PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Willian Mathews (ranked 24394 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dylan Taylor (ranked 5307 p4p, 0 weight class). Fingers crossed for an exciting fight - I'm sure both fighters are looking for a nice under the table bonus!

Mathews
vs
Taylor

160 cm
25
140 lbs
0 - 4 - 0

187 cm
25
140 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
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 0 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Willian Mathews!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Dylan Taylor!
The judges for this bout are Thiago Cunha, Daniel Cesar and Luis Engracia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mathews defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Taylor.
Taylor fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Mathews changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Mathews takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Mathews showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Taylor.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Taylor lands a head kick. Mathews smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Taylor shoots and misses

so Mathews counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Willian Mathews has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Dylan Taylor.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Mathews's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mathews postures up.
Mathews throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Taylor looking to control.
Mathews not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Mathews is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Mathews keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Taylor's head.
Mathews throws a big right hand that misses.
Taylor not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Mathews postures up and lands a big shot to Taylor's brow.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Mathews throws a strike but Taylor rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Mathews is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Taylor is aware though and is defending well.

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

Mathews has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Taylor can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

Mathews looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Mathews working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Taylor.

Taylor stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Taylor lands a nice shot to the body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Mathews clinches.
Taylor stops a takedown attempt from Mathews.

Mathews works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Mathews lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Mathews is looking to work some ground and pound but Taylor has wrist control.
Mathews lands a couple of elbows.
Mathews scoring with some ground and pound.
Taylor is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Mathews not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Taylor wants to get back to his feet but Mathews is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Taylor lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Mathews circles away quickly and effectively.
Mathews wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.
Taylor looks winded!
Taylor lands a body shot.
Taylor misses with a takedown attempt - Mathews sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Taylor shoots in looking for a takedown but Mathews manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Taylor's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Mathews tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Taylor manages to circle out of the way.
Taylor tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
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 Willian Mathews will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Mathews has managed to clinch.
Mathews has Taylor pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Taylor manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Mathews is trying to drag Taylor to the mat but Taylor just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Taylor has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Mathews after a bit of a struggle.
Taylor is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Mathews gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Mathews prevents a takedown attempt there.
Willian Mathews has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Dylan Taylor.
Taylor jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Mathews walks away with a smile on his face. Taylor gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Taylor throws a left and a right that both miss

and Mathews counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.

The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Taylor looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Mathews is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Taylor is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mathews lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Taylor 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.
Mathews is stalling in the full guard.
Mathews working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Mathews's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Taylor looking for a sweep. Not yet Taylor, not yet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Mathews connects with a couple of short punches.
Mathews not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Mathews trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Mathews engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Taylor throws a lazy head kick

and Mathews counters by clinching up.

Mathews gets control of Taylor's arms and successfully pulls guard. Mathews will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Mathews might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

Mathews had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Taylor defends it easily.

Mathews looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Mathews manages to escape and get back to his feet.
Mathews is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Taylor can do to turn this around?
Taylor motions for Mathews to come forward. Taylor throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Taylor doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Mathews counters with a head kick.

Mathews has Taylor up against the cage in a clinch.

Mathews jumps into guard, dragging Taylor to the mat.
Mathews manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Taylor manages to get himself to full guard.

Taylor is trying to keep Mathews in close.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mathews is in close to Taylor's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Mathews with a nice head shot there.
Mathews loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

Taylor working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Mathews has passed into half guard!
Mathews trying to control the pace.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Willian Mathews dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Mathews blocks a head kick by Taylor.
Taylor fakes the leg kick and cracks Mathews in the body.

Mathews fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Taylor, pushing him back against the cage.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
Taylor looking to stall.
Mathews fails to pull guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Taylor unloads a knee to the mid-section. Mathews lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Taylor tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Mathews avoids it.
Mathews is looking to take this one to the mat.

Taylor breaks the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Taylor tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Mathews manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Taylor shoots in and drives through. Mathews sprawls well.
Mathews half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Taylor takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Taylor doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Mathews counters by clinching up.
Mathews tries for a takedown. No joy.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Willian Mathews. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Taylor tries to score a body lock takedown but Mathews shows good agility there to stay on his feet.

Mathews works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Mathews throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Taylor works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Mathews postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Mathews is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mathews has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
Taylor preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Taylor not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taylor shoots for a double leg takedown but Mathews sprawls well. He's pushed Taylor's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Mathews half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Dylan Taylor seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Mathews has managed to clinch.

Mathews turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Mathews manages to end up in side control.
Taylor tries to get back to his feet but has found himself mounted instead. Damn, that's gotta suck.

Mathews has hold of Taylor's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Taylor manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Mathews in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Mathews content just to control the position here.
Mathews moves to the back.
Watch the back of the head! Comes the shout from the referee towards Mathews.
Taylor is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Mathews has the hooks sunk in and you can see the will to fight slowly draining out of Taylor's body.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Taylor tries to escape but Mathews has the hooks in and won't let him break free.

And that's the end of the fight!
Willian Mathews showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Mathews, 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 Thiago Cunha scores the fight 30:28
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 30:27
Judge Luis Engracia scores the fight 30:26

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Willian Mathews!