PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Serj Tankian (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ryan Dean (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The key to victory for Serj Tankian has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Tankian
vs
Dean

187 cm
23
185 lbs
2 - 5 - 0

182 cm
19
185 lbs
4 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Granite chin

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Serj Tankian!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Ryan Dean!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Dean closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Tankian to the mat! Tankian manages to get full guard.
Dean is working Tankian over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Dean trying to control the position from guard on top but Tankian is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Tankian looking to hit a scissor sweep but Dean is one step ahead there.

Tankian looking for a guillotine here but Dean defends easily.
Dean working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Dean working some strikes from top position.
Dean postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Dean won't allow Tankian to get back to his feet.
Dean working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dean trying to control but Tankian is working from the bottom.
Dean makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Tankian looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Dean looking to pass the guard.
Dean prevents Tankian 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.
Tankian scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Dean will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Dean changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Tankian tries to avoid it but Dean manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Tankian to the ground. Tankian escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Tankian misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

Dean darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tankian wants to get back to his feet.
Dean stalling away here and it's allowed Tankian to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Dean throwing strikes from guard but Tankian blocks nicely.
Dean passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Dean landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Tankian tries to control the position but he's not in luck - Dean easily slips into full mount!

Dean looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Dean looks gassed!

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Dean has hold of Tankian's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Tankian manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Dean landing punches.
Dean thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!

Dean is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Tankian has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Tankian!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Dean thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.

Dean escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Tankian gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.

Dean is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Dean bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Tankian's guard.
Dean stands up over Tankian, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Dean working some strikes from top position.
Dean postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Dean is in close to Tankian's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Dean landing with the ground and pound.
Dean has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Dean works over Tankian with some ground and pound from guard.
Dean postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Dean's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ryan Dean dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Tankian swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

Dean drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Dean distracts Tankian with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Dean accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Dean passes Tankian's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Dean passes to full mount!
Dean with shots to the head and body - Tankian looks very uncomfortable down there.
Dean landing punches.
Tankian regains half guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Tankian is trying to stand.

Dean seems to be working for a kimura but Tankian defends the submission attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tankian is staying active underneath Dean, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Tankian keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

Dean is trying to work for a kimura. He's got his hands clasped together - this could be trouble! No, Tankian has managed to free his arm - good work.
Dean thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Tankian's head.
Dean lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Dean lands with a punch from half guard.
Dean lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Dean seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dean wants to lay and pray for a moment but Tankian keeps working.
Dean is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Dean winds up and cracks Tankian with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Dean passes to full mount!
Dean lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Tankian taking shots to the head.
Tankian bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Dean throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Tankian wants to get up but he can't break Dean's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Tankian won't allow Dean to sweep him here.
Dean doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dean is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Tankian wants to stand but Dean is controlling his posture from full guard.
Dean looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Tankian is looking to stand up but Dean won't let him.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Dean shoots for a double leg takedown but Tankian sprawls well. He's pushed Dean's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Danga de danga de dang - Tankian scores with a four punch combination!
No luck for Dean with that takedown attempt.
Tankian stalks Dean and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Dean's face. Dean staggers backwards, shaken.
Tankian looks to land a combination. Dean sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Nice sprawl there from Tankian as Dean shoots in.
Serj Tankian has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ryan Dean.
Dean gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Tankian throws a right hand that Dean ducks under and follows up with a left that Dean also avoids with ease.
No joy there for Tankian, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Tankian misses with a series of wild punches.
Tankian lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.
Dean closes the distance and clinches up with Tankian, looking for a takedown. Dean pushes Tankian against the cage but Tankian circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Dean throws and low kick but Tankian moves out of range easily.
Dean looks for a takedown but Tankian sprawls well.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Tankian will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Dean shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Tankian pinned against the cage. Tankian gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ryan Dean 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!

Tankian shoots and misses

and Dean decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Tankian's guard.
Dean trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Dean connects with a couple of short punches.
Dean works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Dean lands with a punch from half guard.
Dean lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Tankian won't allow Dean to pass to mount.
Dean working the head and body with strikes.
Dean lands strikes from half guard.
Dean lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Dean scoring with strikes to the body and head.

Dean looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tankian blocking the ground and pound attempt from Dean.
Dean moves into full mount! Tankian won't be happy about that!
Dean lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Dean looking to finish Tankian with some ground and pound. This is bad for Tankian!
Dean scoring with strikes but Tankian is staying in there.
Dean lands a big elbow.
Dean with the ground and pound from mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dean lands a heavy elbow.

Tankian is rocked!
Tankian is trying desperately to improve position.
Dean working Tankian over with strikes here.
Oh Tankian is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Dean pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Tankian is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Dean working the ground and pound effectively.
Dean lands a big shot there that rocks Tankian but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Dean scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Tankian?
Tankian seems to have got his legs back now.
Tankian is bucking up trying to escape but Dean cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
Dean with a couple of short strikes.
Tankian is trying desperately to improve position.
Dean connects with a couple of good shots from mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dean breaks from Tankian's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Dean is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Tankian is trying to stand.
Dean unloading with bombs!
Dean connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Dean is in full mount looking to finish with strikes. He lands a big shot, followed by another and Tankian goes limp! The ref jumps in to end the fight - a big win for Dean!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:48 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Strikes). Ryan Dean!