PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Chester Taylor (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Cain Riviera (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Riviera is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Dirty hous' - Rohff. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Taylor
vs
Riviera

193 cm
19
216 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

192 cm
20
205 lbs
4 - 4 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Chester Taylor!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 4 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Cain Riviera!
The judges for this bout are Fedor Mirinova, Viktor Lagutenko and Aleksandr Martynov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Taylor bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Taylor working away.
Taylor misses with the ground and pound.
Riviera can't do much from the bottom here.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.
Taylor seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Riviera for as long as he can get away with.
Riviera can't do much from the bottom here.
Taylor lands a few punches from side control.

It looks like Cain Riviera has been cut.
Riviera managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Taylor.
Riviera takes a couple of big shots there - the referee warns him that he has to defend himself better.
Riviera on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Taylor wants to lay and pray for a moment but Riviera keeps working.
Riviera is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Taylor's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Taylor is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Riviera wants to get back to his feet.
Taylor missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Taylor keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Riviera preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Nice strikes from Taylor there.
Riviera has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Taylor is working away from the top position though.
Riviera is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Taylor scores with a couple of nice shots.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Taylor seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Riviera wants to control but Taylor is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Taylor throwing shots but Riviera is blocking nicely.
Riviera trying to control but Taylor postures up.
Taylor slips a nice elbow through Riviera's hands, connecting with Riviera's forehead.
Taylor wants to control but Riviera is keeping him busy.
Riviera landing rabbit punches to the side of Taylor's head. Not doing much damage but still scoring a few points.
Taylor not doing much here.
Taylor trying to pass the guard but Riviera defending well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Riviera wants to control but Taylor is keeping busy.
Taylor thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Riviera's head.
Riviera preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Riviera misses with a few strikes there.
Horrible takedown by Taylor or perhaps it was just good defense by Riviera which made him look bad.
Riviera misses the shot to the body.
The fighters circling - Taylor throws out the jab but it was never going to land.

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

Riviera pushes Taylor up against the cage in a clinch.
Taylor is pushing Riviera up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Riviera wants to break the clinch but can't.
Riviera looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

Taylor breaks from the clinch.
Taylor looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.

Riviera gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Taylor to score an easy takedown into full guard.

Riviera looking for a guillotine here but Taylor defends easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Chester Taylor dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Cain Riviera's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Taylor fails in his attempt to clinch.

Taylor scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Riviera wants to get back to his feet.
Riviera wants to improve his position but Taylor is controlling well.
Taylor throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Riviera trying to control but Taylor postures up.
Taylor is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Taylor looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
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 with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.

Riviera manages to escape and get back to his feet!
Riviera is breathing heavily.
Taylor will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Chester Taylor seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Taylor moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.

That has opened up Cain Riviera's cut even more.
A combination from Taylor does no damage.

Taylor feints and as Riviera raises his hands in defense, Taylor changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Taylor lands a couple of digs.
Taylor trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Riviera is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Taylor is controlling him.
Taylor is working Riviera over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Taylor pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Riviera is keeping the position for now.
Taylor passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Taylor taking a breather here.
Riviera is not content to let Taylor control the position.
Taylor sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Riviera is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Riviera wants to control but Taylor postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Riviera pushes Taylor away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Taylor gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.

Taylor decides to stand up, so the ref orders Riviera to his feet.

Taylor scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Taylor working the body and head with strikes.
Taylor controls the position.
Riviera on the wrong end of some ground and pound.

Riviera bucks up and manages to escape back to his feet!

Taylor fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Riviera sprawls well initially but Taylor persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Riviera wants to get back to his feet.
Nice strikes from Taylor there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Taylor lands a nice short elbow.
Riviera trying to control from the bottom.
Riviera looks like he's trying to stand up.
Taylor wants to pass the guard but Riviera is defending well.

Taylor stands up out of the half guard.

Taylor shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Riviera is trying to control the position from the bottom.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Taylor working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Taylor connects with a couple of short punches.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Chester Taylor dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Cain Riviera's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Taylor has Riviera up against the cage in a clinch.
Riviera is trying to break free.
A looping hook to the body misses from Riviera. Taylor does a little dance to reset his feet.

Taylor shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Taylor postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Riviera looks a forlorn figure.
Riviera tries to buck Taylor off but he can't manage it.
Taylor landing strikes, looking to finish!
Taylor lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Taylor is landing with some decent strikes but Riviera is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Riviera is squirming around, avoiding Taylor's attempts to control the action.
Taylor landing strikes, looking to finish!
Chester Taylor overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Taylor working the ground and pound effectively.
Taylor working the ground and pound effectively.
Riviera tries to hold on but Taylor pushes him away.

Taylor goes for an armbar but he's not got it… Riviera turns into him and now he's in Taylor's guard.
Riviera trying to control but Taylor is working from the bottom.
Taylor on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Taylor tries to get out of the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Riviera would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

Taylor pushes Riviera off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.

Taylor looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Riviera trying to control but Taylor postures up.
Taylor prevents Riviera from improving his position.
Taylor prevents Riviera from standing back up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Taylor connects with a nice short shot to Riviera's temple.
Riviera is trying to stand.
Taylor not doing much here.
Riviera trying to control here but he's found himself mounted! Oh no!
Taylor landing strikes from the mount.
Riviera wants to get back to his feet.

That's four 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.
Taylor unloading with bombs!
Taylor breaks from Riviera's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Taylor looking to control and managing it successfully.
Taylor dominating with strikes here.
A nice elbow there by Taylor.
Taylor postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Riviera looks a forlorn figure.
Cain Riviera has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Taylor lands a nice shot to the head.
Riviera throwing hammer fists to the chest of Taylor. What's that going to do exactly?
Chester Taylor is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Taylor controlling from the full mount.

And that's the end of the fight!
Chester Taylor showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Taylor has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Fedor Mirinova scores the fight 30:27
Judge Viktor Lagutenko scores the fight 30:27
Judge Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Chester Taylor!