PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Carl Szakadati (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Seth Blind (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Carl Szakadati looks tired to me. Hopefully he has got enough gas left in the tank to put in a good performance.

Szakadati
vs
Blind

180 cm
19
150 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

180 cm
23
145 lbs
3 - 6 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Carl Szakadati!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Seth Blind!
The judges for this bout are Alan Glass, Stewart Dunkirk and Robert Twigg.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Szakadati throws a front kick aimed at Blind's knee but Blind avoids it well.
Szakadati lands with a kick to the ribs.
Szakadati is looking to clinch.

Blind scores with a takedown into Szakadati's guard.
Blind with a flurry of punches that miss.
Szakadati looking to control.
Blind stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Szakadati swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Blind working some strikes from top position.
Blind trying to control but Szakadati is working from the bottom.
Szakadati wants to get back to his feet but Blind is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Blind trying to control but Szakadati is working from the bottom.
Blind is pushing down on Szakadati's leg trying to pass to half guard. Szakadati is fighting to maintain full guard but Blind has managed to sneak the leg through.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Szakadati is trying to stand back up but Blind is controlling him

Szakadati pushes Blind off and gets back to his feet.
Szakadati is breathing heavily.
Blind shoots in and drives through. Szakadati sprawls well.
Nice sprawl there from Szakadati as Blind shoots in.
Blind looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Carl Szakadati has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Seth Blind.
Blind shoots in looking for a takedown. Szakadati tries to sprawl out of it but Blind keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Szakadati manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

Szakadati feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Szakadati wants to control from the top but Blind keeps moving.
Blind is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Szakadati thows a big elbow that misses.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Blind keeping moving, preventing Szakadati from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Blind keeping full guard, as Szakadati tries to pass.
Blind looking for a sweep. Not yet Blind, not yet.
Blind is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Szakadati is looking to control Blind's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Szakadati avoid being mounted?
Blind is pressing down on Szakadati's thigh, looking to free his foot. Szakadati is holding on for now.
Szakadati is in trouble now - Blind has advanced to mount!
BOOM! Blind connects with a massive shot to the dome!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Szakadati keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Szakadati looking to escape from mount but he's given up his back!

Szakadati preventing the rear naked choke attempt from Blind.
Szakadati trying to control but he's just got himself in more trouble.

Blind looking to break Szakadati's wrist control so he can sink in the choke. Szakadati remaining controlled and patient though - he really has to keep calm otherwise Blind will wrap this one up with the rear naked choke!
Szakadati trying to control but not successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Blind lands a punch to the side of the head from the back.
Blind keeps control of the position as Szakadati tries to break free.

Blind is working for the rear naked choke. He has one arm under the chin but Szakadati has hold of the other arm. A bit of a stalemate here.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Blind doesn't have the hooks in and Szakadati manages to turn into his guard.
Szakadati has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Szakadati trying to control but Blind is working from the bottom.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Blind bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Szakadati's guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Seth Blind dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Blind with a poor takedown

and Szakadati counters with a nice double leg into side control. Blind won't be happy with that.
Blind is trying to improve his position.
Szakadati wants to control but Blind is keeping him busy.
Blind prevents Szakadati from moving into mount.
Blind manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Blind gets full guard.
Szakadati won't allow Blind to sweep him here.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Blind is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Blind is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Szakadati works his way to full guard. Good work.
Szakadati working a defensive guard here.

Szakadati is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Szakadati is trying to keep Blind in close.
Blind thows a big elbow that misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Blind advances position into side control!
Szakadati tries to buck Blind off but Blind is having none of it.
Blind lands a decent elbow from side control.
Blind creates some space and throws a big elbow, but Szakadati sees it coming and moves his head just enough to avoid the strike.
Blind cracks Szakadati with a big elbow.
Sloppy strikes there by Blind.
Szakadati struggling a bit here.
Blind landing a few strikes.
Szakadati is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Blind wants to pass to mount but Szakadati is defending the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Szakadati is looking to improve his position.
Blind not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Szakadati is pressing down on Blind's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Blind throwing strikes but missing.
Szakadati throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Blind passes Szakadati's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Szakadati regains full guard. Nicely done.
Szakadati tries to strike from the bottom.
Blind throwing strikes but missing.

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.
Blind stands up over Szakadati, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Blind stops Szakadati from standing up.
Szakadati is trying to control the position but Blind postures up.

Szakadati is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Blind is aware though and is defending well.
Blind is pushing down on Szakadati's leg trying to pass to half guard. Szakadati is fighting to maintain full guard but Blind has managed to sneak the leg through.
Szakadati trying to hold on to Blind's head to control him but Blind postures up.
Szakadati is looking for a sweep. Blind is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Szakadati wants to stand back up but Blind manages to pass into side control.

Blind tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Szakadati manages to work his way to half guard, despite Blind's best efforts.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Carl Szakadati will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Szakadati with a lazy takedown attempt

and Blind counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Szakadati!
Blind punishing his opponent with strikes.
Blind has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Szakadati is wriggling around trying to escape.
Blind landing punches.

Blind is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Szakadati can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Szakadati tries to hold on but Blind pushes him away.
Szakadati is wriggling around trying to escape.
Szakadati wants to improve position but instead he's given up his back.

Blind is looking for the choke from the back position but Szakadati is controlling his hands well.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Szakadati is covering up but some of the strikes from Blind are getting through and doing damage.
Blind throwing lazy shots from the back mount that aren't doing any damage.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Szakadati trying to control the action but Blind just sinks the hooks in.

Blind is working really hard to secure the rear naked choke. Szakadati defends successfully for a significant amount of time. Both fighters are looking very determined.

Blind is working really hard to secure the rear naked choke. Szakadati defends successfully for a significant amount of time. Both fighters are looking very determined.
Szakadati is trying to get back to his feet but Blind has full control of the position and if anything, Szakadati has just worked his way into a worse spot.
Szakadati tries to break free.
Blind lands a shot to the head.
Szakadati is trying to get back to his feet but he's not managed it yet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Blind lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Blind is hanging on to Szakadati's back as he tries to escape.
Szakadati is trapped and Blind is scoring with shots to the head and body.

Blind has his opponent's back and is working for the choke.
Szakadati's corner are yelling at him, telling him to just focus on controlling Blind's hands.

Blind is looking for the choke from the back position but Szakadati is controlling his hands well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Szakadati turns into Blind and is now in his guard.
Szakadati would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

Szakadati stands and steps away. Blind gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.

Szakadati scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Szakadati wants to control but Blind is keeping him busy.
Blind manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.

Szakadati is working for a submission of some sort.
Szakadati is trying to control the action in half guard but Blind is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Blind gets back to full guard.

Blind is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Szakadati defends well.
Szakadati trying to control but Blind is working from the bottom.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Blind bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Szakadati's guard.
Blind throws a big right hand that misses.

And that's the end of the fight!
Seth Blind comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Blind 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 Alan Glass scores the fight 28:29
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 28:29
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Seth Blind!