PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Jab Buckeye (ranked 2391 p4p, 0 weight class) and Abdullah Zaire (ranked 2005 p4p, 0 weight class). Buckeye comes to the cage accompanied by Right above it lil Wayne . Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Buckeye
vs
Zaire

184 cm
25
196 lbs
10 - 6 - 0

189 cm
25
202 lbs
1 - 3 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Granite chin

Good wrestler
World class MT
Granite chin

Perkele!

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 10 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Jab Buckeye!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Abdullah Zaire!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Timothy Bukovac and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A telegraphed right hand from Zaire misses the target.
Buckeye drops down looking for a counter takedown but Zaire sprawls and moves away.
Zaire throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Buckeye's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Zaire connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Buckeye scrambles back to his feet.

It looks like Jab Buckeye has been cut.
Zaire takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Zaire waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Buckeye.
Zaire misses with an uppercut.
Nice defenses there by Buckeye.
Buckeye shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Zaire as he jumps to the side.
Zaire scores with a one two! Buckeye had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Zaire connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Zaire throws the kick towards the body but Buckeye avoids it.
Buckeye takes a kick to the side of the head.

Jab Buckeye's cut is getting worse.
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!

Buckeye bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Zaire can't do much from the bottom here.
Zaire tries to bench press Buckeye off him but Buckeye keeps the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Buckeye lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Zaire tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Buckeye wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Buckeye throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Zaire is looking for a sweep.
Zaire sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Buckeye is looking to take a break and control but Zaire is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Buckeye missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Zaire moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Buckeye has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Zaire wants to sweep here but Buckeye controlling him for the moment.
Zaire is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Zaire pulls Buckeye in to control the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zaire trying to control the position.
Buckeye trying to control the position from guard on top but Zaire is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Zaire looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Zaire trying to control the position here.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Zaire tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Buckeye takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Good exchange - Zaire coming out on top.
Zaire swings widly with a right hand

and Buckeye counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

Zaire kicks Buckeye off and gets back to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zaire misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Buckeye tries to counter with a takedown but Zaire is quick to defend against it.
Buckeye tries for a takedown but Zaire sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Buckeye fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jab Buckeye. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Zaire leaves Buckeye with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Zaire scores with a decent looking hook.
Buckeye slips under a jab from Zaire.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Zaire stuffs the takedown.
Zaire cracks Buckeye with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Left hook, right uppercut from Zaire.
Zaire throws a body kick despite being completely out of range

and Buckeye counters with a takedown into side control.

Zaire explodes and escapes back to his feet! Nice escape there!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Zaire throws a push kick but Buckeye slaps the foot to one side.
A little feinted left hand from Buckeye on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Buckeye avoids the head kick by Zaire.

Buckeye scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Buckeye working the head with strikes.
Zaire is trying to control Buckeye's posture but Buckeye avoids it.
Zaire is looking for a sweep.
Buckeye in the domination position with Zaire hanging on.
Zaire takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Zaire is trying to improve his position.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Buckeye trying to control the action but Zaire is working from the bottom.
Zaire tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Buckeye wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Abdullah Zaire dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Jab Buckeye's cut.
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.

Jab, jab by Zaire - just one landing.
Buckeye ducks under a wild hook from Zaire.
Abdullah Zaire seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Buckeye drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
A lazy left from Zaire finds it's target.
Zaire throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Buckeye sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Nice uppercut lands for Zaire. That snapped Buckeye's head back.

Jab Buckeye's cut is bleeding quite badly. He's got to try and protect it.
Buckeye slips a jab from Zaire.
Buckeye drops down looking for a counter takedown but Zaire sprawls and moves away.
Zaire lands a head shot.
Sloppy strikes from Zaire. Those never looked like landing.
Buckeye half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Zaire pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Zaire tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
A decent looking cross lands there for Zaire.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Zaire throws a jab when Buckeye was well out of range.
A big right from Zaire misses.
Buckeye shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Zaire but Zaire pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Buckeye fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Zaire avoids it really well and circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Buckeye takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Zaire swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Zaire throws a hook but Buckeye avoids it easily.
Zaire connects with a nice looking jab.
Buckeye tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Zaire defends well and Buckeye ends up having to push Zaire into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Buckeye looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jab Buckeye. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Zaire displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Buckeye throws out the jab.
Buckeye walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.

Jeez, Jab Buckeye's cut is really nasty now. The referee must be thinking about getting that checked.
Zaire scores with a jab to the head.
Abdullah Zaire is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Zaire misses with a straight left.
Zaire lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Zaire throws out a loose jab but Buckeye uses good head movement to avoid it.
Buckeye is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.

The referee calls the doctor in to look at Jab Buckeye's cut. Oh no, the doctor has called an end to the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:08 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Cut). Abdullah Zaire!