PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Ulan Bator (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and John Maia (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ulan Bator has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Bator
vs
Maia

180 cm
23
135 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

176 cm
29
156 lbs
5 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Knockout power

Happy Pills 159Q - 90% Laundry

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 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Ulan Bator!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, John Maia!
The judges for this bout are Gwen Towbar, Cecil Peabody and George Francis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Bator closes this distance looking for a takedown but Maia circles away.
Maia misses with a head kick.

Bator shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Maia manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Bator has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Maia wants to stand up but Bator is controlling him.
Bator tries to free his leg and advance position but Maia is retaining full guard.

Bator drops back looking for a leg! Maia is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Maia manages to kick Bator off! Bator jumps back into Maia's guard.
Maia wants to stand and escape but Bator is having none of it.

Bator is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Bator stops Maia from standing up.
Bator tries to free his leg and advance position but Maia is retaining full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maia wants to get back to his feet but Bator is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Bator knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Maia on the ground.
Bator trying to control the position from guard on top but Maia is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Maia has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Bator off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
John Maia is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Maia fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Bator will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Maia defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Bator.
Maia bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Bator's head backwards.
Maia throws a shot to the body.
Maia looks for the body kick but Bator saw that one coming.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maia throws the kick towards the body but Bator avoids it.
Bator misses with a takedown attempt - Maia sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ulan Bator. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Maia bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Bator's head backwards.
Bator shoots in but Maia avoids the takedown attempt easily.
John Maia seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Maia misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Maia fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Bator avoids a kick to the body.

Maia gets caught napping as Bator dives in and scores a takedown. Maia manages to retain guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bator stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Maia swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Bator prevents Maia from getting back to his feet.

Bator thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Bator looking to pass the guard.
Bator trying to control the position from guard on top but Maia is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Maia manages to escape and get back to his feet.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Maia enables Bator to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Maia manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.

Bator thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Bator pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Maia is keeping the position for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Bator trying to control but Maia is working from the bottom.
Maia is looking to stand up but Bator isn't so interested in that idea.
Bator really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

Maia scrambles and gets back to his feet.
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!
Bator walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Maia checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Bator fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Bator tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Maia swivels and escapes.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Maia lands a high kick!
Maia pulls out of a head kick attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but John Maia will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Bator shoots for a double leg takedown but Maia sprawls well. He's pushed Bator's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Maia looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
John Maia is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Bator shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Ulan Bator overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Maia is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Bator is controlling him.
Bator trying to control the position from guard on top but Maia is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Bator drops back looking for a leg! Maia is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Maia manages to kick Bator off! Bator jumps back into Maia's guard.
Bator won't allow Maia to get back to his feet.

Bator is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Bator wants to control from the top but Maia keeps moving.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Maia wriggles free and stands up.
Bator fails with the takedown.
Bator looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Maia is fending him off so far but Bator persists. Nope, Maia circles away and we're back to standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ulan Bator. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Maia looks to land a combination but Bator avoids it well.
Bator looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Bator fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bator fails to land the takedown.
Maia goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Maia tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Bator was well out of range. Poor timing from Maia.
Maia scores with a head kick.
Bator with a lazy takedown attempt
and Maia counters with a big head kick but Bator shrugs it off.
Maia displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Bator.
Bator takes a head kick and keeps coming.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bator misses with a takedown attempt - Maia sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Bator displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Maia throws out the jab.
Bator misses with a takedown
and Maia counters with a one-two to the body.
Bator misses with a takedown attempt
and Maia counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Bator thinking.
Bator uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Maia.
Bator slips under a jab.
Bator gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Maia makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. Bator really felt that one!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Maia scores with a shot to the body.
Bator tries for a takedown but Maia sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Maia misses the jab.
Maia misses with a double jab.
Bator misses with a takedown attempt
and Maia makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Maia cracks Bator with a right hand to the side of the head.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Maia tries a head kick but it misses.
Bator shoots in looking for a takedown. Maia tries to sprawl out of it but Bator keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Maia manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

John Maia showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Sloppy strikes from Maia. Those never looked like landing.
Maia misses with a wild combination.
Maia pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Maia is looking to score with low kicks.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Maia misses with a double jab.
Bator looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

Bator gets a takedown into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bator trying to control the action but Maia is working from the bottom.
Bator tries to pass the half guard into mount. Maia knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Maia is trying to stand up here but Bator is controlling him well.

Bator is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Maia is just riding it out for now. Bator eventually gives up the hold.
Maia is looking to escape.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Bator is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Maia is looking to escape.

Maia manages to escape and get back to his feet!
Bator tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Maia swivels and escapes.
A head kick misses from Maia.
Maia takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Bator looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ulan Bator. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Bator fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Maia avoids it really well and circles away.
John Maia seems to be getting the better of the standup.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bator takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
John Maia is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Maia looks to land a combination but Bator avoids it well.
Bator misses with a takedown
and Maia counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Maia looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Bator avoids the head kick by Maia.
Bator shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Maia as he avoids it easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bator throws a leg kick
and Maia counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.

Bator changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Maia looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Maia tries to escape but Bator is in control.

Bator is trying to get an arm triangle but Maia is defending well.
Maia wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!

Bator is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Maia knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Maia is not content to let Bator control the 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 Ulan Bator.
I think Maia 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 Gwen Towbar scores the fight 28:29
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 29:29
Judge George Francis scores the fight 29:29

The fight is ruled a majority draw!