PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Gabriel Zat (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Matthew Montoya (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Zat comes to the cage accompanied by Open your eyes by Alter Bridge. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Zat
vs
Montoya

185 cm
21
200 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

183 cm
19
200 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

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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 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Gabriel Zat!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Matthew Montoya!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, and Jack Bonds.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Zat closes the distance and clinches.
Zat digs a right hand underneath Montoya's ribcage. Montoya let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Zat stalling in the clinch.
Zat wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Montoya has him pressed against the cage.
Zat is trying to force a seperation but Montoya has the dominant position.
Montoya has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Zat is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.

Zat pulls guard effortlessly.
Montoya looking to pass the guard.
Montoya stopping the sweep attempt from Zat.
Montoya prevents Zat from getting back to his feet.
Montoya stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Zat swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Zat had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Montoya defends it easily.
Zat wants to stand and escape but Montoya is having none of it.
Montoya really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Zat. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Montoya stopping the sweep attempt from Zat.
Zat working a defensive guard here.
Zat looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Montoya trying to control the position from guard on top but Zat is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Zat is pulling down on Montoya's head. It's preventing any offense from Montoya, at least for the moment.

We're going to have a standup here because Gabriel Zat wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Montoya misses with a takedown attempt
and Zat cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Zat closes the distance and clinches up with Montoya, looking for a takedown. Zat pushes Montoya against the cage but Montoya circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Zat fails with an attempt to clinch.

Montoya is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Zat's half guard.

Montoya is working for a submission of some sort.
Zat is trying to stand up here but Montoya is controlling him well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Montoya wants to get back to his feet.
Montoya prevents Zat from standing back up.
Montoya is trying to advance to mount but he's lost his balance and Zat reverses the position - he's now on top in Montoya's guard.
Zat sitting in guard here, content to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Montoya trying to control the position.
Montoya throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Zat wants to get up but he can't break Montoya's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

Zat 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.
Zat wants to stand but Montoya has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
Montoya looking for a sweep. Not yet Montoya, not yet.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Zat is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

Zat 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.
Montoya pulls Zat in close to prevent any damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gabriel Zat dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Montoya scores a takedown into full mount!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Zat manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Montoya wants to advance to full mount but Zat doesn't think that's going to happen and regains full guard instead.
Zat keeping full guard, as Montoya tries to pass.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Montoya is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Zat controls Montoya momentarily but Montoya frees himself.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Zat holds on and takes a little breather.
Zat trying to keep a closed guard but Montoya is proving a slippery customer.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Matthew Montoya hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Montoya gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Zat counters by moving into the clinch.

Zat has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Montoya uses from the top position.
Montoya is looking to stand up but Zat won't let him.
Zat tries to land a sweep but no joy.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Montoya has gone for a leg lock! Zat slips out almost immediately though and dives into Montoya's guard.
Zat thows a big elbow that misses.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Montoya can do anything to dispel that myth.
Montoya keeping full guard, as Zat tries to pass.
Zat wants to get up but he can't break Montoya's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Montoya preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Zat preventing the sweep.

Montoya looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Montoya is controlling Zat's posture.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Montoya working a defensive guard but Zat manages to pass into side control anyway.

Zat tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Zat has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Montoya wants to control but Zat postures up.
Zat trying to control the action but Montoya is working from the bottom.
Montoya is trying to improve his position.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Zat working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.

That's four 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.
Zat lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.

Zat has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
Montoya with a poor takedown

and Zat counters with a takedown into side control.

Zat is trying to get an arm triangle but Montoya is defending well.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Zat wants to control but Montoya is keeping him busy.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Montoya controls the position for a moment.
Montoya wants to control but Zat postures up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Montoya shoots and misses

and Zat counters with a single leg into guard. Montoya didn't expect that.
Zat has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Montoya is proving hard to escape from.
Montoya looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Zat puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.
Zat throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Zat slips a nice elbow through Montoya's hands, connecting with Montoya's forehead.
Montoya throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
Zat missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Zat seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Montoya does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Montoya is trying to maintain the position but Zat is very close to passing his half guard.

Zat wants to work for an arm triangle but Montoya is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Zat prevents Montoya from improving his position.
Montoya is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Zat stands up out of the half guard.
Zat fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Montoya has his takedown stuffed

and Zat counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Zat.
Zat stops a takedown attempt from Montoya.
Gabriel Zat has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Matthew Montoya.
Montoya is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Zat pulls him back up using the underhooks.
Montoya looking for a takedown.

Montoya has Zat pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Montoya pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Zat tumbling to the mat - Montoya dives into Zat's guard.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Zat is on top in guard.
Zat lands a couple of elbows.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zat postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

Montoya is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Zat is aware though and is defending well.
Zat wanted to stand there but Montoya had control of the position.
Montoya avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Montoya tries to land a sweep but no joy.

Montoya is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Gabriel Zat overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Montoya looking to hit a scissor sweep but Zat is one step ahead there.
Zat forces his way into half guard.
Zat trying to control from half guard but Montoya is working away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Zat is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Zat not landing any meaningful shots this time.

Zat stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.
Montoya with a poor takedown

and Zat moves into the clinch.

Zat's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Gabriel Zat is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Zat tries to close the distance and clinch up but Montoya swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Montoya looking for a takedown here - he's got it.

Zat working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Montoya doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Montoya manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Gabriel Zat is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Zat wants to stand and escape but Montoya is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Montoya trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Montoya has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Zat is proving hard to escape from.
Montoya stays in close to Zat's body and controls the position.
Matthew Montoya has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Montoya preventing the sweep.

And that's the end of the fight!
Gabriel Zat showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Zat has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 30:27
Judge Suge Night scores the fight 30:27
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Gabriel Zat!