PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Zuffa Bellator (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and AJ Styles (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Styles has chosen I Am by Dale Oliver as his entrance music. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Bellator
vs
Styles

180 cm
23
212 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

180 cm
25
215 lbs
9 - 5 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
KO power

BJJ Purple Belt
Decent boxing
Powerful

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 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Zuffa Bellator!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 5 - 0, fighting out of New York, AJ Styles!
The judges for this bout are Bruno Lombardi, Alyssa Summers and Reed Andrews.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nice defenses there by Styles.
Styles uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Bellator.
Styles scores with the left hand. Bellator knows he should have avoided that one.
Bellator tries to close the distance and clinch but Styles swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Some wild striking there from Bellator.
Bellator throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.

Styles gets the takedown into side control.
Styles postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
An elbow from Styles crashes against the mat.
Styles trying to control the action but Bellator is working from the bottom.
Styles working the ground and pound but Bellator is defending the strikes.
Styles has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Styles working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Styles thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Styles wants to control but Bellator is keeping him busy.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Bellator gives up the full mount - oops, sloppy defensive grappling there!
Styles trying to control but Bellator is having none of it.
Styles misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

Styles looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Styles throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Styles looking to ground and pound but Bellator is blocking nicely.
Styles thowing shots but they're missing.
Bellator keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Styles fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Styles thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Bellator blocking the ground and pound.
Styles punching from mount but Bellator doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Styles trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Styles looking to finish with strikes here!

Styles has hold of Bellator's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Bellator manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Styles trying to control but Bellator is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Styles landing strikes, looking to finish!
Bellator is squirming around, avoiding Styles's attempts to control the action.
Bellator is looking to get back to his feet - it's going to be hard from this position.

Bellator defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Styles.
Styles has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Bellator's face.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Bellator scores with the left hand. Styles knows he should have avoided that one.

It looks like AJ Styles has been cut.
Zuffa Bellator seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Bellator throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Styles sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Styles slips a jab and a cross from Bellator.
Bellator misses with the combination.
Styles showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Bellator.
Styles blocks a jab.
Bellator avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Styles avoids the body shot from Bellator.
Jab, jab by Styles - just one landing.
Styles avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Bellator takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Bellator misses the body punch
and Styles counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Bellator takes one on the chin but seems OK.

Styles drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Bellator preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Styles wants to control from the top but Bellator keeps moving.
Bellator avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Styles passes Bellator's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Styles thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Bellator's head.
Styles thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Bellator's head.

Styles is looking for a kimura here.
Styles sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Bellator defending well though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Styles thows a huge punch but Bellator dodges it nicely.
Styles controlling the action here.
Bellator avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Styles.
Styles not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Bellator throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Styles counters with a straight right hand.
A slow jab from Bellator misses its intended target.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bellator misses with a two punch combination.
Bellator connects with a good right hand that stumbles Styles. Styles circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Bellator misses with a straight right.
Bellator throws a right and a left that both miss.
Bellator will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Bellator connects with a jab.
Styles uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Bellator.
The fighters circling - Bellator throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Zuffa Bellator is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Bellator misses the jab.

Styles closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Styles is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Bellator pushes Styles off looking to stand but Styles dives back in and keeps control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bellator is refusing to be controlled, as Styles sits in half guard.
Styles sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Bellator defending well though.
Bellator wants to control but Styles is keeping busy.
Nice strikes from Styles there.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Styles is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Styles trying to pass the guard but Bellator defending well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but AJ Styles will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on AJ Styles's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Styles on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Styles slips under a jab.
Bellator fails to land with a series of punches.
Jab from Bellator.

That has opened up AJ Styles's cut even more.
Styles slips under a jab.
Styles lunges at Bellator with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Bellator's hand.
Zuffa Bellator is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Bellator drops Styles with a beautiful combination! Styles stares up at his opponent, who ushers him back to his feet - Bellator is looking for the KO!

Styles is rocked!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Styles shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Bellator is trying to defend but Styles finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.

Styles is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Bellator doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Styles.

Styles is working for a kimura but Bellator is defending it quite comfortably.
Styles takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Styles is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Bellator is just riding it out for now. Styles eventually gives up the hold.
Styles sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Bellator defending well though.

That's two 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.
Styles not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Styles throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Styles tries to pass the half guard into mount. Bellator knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Bellator is not content to let Styles control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Bellator darts in trying to clinch
and Styles counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Bellator pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Bellator needs to keep his hands up - Styles had a free shot at his head there.
Bellator wants to clinch

so Styles counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Styles accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Zuffa Bellator has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Styles throwing strikes but missing.
Styles wants to control from the top but Bellator keeps moving.
Bellator on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Bellator tries to get out of the position.

Styles thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Styles is pushing down on Bellator's leg trying to pass to half guard. Bellator is fighting to maintain full guard but Styles has managed to sneak the leg through.
Styles missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Styles is looking to advance position but Bellator won't allow it.
AJ Styles has got the better of the ground game so far.

Styles seems to be working for a kimura but Bellator defends the submission attempt.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Styles trying to control from half guard but Bellator is working away.

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 Zuffa Bellator.
I think Styles 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 Bruno Lombardi scores the fight 29:29
Judge Alyssa Summers scores the fight 29:28
Judge Reed Andrews scores the fight 28:29

The fight is ruled a draw!