PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Balink Tarlah (ranked 2203 p4p, 23708 weight class) and Brendan Wallace (ranked 282 p4p, 573 weight class). Brendan Wallace will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Tarlah
vs
Wallace

179 cm
31
171
13 - 6 - 0

190 cm
27
163
4 - 4 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter fighter
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Good gas tank

Brooklyn Threads
Brooklyn Apothecary

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 13 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Balink Tarlah!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Brendan Wallace!
The judges for this bout are Phil Schofield, Steven Brown and Colin Fotheringham.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Wallace clinches up with Tarlah and pushes him back against the cage.
Tarlah can't get the takedown.
Tarlah pressing his opponent against the cage.

Tarlah gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Wallace can do anything to dispel that myth.
Wallace bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Tarlah's guard.

Tarlah tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Wallace trying to control but Tarlah is working from the bottom.
Wallace is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tarlah looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Wallace controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tarlah trying to keep a closed guard but Wallace is proving a slippery customer.
Wallace seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Wallace missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Wallace wants to control from the top but Tarlah keeps moving.
Tarlah might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Wallace postures up.
Tarlah controlling the position.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.

Wallace clinches with his opponent.
Wallace prevents the takedown attempt.
Wallace wants a takedown.
Tarlah wants a takedown but no success here.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Balink Tarlah. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Tarlah can't get the takedown.

Wallace has moved round to his opponent's back and is looking for a suplex! Oh snap! He's tossed Tarlah clear over his head and slammed him to the mat!

Tarlah defending nicely against the rear naked choke attempt.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Wallace just keeping the dominant position. He can't wait too long though, otherwise the referee will stand them back up.
Wallace somehow managing to miss with a strike from the back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Wallace controlling the position well here. Tarlah rolled but Wallace kept the hooks locked in and stayed in the dominant position.
Tarlah is defending well here and trying to improve his position.

Wallace is working hard for the rear naked choke here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Tarlah is really stuck here.

Wallace has his hand under the chin of his opponent looking for the choke. He's nearly got it! This one could be all over! But no, Tarlah has freed his hand and lives to survive another… well, another couple of seconds at least!
Wallace gets his hands free as Tarlah looks to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
I would not like to be Tarlah right now.
Wallace is trying to stick to Tarlah's back but Tarlah is turning into Wallace. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Wallace's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Tarlah.
Tarlah wants to control from the top but Wallace keeps moving.
Tarlah wants to pass the guard but Wallace is keeping the position.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Wallace controls Tarlah momentarily but Tarlah frees himself.
Tarlah looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Brendan Wallace dominated that round.
That's time! Tarlah's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Tarlah bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Wallace is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Who's going to make the next move?
Wallace is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tarlah scoring with punches from side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tarlah is chipping away with strikes.
Tarlah wants to control but Wallace is keeping him busy.
Wallace tries to improve position but can't.
Wallace struggling a bit here.
Wallace is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
What's Wallace going to do here then? He's in a bit of a pickle.
Tarlah working the head with strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tarlah lands a few punches from side control.
Wallace is looking for a sweep.
Tarlah tries to advance to mount but can't.
Tarlah sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Wallace is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Wallace wants to control but Tarlah postures up.
Wallace tries to bench press Tarlah off him but Tarlah keeps the position.
Tarlah working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Tarlah working away.
Wallace tries to improve position but can't.
Tarlah landing strikes.
Wallace is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Tarlah misses with an attempted head punch from side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tarlah cracks Wallace with a big elbow.
Wallace is looking to regain half guard here but Tarlah keeps moving and retains side control.
Tarlah trying to control the action but Wallace is working from the bottom.
Wallace is looking to regain half guard here but Tarlah keeps moving and retains side control.
Wallace is trying to control Tarlah's posture but Tarlah avoids it.
Wallace keeping his opponent close.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Wallace is trying to improve his position.
Tarlah cracks Wallace with a big right hand but Wallace just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Tarlah working away.
Wallace is trying to avoid being dragged into an even worse position than he's already in but Tarlah is staying active.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Tarlah with the ground and pound but Wallace regains half guard under the barage of strikes.
Wallace trying to hold on to Tarlah's head to control him but Tarlah postures up.
Wallace tries to roll over but Tarlah keeps him under control.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Balink Tarlah dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Wallace tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Tarlah manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Tarlah cracks Wallace with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Wallace tries to clinch up

and Tarlah counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Tarlah.
Tarlah makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Wallace is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Tarlah trying to control but Wallace is working from the bottom.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Wallace looking to hit a scissor sweep but Tarlah is one step ahead there.
Tarlah is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tarlah postures up and lands a big shot to Wallace's brow.
Wallace working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Tarlah.
Wallace working a defensive guard here.
Tarlah with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Tarlah throws a big elbow that misses.
Tarlah scoring with punches to the head and body.
Tarlah throwing strikes but missing.
Wallace preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Tarlah cracks Wallace with a solid left hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Wallace manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Tarlah manages to get himself to full guard.

Wallace is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Tarlah has control of Wallace's left arm, preventing Wallace from doing any damage.
Wallace trying to control but Tarlah is working from the bottom.
Wallace postures up in Tarlah's guard and throws a big left but Tarlah blocks it.
Wallace is stalling in the full guard.
Tarlah trying to control the position here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Wallace throws a big right hand that misses.
Wallace stopping the sweep attempt from Tarlah.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Tarlah is on top in guard.

Wallace is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Balink Tarlah overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Tarlah manages to get to full guard.
Tarlah tries to land a sweep but no joy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wallace controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Tarlah keeping moving, preventing Wallace from controlling successfully.
Wallace loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Tarlah utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Tarlah keeping moving, preventing Wallace from controlling successfully.

And that's the end of the fight!
Balink Tarlah showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Tarlah has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Phil Schofield scores the fight 29:28
Judge Steven Brown scores the fight 29:28
Judge Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Balink Tarlah!
An out of breath Balink Tarlah thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.