PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Jafar Welch (ranked 4589 p4p, 4242 weight class) and Alex Burrows (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Welch
vs
Burrows

170 cm
20
145
0 - 0 - 0

178 cm
25
155
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Hates pizza

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Jafar Welch!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Alex Burrows!
The judges for this bout are William Peck, Yves DeLean and Elvis Blanc.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Burrows clinches.
Welch is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
Burrows jumps guard but Welch stands there with Burrows around his waist. Burrows gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Welch has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Burrows after a bit of a struggle.
Welch is trying to drag Burrows to the mat but Burrows just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Burrows tries to pull guard but Welch won't allow it.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Burrows takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Welch fails to pull guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jafar Welch. That's going to take a lot out of him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Burrows is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Burrows content to slow the pace in the clinch.

Welch pulls guard successfully.
Burrows postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Welch manages to escape and get back to his feet.
Welch throws a head kick that Burrows semi-blocks.
Burrows fails with the takedown.
Burrows shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Welch sprawls well. Welch wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Burrows gets slowly back to his feet.
Welch changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Burrows tries to avoid it but Welch manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Burrows to the ground. Burrows escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Welch dives in for a single leg takedown but Burrows sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Burrows lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Burrows is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Burrows has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Welch is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Burrows tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Welch smiles and moves away.
Welch fails with a takedown attempt.
Burrows shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Welch as he jumps to the side.
Welch dives in and grabs Burrows's left leg, looking for a takedown. Burrows pushes down on Welch's head and hops out.
Burrows shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Welch sprawls well. Welch wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Burrows gets slowly back to his feet.

Burrows has closed the distance and engaged Welch in a clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Welch.

Burrows pulls guard effortlessly.
Welch preventing the sweep.
Welch wants to control from the top but Burrows keeps moving.

Burrows looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Welch passes into side control.
Burrows really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Welch. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Burrows managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Welch.

Welch is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Burrows has escaped the position, nice work there.
Burrows manages to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Welch is looking to advance position but Burrows won't allow it.
Welch takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
Burrows gets back to full guard.
Burrows is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Burrows has Welch pulled in close to control his posture.
Burrows keeping moving, preventing Welch from controlling successfully.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Jafar Welch dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Burrows forces Welch back against the cage and clinches.
Welch prevents the takedown attempt.
Burrows wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Welch is stalling here.
Welch fails to pull guard.
Welch jumps guard but Burrows turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Welch tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jafar Welch. That's going to take a lot out of him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
The referee calls for Burrows to work.
Welch drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Welch gets control of Burrows's arms and successfully pulls guard. Welch will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Burrows trying to control the position from guard on top but Welch is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Burrows trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Burrows with a flurry of punches that miss.
Burrows's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Burrows trying to control the position from guard on top but Welch is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Burrows stopping the sweep attempt from Welch.

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

Welch tries to keep at a distance but Burrows has taken the fight into the clinch.
A frustrated look appears on Welch's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Welch is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Burrows is struggling to control the position.
Welch fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Welch looking for a takedown.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Welch gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Burrows.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Welch's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Welch displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Burrows.
Welch throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Burrows counters with a three punch combo that has Welch backing up. Welch nods at Burrows to acknowledge the strikes.

Burrows has closed the distance and engaged Welch in a clinch.
Welch fails to pull guard.
Welch lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Burrows has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Welch after a bit of a struggle.
Welch is trying to pull guard but Burrows turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
A short right from Burrows.
A frustrated look appears on Burrows's face as he tries to break the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Burrows jumps guard and drags Welch to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.
Burrows is striking but Welch is not phased and passes to half guard.
Welch is looking to take a break and control but Burrows is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Welch seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

Welch seems to be working for a kimura but Burrows defends the submission attempt.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Burrows wants to sweep but Welch has passed to side control!
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Alex Burrows showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Burrows misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Welch misses with a takedown
and Burrows counters with a left and a right that stings Welch.
Burrows tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Welch defends well and Burrows ends up having to push Welch into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Welch changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Burrows tries to clinch up.
Burrows tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Welch swivels and escapes.
Jafar Welch is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Burrows drives through and clinches with Welch against the cage.
Burrows avoiding damage as Welch throws knees to the body.
Welch tries to pull guard but Burrows forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Burrows prevents Welch from breaking the clinch.
Welch trying to land knees to the body.
Welch tries to pull guard but Burrows holds him up against the cage and eventually Welch drops back down to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Jafar Welch. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Welch is trying to break the clinch but Burrows is controlling him.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Burrows breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Welch tries to clinch but Burrows moves out of range.
Burrows fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Welch avoids it really well and circles away.
Burrows closes this distance looking for a takedown but Welch circles away.

Burrows darts in and clinches Welch up against the cage.
Burrows being controlled against the cage.

Welch decides to pull guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Welch is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Burrows is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Welch is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Burrows trying to control the position from guard on top but Welch is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Welch is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Welch is trying to control the action in half guard but Burrows is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Burrows can do anything to dispel that myth.
Burrows is controlling Welch's position as best he can from this difficult position.
Burrows regains full guard. Nicely done.
Welch wants to control from the top but Burrows keeps moving.
Burrows working a defensive guard here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Burrows bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Welch's guard.

Welch throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Burrows stays in close to Welch's body and controls the position.
Burrows is looking to work some ground and pound but Welch has wrist control.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Welch looking to control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Welch is looking for a triangle but Burrows pushes his legs off easily.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Welch is trying to control the position but Burrows postures up.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

And that's the end of the fight!
Alex Burrows comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Burrows has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 William Peck scores the fight 28:29
Judge Yves DeLean scores the fight 28:29
Judge Elvis Blanc scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Alex Burrows!