PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Greg Birch (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rudimar Fedrigo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Buckle up people - heeeeeeeeeere we go!

Birch
vs
Fedrigo

190 cm
20
205 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

187 cm
22
215 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Self confident

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Solid chin

BioPharm Nutrition

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 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Greg Birch!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Rudimar Fedrigo!
The judges for this bout are David Schapiro, Jorge Garcia and Columbo Gatti.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Fedrigo throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Fedrigo throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Birch.
Rudimar Fedrigo seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Fedrigo misses with a head kick.
Fedrigo throws a right and a left that both miss.
Fedrigo tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Fedrigo throws a combination. Birch tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Birch fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Fedrigo on the side of the head.
Fedrigo misses with a few strikes there.
Fedrigo misses with the combination.
Fedrigo misses with a two punch combination.
Fedrigo tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Birch scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Fedrigo doesn't seem bothered though.

Birch decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Birch wants to stand up but Fedrigo has a hold of him and won't allow it.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Birch stands, ready to strike. The ref makes him back up and allows Fedrigo to get to his feet.
A head kick misses from Fedrigo.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fedrigo misses with the combination.

Birch closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Fedrigo looks gassed!
Fedrigo is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Birch escapes and gets back to his feet.
Fedrigo throws a wild body kick that Birch sees coming a mile off.
Fedrigo misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Fedrigo tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Fedrigo has his takedown stuffed

and Birch counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Fedrigo!

Birch get's back to his feet.
Fedrigo stalks Birch and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Birch's face. Birch staggers backwards, shaken.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Fedrigo tries for a takedown but Birch circles away easily

and Birch counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Fedrigo will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.

Fedrigo looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Fedrigo looking for a sweep. Not yet Fedrigo, not yet.
Birch wants to stand but Fedrigo has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

Fedrigo working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Birch has passed into half guard!
Fedrigo regains full guard. Nicely done.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Fedrigo escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Birch gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Birch wanted to stand there but Fedrigo had control of the position.
Birch knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Fedrigo on the ground.

Birch avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Fedrigo is on top in guard.
Fedrigo stops Birch from standing up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Fedrigo drops back looking for a leg! Birch is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Birch manages to kick Fedrigo off! Fedrigo jumps back into Birch's guard.
Birch wants to stand but Fedrigo is controlling the position.

Fedrigo thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

Birch wriggles free and stands up.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Fedrigo lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Fedrigo throws a head kick but Birch moves out of range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Greg Birch dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Fedrigo misses with a jab, cross combination.

Fedrigo connects with a vicious head kick that knocks Birch to the floor! Fedrigo dives in looking for the finish!

Birch is rocked!

It looks like Greg Birch has been cut.

Fedrigo is looking for a kimura here.
Oh Birch is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Fedrigo wants to take a breather but Birch is having none of it.
Birch blocking the ground and pound attempt from Fedrigo.
Birch seems to have got his legs back now.
Fedrigo frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
Birch is trying to stand up.

Fedrigo looking to secure an arm triangle but Birch defends it well.

Fedrigo is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Birch can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Birch is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.

Fedrigo swings around for an armbar but it's a sloppy attempt and Birch is now in Fedrigo's guard. A big mistake from Fedrigo there, giving up the dominant position!

Birch decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fedrigo misses with a takedown
and Birch counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Fedrigo throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Birch.
Fedrigo looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Fedrigo tries to clinch but fails miserably

so Birch counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Birch prevents Fedrigo from getting back to his feet.

Fedrigo throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Fedrigo 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.

Fedrigo looking for a guillotine here but Birch defends easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Birch stopping the sweep attempt from Fedrigo.
Birch passes into half guard under a barage of strikes.
Fedrigo wants to get back to full guard but Birch has mounted him!
Fedrigo wants to hold on but Birch pushes him away.

That's four 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.

Birch stands up from mount. Strange move.
Birch lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
A swing and a miss from Birch.
Fedrigo misses with a combination
and Birch counters with a stiff right hand.
Birch throws a half hearted mid kick.
Fedrigo scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Birch misses with a jab, cross combination.
Birch looks to land a left hand but Fedrigo moved out of range nicely.
Fedrigo throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Birch.
Fedrigo throws a head kick but Birch moves out of range.
Birch throws a big shot that misses.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Fedrigo avoids the head kick by Birch.
Greg Birch is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Birch pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Fedrigo tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Birch connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Fedrigo misses with a head kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Rudimar Fedrigo will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Greg Birch's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Fedrigo misses with a takedown

and Birch counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.

Fedrigo working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Birch has passed into half guard!
Fedrigo is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Birch escapes and gets back to his feet.
Fedrigo takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Fedrigo looks to land a combination but Birch avoids it well.
Rudimar Fedrigo seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Birch scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Fedrigo is looking for a sweep.
Fedrigo manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fedrigo is trying to control the action in half guard but Birch is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Fedrigo missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Fedrigo is pressing down on Birch's thigh, looking to free his foot. Birch is holding on for now.
Fedrigo wants to take a breather but Birch is having none of it.

Fedrigo seems to be looking for submissions.

Fedrigo seems to be working for a kimura but Birch defends the submission attempt.
Fedrigo throws a strike but Birch avoids it easily and moves to full guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.

Birch kicks Fedrigo off and gets to his feet.
Fedrigo misses with a wild combination.
Birch throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Fedrigo will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

Birch looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Fedrigo throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.

Fedrigo has an active guard here but Birch has managed to pass into half guard.
Greg Birch overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Birch wants to stand up but Fedrigo is controlling the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Fedrigo is trying to get back to full guard.
Fedrigo is pressing down on Birch's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Fedrigo is on top in guard.
Fedrigo trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

Birch pushes Fedrigo off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.
Fedrigo keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Birch.
Fedrigo looks for the body kick but Birch saw that one coming.
Fedrigo blocks the body kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Fedrigo throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Birch looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.

Birch stands, ready to strike. The ref makes him back up and allows Fedrigo to get to his feet.
Fedrigo throws the kick towards the body but Birch avoids it.
Birch connects with a looping right hand.
Birch scores with a jab to the body.
Fedrigo tries to bum rush Birch with a series of wild strikes but Birch uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Birch lands with an overhand left.
Fedrigo plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
This has been an exciting period of action!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Fedrigo shoots and misses

and Birch counters with a shoot takedown. Fedrigo fights it but they end up in guard.

Fedrigo looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Rudimar Fedrigo has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Birch stands up from Fedrigo's guard - Birch perhaps looking for a knockout.

And that's the end of the fight!
Greg Birch showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Birch 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 David Schapiro scores the fight for Greg Birch!
Judge Jorge Garcia scores the fight for Greg Birch!
Judge Columbo Gatti scores the fight for Greg Birch!

Greg Birch wins by unanimous decision!