow that misses, also allowing Ridge to regain full guard.
Lyger throws a strike but Ridge rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Lyger wants to hit a switch here but Ridge passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for Lyger there!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Lyger is desperately trying to improve his position but Ridge has a good base and remains in mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James Lyger showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
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 get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Ridge motions for Lyger to come forward. Ridge throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Ridge misses with the combination.
Ridge ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Lyger moves away.
Ridge slaps away a takedown attempt from Lyger, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Ridge is looking to chop away at Lyger's legs.
Lyger shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Ridge defends it nicely.
Lyger shoots in for a takedown but Ridge shows good takedown defense.
Andy Ridge has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of James Lyger.
Ridge cracks Lyger with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ridge scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Ridge throws a leg kick that misses.
Ridge uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Lyger throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Ridge's waist but Ridge gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Lyger off to one side.
Ridge lands a head shot.
Ridge throws a leg kick but Lyger sees it coming and moves out of range.
Lyger is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Lyger closes the distance and clinches up with Ridge, looking for a takedown. Lyger pushes Ridge against the cage but Ridge circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Ridge tries a low kick but Lyger avoids it.
Nice defenses there by Lyger.
Ridge misses with a wild combination.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lyger gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Ridge!

Lyger closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Ridge's guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Ridge is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Ridge is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Lyger connects with a couple of short punches.
Lyger trying to control but Ridge is working from the bottom.
Lyger throws a strike but Ridge rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lyger looking to control.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.

Andy Ridge has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Ridge throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Andy Ridge is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Ridge fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Lyger takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Ridge thumps Lyger with a low kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Lyger scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Ridge is not content to let Lyger control the position.
Lyger in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Lyger trying to control the position but Ridge is working away.
Lyger misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Lyger tries to move into full mount but can't pass Ridge's legs.
Ridge is trying to improve his position.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Andy Ridge.
I think Lyger 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 Anthony Taglia scores the fight 28:29
Judge Dean Styles scores the fight 28:29
Judge Jonathan Paton scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... James Lyger!
James Lyger took to the microphone after his victory and thanked his sponsors, Untouchable Fight Gear for their support in the buildup to the fight.