PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Freddy Tr (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Stephen Chen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Tr
vs
Chen

170 cm
18
135 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

168 cm
18
140 lbs
4 - 6 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

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 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Freddy Tr!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 6 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Stephen Chen!
The judges for this bout are Peter Branson, Michael Johnstone and Sandra Marshall.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Chen tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Tr defends well and Chen ends up having to push Tr into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.

Chen drives through with a takedown into Tr's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Tr looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Chen puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Chen with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Tr is looking to control Chen's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Tr avoid being mounted?
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Chen prevents Tr from standing back up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Chen sitting and controlling from the half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Chen stops Tr from getting back to his feet.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.

Tr drives through with a takedown into Chen's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Chen keeping full guard, as Tr tries to pass.
Tr trying to control but Chen is working from the bottom.
Chen looking for a sweep. Not yet Chen, not yet.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tr wants to control from the top but Chen keeps moving.
Chen working a defensive guard here.
Tr postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.

Chen pushes Tr up against the cage in a clinch.
Chen is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Tr is defending well.
Chen is working Tr over against the cage.
Chen is struggling to control the position.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Chen avoiding damage as Tr throws knees to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Chen avoiding damage.
Tr misses with an elbow strike.

Chen jumps into guard, dragging Tr to the mat.

Tr got a little sloppy there for a moment and Chen has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Tr has managed to get both his arms back between Chen's legs - danger averted.
Tr trying to control but Chen is working from the bottom.
Tr stands and throws Chen's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Tr has knee on belly momentarily but Chen bucks him off and regains half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tr sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Chen regains full guard. Nicely done.
Tr throwing strikes from guard but Chen blocks nicely.
Chen throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Tr won't allow Chen to sweep him here.

Chen has his foot on Tr's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Tr works his way back into a safe position though.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Chen wants to clinch.
Freddy Tr is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Chen fails to land the takedown.
Tr swung with a counter punch to the body but it didn't connect.
Chen shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Tr sprawls well. Tr wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Chen gets slowly back to his feet.
Chen avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Chen moves into the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tr jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Chen walks away with a smile on his face. Tr gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Chen keeps the fight on the outside.
Tr shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Chen as he jumps to the side.
Tr closes this distance looking for a takedown but Chen circles away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Freddy Tr. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tr looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Chen is fending him off so far but Tr persists. Nope, Chen circles away and we're back to standing.
Chen stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Chen wants it to stay on the feet.
A nice side step and Chen releases a counter shot to the body, but it doesn't find it's home.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Tr is defended easily by Chen.

Chen closes the distance and pushes Tr back into the cage.
Tr is pressed up against the cage. Chen has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Tr down to the mat. Tr avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Chen has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Chen shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Tr as he jumps to the side.
Tr gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Chen counters with a nice body kick.

Tr darts in and clinches Chen up against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tr jumps guard but Chen turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Chen as Tr tries to tie him up.
Tr wants a takedown but no success here.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Tr wants to take the fight to the mat but Chen manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Chen is looking to take this one to the mat.
Knees in the clinch landing for Chen.
Chen is trying to drag Tr to the mat but Tr just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Chen stalling against the cage.

Chen ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Chen no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Chen is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Tr blocking the ground and pound attempt from Chen.
Chen missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Chen is keen to just control but Tr is a slippery customer.
Chen sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Tr defending well though.
Tr is trying to maintain the position but Chen is very close to passing his half guard.
Chen is looking to take a break and control but Tr is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tr won't allow Chen to pass to mount.
Tr wants to control but Chen is keeping busy.
Chen perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Stephen Chen has got the better of the ground game so far.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Chen wants to take a breather but Tr is having none of it.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Stephen Chen showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds 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.

Tr misses with a double jab.
Chen lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Tr circles away quickly and effectively.

Tr darts in and clinches Chen up against the cage.
Chen is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Tr gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Tr is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Chen to keep the fight standing.
Chen wants a takedown but no success here.
Tr is trying to maintain a safe position but Chen gets an underhook and turns Tr into the cage.
Chen drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Tr gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Freddy Tr has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Stephen Chen.
Tr tries to break free but Chen pushes him back against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tr missing with knees to the body.
Chen wants to get back to striking at distance but Tr won't allow it.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Tr is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. Chen can't fight it off and eventually Tr manages to take the fight to the floor. Chen looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Tr works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Tr scoring with strikes to the body and head.

Chen looking for submissions off his back.
Chen desperately trying to maintain half guard.
Tr wants to lay and pray for a moment but Chen keeps working.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Chen blocking the ground and pound attempt from Tr.
Tr seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Chen does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Chen trying to control but Tr postures up.
Chen moves into full guard.

Tr has gone for a leg lock! Chen slips out almost immediately though and dives into Tr's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tr can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Chen controls the pace.
Tr looking to hit a scissor sweep but Chen is one step ahead there.
Tr trying to control the position.
Chen loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

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.
Tr keeping moving, preventing Chen from controlling successfully.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Tr throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Tr shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Chen pinned against the cage. Chen gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Chen lands a head shot.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Chen has taken the fight to the clinch.
Chen jumps guard but Tr turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Freddy Tr has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Stephen Chen is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Chen has Tr pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Tr manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.

And that's the end of the fight!
Freddy Tr showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Chen has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Peter Branson scores the fight 28:29
Judge Michael Johnstone scores the fight 28:29
Judge Sandra Marshall scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Stephen Chen!