PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Astavilies Leites (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Butch Taylor (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Astavilies Leites has the edge in experience - let's see if he can make that count tonight.

Leites
vs
Taylor

190 cm
22
180 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

180 cm
22
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Good takedowns
Basic striking
Good in bed

Good wrestler
Basic striking
Solid 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 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Astavilies Leites!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Butch Taylor!
The judges for this bout are , Frank Antenori and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Taylor changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Leites tries to avoid it but Taylor manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Leites to the ground. Leites escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Leites scoring well with a low kick there.
Leites misses with a takedown

and Taylor counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Taylor stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Leites swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Taylor wants to control from the top but Leites keeps moving.
Taylor is looking to work some ground and pound but Leites has wrist control.
Leites is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Leites is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Leites keeping moving, preventing Taylor from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Leites working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Taylor doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Taylor manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Taylor looking to sit in guard and control but Leites gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Taylor can do anything to dispel that myth.
Taylor looking to hit a scissor sweep but Leites is one step ahead there.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Taylor is on top in guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Taylor connects with a couple of short punches.
Leites not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Taylor stopping the sweep attempt from Leites.
Taylor wants to control from the top but Leites keeps moving.
Taylor looking to pass the guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taylor is looking to work some ground and pound but Leites has wrist control.
Taylor is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Taylor in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Leites clinches with his opponent.
Leites is pressed up against the cage. Taylor has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Leites down to the mat. Leites avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

Leites shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Taylor manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Leites preventing the sweep.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Taylor holds on and takes a little breather.
Leites stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Taylor swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Taylor really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Leites. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Leites throws a big right hand that misses.
Taylor tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Taylor keeping moving, preventing Leites from controlling successfully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Butch Taylor will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Taylor tries to clinch
and Leites counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Leites tries for a takedown but Taylor circles away easily

and Taylor counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Leites!
Leites tries to hold on but Taylor pushes him away.
Leites holds of for dear life.
Taylor breaks from Leites's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Leites is trying to escape the mount.
Taylor with good strikes from the mount here!
Taylor lands a heavy elbow.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The referee warns Leites that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Taylor in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Taylor avoids the attempt from Leites to control.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Leites tries to reverse the position but Taylor maintains control.
Taylor scoring with strikes but Leites is staying in there.
Taylor lands a big shot there that rocks Leites but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Taylor in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Taylor wants to control the pace but Leites is squirming around nicely.
Taylor putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Leites tries to reverse the position but Taylor maintains control.
Taylor unloading with bombs!
Leites taking shots to the head.
Leites tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Taylor is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Leites taking shots to the head.
Taylor lands an elbow that was bordering on illegal but the referee lets it go with a warning.
Taylor looking to control but Leites is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Taylor scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Leites?

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A nice elbow there by Taylor.
Taylor in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Taylor tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Taylor landing strikes from the mount.
BOOM! Taylor connects with a massive shot to the dome!
Butch Taylor has got the better of the ground game so far.
Taylor dominating with strikes here.
Taylor scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Leites?
Taylor has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Leites's face.
Taylor punishing his opponent with strikes.

Leites is rocked!
Taylor breaks from Leites's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Oh Leites is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Taylor looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Taylor dominating with strikes here.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Taylor connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Taylor scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Leites seems to have got his legs back now.
A nice elbow there by Taylor.
Taylor working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Taylor fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Taylor fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Taylor breaks from Leites's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Taylor looking to finish Leites with some ground and pound. This is bad for Leites!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Butch Taylor showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Taylor shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Leites napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Taylor tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Taylor looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Leites is avoiding damage well.
Taylor looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Leites is avoiding damage well.
Leites is not content to let Taylor control the position.
Taylor in side control lands a decent elbow.
Leites dodges the ground and pound from Taylor.
Taylor working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Leites defending against the ground and pound.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.

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

Taylor changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Leites looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Taylor working the strikes but Leites uses the opportunity to regain half guard.
Leites pushes Taylor off looking to stand but Taylor dives back in and keeps control.
Leites is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Taylor scores with a couple of nice shots.
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 Leites's temple.
Taylor is looking to stall here but Leites recovers full guard.
Taylor is looking to work some ground and pound but Leites has wrist control.
Leites keeping moving, preventing Taylor from controlling successfully.
Butch Taylor is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Taylor might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Leites kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Taylor is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Taylor working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Taylor pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Leites is keeping the position for now.
Leites being controlled here, momentarily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taylor's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Taylor must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Taylor won't allow Leites to get back to his feet.
Taylor connects with a couple of short punches.
Taylor content to stall in guard here.
Taylor landing some decent shots from guard.
Astavilies Leites has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Taylor sitting in guard, not really doing much.

Despite being in the dominant position, Butch Taylor just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Taylor gets the takedown into side control.
Taylor is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Leites will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.
Leites regains half guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Butch Taylor comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Taylor winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 26:30
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 26:30
Judge Suge Night scores the fight 26:30

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