PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Biff Rydberg (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ben Gorden (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gorden has chosen Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up as his entrance music. Ben Gorden is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Rydberg
vs
Gorden

165 cm
23
144 lbs
8 - 0 - 0

170 cm
30
142 lbs
20 - 9 - 0

Good wrestling
Great elbows
Cardio machine

Powerful takedowns
Decent boxing
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Biff Rydberg!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 20 - 9 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Ben Gorden!
The judges for this bout are Viktor Lagutenko, Sergei Dronov and Vladimir Khabensky.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gorden dives in and grabs Rydberg's left leg, looking for a takedown. Rydberg pushes down on Gorden's head and hops out.
Rydberg stuffs the takedown attempt from Gorden. Gorden gets slowly back to his feet.

Gorden darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Rydberg manages to get to full guard.
Rydberg is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Gorden throwing strikes but missing.
Rydberg is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gorden throwing strikes but missing.
Rydberg trying to control the position here.
Gorden throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Rydberg works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Gorden works a leg free and moves into half guard.

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.
Rydberg tries to roll over but Gorden keeps him under control.

Gorden is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Rydberg is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Gorden scores with a couple of nice shots.
Gorden passes to full mount!
Gorden wants to control the pace but Rydberg is squirming around nicely.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Gorden throws some wild stikes that Rydberg manages to avoid easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rydberg is looking to get to half guard.
Rydberg manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Gorden throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Gorden is trying to control the action in half guard but Rydberg is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Rydberg is in trouble now - Gorden has advanced to mount!
Gorden throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Rydberg because Gorden loaded up on that one.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gorden throwing strikes here but Rydberg is writhing around nicely and avoiding any serious damage.
Rydberg can't escape the position.
Rydberg regains half guard.
Gorden missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Gorden throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Gorden sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Rydberg is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Gorden scores with a couple of nice shots.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ben Gorden dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Gorden uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Rydberg.
Rydberg moves in looking to clinch but Gorden pushes him off.
Rydberg misses the shot to the body.
Gorden slips a straight right by Rydberg.
Gorden stuns Rydberg with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Rydberg tries to clinch but Gorden moves out of range.
Rydberg throws a big shot that misses.
Rydberg throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Gorden counters with a stiff right hand.
Gorden shoots and misses

and Rydberg counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gorden tries to score a body lock takedown but Rydberg shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Gorden is trying to break the clinch but Rydberg is controlling him.
Rydberg lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Rydberg blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Gorden tries to pull guard but Rydberg holds him up against the cage and eventually Gorden drops back down to his feet.
Biff Rydberg has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ben Gorden.
Gorden wants to stall.
Gorden fails to pull guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rydberg blocking some punches.
Rydberg lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
A short left from Rydberg.
Gorden jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Rydberg walks away with a smile on his face. Gorden gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Rydberg is looking to clinch but Gorden is avoiding it.
Biff Rydberg seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rydberg misses with a body shot.
Gorden thows a body shot but no joy.
Gorden avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Gorden swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Rydberg tries to clinch up but Gorden circles away and keeps his distance.
Rydberg throws a sloppy body shot
and Gorden counters with a stiff right hand.
Rydberg works Gorden's body with a nice hook.
Gorden misses with an uppercut
and Rydberg counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Gorden tries for a takedown but Rydberg circles away easily

and Rydberg counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rydberg lands with a left to the head.
A hook to the body from Rydberg.
Rydberg cracks Gorden with a nice body shot.
Knees in the clinch landing for Rydberg.
Gorden is breathing heavily.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Rydberg gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Gorden has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Rydberg avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Gorden fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Gorden tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Rydberg smiles and moves away.
Ben Gorden is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Rydberg misses the shot to the body.
Rydberg fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Gorden manages to avoid it.
Rydberg throws a big shot that misses.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Gorden.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rydberg scores with a jab to the body.
Rydberg lands a glancing blow to the side of Gorden's head.

Rydberg gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Rydberg lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Rydberg presses Gorden against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Gorden throws a punch but it's blocked by Rydberg.
Gorden working hard to break the clinch.
Rydberg lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Gorden fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Rydberg obliges.
Gorden takes an elbow to the temple.
Gorden is trying to break free.
Gorden working hard to break the clinch.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Rydberg.

It looks like Ben Gorden has been cut.
Gorden tries to break the clinch but Rydberg is controlling the position.
Rydberg putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Gorden in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Rydberg lands a right hand that snaps the head of Gorden backwards.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Rydberg.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rydberg lands a damaging elbow.
Rydberg lands a body punch.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Rydberg.
Rydberg utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Rydberg lands a nice shot to the body.
Nice elbow from Rydberg.
Gorden drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Rydberg gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Rydberg scores with a shoulder strike.
Nice body punch from Rydberg - that landed with a thud.
Rydberg lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Rydberg lands a hook that snaps the head of Gorden backwards.
Rydberg is working Gorden over against the cage.
A hook to the body from Rydberg.
Rydberg lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Gorden backwards.

Gorden is rocked!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Rydberg.
Gorden is still on wobbly legs! Can Rydberg finish him?
Rydberg makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
A right handed body shot lands from Rydberg.
Rydberg lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Rydberg lands an uppercut in the clinch that drops Gorden to his knees! Rydberg keeps firing more shots against his stricken opponent and the referee jumps in to save him!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:55 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Biff Rydberg!