PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Mike Schultz (ranked 2684 p4p, 2921 weight class) and Kaiden Read (ranked 281 p4p, 304 weight class). Mike Schultz has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Schultz
vs
Read

164 cm
27
150
6 - 4 - 0

150 cm
27
148
4 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Brown Belt
Brawler
Powerful

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 6 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Mike Schultz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Kaiden Read!
The judges for this bout are Tiny Johnson, Wesley Smith and Alan Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Read rushes Schultz and presses him up against the cage.
Read is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Schultz to keep the fight standing.
Schultz struggles to land a body shot inside as Read controls his hands.
Schultz is trying to drag Read to the mat but Read just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Read tries to pull guard but Schultz forces him back to his feet, against the cage.

Schultz has hold of one of Read's legs. Read is fighting the takedown attempt but Schultz gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.

Read working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Schultz doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Schultz manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Schultz with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Schultz controlling from the top position.

Read is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Schultz is aware though and is defending well.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Schultz trying to control the position from guard on top but Read is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Schultz in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Schultz will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Schultz engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Read utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Read had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Schultz defends it easily.
Read keeping moving, preventing Schultz from controlling successfully.

Read is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Schultz tries to free his leg and advance position but Read is retaining full guard.

Read is looking for a triangle but Schultz pushes his legs off easily.
Read being controlled here, momentarily.
Schultz seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Read for as long as he can get away with.
Schultz with a flurry of punches that miss.
Schultz in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

Read is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Schultz showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

Read looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Read keeping moving, preventing Schultz from controlling successfully.
Schultz stays in close to Read's body and controls the position.
Schultz has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.

Read escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Schultz gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Schultz not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Schultz with a nice head shot there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Schultz sitting in guard here, content to control.

Read looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Schultz in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Schultz is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Schultz trying to control but Read is working from the bottom.

Read has his foot on Schultz's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Schultz works his way back into a safe position though.
Schultz trying to control the position from guard on top but Read is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Read is looking for a triangle but Schultz pushes his legs off easily.
Schultz has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Schultz showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Schultz got a little sloppy there for a moment and Read has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Schultz has managed to get both his arms back between Read's legs - danger averted.
Schultz works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Schultz content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Read is looking to get back to full guard here but Schultz has managed to pass to side control instead.
Schultz trying to control the action but Read is working from the bottom.
Schultz scoring with punches and elbows.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Read is looking to regain half guard here but Schultz keeps moving and retains side control.
Schultz misses with the ground and pound.
Read tries to bench press Schultz off him but Schultz keeps the position.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Mike Schultz dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Schultz gets tackled into the cage by Read. Read maintains the clinch.
Read is trying to pull guard but Schultz has him pressed against the cage.
Read is trying to pull guard but Schultz has him pressed against the cage.

Read ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Read no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Schultz lands a couple of digs.
Schultz stands up over Read, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Schultz works over Read with some ground and pound from guard.
Schultz 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.
Mike Schultz overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Schultz with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Schultz trying to control the position from guard on top but Read is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Schultz advances to half guard.
Read looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Read keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Schultz controlling the action here.

Read actively working from the bottom here.

Read looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Schultz performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Schultz uses his free foot to push down on Read's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Read.
Schultz landing shots from mount.
Read gets back to half guard.
Schultz is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.

Read is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Schultz pulls his head out easily.
Read is not content to let Schultz control the position.
Schultz landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.

Read looking for subs from the bottom but Schultz mounts him!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Schultz controlling the position easily from mount.
Schultz lands with some strikes.
Schultz tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Read keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Schultz takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Both fighters have adopted an aggressive gameplan on the ground!
Schultz lands a heavy elbow.
Schultz postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Read looks a forlorn figure.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Schultz scoring with strikes but Read is staying in there.
Schultz with a couple of short strikes.
Read can't escape the position.
Schultz can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Read is looking to escape.
Schultz with good strikes from the mount here!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Schultz sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Schultz can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Read is looking to escape.
The referee warns Read that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Read is in all sorts of trouble here.
Schultz can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Read is looking to escape.
Read gets back to half guard.
Schultz keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.

Read is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Schultz pulls his head out easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Read looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Schultz lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Schultz is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Schultz wants to control but Read is keeping him busy.

Read actively working from the bottom here.
Schultz is looking to take a break and control but Read is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Schultz is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Read can do to turn this around?
Schultz is really struggling to control Read but he's trying to hold on to the position.
Schultz lands strikes from half guard.
Schultz is pressing down on Read's thigh, looking to free his foot. Read is holding on for now.
Still in half guard, Schultz seems content to control.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Mike Schultz dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Read gets a clinch.
Read is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Schultz to keep the fight standing.
Read tries to pull guard but Schultz forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Read tries to pull guard but Schultz holds him up against the cage and eventually Read drops back down to his feet.
Mike Schultz has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Kaiden Read.
Read is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Read blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Read fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Schultz struggles to land a body shot inside as Read controls his hands.
Schultz is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Read pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Schultz misses with some punches.
Read fails to pull guard.
Schultz wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Schultz fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

Read successfully pulls guard.
Schultz passes into half guard.

Read looking for submissions off his back.
Schultz looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Read with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Schultz frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Schultz sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Schultz looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Schultz can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Read is looking to escape.
Schultz controlling from the full mount.
Read taking shots to the head.
Schultz lands a couple of good shots and Read has given up his back, trying to escape the position!
Schultz scores with a nice shot to the head of his opponent. Read is looking for a way out.
Schultz struggling to keep hold of the position.
Kaiden Read has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Watch the back of the head! Comes the shout from the referee towards Schultz.
Schultz tries to keep control of the position but Read is staying busy.
Read tries to escape the position.

Read defends a rear naked choke attempt by controlling one of Schultz's arms.
Read tries to escape but Schultz has the hooks in and won't let him break free.

Schultz has his opponent's back and is working for the choke.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Schultz slows the pace down here. Having a little breather whilst he's in a dominant position, looking to rest and regain some energy, ready to go for the finish.
Read breaks Schultz's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
Schultz wants to sweep here but Read controlling him for the moment.

Read drops back, looking for a kneebar! Schultz looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Schultz looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Schultz!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Schultz just content to control the position.
Schultz throwing shots but missing, from side control.
Read manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.

Read looking for submissions off his back.
Schultz is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Schultz in particular looking to stall.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Schultz is trying to control. Read wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

Read looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Schultz wants to take a breather but Read is having none of it.
Schultz lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Schultz looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Read with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Schultz lands strikes from half guard.
Well, if Schultz is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Read moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mike Schultz showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Schultz, 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 Tiny Johnson scores the fight 30:27
Judge Wesley Smith scores the fight 30:27
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mike Schultz!