PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Andy Zab (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tim Phillips (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Zab
vs
Phillips

164 cm
18
147 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

170 cm
25
137 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Andy Zab!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Tim Phillips!
The judges for this bout are Albert Achterberg, Nard Betker and Saam Ante.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Zab thumps Phillips with a low kick.
Zab throws a head kick that misses.
Zab scores with a kick to the body.
Nice takedown defense from Zab. No joy for Phillips on that attempt.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Phillips.
Phillips takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Phillips avoids the head kick by Zab.
Zab buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Zab lands with a nice body kick.
Phillips misses with a kick to the body.
Phillips shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Zab counters by moving into the clinch.
Andy Zab has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Tim Phillips.
Zab gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.

Zab breaks the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Phillips has taken the fight to the clinch.
Phillips jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Zab walks away with a smile on his face. Phillips gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Zab dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Phillips. That did some damage!
Phillips throws a head kick that misses
and Zab counters with an inside leg kick.
Zab scoring well with a low kick there.
Phillips shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Zab finishes the little exchange by landing a big kick to the body.
Phillips looks gassed!
A nice inside leg kick there by Zab. That's going to slow Phillips down.
Zab ducks under a wild hook from Phillips.
Zab plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Phillips throws a poor cross that misses
and Zab counters with a big head kick but Phillips shrugs it off.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Zab connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Zab lands a leg kick that knocks Phillips off balance momentarily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A nice leg kick lands there from Zab.
Zab chopping away at his opponent's legs.

Phillips has managed to clinch.

Zab manages to break the clinch.
Zab cracks the inside of Phillips's front leg.
Phillips throws a lazy body kick
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Zab misses with a head kick.
Phillips is trying desperately to land a takedown but Zab is having absolutely none of it. This is turning into a bit of a nightmare for Phillips.
Phillips checks a leg kick nicely.
Zab connects with a solid leg kick.
Phillips misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Andy Zab is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Zab lands with a slapping head kick.

Zab gets tackled into the cage by Phillips. Phillips maintains the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Phillips is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Phillips is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Zab pulls him back up using the underhooks.

Zab breaks the clinch.
Good leg kick by Zab there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Zab connects with an inside leg kick.
Zab lands a head kick. Phillips smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Tim Phillips seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Zab scores with a leg kick.
Zab is looking to slow Phillips down with leg kicks.
Zab throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Phillips's head.
Zab throws a nice inside leg kick.

Phillips rushes Zab and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Zab prevents a takedown attempt there.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Zab escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Phillips walks forward, straight into a front kick from Zab.
Zab throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Zab misses with a head kick.
Zab pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Zab cracks the inside of Phillips's front leg.
A leg kick checked by Phillips.

Phillips moves into the clinch.
Phillips's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Zab escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Phillips misses the shot to the body.

Zab gets tackled into the cage by Phillips. Phillips maintains the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Andy Zab dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Phillips goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Phillips throws a series of strikes that have Zab backpedaling.
Zab throws a nice inside leg kick.
Phillips fails to land the takedown.
Zab slaps away a takedown attempt from Phillips, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Phillips throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Zab's waist but Zab gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Phillips off to one side.
Andy Zab has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Tim Phillips.
Zab tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

Phillips closes the distance and clinches.
Phillips is breathing heavily.
Phillips has had enough of the clinch but Zab keeps him there for the moment.
Zab has Phillips pressed against the cage, preventing Phillips from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

Zab breaks the clinch.
Andy Zab is winning the standup battle so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Phillips has his takedown stuffed
and Zab counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Phillips is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Zab tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Phillips stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Zab.
Phillips looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Zab throws a nice outside leg kick.
A chopping leg kick lands by Zab.

Phillips has managed to clinch.
Phillips is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.

Zab manages to break the clinch.
Phillips gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Zab counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Zab manages to break the clinch.
Zab connects with a leg kick. Phillips looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.

Phillips moves into the clinch.

Zab breaks from the clinch.
Zab leaves Phillips with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Phillips chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Zab can pounce on him.
Zab lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Zab throws a leg kick which misses Phillips's front leg but catches the back leg as Phillips tries to avoid it.
Zab throws a nice outside leg kick.
A solid body kick from Zab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Zab.
Zab scores with a leg kick.
Zab throws a head kick that half lands.
Tim Phillips is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Zab lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Zab lands a head kick!
Zab misses with a head kick.
Phillips shoots and misses

and Zab counters by clinching up.

Zab breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Phillips shoots in for a takedown but Zab shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Phillips throws a lazy head kick

and Zab counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Zab.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Zab pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Nice sprawl there from Zab as Phillips shoots in.
Phillips avoids the head kick by Zab.
Zab throws a head kick but Phillips moves out of range.
Zab pivots, looking for a leg kick but Phillips is out of range and Zab settles back down.
Phillips blocks a low kick nicely.
Phillips shoots in looking for a takedown but Zab manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Phillips's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Zab throws a leg kick that misses.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Zab lands a nice leg kick that just misses Phillips's sensitive parts.

Phillips closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.

Zab breaks from the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Andy Zab dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. 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.

Phillips checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Phillips tries for a takedown but Zab circles away easily
and Zab counters with a body kick.
Phillips wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Phillips thows a leg kick but Zab checks it
and Zab counters with a big head kick but Phillips shrugs it off.
Phillips on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Zab. Zab obviously looking to wear him down.
Phillips fails with the takedown.
Phillips misses with a leg kick

and Zab counters by clinching up.

Zab pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Zab moves into range and lands a nice body kick.
Zab tries to work over Phillips's front leg with a kick but Phillips checks it.

Phillips gets in close and instigates a clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Zab breaks the clinch.
Zab plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Phillips checks a low kick from Zab.
Phillips misses with a head kick.
Phillips throws a body kick the misses
and Zab counters with an outside leg kick.
Phillips throws a sloppy head kick
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Phillips shoots in but Zab avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Andy Zab has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Tim Phillips.
Phillips shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Zab pinned against the cage. Zab gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Phillips has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Zab.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zab lands a nice looking body kick.
Zab throws a half hearted mid kick.
A lazy body kick from Phillips
and Zab counters with a nice body kick.

Phillips rushes Zab and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Zab manages to break the clinch.
Zab scores with a push kick.
Phillips with a lazy takedown attempt

and Zab counters by moving into the clinch.

Zab's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Phillips forces Zab back against the cage and clinches.

Zab breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Phillips on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Phillips tries for a takedown but Zab circles away easily
and Zab makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Zab throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
Zab feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Phillips's calf.

Zab rushes Phillips and presses him up against the cage.
Phillips throws an elbow but it's blocked.

Zab manages to break the clinch.
Phillips with a poor takedown

and Zab holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

Zab breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Zab gets a clinch.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.

Zab breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Phillips moves into range and clinches up with Zab.

Zab's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Phillips has developed a nice purple lump on his ribcage, as a result of some heavy body kicks from Zab.
Phillips shoots in and drives through. Zab sprawls well.
A good leg kick by Zab.
Andy Zab is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Phillips fails with the takedown
and Zab counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Zab keeps Phillips at a distance using the push kick.
Zab throws a nice inside leg kick.
Zab lands with a kick to the ribs.

Phillips closes the distance and clinches.
Tim Phillips has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Zab is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.

And that's the end of the fight!
Andy Zab showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Zab, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Albert Achterberg scores the fight 30:27
Judge Nard Betker scores the fight 30:27
Judge Saam Ante scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Andy Zab!