PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Lonnie Bryan (ranked 4046 p4p, 4079 weight class) and Soheil Rahmani (ranked 400 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Bryan
vs
Rahmani

182 cm
20
155
0 - 0 - 0

172 cm
25
150
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid 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 The Island, Lonnie Bryan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Soheil Rahmani!
The judges for this bout are Dirk Anderson, David Hoff and Daniel Franklin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rahmani is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Bryan changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Rahmani looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.

Bryan decides to stand back up. Bryan steps back and let's Rahmani get back to his feet.
Bryan tries a head kick but it misses.
Bryan closes this distance looking for a takedown but Rahmani circles away.

Rahmani closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Rahmani lands in his opponent's guard.
Bryan is wriggling around but Rahmani manages to pass to half guard.

This has been an exciting period of action!
The referee calls for the fighters to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rahmani wants to lay and pray for a moment but Bryan keeps working.
Bryan wants to improve his position but Rahmani is controlling well.
Bryan scrambles, trying to get to his feet, but Rahmani manages to mount him!
Bryan regains half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rahmani is stalling here. Bryan is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Rahmani seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Bryan has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
Rahmani tries to buck Bryan off but Bryan is having none of it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rahmani can't do much from the bottom here.
Rahmani holds on to Bryan's head and controls the position momentarily.
Rahmani is not content to let Bryan control the position.
Rahmani tries to improve position but can't.
Rahmani is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Bryan content to control rather than advance.
Bryan looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Rahmani with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Bryan is working for a submission of some sort.

Bryan is looking for a kimura here.
Bryan seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.

That's four 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.
Rahmani wants to improve his position but Bryan is controlling well.
Rahmani trying to control here.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Rahmani is trying to get back to full guard.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Lonnie Bryan dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Bryan fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

Rahmani has closed the distance and engaged Bryan in a clinch.

Bryan has picked Rahmani up - he's going for a ride! Bryan dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.

Rahmani pushes Bryan off and gets back to his feet.
Rahmani shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Bryan defends it nicely.

Bryan shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Rahmani's guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Rahmani escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Bryan gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Rahmani controlling the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bryan wants to pass the guard but Rahmani is keeping the position.
Bryan postures up.
Lonnie Bryan overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Bryan trying to control the position from guard on top but Rahmani is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Bryan passes Rahmani's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Rahmani has hold of Bryan's hands but Bryan slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Bryan is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Bryan is controlling the pace.

Bryan is looking for a kimura but Rahmani is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Bryan to get the leverage.
Rahmani controlling the position well.
Bryan is looking to advance position but Rahmani won't allow it.

Bryan decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rahmani tries to clinch but Bryan moves out of range.
Bryan throws a sloppy head kick and Rahmani moves out of range easily.
Good leg kick by Rahmani.

Rahmani shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Bryan napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Bryan looks to move to half guard but instead Rahmani has passed into mount! Damn!
Bryan wants to control but Rahmani is having none of it.
Bryan is desperately trying to improve his position but Rahmani has a good base and remains in mount.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rahmani can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Bryan is looking to escape.
Bryan wants to hold on but Rahmani pushes him away.
Bryan is working to get back to half guard.
Rahmani trying to control but Bryan is having none of it.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Bryan wants to hold on but Rahmani pushes him away.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Soheil Rahmani will probably get the nod - 10:9.
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. This is the final round!

Rahmani gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Rahmani works on Bryan's body with a couple of short punches.

Bryan is fighting off a takedown attempt but Rahmani is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Bryan to the mat. Bryan regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
Bryan looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Bryan wants to improve his position but instead Rahmani has moved into half guard.
Bryan is trying to stand.
Bryan works his way to full guard. Good work.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rahmani is looking to work some ground and pound but Bryan has wrist control.
Bryan wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Bryan is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bryan is trying to control the position but Rahmani postures up.
Bryan looking for a sweep. Not yet Bryan, not yet.
Bryan keeping moving, preventing Rahmani from controlling successfully.

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

Rahmani clinches up against the cage.
Bryan tries to circle away but Rahmani has him pinned against the cage.

Rahmani breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Rahmani connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Bryan momentarily.

It looks like Lonnie Bryan has been cut.
Lonnie Bryan is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Bryan shoots for a double leg takedown but Rahmani sprawls well. He's pushed Bryan's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Rahmani shapes to counter with a head kick.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rahmani looks to land a combination. Bryan sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Rahmani leaves Bryan with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Rahmani with the counter takedown but Bryan avoids it easily.

Rahmani decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

Rahmani is trying to work for a kimura but Bryan is defending well.
Rahmani content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rahmani is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Bryan!
Bryan tries to hold on but Rahmani pushes him away.
Rahmani postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Bryan looks a forlorn figure.
Bryan is working to get back to half guard.
Rahmani wants to control the pace but Bryan is squirming around nicely.
Rahmani unloading with bombs!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bryan really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Rahmani avoids the attempt from Bryan to control.
Bryan is looking to improve his position but Rahmani isn't that keen on the idea.
Rahmani cracks Bryan with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Bryan wants to hold on but Rahmani pushes him away.

And that's the end of the fight!
Soheil Rahmani comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Rahmani has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Dirk Anderson scores the fight 29:28
Judge David Hoff scores the fight 28:29
Judge Daniel Franklin scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Lonnie Bryan!