PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Ari Birmiski (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Billy Stryker (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Birmiski's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, I'm Back - T.I. Stryker is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Go To Sleep. The atmosphere really building for this one as we go over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Birmiski
vs
Stryker

170 cm
25
140 lbs
9 - 6 - 0

180 cm
21
147 lbs
8 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Very strong

BJJ Brown Belt
Excellent boxer
Good gas tank

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 9 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Ari Birmiski!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Billy Stryker!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Birmiski misses with a low kick as Stryker jumps back.
Birmiski looks to land a right hand but Stryker moved out of range.
Stryker darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Birmiski throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Stryker.
Birmiski keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.

Stryker tries to sprawl but Birmiski drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Birmiski prevents Stryker from standing back up.
Birmiski tries to pass the half guard into mount. Stryker knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Stryker is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Birmiski's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Birmiski's back!
Stryker wants to stand up but Birmiski is stuck to his back.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Birmiski tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Birmiski throwing hammer fists to the chest of Stryker. What's that going to do exactly?
Stryker wants to stand but Birmiski is holding on to him, trying to stop him posturing up.
Birmiski controls the position.
Stryker is looking to stand but Stryker has his arms wrapped tightly around him, looking to prevent the damage.
Birmiski tries to reverse the position but Stryker maintains control.
Birmiski is squirming around, avoiding Stryker's attempts to control the action.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Stryker tries to stand up but Birmiski had a hold of his arm and he's managed to perform a nice reversal, into half guard.

Birmiski seems to be working for a kimura but Stryker defends the submission attempt.
Birmiski takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.
Birmiski throws a strike but Stryker avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Birmiski wants to control from the top but Stryker keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Stryker utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Stryker can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Birmiski controls the pace.
Birmiski trying to control but Stryker is working from the bottom.
Birmiski is pushing down on Stryker's leg trying to pass to half guard. Stryker is fighting to maintain full guard but Birmiski has managed to sneak the leg through.
Birmiski has freed up his trapped foot and advances to mount.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Stryker is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Birmiski takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Birmiski sends his fist crashing into the mat - the crowd let out a collective ooooooh. Let's hope he's not broken it!
Birmiski breaks from Stryker's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Birmiski has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Stryker's face.
Birmiski thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
Birmiski 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.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Birmiski looking for a guillotine from mount but Stryker is having none of it.
Stryker blocking the ground and pound.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Birmiski slips under a jab.
Birmiski lands with a right hand.
Stryker is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Birmiski tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Stryker swivels and escapes.
Stryker blocks a leg kick.
Stryker tries to close the distance and clinch up but Birmiski swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Birmiski connects with a nice looking jab.
Birmiski keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Birmiski ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Stryker moves away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Birmiski lands with a nice combination. Stryker backs away looking to recover.
Birmiski shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Stryker as he jumps to the side.
Nice defenses there by Birmiski.
Stryker cracks Birmiski with a good jab.
Stryker thows a left - swing and a miss!
Birmiski pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Birmiski shoots in for a takedown but Stryker shows good takedown defense.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ari Birmiski. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Birmiski.
Stryker on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Birmiski. Birmiski obviously looking to wear him down.
Stryker misses with a body shot.
Stryker swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Birmiski misses with a straight left.

Birmiski rushes Stryker and presses him up against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Stryker swings wildly with an uppercut but Birmiski uses good head movement to avoid it.
Stryker tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Birmiski drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Stryker working aggressively here.
Birmiski prevents a body shot from Stryker.
Stryker misses with a body punch.
Stryker has a couple of punches blocked by Birmiski.

Birmiski works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Birmiski trying to control the position from guard on top but Stryker is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Stryker controls Birmiski momentarily but Birmiski frees himself.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Birmiski pushing down on Stryker's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Birmiski is controlling the pace.

Birmiski looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Stryker tries to kick Birmiski off but Birmiski keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ari Birmiski dominated that second 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. This is the final round!

Stryker ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Birmiski moves away.
Billy Stryker has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Stryker keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Birmiski misses with an uppercut.
Nice defenses there by Birmiski.
Stryker misses with a straight left.
Birmiski takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Stryker throws a shot from downtown. Birmiski moves away and avoids it.
Birmiski misses with a hook.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Stryker defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Birmiski.
Birmiski tries a head kick but it misses.
Stryker tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Birmiski paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Birmiski throws a right hand that Stryker ducks under and follows up with a left that Stryker also avoids with ease.
Stryker tries to close the distance and clinch up but Birmiski swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Birmiski throws out a powerful jab.
Stryker tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Birmiski paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Stryker is looking to clinch but Birmiski is avoiding it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Stryker uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Birmiski.
Stryker throws a right hand that Birmiski ducks under and follows up with a left that Birmiski also avoids with ease.
Birmiski scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Birmiski punishes Stryker's body with a nice straight punch.
Ari Birmiski is winning the standup battle so far.
Stryker tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Birmiski manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Birmiski lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Stryker ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Birmiski moves away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Birmiski misses with a head kick.
Stryker tries to close the distance and clinch up but Birmiski swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Birmiski thuds a left hand into Stryker's body.
Birmiski throws a front kick aimed at Stryker's knee but Stryker avoids it well.
Birmiski lands a high kick!
Stryker ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Birmiski moves away.
Ari Birmiski is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Both fighters are looking to counter, which isn't making for the most exciting fight in the world.

Stryker gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Birmiski prevents a body shot from Stryker.
Stryker makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Stryker lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Birmiski backwards.
Birmiski blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

Birmiski escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Stryker getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Birmiski moves out of range of the strikes.
Stryker looks to land a combination but Birmiski avoids it well.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Birmiski misses with the combination.
Stryker throws a lazy right hand but Birmiski sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Ari Birmiski.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Birmiski, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Andi Peters scores the fight 30:28
Judge Gordon Ramsey scores the fight 30:27
Judge Frank Skinner scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ari Birmiski!