PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Ilan Matan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and James Bourne (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). I can't wait for this one - let's get the fighter introductions out of the way and get this one started!

Matan
vs
Bourne

190 cm
22
189 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

175 cm
22
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Basic striking
KO power

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Inexperienced

Infliction Fight Gear

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 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Ilan Matan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, James Bourne!
The judges for this bout are William Peck, Elvis Blanc and Yves DeLean.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Matan tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Bourne paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Matan showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Bourne.

Bourne is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Matan's half guard.
Bourne trying to control from half guard but Matan is working away.
Matan punching from the bottom.
Matan punching from the bottom.
Matan flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Bourne stalling away here and it's allowed Matan to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Matan trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Matan will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Bourne pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Matan is keeping the position for now.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
A nice combination there by Bourne.
Matan fails with the takedown

and Bourne counters by clinching up.
Bourne tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Matan smiles and moves away.
Matan misses with a takedown

and Bourne counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Matan's guard now.
Matan striking off his back but it's not causing Bourne any problems.
Bourne controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bourne trying to control the position from guard on top but Matan is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Bourne throws and elbow that misses. Matan uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Bourne's guard. Nice move by Matan!

The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Matan thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

Matan drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Matan jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
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!

Matan thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Bourne looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Matan is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Matan is breathing heavily.
Bourne 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.

Matan drops back looking for a leg! Bourne is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Bourne manages to kick Matan off! Matan jumps back into Bourne's guard.

Bourne is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Bourne can do anything to dispel that myth.
Bourne working a defensive guard here.

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

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

Bourne fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Matan, pushing him back against the cage.
Matan jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Bourne walks away with a smile on his face. Matan gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ilan Matan. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Matan misses with a takedown

and Bourne counters with a nice double leg into side control. Matan won't be happy with that.

Bourne goes for an armbar! This could be all over! Wait, no, Matan rolls with the submission and now he's on top in Bourne's guard! Nice work there by Matan!
Matan throwing strikes but missing.
Matan landing some decent shots from guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

James Bourne dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Bourne shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Bourne is pressing down on Matan's thigh, looking to free his foot. Matan is holding on for now.
Bourne is stalling here. Matan is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Bourne seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Matan has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.
Matan throwing shots but missing, from side control.

Matan working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Matan has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bourne parries the strikes from Matan easily there. Matan is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Bourne to escape.
Matan lands a few punches from side control.
Bourne wants to get back to his feet but Matan drags him back down.

Matan is trying to get an arm triangle but Bourne is defending well.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Matan working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Bourne really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Matan. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Bourne is looking to reverse the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Matan tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Matan has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Bourne tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Matan will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Bourne wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!

Matan tries for a kimura but Bourne is defending well.

Matan thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
You can see the frustration on Bourne's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Matan has an Americana. Bourne didn't react quickly enough there and he's in big trouble now! He tries to squirm out but is forced to tap! Matan is delighted and gyrates in front of the ring girls. They seem to like the attention - it'll be interesting to see if Matan hooks up with any of them at the after show party.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:25 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Americana). Ilan Matan!