PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Conor Byrne (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rodrigo Rios (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Byrne comes to the cage accompanied by I'm Shipping Up To Boston. Rios has chosen Too Legit to Quit as his entrance music. Rodrigo Rios will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Byrne
vs
Rios

162 cm
21
131 lbs
6 - 7 - 0

161 cm
24
139 lbs
10 - 7 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Knockout power

Syndicate Drugs
Blaze Ronin Reborn

The Red Eye - Q155 for $60

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 6 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Conor Byrne!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rodrigo Rios!
The judges for this bout are Matheus Silva, Emerson Jorge and Edson Gomes.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rios tries to close the distance and clinch up but Byrne swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Rios tries a head kick but it misses.
Rios is looking to clinch.
Rios fails in his attempt to clinch.
Rios tries to clinch there but Byrne circles away.

Byrne shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Rios is trying to defend but Byrne finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.

Rios is defending against the submission attempts here by Byrne.
Byrne passes the guard and advances to mount!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Byrne controlling his opponent.
Rios tries to reverse the position but Byrne maintains control.

Byrne working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Byrne is going olschool here, as he tries to force Rios to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Rios shrugs it off.
Rios is squirming around, avoiding Byrne's attempts to control the action.

Byrne looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.

Byrne is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Rios can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Rios really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Byrne. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Rios is looking to improve his position but Byrne isn't that keen on the idea.
Rios tries to hold on but Byrne pushes him away.
Byrne looking to control but Rios is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
The referee warns Rios that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Rios is working to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Byrne lands a nice shot to the head.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Byrne wants to control the pace but Rios is squirming around nicely.
Rios in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Rios can't escape the position.

Byrne looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
Rios is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Byrne looking to control but Rios is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

Byrne has hold of Rios's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Rios manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Byrne lands a big elbow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rios is in all sorts of trouble here.
Byrne 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.
Rios regains half guard.
Byrne wants to control but Rios is keeping him busy.
Byrne frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Byrne takes Rios's back.
Byrne is hanging on to Rios's back as he tries to escape.
Byrne is throwing strikes from the back here. Oh that last one was to the back of the head. Byrne gets a warning from the referee. He throws another strike to the back of the head straight away though and the referee has seen enough. He breaks up the two fighters and stands them back up. Byrne gets a real talking to here and is lucky not to get a point deducted. Byrne apologises and we restart here on the feet.
Rodrigo Rios is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Byrne shoots in for a double leg but Rios sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Byrne fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Byrne is breathing heavily.
Byrne circles away from the clinch attempt.
Rios tries to clinch there but Byrne circles away.

Byrne shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Rios's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Byrne throwing strikes from guard but Rios blocks nicely.
Byrne in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Rios wants to sweep but no luck.
Byrne trying to control but Rios is working from the bottom.
Rios keeping full guard, as Byrne tries to pass.
Rios controls Byrne momentarily but Byrne frees himself.
Byrne forces his way into half guard.
Byrne working over Rios with some ground and pound. Rios looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Rios wants to get back to his feet.
Byrne prevents Rios from improving his position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Conor Byrne dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Rios tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Rios throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Byrne gets a clinch.
Byrne throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Rios blocks it with crossed arms.

Byrne ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Byrne no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Byrne controlling Rios's posture.
Byrne looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Rios stays in close to Byrne's body and controls the position.
Byrne lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Rios!
Rios really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Byrne moves to the back.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Byrne has his opponent's back and is working for the choke.
Byrne is hanging on to Rios's back as he tries to escape.
Rios trying to control but not successfully.

Byrne looking for the choke from the back.
Byrne connects with a series of strikes and the referee is calling for Rios to escape the position.
Byrne gets his hooks in and is throwing strikes.
Rios breaks Byrne's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
Byrne bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Rios's guard.
Byrne wants to control from the top but Rios keeps moving.
Rios looking to control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Byrne stays in close to Rios's body and controls the position.
Byrne slips nicely into half guard.
Byrne trying to control the action but Rios is working from the bottom.
Rios trying to control here.
Byrne moves nicely into side control.
Byrne trying to control the position but Rios is working away.
Rios is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

Byrne tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rios is not content to let Byrne control the position.
Byrne tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
Rios is trying to escape the position but Byrne is controlling the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Rios tries to get back to half guard but can't.

Byrne wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Rios, who protects the arm well.
Byrne cracks Rios with a big right hand but Rios just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Rios tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Byrne working the ground and pound.
Rios prevents Byrne from moving into mount.
Rios is trying to improve his position.
Rios wants to control but Byrne postures up.
Rios tries to bench press Byrne off him but Byrne keeps the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Conor Byrne dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Byrne closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Byrne lands in his opponent's guard.
Byrne pushes down on Rios's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Rios is trying to stand up here but Byrne is controlling him well.
Byrne throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Byrne working the head and body with strikes.
Byrne is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Byrne uses his free foot to push down on Rios's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Rios.
Byrne landing punches.

Byrne working for a guillotine from mount but Rios is in no mood to give up.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Rios is desperately trying to improve his position but Byrne has a good base and remains in mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rios is bucking up trying to escape but Byrne cracks him with another couple of good strikes.

Byrne is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Rios has managed to escape the submission attempt.
Byrne raining down shots from the mount!
Rios keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Byrne moves to take his opponent's back.
Byrne wants to control the position but Rios frees himself and scrambles - Byrne manages to regain control in side control.
Rios takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Rios tries to improve position but can't.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Byrne is working to tighten is grip on Rios's neck. He's isolated an arm and is working for an arm triangle. Rios has recognised the danger and is trying to turn with the submission but Byrne is really squeezing tight and eventually Rios passes out! Byrne breaks the hold and jumps onto the cage to celebrate! Submission of the night, I'd say!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:22 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Arm Triangle). Conor Byrne!