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). This should be a great matchup!

Howard
vs
Bryan

150 cm
34
130 lbs
19 - 13 - 0

179 cm
29
135 lbs
17 - 7 - 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 19 - 13 - 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 17 - 7 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Daniel Bryan!
The judges for this bout are Tiny Johnson, Alan Glass and Stewart Dunkirk.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Howard tries a head kick but it misses.
Bryan throws a lazy right hand but Howard sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.

Howard shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Bryan is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Bryan is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Bryan has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Howard is working away from the top position though.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Howard missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Bryan trying to control but Howard postures up.
Howard knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Bryan on the ground.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bryan tries to get to full guard but Howard has control of the leg.
Howard trying to control from half guard but Bryan is working away.
Howard passes to full mount!
Howard throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Bryan can't escape the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bryan holds of for dear life.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Bryan is squirming around, avoiding Howard's attempts to control the action.
Bryan working to try and regain half guard.
Howard putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Bryan really trying hard to get back to half guard here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Howard tries to control but Bryan wriggling away.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Bryan keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Howard takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Bryan is wriggling around trying to escape.

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.
The referee warns Bryan that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.

Howard is standing up out of mount! Strange tactic there - he must really want this one on the feet!
Howard tries to score a power double leg takedown but Bryan sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Howard somewhat.
Howard misses with a takedown attempt - Bryan sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Howard shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Bryan wants to control but Howard is keeping busy.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Floyd Howard dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Bryan tries to score a power double leg takedown but Howard sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Bryan somewhat.
Bryan throws a head kick but Howard moves out of range.
Howard looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

Howard looking to score a takedown here. Bryan is defending well but Howard drives through and ends up in Bryan's guard.
Bryan being controlled here, momentarily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bryan keeping moving, preventing Howard from controlling successfully.

Bryan is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Howard defends well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bryan working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Howard.
Howard trying to control the position from guard on top but Bryan is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Bryan working a defensive guard here.
Howard stops Bryan from standing up.
Howard would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Howard trying to move into half guard but instead Bryan has managed to sweep!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Howard looking to control.
Howard is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Bryan can do to turn this around?
Howard manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Bryan manages to get himself to full guard.

Howard trying to control but Bryan is working from the bottom.
Bryan wants to stand and escape but Howard is having none of it.
Howard might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Bryan is looking to stand back up... there's a bit of a scramble and Howard dives into side control.
Bryan gets back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Howard seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.
Bryan trying to hold on to Howard's head to control him but Howard postures up.
Howard content to control rather than advance.
Bryan is trying to get back to full guard.
Howard trying to pass the guard but Bryan defending well.
Howard prevents Bryan from improving his position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Bryan is staying active underneath Howard, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Bryan tries to close the distance and clinch but Howard swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Howard is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Bryan tries to clinch but Howard moves away
and Howard counters with an inside leg kick.
Howard could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Howard closes this distance looking for a takedown but Bryan circles away.
Howard keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Howard fails with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Floyd Howard. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Howard circles away from the clinch attempt
and Howard counters with a two punch combo.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Floyd Howard dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Bryan wants to clinch.
Howard works over Bryan's head and body with a nice combination.
Howard throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Bryan stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Howard circles away from the clinch attempt.
Howard shoots in looking for a takedown. Bryan tries to sprawl out of it but Howard keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Bryan manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nice sprawl there from Bryan as Howard shoots in.
Bryan shoots and misses
and Howard counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Bryan looks to clinch
and Howard counters with a nice body shot.
Floyd Howard is winning the standup battle so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Howard tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Bryan defends well and Howard ends up having to push Bryan into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Bryan throws a counter combo.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Floyd Howard. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Bryan shoots in but no luck this time.
Howard changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Bryan tries to avoid it but Howard manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Bryan to the ground. Bryan escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Bryan fails with a takedown attempt.
Bryan fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
A counter left hand to the body from Howard misses its target.
Floyd Howard is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Howard steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Bryan.
Bryan darts in looking for a takedown but Howard gets double underhooks and turns Bryan into the cage.

Howard dives in and scores a takedown into Bryan's guard.
Bryan not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bryan keeping moving, preventing Howard from controlling successfully.
Bryan tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Bryan managing to control the position.
Howard trying to control but Bryan is working from the bottom.
Howard has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Bryan has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Howard can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Bryan wants to stand but Howard is controlling the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Howard working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Howard looking to pass the guard.
Howard engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.

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

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Bryan throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Bryan working a defensive guard here.
Bryan wants to stand but Howard is controlling the position.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

Bryan shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Howard manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Howard managing to control the position.

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 Tiny Johnson scores the fight 30:27
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 30:27
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Floyd Howard!
Daniel Bryan was interviewed post fight and said 'NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!'.