PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Elroy Bernard (ranked 25395 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sam Zachariah (ranked 3761 p4p, 426 weight class). Sam Zachariah has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Elroy Bernard's chin.

Bernard
vs
Zachariah

199 cm
18
193 lbs
1 - 4 - 0

190 cm
18
189 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Tends to cut

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 1 - 4 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Elroy Bernard!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Sam Zachariah!
The judges for this bout are Sergei Dronov, Dmitry Maklakov and Aleksandr Martynov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
No luck for Bernard with that takedown attempt.

Bernard has taken the fight to the clinch.

Bernard breaks from the clinch.
Zachariah throws a head kick that misses.
Bernard doesn't manage to clinch there - Zachariah circles away.

Zachariah shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Bernard's guard.
Bernard looking to hit a scissor sweep but Zachariah is one step ahead there.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Zachariah looking to sit in guard and control but Bernard gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zachariah looking to hit a scissor sweep but Bernard is one step ahead there.
Zachariah working a defensive guard here.

Zachariah is working an open guard so Bernard takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Bernard shoots in for a double leg but Zachariah sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Bernard avoids the body shot from Zachariah.

Zachariah gets the takedown into side control.

Bernard throws Zachariah to one side and escapes!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bernard fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Zachariah manages to avoid it.
Bernard misses with a few strikes there.
Zachariah throws a head kick that misses.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Zachariah pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Bernard blocks the body kick.
Bernard tries to clinch but Zachariah is having none of it.
Bernard swinging wildly here.
Zachariah avoids the body shot from Bernard.
Zachariah swats away the attempt to clinch by Bernard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A looping hook to the body misses from Zachariah. Bernard does a little dance to reset his feet.
Bernard appears to be looking for a big counter.
Zachariah throws a nice outside leg kick.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Zachariah.

Bernard clinches up against the cage.
Bernard tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Elroy Bernard. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Zachariah breaks the clinch.
Bernard swinging wildly here.

Zachariah shoots in and gets a takedown into Bernard's guard.
Bernard pulls Zachariah in to control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bernard has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.

Zachariah stands up from guard. Let's bang!

Bernard gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Zachariah to score an easy takedown into full guard.

Bernard is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Elroy Bernard will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Bernard ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Zachariah moves away.

Zachariah gets a clinch.

Zachariah's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Zachariah swats away the attempt to clinch by Bernard.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Bernard enables Zachariah to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Bernard manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Bernard manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Zachariah manages to get himself to full guard.

Zachariah has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Bernard off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

A momentary lapse in concentration from Bernard enables Zachariah to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Bernard manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.

Bernard has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Zachariah off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Zachariah gets the takedown into side control.

Bernard bucks up and manages to escape back to his feet!
Zachariah is breathing heavily.
Zachariah ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Bernard avoids the head kick by Zachariah.
Bernard seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Zachariah tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Bernard manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Zachariah shoots in and bounces Bernard off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.

Bernard scrambles and gets back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Bernard has closed the distance and engaged Zachariah in a clinch.

Bernard breaks from the clinch.
Bernard really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Zachariah misses with a series of wild punches.
Bernard doesn't manage to clinch there - Zachariah circles away.
Bernard doesn't manage to clinch there - Zachariah circles away.

Bernard closes the distance and clinches.

Zachariah's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Bernard tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Zachariah manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bernard fails with an attempt to clinch.

Zachariah gets tackled into the cage by Bernard. Bernard maintains the clinch.

Zachariah manages to break the clinch.
Bernard wants to clinch up but Zachariah keeps it at a distance.
Zachariah swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Zachariah moves in looking to clinch but Bernard pushes him off.
Zachariah avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Zachariah let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.
Bernard tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Zachariah defends well and Bernard ends up having to push Zachariah into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Zachariah misses with a head kick.
Zachariah throws a hook to the side of Bernard's head but Bernard sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
As Zachariah tries to get set, Bernard tries to push him back and clinch up but Zachariah manages to avoid the attempt.

Bernard drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Zachariah is wriggling around but Bernard manages to pass to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Zachariah trying to control here but he's found himself mounted! Oh no!
Bernard content just to control the position here.
Bernard putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Zachariah can do anything to dispel that myth.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Bernard scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Zachariah?
Zachariah tries to strike from the bottom but he's left himself exposed and Bernard has taken his back.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Elroy Bernard dominated that second 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. This is the final round!

Bernard gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Zachariah controlling the action here for a moment.

Bernard's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
A head kick misses from Zachariah.
Sam Zachariah seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Zachariah throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Bernard went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.

Zachariah moves into the clinch.

Zachariah breaks the clinch.
Bernard tries to clinch but Zachariah is having none of it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Bernard scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Zachariah tries to kick Bernard off in order to stand up. Bernard Avoids the leg push though and dives into side control.
Zachariah takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Zachariah is looking to slip a leg under and get half guard but Bernard is one step ahead and moves to full mount!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zachariah has given up his back here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Bernard is working for a rear naked choke. Zachariah is not defending it well and Bernard has tightened it up quickly! This could be all over! Zachariah refuses to tap and goes to sleep, forcing the referee to intervene. A little trickle of blood came out of Zachariah's nose as his head slumped to the floor. That is naaaasty!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:28 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Elroy Bernard!