PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Dick Avery (ranked 24488 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ryan Balch (ranked 5234 p4p, 0 weight class). Ryan Balch has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Avery
vs
Balch

165 cm
19
214 lbs
2 - 4 - 0

200 cm
25
199 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Experienced

Good takedowns
Brawler
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 4 - 0, fighting out of New York, Dick Avery!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Ryan Balch!
The judges for this bout are Lou da Vinci, Columbo Gatti and David Schapiro.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Balch instigates a clinch.

Balch breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Balch clinches up with Avery and pushes him back against the cage.

Balch pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Balch throws a series of punches but Avery moves out of range.
It looked like Avery wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Avery wants to clinch.
Avery could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.

Balch throws a loose over hand right and dives in with a double leg takedown. Avery tries to sprawl but it's too late and the fighters hit the mat. Balch is in Avery's guard.
Avery might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Balch wanted to stand there but Avery had control of the position.
Balch postures up in Avery's guard and throws a big left but Avery blocks it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Avery looking for a sweep. Not yet Avery, not yet.
Balch is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Balch is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Balch controls from within his opponent's guard.

Balch decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Avery, up you get!
Avery tries to close the distance and clinch but Balch swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Balch closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Avery's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Avery looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Balch landing with the ground and pound.
Avery bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Balch's guard.

The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Balch is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Avery is controlling him.
Balch seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Avery trying to control but Balch is working from the bottom.
Balch throws some sloppy strikes off his back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balch is controlling Avery's posture.
Balch bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Avery's guard.

Balch controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Balch passes into half guard.
Avery throws a sloppy strike from the bottom. He's now off balance and Balch manages to pass to side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Avery trying to remain calm as Balch controls from the top position.
Balch is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Balch working the ground and pound.
Balch controls the position from side control.
Balch wants to stand but Avery is controlling his arm.
Avery is looking to regain half guard here but Balch keeps moving and retains side control.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
You can see the frustration on Avery's face as Balch controls the position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ryan Balch dominated that 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.

Balch lands with a right hand.

Balch pushes Avery up against the cage in a clinch.

Balch decides to pull guard.
Balch is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Balch's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Let's hope that Balch has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Avery stops Balch from standing up.
Avery wants to control from the top but Balch keeps moving.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balch doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Avery has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Avery won't allow Balch to sweep him here.

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

Balch has Avery up against the cage in a clinch.
Avery tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Balch avoids it.
Avery is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Balch is keeping busy.
Avery tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

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

Balch shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Avery manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.

Avery uses the cage to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ryan Balch seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Balch shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Avery is trying to defend but Balch finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Avery is looking to get back to is feet but Balch passes into side control.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Avery tries to buck Balch off but Balch is having none of it.
Balch wants to stand but Avery has his arm trapped.
Balch scoring with punches and elbows.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balch wants to stand but Avery has his arm trapped.
Avery tries to improve position but can't.
Balch has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
The step up in weight doesn't seem to be a problem for Balch. He's performing admirably here against the bigger man.
Balch wants to stand but Avery is controlling his arm.
Balch is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Avery will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.
Avery tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Balch wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Ryan Balch has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Balch lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Avery down.
Balch tries to get to his feet but he's trapped momentarily.
Balch just content to control the position.
Avery takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Balch lands some shots froms side control.
Balch controlling the position from side mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ryan Balch showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Balch dives in and scores a takedown into Avery's guard.
Avery trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Balch is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Balch working some strikes from top position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Balch pushes down on Avery's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Balch wants to stand up but Avery is controlling the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Avery is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Balch is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Balch trying to control the pace.
Balch is continuing to stall.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Avery is looking for a sweep. Balch is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Balch content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Balch is keen to just control but Avery is a slippery customer.
Balch prevents Avery from standing back up.

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

Balch gets a clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balch avoiding damage.
Avery tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.

Balch jumps guard.
Balch pulls Avery in close to prevent any damage.
Balch wants to stand and escape but Avery is having none of it.
Avery knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Balch on the ground.

Avery is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.

Avery postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Balch is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Avery, into his guard.

Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Balch is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Avery looking to hit a scissor sweep but Balch is one step ahead there.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Balch wants to get up but he can't break Avery's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ryan Balch comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Balch 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 Lou da Vinci scores the fight 27:30
Judge Columbo Gatti scores the fight 27:30
Judge David Schapiro scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ryan Balch!