PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between DJ Early (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and WIlle Waara (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Early might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Trivium - Kirisute Gomen. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Early
vs
Waara

165 cm
22
141 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

176 cm
18
140 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, DJ Early!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, WIlle Waara!
The judges for this bout are Frank Dennis, Alan Glass and Cecil Peabody.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Early wants to clinch up but Waara keeps it at a distance.

Early has Waara up against the cage in a clinch.

Early breaks the clinch.

Early closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Waara is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Early decides to stand up, so the ref orders Waara to his feet.
Early fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

Early gets a clinch.
Early can't break the clinch.
Waara stops a takedown attempt from Early.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Early gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Waara manages to get to full guard.
Waara has his hands on Early's head, controlling the position.
Waara is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Waara is pulling down on Early's head to control his posture.
Early might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Early is looking to stand up but Waara won't let him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Waara keeping moving, preventing Early from controlling successfully.
Waara preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Waara pulls Early in to control the position.

Waara looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Early postures up.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.

Early scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Early trying to control the action but Waara is working from the bottom.
Early throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Waara wants to get back to his feet.
Early is thwarting Waara's attempts to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Waara is positioning himself well to prevent Early advancing to mount.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Waara is trying to get back to full guard.
Waara is looking to control Early's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Waara avoid being mounted?

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Early misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Early is breathing heavily.

Early drives through with a takedown into guard.
Waara pulls Early in close to his closed guard and prevents Early from doing any damage or advancing position.
Early working some strikes from top position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Early is looking to stand up but Waara won't let him.
Early stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Waara swivels though and keeps the full guard.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Early being controlled here momentarily.
Waara not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Waara is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Early prevents Waara from getting back to his feet.
Waara is trying to keep Early in close.
Early trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Early moves in looking to clinch but Waara pushes him off.
Waara misses with a takedown

and Early counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Waara!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Waara misses with a head kick.

Early closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Early wants to lay and pray for a moment but Waara keeps working.

Early has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
DJ Early is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Early wants to clinch.
Early fails with the takedown
and Waara counters with a series of strikes. Early will be more careful next time no doubt.
Waara misses with a straight left.
Waara throws a sloppy head kick and Early moves out of range easily.
Waara is looking to clinch.
A head kick misses from Waara.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Early is looking to clinch.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Waara tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Waara on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
A bone on bone clash there as Waara blocks the leg kick.
Waara tries to land a leg kick but Early saw it coming and moves away.
Early shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Waara counters with a one-two to the body.
Waara throws a head kick that misses.
Waara tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

Early shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Waara tries to reverse the position but Early maintains control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Waara takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Early controlling from mount.

Early stands up from the dominant position. He obviously fancies his chances standing.

Early shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Early was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Early sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Early trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Waara tries to hold on but Early postures up.
Waara blocking the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Early stands up from the dominant position, so we're back on the feet.
Early fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.

Early clinches up against the cage.

Early has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Waara regains guard immediately.
Early showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Early throws a big right hand that misses.
Waara trying to keep a closed guard but Early is proving a slippery customer.
Early trying to control but Waara is working from the bottom.
Early is standing up over Waara. Waara looks to escape but Early dives into side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Early stands up.

Early shoots in and bounces Waara off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Waara manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Waara can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Early is looking to escape.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
DJ Early overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

DJ Early dominated that second 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. This is the final round!

Waara moves out of range as Early strikes.
Early fails to land the takedown.

Early closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Waara gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Waara has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Early is working away from the top position though.
Waara slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Waara controls Early momentarily but Early frees himself.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Early stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Waara swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Waara seems keen to control Early's posture.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Early trying to control but Waara is working from the bottom.
Waara tries to strike from the bottom.
Waara is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Early is controlling him.
Waara trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Early has his takedown stuffed

and Waara counters with a nice double leg into side control. Early won't be happy with that.
Waara just content to control the position.
I wouldn't like to be where Early is right now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Early is trying to control Waara's posture but Waara avoids it.
Waara trying to control the position but Early is working away.
Early is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Waara off and has taken his back!

Early tightening his grip on Waara, looking for the choke.
Good control from Early.
Early scores with strikes from the back.
Early struggling to land strikes to the head as Waara covers up.
Early controlling from the back.
Waara covering up well under a series of strikes from Early.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Waara is trying to get back to his feet but Early has full control of the position and if anything, Waara has just worked his way into a worse spot.
Waara wants to control his opponent's hands but Early gets his hands free.

Early has his opponent's back and is working for the choke.
Early is hanging on to Waara's back as he tries to escape.
Waara looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.

Waara preventing the rear naked choke attempt from Early.
Early tries to keep control of the position but Waara is staying busy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Waara rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.
Waara tries to roll over but Early keeps him under control.
Waara works his way to full guard. Good work.
Waara looking to control.
Waara being controlled here, momentarily.
Waara is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Early is looking to work some ground and pound but Waara has wrist control.

Early decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Early tries to clinch up.
WIlle Waara has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Early tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

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 DJ Early.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Early, 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 Frank Dennis scores the fight 30:28
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 30:28
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... DJ Early!