PBP Commentary

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

Diaz
vs
Taylor

170 cm
18
145 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

189 cm
22
150 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

Good takedowns
Counter striker
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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Daniel Diaz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Shelby Taylor!
The judges for this bout are Saam Ante, Wagner Zegers and Daniel Blasius.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Taylor connects with the punch.

Taylor decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Taylor is pressing down on Diaz's thigh, looking to free his foot. Diaz is holding on for now.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Taylor winds up and cracks Diaz with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Taylor looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Diaz is refusing to be controlled, as Taylor sits in half guard.
Taylor looks to land a strike but Diaz avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
Taylor loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Taylor distracts Diaz with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Taylor must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Taylor wanted to stand there but Diaz had control of the position.
Taylor wants to pass the guard but Diaz is keeping the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Taylor is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Taylor scoring with some ground and pound.
Taylor makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
Taylor's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Diaz is breathing heavily.
Taylor tries to stand but Diaz is controlling from the bottom.
Taylor throws a strike but Diaz rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on 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.
Diaz preventing the sweep.
Diaz might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Diaz stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Taylor swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Diaz preventing the sweep.
Taylor is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Diaz has his takedown stuffed

and Taylor counters with a shoot takedown. Diaz fights it but they end up in guard.
Taylor lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Taylor is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Taylor connects with a couple of short punches.
Taylor is sitting in guard, working some ground and pound.
Taylor stands and throws Diaz's legs to the side, diving into side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taylor in side control lands a decent elbow.
Taylor lands a few punches from side control.
Taylor is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Taylor wants to lay and pray for a moment but Diaz keeps working.
Taylor lands some shots froms side control.
Taylor wants to control but Diaz is keeping him busy.
Diaz tries to buck Taylor off but Taylor is having none of it.
Taylor is working Diaz over with some ground and pound from side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Taylor working the head with strikes.
Taylor scoring with punches from side control.
Taylor works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Taylor lands a decent elbow from side control.
Taylor working the ground and pound.
Taylor cracks Diaz with a big elbow.
Taylor landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Taylor is chipping away with strikes.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Taylor working the ground and pound.
You can see the frustration on Diaz's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Diaz takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Shelby Taylor dominated that round.
That's time! Diaz's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Taylor instigates a clinch.
Diaz prevents the takedown attempt.
Taylor is stalling here.

Taylor gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Taylor takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Taylor wants to take a breather but Diaz is having none of it.
Taylor working Diaz over with strikes.
Taylor looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Diaz with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Diaz on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Taylor working over Diaz with some ground and pound. Diaz looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
Taylor works his way into full mount!
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Taylor putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Taylor landing strikes from the mount.
Taylor is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Taylor looking to finish Diaz with some ground and pound. This is bad for Diaz!
Taylor landing strikes, looking to finish!
Diaz taking shots to the head.
Diaz taking shots to the head.
Taylor with shots to the head and body - Diaz looks very uncomfortable down there.
Taylor lands a nice shot to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Taylor lands a nice shot to the head.
Diaz taking shots to the head.
Taylor is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Taylor looking to finish Diaz with some ground and pound. This is bad for Diaz!
Taylor has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Taylor connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Taylor fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Taylor landing strikes from the mount.
Taylor with the ground and pound from mount.
Taylor postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Diaz looks a forlorn figure.
Taylor lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Diaz hang on?
Taylor really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Diaz. 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 three minutes gone in the round.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Taylor cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Taylor pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Taylor lands with some strikes.
Taylor fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Taylor dominating with strikes here.
Taylor lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Diaz hang on?
Taylor connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Taylor is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Diaz can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Taylor cracks Diaz with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Shelby Taylor has got the better of the ground game so far.
Taylor postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Diaz looks a forlorn figure.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Taylor scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Diaz really wants to buck Taylor off and get back to his feet.
Taylor scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Diaz is in a horrible position here. Taylor smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
BOOM! Taylor connects with a massive shot to the dome!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Taylor putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Taylor landing shots from mount.
Taylor unloading with bombs!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Shelby Taylor showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Diaz's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. And we move into the final round!

Excellent takedown into side control there by Taylor.
Taylor lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Taylor cracks Diaz with a big elbow.
Taylor trying to control the position but Diaz is working away.
Diaz stops Taylor from passing to mount.
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.
Taylor landing a few strikes.
Diaz taking a bit of punishment here - Taylor scoring with strikes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Taylor cracks Diaz with a big right hand but Diaz just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Taylor is putting a hurting on Diaz here, landing some big shots from side control.
Diaz wants to control but Taylor postures up.
Diaz is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Taylor wants to control but Diaz is keeping him busy.
Taylor cracks Diaz with a big right hand but Diaz just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Taylor is looking to take a break and control but Diaz is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Taylor scores with a couple of short elbows.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Diaz taking a bit of punishment here - Taylor scoring with strikes.
Taylor working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Diaz prevents Taylor from moving into mount.
Taylor wants to control but Diaz is keeping him busy.
Taylor works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Taylor lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Diaz down.
Diaz taking a bit of punishment here - Taylor scoring with strikes.
Diaz on the wrong end of some ground and pound.
Taylor scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Diaz to see if he's OK.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taylor creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Check out the look on Taylor's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Taylor works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Diaz managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Taylor.
Diaz takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Taylor lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Diaz down.
Taylor cracks Diaz with a big right hand but Diaz just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
Taylor lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Diaz down.
Taylor lands an elbow.
Diaz is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Taylor asserts his dominance and retains side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Taylor cracks Diaz with a big elbow.
Diaz wants to get back to his feet.
Diaz stops Taylor from passing to mount.
Taylor landing strikes.
Taylor grinds an elbow into Diaz's temple.
Daniel Diaz has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Shelby Taylor is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Diaz wants to escape from the position here - easier said than done!

And that's the end of the fight!
Shelby Taylor comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Taylor has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Saam Ante scores the fight 25:30
Judge Wagner Zegers scores the fight 25:30
Judge Daniel Blasius scores the fight 25:30

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