PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Ronan Byrne (ranked 5129 p4p, 4158 weight class) and Vlad Tabares (ranked 568 p4p, 524 weight class). Vlad Tabares will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Byrne
vs
Tabares

183 cm
20
188
2 - 2 - 0

185 cm
27
201
2 - 4 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
KO power

Decent wrestler
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

FEEBLE FIGHTWEAR

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 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Ronan Byrne!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 4 - 0, fighting out of London, Vlad Tabares!
The judges for this bout are Joseph Jones, Jonathan Paton and Russell Pearce.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Tabares looks to land a combination but Byrne avoids it well.
Byrne half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Tabares lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Byrne backs up against the cage.
A slow jab from Tabares misses its intended target.
A little feinted left hand from Byrne on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Tabares throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Byrne.
Tabares connects with a right hand. Byrne shakes it off.
Byrne looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Tabares throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Byrne swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Tabares misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Tabares defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Byrne.
Byrne throws a hook but Tabares avoids it easily.
Tabares misses with a wild combination.
Tabares misses with a jab, cross combination.
Byrne defending well as Tabares loads up on a big left hand.
An attempted straight right counter from Byrne misses the target.
Vlad Tabares seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Tabares throws a lazy uppercut
and Byrne connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tabares uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Byrne.
Tabares throws a right hand that misses
and Byrne counters with a right hand to the body.
Tabares stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Tabares wants it to stay on the feet.

Byrne decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Byrne sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Tabares defending well though.
Byrne working Tabares over with strikes.
Tabares keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Byrne trying to control from half guard but Tabares is working away.
Byrne has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Byrne looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Tabares with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Byrne wants to take a breather but Tabares is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Byrne landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Byrne lands with a punch from half guard.
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!
Tabares keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Tabares can do anything to dispel that myth.
Byrne trying to control the action but Tabares is working from the bottom.
Byrne stalling away here and it's allowed Tabares to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Byrne working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Byrne trying to control but Tabares is working from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Byrne accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Byrne wants to pass the guard but Tabares is keeping the position.
Byrne connects with a couple of short punches.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Byrne accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Byrne is looking to work some ground and pound but Tabares has wrist control.
Byrne connects with a couple of short punches.
Tabares wants to get back to his feet but Byrne is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Byrne stays in close to Tabares's body and controls the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Byrne accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Byrne landing with the ground and pound.
Byrne loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Byrne engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Byrne stands up over Tabares, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Byrne throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Tabares works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Ronan Byrne will probably get the nod.
That's time! Byrne's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Tabares throws a left and a right that both miss

The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
and Byrne counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Byrne.
Byrne is pushing down on Tabares's leg trying to pass to half guard. Tabares is fighting to maintain full guard but Byrne has managed to sneak the leg through.
Byrne misses with a head shot. Tabares uses the momentum to regain guard.
Byrne is looking to work some ground and pound but Tabares has wrist control.
Byrne is in close to Tabares's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Byrne is working Tabares over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tabares is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Byrne is controlling him.
Byrne is stalling in the full guard.
Byrne is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Tabares can do to turn this around?
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Byrne's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tabares preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Byrne lands a couple of elbows.
Byrne connects with a couple of short punches.
Byrne passes Tabares's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Byrne trying to control from half guard but Tabares is working away.
Byrne sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Byrne missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Byrne slips a nice elbow through Tabares's hands, connecting with Tabares's forehead.
Tabares felt the need to train up his defensive grappling in the buildup to the fight. Presumably he was expecting to be in a difficult position like this, so let's see if he can get out of it.
Byrne landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Byrne is trying to control. Tabares wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Byrne lands a nice short elbow.
Ground and pound from Byrne.
Tabares taking some punishment here, with Byrne in his half guard.
Ronan Byrne overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Byrne drops an elbow to the side of Tabares's head.
Byrne wants to control but Tabares is keeping him busy.
Byrne wants to pass to mount but Tabares is defending the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Byrne content to control rather than advance.
Byrne landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Byrne sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Tabares defending well though.
Tabares blocking the ground and pound attempt from Byrne.
Byrne missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Byrne is controlling the pace.
Byrne throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Tabares keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Byrne is looking to take a break and control but Tabares is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Byrne lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Byrne throwing shots but Tabares is blocking nicely.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Byrne seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Byrne frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Ronan Byrne dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Tabares scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
No luck for Byrne with that takedown attempt.
Tabares throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Byrne stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Tabares fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Tabares lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Byrne circles away quickly and effectively.
Tabares swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Tabares takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tabares throws a series of punches but Byrne moves out of range.
Tabares has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Byrne finds it's way round the side to connect with Tabares's head.
Tabares swings widly with a right hand
and Byrne connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Byrne goes for a double leg but Tabares avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Tabares continues to drive forward.
Tabares throws a counter combo.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Byrne has Tabares pressed against the cage.
Byrne goes for a takedown in the clinch but Tabares prevents it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ronan Byrne. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Byrne breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
A swing and a miss from Tabares.
Byrne swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Tabares lands with a straight right. Byrne didn't see that one coming.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tabares swinging wildly here.
Byrne is looking to counter with a shot to the body.

Byrne scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Tabares is staying active underneath Byrne, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Tabares regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Byrne.
Byrne looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Byrne scoring with some ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tabares can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Byrne controls the pace.
Byrne trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Byrne controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Byrne working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Byrne throwing strikes but missing.
Tabares looking to hit a scissor sweep but Byrne is one step ahead there.

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.
Byrne chips away with some ground and pound.
Byrne is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Byrne wants to control from the top but Tabares keeps moving.
Byrne controls from within his opponent's guard.
Byrne tries to free his leg and advance position but Tabares is retaining full guard.
Vlad Tabares has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Byrne makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Ronan Byrne.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Byrne, 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 Joseph Jones scores the fight 30:26
Judge Jonathan Paton scores the fight 30:26
Judge Russell Pearce scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ronan Byrne!