PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Floyd Howard (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Daniel Bryan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Fingers crossed for an exciting fight - I'm sure both fighters are looking for a nice under the table bonus!

Howard
vs
Bryan

150 cm
34
130 lbs
18 - 12 - 0

179 cm
28
135 lbs
16 - 6 - 1

Decent wrestler
Brawler
Experienced

Good takedowns
Brawler
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 18 - 12 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Floyd Howard!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 16 - 6 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Daniel Bryan!
The judges for this bout are Stewart Dunkirk, Alan Glass and Robert Twigg.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Bryan misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

Howard has taken the fight to the clinch.

Howard gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Bryan wants to control but Howard is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Bryan is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Howard knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Bryan on the ground.
Howard not doing much here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Howard works his foot free and advances to mount.
Howard content just to control the position here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bryan tries to hold on but Howard postures up.
Bryan regains half guard.
Bryan tries to roll over but Howard keeps him under control.
Howard wants to stand up but Bryan is controlling the position.

That's two 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.
The fighters are battling for position here. Bryan manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Howard postures up.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Bryan keeping moving, preventing Howard from controlling successfully.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Howard is on the wrong end of a couple of strikes there.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.

Howard shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Bryan's guard.
Howard trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Howard has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Howard tries to free his leg and advance position but Bryan is retaining full guard.
Bryan is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Howard slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.

Howard stands and steps away. Bryan gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Bryan fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Howard keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Howard throws a series of punches but Bryan avoids them all with ease.
Bryan is looking to clinch but Howard is avoiding it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Howard throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Bryan.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Bryan is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

Howard jumps into guard, dragging Bryan to the mat.
Bryan wants to control from the top but Howard keeps moving.
Howard could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Bryan controls from within his opponent's guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Bryan is looking to stand up but Howard won't let him.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Floyd Howard dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Bryan swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Howard.
Howard throws a sloppy head kick and Bryan moves out of range easily.
Howard uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Bryan.
Howard throws a sloppy head kick and Bryan moves out of range easily.

Howard rushes Bryan and presses him up against the cage.

Howard gets control of Bryan's arms and successfully pulls guard. Howard will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Howard is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Howard can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Bryan controls the pace.

Howard working for a triangle but Bryan defends it easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Howard looking to hit a scissor sweep but Bryan is one step ahead there.
Howard might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Bryan wanted to stand there but Howard had control of the position.
Bryan postures up in Howard's guard and throws a big left but Howard blocks it.
Howard is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Bryan can do to turn this around?
Bryan stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Howard swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Howard wants to get back to his feet but Bryan is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

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.
Howard darts in looking for a takedown but Bryan gets double underhooks and turns Howard into the cage.
Bryan is looking to clinch but Howard is avoiding it.
Howard attempts a counter takedown but Bryan avoids it well and moves away.
Bryan misses with a takedown attempt - Howard sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Howard throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Bryan misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Bryan throws a head kick but Howard moves out of range.
Bryan throws a series of punches but Howard avoids them all with ease.

Howard throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Bryan tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Howard is in Bryan's guard.
Bryan wants to get back to his feet but Howard is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Howard trying to control but Bryan is working from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Howard stands and steps away. Bryan gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Howard stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Howard wants it to stay on the feet.
Howard shoots for a takedown but Bryan saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Floyd Howard. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Howard throws a nice inside leg kick.

Howard takes the fight into the clinch.
Bryan has Howard pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Howard manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Bryan wants to stall.
Howard stops a takedown attempt from Bryan.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Howard has dropped down and is working for a takedown. Bryan is trying to keep an underhook but Howard manages to get the takedown into half guard.

Bryan is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Howard pulls his head out easily.
Howard is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Well, if Howard is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Bryan tries to get to full guard but Howard has control of the leg.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Bryan is still trying to improve position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Floyd Howard dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Howard moves into the clinch.
Howard lands an elbow that stopped Bryan in his tracks for a moment.

Howard breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Bryan tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Howard swivels and escapes.

Howard drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Howard stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Bryan swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Bryan bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Howard's guard.

We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bryan would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Howard on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Howard tries to get out of the position.
Howard trying to keep a closed guard but Bryan is proving a slippery customer.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Howard wants to stand but Bryan is controlling the position.
Floyd Howard overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Bryan trying to control the position from guard on top but Howard is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Howard working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Bryan doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Bryan manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Bryan wants to control from the top but Howard keeps moving.
Bryan throws a big elbow that misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Howard keeping full guard, as Bryan tries to pass.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Bryan trying to control the position from guard on top but Howard is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

Howard has closed the distance and engaged Bryan in a clinch.
Bryan jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Howard walks away with a smile on his face. Bryan gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Bryan shoots and misses
and Howard counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Floyd Howard has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Daniel Bryan.
Howard scores with a jab. Bryan acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Bryan fails to land the takedown.
Howard connects with a body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bryan wants to clinch but Howard slips to the side
and Howard counters with a nice body shot.
Bryan is looking to clinch.
Howard connects with a solid leg kick.

Bryan gets caught napping as Howard dives in and scores a takedown. Bryan manages to retain guard.
Howard trying to control but Bryan is working from the bottom.
Bryan avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Bryan trying to control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Howard wants to control from the top but Bryan keeps moving.

Bryan looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Howard is looking to work some ground and pound but Bryan has wrist control.
Daniel Bryan has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Floyd Howard is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Bryan being controlled here, momentarily.

And that's the end of the fight!
Floyd Howard showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Howard has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 30:27
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 30:27
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Floyd Howard!
The defeated Daniel Bryan had this to say: 'NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!'.