PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Mohammed Al Shazlee (ranked 4289 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tsyuoshi Taranaki (ranked 3585 p4p, 0 weight class). Tsyuoshi Taranaki has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Mohammed Al Shazlee's chin.

Al Shazlee
vs
Taranaki

180 cm
25
155 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

175 cm
25
155 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Determined

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 The Island, Mohammed Al Shazlee!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Tsyuoshi Taranaki!
The judges for this bout are David Hoff, Michael Johnstone and Bart Greer.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Taranaki lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Al Shazlee looks to land a body kick but Taranaki moved away.
Al Shazlee scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Taranaki doesn't seem bothered though.
Taranaki lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Al Shazlee at a distance.

Al Shazlee shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Al Shazlee was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Al Shazlee working the ground and pound but Taranaki is defending the strikes.
Taranaki tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Taranaki tries to strike but it doesn't land.
Al Shazlee scoring with punches and elbows.
Al Shazlee trying to control the position but Taranaki is working away.
Al Shazlee scoring with punches and elbows.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Al Shazlee wants to stand but Taranaki has his arm trapped.

Al Shazlee is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Taranaki knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Al Shazlee tries to stand but Taranaki is controlling his head.
Al Shazlee trying to control the action but Taranaki is working from the bottom.
Taranaki takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.

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.
Al Shazlee scoring with punches from side control.
A lull in the action here.
Taranaki really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Al Shazlee. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Taranaki is looking to reverse the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taranaki gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Al Shazlee scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Al Shazlee is keen to just control but Taranaki is a slippery customer.
Al Shazlee is thwarting Taranaki's attempts to control the position.
Al Shazlee looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Taranaki with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Al Shazlee slips a nice elbow through Taranaki's hands, connecting with Taranaki's forehead.
Al Shazlee tries to stand and escape but Taranaki is controlling the position.
Taranaki controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Al Shazlee lands strikes from half guard.
Al Shazlee wants to lay and pray for a moment but Taranaki keeps working.

Al Shazlee seems to be working for a kimura but Taranaki defends the submission attempt.
Al Shazlee perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Al Shazlee thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Al Shazlee thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Taranaki's head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mohammed Al Shazlee dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Al Shazlee shoots in for a takedown but Taranaki shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.

Al Shazlee fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Taranaki, pushing him back against the cage.
Al Shazlee has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Taranaki after a bit of a struggle.
Taranaki stalls.
Taranaki drops down looking for an ankle pick but Al Shazlee pulls his leg out and moves away.
Taranaki tries to close the distance and clinch but Al Shazlee swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Crunch! Taranaki slams his shin into Al Shazlee's torso.
Al Shazlee fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mohammed Al Shazlee. That's going to take a lot out of him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Al Shazlee stuffs the takedown.
Al Shazlee shoots and misses

and Taranaki holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.

Al Shazlee manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Al Shazlee has his foot on Taranaki's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Taranaki works his way back into a safe position though.
Taranaki throws a strike but Al Shazlee rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Al Shazlee trying to control the position from guard on top but Taranaki is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Taranaki controls Al Shazlee momentarily but Al Shazlee frees himself.
Al Shazlee trying to control but Taranaki is working from the bottom.
Al Shazlee postures up in Taranaki's guard and throws a big left but Taranaki blocks it.
Taranaki is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Al Shazlee trying to stand up but can't free himself from Taranaki's guard.
Al Shazlee stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Taranaki swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Taranaki being controlled here, momentarily.
Al Shazlee looking to sit in guard and control but Taranaki gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Al Shazlee wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Al Shazlee is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Taranaki is controlling him.
Al Shazlee trying to keep a closed guard but Taranaki is proving a slippery customer.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Taranaki misses with a wild body shot.

Al Shazlee feints and as Taranaki raises his hands in defense, Al Shazlee changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Al Shazlee sitting in guard here, content to control.
Al Shazlee with a nice head shot there.
Taranaki not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Al Shazlee pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Taranaki is keeping the position for now.
Mohammed Al Shazlee overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Taranaki is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Al Shazlee controls from within his opponent's guard.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Al Shazlee wants to control from the top but Taranaki keeps moving.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Mohammed Al Shazlee will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Taranaki keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

Taranaki clinches up with Al Shazlee and pushes him back against the cage.

Taranaki breaks the clinch.
Taranaki lands a head kick. Al Shazlee smiles back at him and beckons him forward.

Taranaki gets a clinch.
Al Shazlee wants to break free but Taranaki has control.
Taranaki digs a right hand underneath Al Shazlee's ribcage. Al Shazlee let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Taranaki is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Al Shazlee is defending well.
Taranaki slows down the pace here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Al Shazlee tries to land knees in the clinch but Taranaki avoids the damage to the body.
A right hook to the body lands for Taranaki.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Al Shazlee working hard to break the clinch.
Taranaki gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Al Shazlee.
Al Shazlee displaying some good clinch control by pressing Taranaki up against the cage.
Al Shazlee tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Al Shazlee blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Al Shazlee fails to pull the fight into his guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mohammed Al Shazlee. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Taranaki blocks a body shot from Al Shazlee.
Al Shazlee trying to control the position but instead, Taranaki has worked for underhooks and has pushed Al Shazlee into the cage.
Taranaki keeps control of Al Shazlee as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

That's two 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.
Al Shazlee goes for a takedown attempt but Taranaki pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Al Shazlee misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Taranaki goes for a high kick. It partially lands.

Taranaki fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Al Shazlee, pushing him back against the cage.
Taranaki drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Al Shazlee gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Taranaki has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Al Shazlee is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Taranaki is trying to pull guard but Al Shazlee turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Al Shazlee goes for a takedown attempt but Taranaki pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Taranaki tries to clinch but Al Shazlee is having none of it.

Al Shazlee moves into the clinch successfully.

Al Shazlee decides to pull guard.

Al Shazlee looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Taranaki passes into half guard.
Taranaki throws a big elbow that misses, also allowing Al Shazlee to regain full guard.
Taranaki postures up.
Al Shazlee throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Al Shazlee tries to strike from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Al Shazlee bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Taranaki's guard.

Al Shazlee's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Taranaki wants to sweep but no luck.
Taranaki wants to stand but Al Shazlee is controlling the position.
Al Shazlee wants to get up but he can't break Taranaki's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Al Shazlee wants to pass the guard but Taranaki is keeping the position.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

And that's the end of the fight!
Tsyuoshi Taranaki comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Al Shazlee has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 David Hoff scores the fight 29:28
Judge Michael Johnstone scores the fight 29:28
Judge Bart Greer scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mohammed Al Shazlee!