PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Ryan Taylor (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rory Keenan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Keenan's choice of entrance music: Warriors Code. Ryan Taylor has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Taylor
vs
Keenan

170 cm
20
170 lbs
4 - 1 - 1

178 cm
21
169 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 1, fighting out of London, Ryan Taylor!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Rory Keenan!
The judges for this bout are Andrew Berry, James Ackerman and Colin Fotheringham.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Keenan throws out a loose jab but Taylor uses good head movement to avoid it.
Taylor tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Taylor moves in looking to clinch but Keenan pushes him off.
Taylor throws a head kick but Keenan moves out of range.
Taylor tries to clinch up.
Taylor throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Taylor tries to clinch but Keenan moves out of range.
Taylor tries to close the distance and clinch up but Keenan swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Taylor chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Keenan can pounce on him.
Taylor thows a body shot but no joy.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Taylor tries to clinch up.
Keenan throws a head kick that half lands.
Keenan swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Taylor counters with a head kick.
Taylor is looking to clinch but Keenan is avoiding it.
Taylor misses with a hook. Keenan ducked under it nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Keenan fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Taylor manages to avoid it.
A slapping body kick lands there for Taylor.
Taylor tries to clinch up but Keenan circles away and keeps his distance.
Keenan swats away the attempt to clinch by Taylor.

Taylor instigates a clinch.

Keenan breaks the clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Taylor looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Keenan keeps the fight on the outside.
The fight stays on the outside here - Taylor looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Taylor is looking to clinch but Keenan is avoiding it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Keenan keeps the fight on the outside.
Taylor tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Keenan paws at him with a jab and circles away.
The fight stays on the outside here - Taylor looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Taylor is looking to clinch but Keenan is avoiding it.
Taylor wants to clinch.
Taylor tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Keenan paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Taylor wants to clinch up but Keenan keeps it at a distance.
Keenan dives in and grabs Taylor's left leg, looking for a takedown. Taylor pushes down on Keenan's head and hops out.
Taylor tries to clinch but Keenan is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Keenan misses with a takedown
and Taylor counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Taylor pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Taylor is looking to clinch.
Taylor tries to clinch but Keenan is having none of it.
Taylor wants to clinch up but Keenan keeps it at a distance.
Taylor wants to clinch up but Keenan keeps it at a distance.
Taylor wants to clinch up but Keenan keeps it at a distance.
Ryan Taylor seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Keenan keeps the fight on the outside.
Taylor wants to clinch up but Keenan keeps it at a distance.
Keenan keeps the fight on the outside.
Taylor wants to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Taylor tries to clinch but Keenan moves out of range.
Keenan throws a lazy right hand but Taylor sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Taylor tries to clinch up but Keenan circles away and keeps his distance.
The fight stays on the outside here - Taylor looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Taylor blocks a leg kick.
Keenan closes this distance looking for a takedown but Taylor circles away.
Ryan Taylor has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rory Keenan.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
The fight stays on the outside here - Taylor looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Taylor keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Taylor moves in looking to clinch but Keenan pushes him off.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ryan Taylor dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Keenan keeps the fight on the outside.
Taylor tries to clinch there but Keenan circles away.
Taylor fails with an attempt to clinch.
Taylor wants to clinch up but Keenan keeps it at a distance.
Taylor tries to clinch but Keenan is having none of it.
Keenan keeps the fight on the outside.

Taylor gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Keenan to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Keenan prevents Taylor from getting back to his feet.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Keenan controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Keenan stops Taylor from standing up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Keenan is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Taylor wants to stand and escape but Keenan is having none of it.
Keenan content to stall in guard here.
Taylor wants to stand up but Keenan is controlling him.
Keenan is pushing down on Taylor's leg trying to pass to half guard. Taylor is fighting to maintain full guard but Keenan has managed to sneak the leg through.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Keenan prevents Taylor from standing back up.

That's two 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.
Keenan stalling.
Keenan stops Taylor from getting back to his feet.
Taylor trying desperately to get back to his feet here but he's not having any joy at all. He's going to tire himself out if he's not careful.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Keenan in particular looking to stall.
Taylor is looking to escape.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Keenan looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Keenan tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Taylor was well out of range. Poor timing from Keenan.
Taylor tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Keenan paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Keenan throws a leg kick
and Taylor counters with a head kick. That will keep Keenan thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
Taylor throws a sloppy head kick
and Keenan connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Nice sprawl there from Taylor as Keenan shoots in.
Taylor closes the distance but Keenan moves to the side

and Keenan decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Taylor's guard.
Taylor is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Keenan is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Keenan controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Taylor keeping moving, preventing Keenan from controlling successfully.
Taylor being controlled here, momentarily.
Keenan won't allow Taylor to get back to his feet.
Taylor is looking to stand back up... there's a bit of a scramble and Keenan dives into side control.
Taylor is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.

Keenan tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Keenan has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Taylor is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rory Keenan showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Taylor closes the distance but Keenan moves to the side

and Keenan counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Taylor's guard now.
Taylor can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Keenan controls the pace.
Keenan prevents Taylor from getting back to his feet.
Keenan is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Keenan stops Taylor from standing up.
Keenan looking to pass the guard.
Taylor wants to stand and escape but Keenan is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Taylor tries to clinch up

so Keenan counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Taylor can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Keenan controls the pace.
Taylor can't keep his opponent in guard - Keenan advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Taylor knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Keenan on the ground.
Taylor tries to kick Keenan off but Keenan keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Well, if Keenan 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.
Taylor wants to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Keenan lands a nice short elbow.
Taylor avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Keenan.
Taylor is trying to stand back up but Keenan is controlling him
Keenan passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Taylor!
Taylor is trying to escape but when you're mounted that's not too easy.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Keenan controlling from the full mount.
Keenan is landing with some decent strikes but Taylor is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Keenan controlling the position easily from mount.
Keenan landing strikes from the mount.
BOOM! Keenan connects with a massive shot to the dome!
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Keenan cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Keenan cracks Taylor with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Keenan with the ground and pound from mount.

Taylor somehow manages to escape the mount and get back to his feet!
Ryan Taylor is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Taylor is looking to slow Keenan down with leg kicks.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Keenan circles away from the clinch attempt
and Keenan counters with a nice body shot.
Keenan circles away from the clinch attempt

and Keenan counters with a shoot takedown. Taylor fights it but they end up in guard.
Keenan throws a big right hand that misses.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Taylor wants to stand up but Keenan is controlling him.
Keenan trying to control the position from guard on top but Taylor is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rory Keenan comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Keenan 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 Andrew Berry scores the fight 28:29
Judge James Ackerman scores the fight 28:29
Judge Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rory Keenan!