PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Christian Tiangco (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Josh Burns (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Tiangco comes to the cage accompanied by down with sickness. Burns has chosen Barren Earth - Deserted Morrows as his entrance music. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Tiangco
vs
Burns

177 cm
22
250 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

205 cm
19
275 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Christian Tiangco!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Josh Burns!
The judges for this bout are Richard Clark, James Ackerman and Sam Margolis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Tiangco wants to clinch up but Burns keeps it at a distance.

Tiangco scores with a takedown into Burns's guard.
Tiangco won't allow Burns to sweep him here.
Burns is trying to control the position but Tiangco postures up.
Burns keeping moving, preventing Tiangco from controlling successfully.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Burns has control of Tiangco's left arm, preventing Tiangco from doing any damage.
Burns tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Burns has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Tiangco is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Burns.
Burns manages to get back to half guard.
Burns is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Tiangco scores with a couple of nice shots.

Tiangco decides to stand and escape the position.
Tiangco really is a fat lump.
Tiangco shoots in but Burns avoids the takedown attempt easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Burns shoots and misses

so Tiangco counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Tiangco looking to pass the guard.
Tiangco pushes down on Burns's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Tiangco wants to control but Burns is keeping him busy.

Tiangco is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Burns defends it well.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Burns is trying to get back to full guard.
Tiangco is keen to just control but Burns is a slippery customer.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Burns is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Burns regains full guard. Nicely done.
Tiangco passes into half guard.
Tiangco is breathing heavily.
Tiangco uses his free foot to push down on Burns's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Burns.
Burns manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Burns is looking to improve his position.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Tiangco throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tiangco landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Burns is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Tiangco's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Tiangco's back!
Burns scores with strikes from the back.

Burns is persistently looking for the submission but Tiangco is defending it well.
Burns is trying to stick to Tiangco's back but Tiangco is turning into Burns. He's managed to reverse the position - now he's in Burns's guard. Polite applause from the crowd in appreciation of some nice Jiu Jitsu by Tiangco.
Tiangco would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Burns wants to sweep here but Tiangco controlling him for the moment.
Tiangco tries to free his leg and advance position but Burns is retaining full guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Tiangco's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Tiangco might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Tiangco pushing down on Burns's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Burns moves into full guard.
Tiangco trying to control but Burns is working from the bottom.
Tiangco wants to stand but Burns has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Burns looking to hit a scissor sweep but Tiangco is one step ahead there.
Tiangco tries to free his leg and advance position but Burns is retaining full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Tiangco tries for a takedown but Burns circles away easily

and Burns counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Tiangco wants to control but Burns is keeping busy and won't allow it.

Burns wants to work for an arm triangle but Tiangco is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Burns not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Tiangco manages to get to full guard.
Tiangco bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Burns's guard.
Tiangco won't allow Burns to sweep him here.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Tiangco is stalling in the full guard.
Tiangco is looking to stand up but Burns won't let him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Burns manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Tiangco manages to get himself to full guard.
Burns with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Burns with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Tiangco has momentary wrist control but Burns slips an elbow through the middle.
Tiangco has control of Burns's left arm, preventing Burns from doing any damage.
Burns is in close to Tiangco's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Tiangco is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Tiangco is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Burns is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.

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.
Burns is looking to work some ground and pound but Tiangco has wrist control.

Tiangco had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Burns defends it easily.
Tiangco wants to get back to his feet but Burns is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

Burns 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.
Tiangco bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Burns's guard.
Tiangco trying to control the position from guard on top but Burns is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Burns wants to sweep but no luck.
Burns wants to hit a switch here but Tiangco passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for Burns there!
Burns takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Tiangco looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Tiangco trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Burns takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.

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.
Burns is looking to get to half guard.
Tiangco breaks from Burns's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Burns bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Tiangco trying to keep a closed guard but Burns is proving a slippery customer.
Tiangco avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Burns is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Josh Burns showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Tiangco moves into range and clinches up with Burns.
Tiangco is trying to break the clinch but Burns is controlling him.
Burns is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Tiangco gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Burns can't get the takedown.
Tiangco will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Burns up against the cage.
Burns stops a takedown attempt from Tiangco.
It really doesn't seem like the step up in weight is hurting Tiangco here at all. He's more than holding his own against the bigger man.

Tiangco decides to pull guard.
Burns is working Tiangco over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.

Burns 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.
Tiangco pulls Burns in close to prevent any damage.
Christian Tiangco overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Burns working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Tiangco is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Burns tries to get to full guard but Tiangco has control of the leg.
Tiangco lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Burns is in trouble now - Tiangco has advanced to mount!

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.
Tiangco connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Tiangco wants to control the pace but Burns is squirming around nicely.

Tiangco is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Burns to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Burns shrugs it off.
Tiangco can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Burns is looking to escape.
Tiangco looking to finish with strikes here!
Burns can't escape the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Burns wants to hold on but Tiangco pushes him away.
Burns is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
Burns looking to escape from mount but he's given up his back!
Burns is defending well here and trying to improve his position.
Tiangco softening up his opponent with strikes here.

Tiangco is working for the rear naked choke. He has one arm under the chin but Burns has hold of the other arm. A bit of a stalemate here.
Tiangco is controlling the position but Burns somehow manages to roll and ends up with half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Burns regains full guard. Nicely done.
Tiangco preventing the sweep.
Tiangco is stalling in the full guard.
Burns keeping moving, preventing Tiangco from controlling successfully.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Burns lands a beautiful switch and he's in full mount! That could spell trouble for Tiangco!

And that's the end of the fight!
Christian Tiangco showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Tiangco has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Richard Clark scores the fight 29:28
Judge James Ackerman scores the fight 29:28
Judge Sam Margolis scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Christian Tiangco!