PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Ricky Barbee (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Sid Taylor (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Barbee
vs
Taylor

180 cm
18
185 lbs
2 - 4 - 0

181 cm
19
188 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Likes ground

Fighters Unlimited Klothing Company

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

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Barbee scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Taylor looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Barbee with a jab.
Taylor slips a jab and a cross from Barbee.
Taylor moves in looking to clinch but Barbee pushes him off.
Taylor is looking to land body kicks.

Barbee scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Taylor is trying to get back to half guard.
Taylor pushes Barbee away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Barbee gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Barbee is putting a hurting on Taylor here, landing some big shots from side control.
Taylor is not content to let Barbee control the position.
You can see the frustration on Taylor's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Taylor tries to improve position but can't.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Barbee gets caught flat footed, as Taylor shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Barbee has control of Taylor's left arm, preventing Taylor from doing any damage.
Barbee is trying to control the position from the bottom.

Barbee is looking for a triangle here but Taylor uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Taylor is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Barbee has escaped the position, nice work there.
Taylor trying to control the position but Barbee is working away.
Barbee stops Taylor from passing to mount.
Taylor creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Barbee sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
Barbee can't do much from the bottom here.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Taylor avoids the strikes from the bottom by Barbee.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barbee gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Taylor wants to pass the guard but Barbee is defending well.
Barbee throws a strike from the bottom that misses.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Taylor misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Taylor looks gassed!
Barbee is looking to clinch but Taylor is avoiding it.

Taylor clinches with his opponent.
Taylor lands a nice knee to the body.

Taylor tightens his grip and picks Barbee up, before dumping him to the ground. Barbee manages to land in guard.
Barbee looking to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Taylor trying to control the position from guard on top but Barbee is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Barbee looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Taylor passes into side control.
Taylor looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Barbee is avoiding damage well.
Barbee is trying to control Taylor's posture but Taylor avoids it.
Taylor misses with the ground and pound.
Barbee can't do much from the bottom here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ricky Barbee dominated that round.
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.

Taylor closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Barbee to the mat! Barbee manages to get full guard.
Barbee trying to keep a closed guard but Taylor is proving a slippery customer.
Taylor tries to free his leg and advance position but Barbee is retaining full guard.
Barbee is pulling down on Taylor's head. It's preventing any offense from Taylor, at least for the moment.
Taylor scoring with some ground and pound.
Taylor trying to control but Barbee is working from the bottom.
Taylor controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Taylor postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Barbee is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Taylor, into his guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Barbee lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Barbee's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Taylor looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Barbee puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Taylor gets back to full guard.
Barbee postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Taylor wants to sweep but no luck.
Barbee trying to control the position from guard on top but Taylor is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Taylor isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Barbee stacks Taylor on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Barbee!
Barbee wants to control for a moment but Taylor uses the opportunity to move back to half guard.
Barbee is not content to let Taylor control the position.

Barbee is defending against the submission attempts here by Taylor.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taylor trying to mount his opponent but Barbee defends it.

Barbee looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

Taylor is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Barbee sees it coming and defends easily.
Barbee trying to hold on to Taylor's head to control him but Taylor postures up.

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.
Barbee avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Taylor.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Taylor throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Sid Taylor seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Barbee tries to clinch

and Taylor counters by moving into the clinch.
Barbee is looking to break free of the clinch but Taylor has double underhooks.

Barbee pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Taylor changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Barbee looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Barbee is trying to control Taylor's posture but Taylor avoids it.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Check out the look on Taylor's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sid Taylor showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Taylor has Barbee up against the cage in a clinch.
Taylor tries for a takedown but Barbee manages to get underhooks.
Taylor drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Barbee escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Barbee shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Barbee was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!

Barbee swings around for an armbar but it's a sloppy attempt and Taylor is now in Barbee's guard. A big mistake from Barbee there, giving up the dominant position!
Barbee is trying to control the position but Taylor postures up.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Barbee keeping moving, preventing Taylor from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Taylor trying to stand up but can't free himself from Barbee's guard.
Taylor forces his way into half guard.
Taylor working over Barbee with some ground and pound. Barbee looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.

Taylor is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Barbee defends it well.
Taylor wants to stand up but Barbee has a hold of him and won't allow it.
Barbee is striking from the bottom but he's now found himself mounted! Oh dear - not enough focus on defense there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

Taylor jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Barbee manages to avoid the submission attempt.
Taylor is looking to take a break and control but Barbee is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Barbee tries to get back to half guard but can't.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Taylor decides to take the fight back to the feet.
Barbee shoots in for a takedown but Taylor shows good takedown defense.
Taylor is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Taylor throws a left and a right that both miss

and Barbee counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Taylor has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Barbee is working away from the top position though.
Taylor gets back to full guard.
Taylor looking to hit a scissor sweep but Barbee is one step ahead there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Barbee wants to control from the top but Taylor keeps moving.
Taylor bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Barbee's guard.
Taylor trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Barbee trying to keep a closed guard but Taylor is proving a slippery customer.
Taylor trying to control but Barbee is working from the bottom.

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 Ricky Barbee.
I think Barbee 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 Alan Glass scores the fight 29:28
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 29:28
Judge Wesley Smith scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ricky Barbee!