PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Cassius Payne (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Shiva Red Gym (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Payne comes to the ring accompanied by DMX- Where the Hood At . Red Gym has chosen We are the Champions as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Shiva Red Gym will no doubt be trying to keep this one on the feet, where he has a distinct advantage.

Payne
vs
Red Gym

176 cm
23
158 lbs
9 - 1 - 0

175 cm
24
157 lbs
7 - 8 - 0

Powerful takedowns
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Powerful

LHK Clothing
:: Happy Pills ::

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the featherweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Cassius Payne!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Shiva Red Gym!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Blasius, Aafke Stam and Wagner Zegers.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Payne tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Red Gym swivels and escapes.

Payne closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Payne lands in his opponent's guard.
Payne keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Red Gym's head.
Red Gym is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Red Gym really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Payne. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Payne postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.

Payne thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Payne controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Payne prevents Red Gym from getting back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Payne trying to control but Red Gym is working from the bottom.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Payne's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Payne wants to pass the guard but Red Gym is keeping the position.
Payne stands up over Red Gym, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Payne trying to control the position from guard on top but Red Gym is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Payne landing with the ground and pound.
Payne thows a big elbow that misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Red Gym keeping moving, preventing Payne from controlling successfully.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Payne postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Payne thows a big elbow that misses.
Red Gym throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Red Gym is trying to keep Payne in close.
Payne passes Red Gym's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Red Gym taking some punishment here, with Payne in his half guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!

Payne is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Payne is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Red Gym has managed to free his arm - good work.

Payne is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Red Gym has managed to free his arm - good work.
Payne lands strikes from half guard.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Red Gym is trying to maintain the position but Payne is very close to passing his half guard.
Red Gym is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Payne is looking to advance position but Red Gym won't allow it.
Payne controlling the action here.
Payne looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Red Gym with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Payne prevents Red Gym from improving his position.
Payne has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

Payne seems to be working for a kimura but Red Gym defends the submission attempt.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Payne decides to stand up and try his luck on the feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

No luck for Payne with that takedown attempt.
Payne looks for a takedown but Red Gym sprawls well.
Shiva Red Gym is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Payne on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Red Gym. Red Gym obviously looking to wear him down.
Red Gym is looking to chop away at Payne's legs.
Payne checks a leg kick.
Payne looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Cassius Payne. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Payne with a poor takedown
and Red Gym counters with an inside leg kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Red Gym lands a nice looking kick to the body. Payne takes a step back to recover.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Red Gym defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Payne.
Payne doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Red Gym counters with a body kick that stops Payne in his tracks momentarily.
Red Gym throws a head kick that misses.
Red Gym tries to clinch up.
Red Gym throws a series of punches but Payne moves out of range.
Good work by Payne as he checks the leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A good leg kick by Red Gym.
Payne takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Payne shoots in for a double leg but Red Gym sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Red Gym throws a head kick that misses.

Payne shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Red Gym manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Payne trying to control the position from guard on top but Red Gym is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Payne working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Red Gym preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Payne throws a big right hand that misses.
Payne trying to control but Red Gym is working from the bottom.
Payne lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Cassius Payne overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Red Gym is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Payne passes easily into side control. Nice work.

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

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Payne cracks Red Gym with a big right hand but Red Gym just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.

Payne tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Payne has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Payne is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Red Gym is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Sloppy strikes there by Payne.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Cassius Payne will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Red Gym throws a nice head kick!
Payne blocks a head kick by Red Gym.
Payne shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Red Gym sprawls well. Red Gym wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Payne gets slowly back to his feet.
Red Gym misses with a series of wild punches.
Payne closes the distance and clinches up with Red Gym, looking for a takedown. Payne pushes Red Gym against the ropes but Red Gym circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Nice sprawl there from Red Gym as Payne shoots in.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Cassius Payne. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Red Gym throws a shot from downtown. Payne moves away and avoids it.
Red Gym throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.

Payne changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Red Gym looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Payne lands a knee to the body and a forearm to the face.
Payne scoring with punches from side control.

Payne has hold of Red Gym's arm here. He's working for an Americana. It looks like he might have it! Red Gym tries to escape but he's just digging himself in deeper - Payne cranks the arm and Red Gym screams in pain! The ref makes a decision and ends the fight before the tap - no complains from Red Gym, who is just happy to have his arm attached to his body.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:55 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Americana). Cassius Payne!
Cassius Payne retains his featherweight title!