PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Bob Zion (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Zech Whitney (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Zion might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Lars Frederiksen & The Bastards - 1%. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Zion
vs
Whitney

180 cm
20
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

178 cm
22
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Bob Zion!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Zech Whitney!
The judges for this bout are David Schapiro, Eddie Farnsworth and Columbo Gatti.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Whitney swats away the attempt to clinch by Zion.
Whitney misses with a head kick.
Zion shoots in for a takedown but Whitney shows good takedown defense.
Zion fails with the takedown.
Whitney tries to close the distance and clinch but Zion swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Whitney keeps the fight on the outside.
Zion tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
The fight stays on the outside here - Whitney looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Zion is looking to clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Zion fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Whitney, pushing him back against the cage.

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

Zion drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Whitney is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Whitney preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Zion stands and throws Whitney's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Whitney is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Zion is controlling him well.
Zion sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Whitney is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Whitney is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Zion asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Zion has knee on belly and moves into mount.
Whitney really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Zion. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Whitney is trying to escape but when you're mounted that's not too easy.
Zion has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Whitney looks gassed!
Zion sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zion fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Zion tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Zion looking to control but Whitney is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Zion looking to control and managing it successfully.
Whitney tries to buck Zion off but he can't manage it.
Zion takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Zion is landing with some decent strikes but Whitney is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Zion looking to finish Whitney with some ground and pound. This is bad for Whitney!
Zion fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Zion is landing with some decent strikes but Whitney is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Zion landing strikes from the mount.
Zion scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Zion looking to control and managing it successfully.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Zion looking to control but Whitney is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bob Zion dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Whitney misses with a head kick.
No luck for Zion with that takedown attempt.
Zion closes the distance and clinches up with Whitney, looking for a takedown. Zion pushes Whitney against the cage but Whitney circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Whitney swats away the attempt to clinch by Zion.
Zion looks for a takedown but Whitney sprawls well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bob Zion. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Zion rushes Whitney and presses him up against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Zion goes for a takedown attempt but Whitney pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Zion fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Zion tries to land a front kick but Whitney steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Horrible takedown by Zion or perhaps it was just good defense by Whitney which made him look bad.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Zion fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Zion swats away the attempt to clinch by Whitney.
Bob Zion is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Whitney scores with a three punch combo!
Whitney fails with an attempt to clinch.
A head kick misses from Whitney.
Bob Zion seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Zion throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Whitney's waist but Whitney gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Zion off to one side.
Whitney tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Whitney darts in and clinches Zion up against the cage.
Whitney is trying to break the clinch but Zion has him pressed against the cage.
Zion wants to break free but Whitney has control.
Whitney prevents the takedown attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zion drops down looking for an ankle pick but Whitney pulls his leg out and moves away.
Zion throws a left and a right that both miss
and Whitney counters with a body kick that brings a smile to the face of both fighters.
Zion tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Whitney counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Whitney tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Zion counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Zion tries to free his leg and advance position but Whitney is retaining full guard.
Zion stands and throws Whitney's legs to the side, diving into side control.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Whitney is letting Zion control him for a moment.
Whitney defending against the ground and pound.
Zion is pausing for a moment. What's he doing? It looks like he's clearing his nose. Oh dude! He's shot a load of snot all down Whitney's shoulder. That is not cool.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zion works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Whitney parries the strikes from Zion easily there. Zion is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Whitney to escape.
Whitney takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Zion cracks Whitney with a big elbow.
Zion controls the position.
Zion in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Zion working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Whitney wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!
Zion sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Whitney is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Whitney is trying to get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Zion shoots in for a takedown but Whitney shows good takedown defense.
Whitney wants to clinch

and Zion counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Whitney!
Zion fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Zion is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Whitney can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Zion raining down shots from the mount!

Whitney is rocked!
Whitney in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Whitney is still in real trouble! Can Zion finish him?
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Zion raining down shots from the mount!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bob Zion dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Whitney fails in his attempt to clinch.
Zion looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Zion keeps the fight on the outside.
The fight stays on the outside here - Zion looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Whitney seems to have recovered his senses.
Zion lands with a big left! Whitney is wobbled badly! Zion comes in with a flurry of punches and drops Whitney to the floor. The ref jumps in to save him from unneccessary punishment.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:31 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Punches). Bob Zion!