PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Rio Wright (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jay Mason (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Wright
vs
Mason

175 cm
22
180 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

180 cm
22
175 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Purple Belt
Good elbows
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Rio Wright!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Jay Mason!
The judges for this bout are Bruno Lombardi, Dean Styles and Columbo Gatti.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mason is looking to clinch but Wright is avoiding it.
Wright misses with a takedown attempt - Mason sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Wright shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Mason's guard.

Wright avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Wright controlling from the top position.

Mason working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Wright doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Wright manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

Mason is looking for a triangle but Wright pushes his legs off easily.
Mason looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Mason has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Wright can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Mason preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

Wright thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Wright lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Wright trying to control but Mason is working from the bottom.
Mason thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.

Wright drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Wright stands up over Mason, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Wright showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Mason is on top in guard.
Mason tries to free his leg and advance position but Wright is retaining full guard.
Mason looks gassed!

Wright working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Mason doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Mason manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

Wright is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mason looking to pass the guard.

Wright is looking for a triangle but Mason pushes his legs off easily.
Mason is pushing down on Wright's leg trying to pass to half guard. Wright is fighting to maintain full guard but Mason has managed to sneak the leg through.

Wright pushes Mason off and gets back to his feet.

Wright drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.

Wright thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for leaving it all in the cage!

Wright tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

Wright is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Mason is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Mason is not content to let Wright control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mason tries to bench press Wright off him but Wright keeps the position.

Wright working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Wright fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Mason sneaks back into half guard.
Wright wants to pass the guard but Mason is defending well.
Mason tries to get to full guard but Wright has control of the leg.
Wright looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Wright prevents Mason from improving his position.
Wright thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.

That's four 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.
Mason slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.

Mason throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Mason tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Mason has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Wright can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Mason keeping moving, preventing Wright from controlling successfully.

Mason working for a triangle but Wright defends it easily.
Wright wants to control from the top but Mason keeps moving.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Wright stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Mason swivels though and keeps the full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rio Wright dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Wright avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
No luck for Wright with that takedown attempt.
Wright tries for a takedown but Mason sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
The fight stays on the outside here - Mason looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Wright shoots in but no luck this time.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rio Wright. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Mason gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Mason missing with knees to the body.
Wright blocks an elbow strike from Mason.
Mason using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Mason lands an elbow inside.
Wright is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Mason gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Mason with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Mason throws a knee to the head but misses.
Mason lands an elbow inside.
Wright blocks the elbow strike.
Mason throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Wright wants a takedown.
Wright is trying to maintain a safe position but Mason gets an underhook and turns Wright into the cage.
Mason creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Mason lands an elbow inside that Wright shrugs off.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Mason gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Mason using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Mason lands a nice knee to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Wright is stalling here.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Mason.
Mason looking to throw knees to the head but Wright is blocking nicely.
Wright blocks an elbow strike from Mason.
Mason letting Wright take a breather here.

Wright manages to pull guard.
Wright looking to hit a scissor sweep but Mason is one step ahead there.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Wright is on top in guard.
Wright slips nicely into half guard.
Wright missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

Mason looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Rio Wright overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Wright is looking to take a break and control but Mason is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Mason tries to roll over but Wright keeps him under control.
Wright trying to control from half guard but Mason is working away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Wright is trying to work for a kimura. He's got his hands clasped together - this could be trouble! No, Mason has managed to free his arm - good work.
Wright looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Mason with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.

Mason looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

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

Mason gets caught flat footed, as Wright shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Mason bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Wright's guard.
Wright keeping full guard, as Mason tries to pass.
Mason preventing the sweep.
Mason stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Wright swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Wright is looking to stand up but Mason isn't so interested in that idea.
Wright is trying to keep Mason in close.
Wright wants to sweep here but Mason controlling him for the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Wright looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Mason postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Wright is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Mason, into his guard.

Wright gets to his feet. Mason looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Wright swats away the attempt to clinch by Mason.
Mason wants to clinch.
Wright tries to clinch up.
Mason fails with an attempt to clinch.
Jay Mason seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Wright fails with a takedown attempt.
Wright shoots in and drives through. Mason sprawls well.
Mason closes the distance looking to clinch

and Wright decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Mason's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wright wants to control from the top but Mason keeps moving.

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

Mason looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Wright passes into side control.
Mason taking punishment in the form of punches.

Wright thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Wright advances to mount.
Mason is trying desperately to improve position.

Wright looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Wright looking to secure an arm triangle but Mason defends it well.
Mason really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rio Wright dominated that second round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Mason tries to clinch

and Wright decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Mason's guard.
Mason keeping full guard, as Wright tries to pass.

Wright 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.
Wright wanted to stand there but Mason had control of the position.
Mason is looking to sweep but instead, Wright has passed into half guard.
Wright passes to side control.

Wright tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

Wright working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Mason tries to slip a leg under to move to half guard but Wright presses down on the leg and jumps into full mount!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Wright looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.

Wright is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Mason can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Mason keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Mason regains half guard.
Mason is looking to improve his position.
Wright uses his free foot to push down on Mason's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Mason.
Wright takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.

Wright has hold of Mason's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Mason manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.

Mason defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Wright.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Wright looking for a guillotine from mount but Mason is having none of it.
Wright wants to control the pace but Mason is squirming around nicely.
Mason is in all sorts of trouble here.

Wright has hold of an arm here, looking to extend it. He's committed to the armbar attempt here! Will he get it?! Yes! Mason is forced to tap!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:48 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Rio Wright!