PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Non Stop (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Brian Braida (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Stop's entrance music is Punjabi Nachda. A fine choice. Brian Braida acknowledges the crowd's support as he enters the cage.

Stop
vs
Braida

180 cm
23
170 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

178 cm
20
185 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

Decent wrestler
Solid boxing
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Good kicks
Powerful

Crippler's Corner

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Non Stop!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Brian Braida!
The judges for this bout are Jonathan Paton, Lou da Vinci and Chad Campbell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Braida tries to close the distance and clinch but Stop swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Braida feints and as Stop raises his hands in defense, Braida changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Braida tries to free his leg and advance position but Stop is retaining full guard.
Braida in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Braida sitting in guard, not really doing much.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Stop has Braida pulled in close to control his posture.
Braida trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Braida content to stall in guard here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Stop preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Braida trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Braida throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Stop keeping moving, preventing Braida from controlling successfully.
Braida prevents Stop from getting back to his feet.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Stop closes the distance and pushes Braida back into the cage.

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.
Stop takes an elbow to the forehead.
Stop blocks an elbow strike from Braida.

Braida has hold of one of Stop's legs. Stop is fighting the takedown attempt but Braida gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
Stop is trying to keep Braida in close.
Braida working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Braida pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Stop is keeping the position for now.
Stop working a defensive guard here.
Stop knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Braida on the ground.
Braida stands and throws Stop's legs to the side, diving into side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
You can see the frustration on Stop's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Braida lands an elbow.
Braida working the body and head with strikes.
Stop looks to move to half guard but instead Braida has passed into mount! Damn!
Braida in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A nice elbow there by Braida.
Braida trying to control but Stop is having none of it.
Stop tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Braida landing strikes from the mount and Stop is in trouble!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Stop is in all sorts of trouble here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Brian Braida dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Braida scores with a takedown into Stop's guard.
Braida stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Stop swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Braida trying to control but Stop is working from the bottom.
Stop wants to stand up but Braida is controlling him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Braida wants to pass the guard but Stop is keeping the position.
Stop on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Stop tries to get out of the position.
Stop wants to sweep but no luck.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Braida chips away with some ground and pound.
Braida trying to control but Stop is working from the bottom.

Stop looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Braida takes the fight into the clinch.
Braida can't get the takedown.
Stop can't break the clinch.
Braida is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Stop takes an elbow to the forehead.

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.
Stop has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Braida pushes off an throws an elbow but Stop leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
With the fighters up against the cage, Braida throws an elbow but misses.

Stop pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Stop misses with a body kick.
Stop misses with a two punch combination.
Braida shoots in but Stop avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Braida slips a jab and a cross from Stop.
Stop throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Nice takedown defense from Stop. No joy for Braida on that attempt.
Non Stop has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Brian Braida.
Stop looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Stop lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Braida backs up against the cage.

Stop forces Braida back against the cage and clinches.
Braida is trying to drag Stop to the mat but Stop just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Stop prevents a takedown attempt there.
Braida is breathing heavily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Braida has hold of one of Stop's legs. Stop is fighting the takedown attempt but Braida gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
Stop throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Braida sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Stop's guard.
Stop trying to control from the bottom.
Braida not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Braida thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Braida is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Stop is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Braida landing shots from mount.
Stop tries to hold on but Braida postures up.
Brian Braida has got the better of the ground game so far.
Braida working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Braida landing strikes from the mount and Stop is in trouble!
Stop is bucking up trying to escape but Braida cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Stop wants to control but Braida is having none of it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Brian Braida 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! This is the final round!

A bone on bone clash there as Braida blocks the leg kick.
A punch combination from Stop misses.

Braida shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Braida looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Stop with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Braida is trying to control the action in half guard but Stop is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Stop is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Stop is staying active underneath Braida, who seems content to just control the action from this position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Braida prevents Stop from improving his position.
Stop holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.
Braida is nestled in close to Stop, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Braida throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Braida lands strikes from half guard.
Braida working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Stop tries to get to full guard but Braida has control of the leg.
Braida working Stop over with strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Stop is looking to get full guard. It looks like he might be successful but at the last minute Braida jumps into side control!
Braida has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Stop takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Stop tries to contro but end up mounted... ooooh, that's bad.
Stop is wriggling around trying to escape.
Stop is working hard here to advance position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Stop is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Braida scoring with strikes but Stop is staying in there.
A nice elbow there by Braida.
Stop is bucking up trying to escape but Braida cracks him with another couple of good strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Braida with the ground and pound from mount.
Stop tries to hold on but Braida postures up.
The referee warns Stop that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Stop wants to control but Braida is having none of it.
Stop in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Braida landing shots from mount.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Braida cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Braida lands a heavy elbow.
Stop really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Braida landing punches.
Braida lands a heavy elbow.
Braida lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
Non Stop has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Stop takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.

And that's the end of the fight!
Brian Braida comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Braida winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Jonathan Paton scores the fight 26:30
Judge Lou da Vinci scores the fight 26:30
Judge Chad Campbell scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Brian Braida!