PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Athrun Zala (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Burt Byrd (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Zala
vs
Byrd

180 cm
24
170 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

180 cm
24
175 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Athrun Zala!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Burt Byrd!
The judges for this bout are Summer Carpenter, Eliza Hachem and Donatello Bradman.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Zala swats away the attempt to clinch by Byrd.
Byrd circles away from the clinch attempt.
Zala tries to clinch there but Byrd circles away.
Zala wants to clinch.
Nice uppercut there from Zala.
Zala tries to clinch up.
Byrd tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Zala wants to clinch but Byrd slips to the side

and Byrd counters by clinching up.
Zala misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Byrd.
Byrd prevents Zala from breaking the clinch.
Byrd looking to throw knees to the head but Zala is blocking nicely.
Byrd tries a knee to the head but Zala blocks it.
Zala is struggling to control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Byrd misses with a knee strike.
Zala tries to land knees in the clinch but Byrd avoids the damage to the body.
Byrd tries to score a body lock takedown but Zala shows good agility there to stay on his feet.

Zala breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Zala tries to clinch up.
Zala tries to close the distance and clinch but Byrd swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Zala throws a body punch but Byrd moves out of range.
Zala moves in looking to clinch but Byrd pushes him off.
A combination from Zala does no damage.
Zala is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Zala moves in looking to clinch but Byrd pushes him off.
Byrd walks into a straight right hand from Zala.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zala fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Byrd manages to avoid it.
Zala fails with an attempt to clinch.

Zala drives through and clinches with Byrd against the cage.
Zala is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Byrd looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Byrd as Zala tries to tie him up.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Byrd wants to take the fight to the mat but Zala manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Byrd stalling the fight.
Byrd using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Zala has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zala is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.

Byrd breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Byrd misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Zala is stalling here.
Byrd is trying to push Zala away but Zala has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Byrd content to slow the pace in the clinch.

Byrd breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Byrd tries to clinch up but Zala circles away and keeps his distance.
Zala fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Zala rushes Byrd and presses him up against the cage.

Zala escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Zala scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Zala wants to clinch up but Byrd keeps it at a distance.
Zala stalks Byrd and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Byrd's face. Byrd staggers backwards, shaken.
Zala wants to clinch up but Byrd keeps it at a distance.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Nice sprawl there from Byrd as Zala shoots in.
Byrd moves to clinch but Zala breaks away
and Zala counters with a two punch combo.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Zala is looking to clinch.

Zala clinches.
Byrd tries a knee to the head but Zala blocks it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Athrun Zala 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.

A telegraphed takedown attempt from Zala is defended easily by Byrd.
Zala tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Byrd paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Zala fails with an attempt to clinch.
Byrd tries to score a power double leg takedown but Zala sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Byrd somewhat.
Zala shoots in and drives through. Byrd sprawls well.
Zala feints a jab promting Byrd to slip. Zala then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Byrd slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.

Zala clinches up against the cage.

Byrd pulls guard effortlessly.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Byrd bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Zala's guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Byrd trying to control the position from guard on top but Zala is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Byrd decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Zala, up you get!
Zala scores with a three punch combo!
Byrd is looking to clinch.
Horrible takedown by Byrd or perhaps it was just good defense by Zala which made him look bad.
A looping hook to the body misses from Zala. Byrd does a little dance to reset his feet.
Byrd shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Zala sprawls well. Zala wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Byrd gets slowly back to his feet.
Athrun Zala has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Burt Byrd.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zala changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Byrd tries to avoid it but Zala manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Byrd to the ground. Byrd escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.

Zala closes the distance and pushes Byrd back into the cage.

Zala breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Byrd tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Athrun Zala is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Zala tries to close the distance and clinch up but Byrd swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Byrd moves in looking to clinch but Zala pushes him off.

Zala pushes Byrd up against the cage in a clinch.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Zala wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Byrd has him pressed against the cage.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Zala.

It looks like Burt Byrd has been cut.
Byrd throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Zala blocks it with crossed arms.
Zala pushes off an throws an elbow but Byrd leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zala lands an elbow just above Byrd 's eye.
Zala lands a good knee to the midsection. Byrd won't want to take too many of those.
Byrd is breathing heavily.
Zala is trying to pull guard but Byrd has him pressed against the cage.

Byrd pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Zala closes the distance and clinches.
Zala with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Zala stalling the fight.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Zala tries to break free but Byrd pushes him back against the cage.
Zala wants to break free but Byrd has control.
Zala can't break the clinch.
Byrd is trying to stall.
Byrd is trying to drag Zala to the mat but Zala just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.

Zala breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Byrd tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Zala manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Zala gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Zala is trying to break free.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Zala as Byrd tries to tie him up.
Byrd wants to get back to striking at distance but Zala won't allow it.

Zala breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Zala pushes Byrd up against the cage in a clinch.
Zala tries to pull guard but Byrd forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Zala manages to break the clinch.
Byrd throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Zala gets a clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Athrun Zala dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Burt Byrd's cut.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Byrd tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

Zala closes the distance and clinches.
Zala has had enough of the clinch but Byrd keeps him there for the moment.
Byrd is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Byrd is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Zala is keeping busy.

Zala escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Good standup being displayed there by Zala as he connects with a hook.
Byrd shoots in looking for a takedown. Zala tries to sprawl out of it but Byrd keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Zala manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Byrd tries to clinch there but Zala circles away.
Zala throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Zala has closed the distance and engaged Byrd in a clinch.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Zala takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Byrd is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Zala is defending well.
Zala wants to break the clinch but can't.
Zala jumps guard but Byrd turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Zala throws an elbow but it misses.

Zala pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Byrd leaves Zala with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Zala is looking to clinch.
Zala keeps the fight on the outside.

Byrd closes the distance and clinches.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zala creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Byrd's defenses.

Zala breaks from the clinch.
Zala tries to clinch but Byrd moves out of range.
Zala scores with a hook.

Zala fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Byrd, pushing him back against the cage.
Athrun Zala has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Byrd wants a takedown.
Athrun Zala has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Burt Byrd.
Zala avoiding damage.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Byrd is trying to stall.

Zala pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Zala displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Byrd.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Byrd circles away from the clinch attempt.
Zala comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Byrd takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Zala closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Byrd shoots in for a takedown but Zala shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Zala wants to clinch.
Byrd tries to clinch there but Zala circles away.

Zala pushes Byrd up against the cage in a clinch.
Byrd working hard to break the clinch.
Byrd tries for a takedown. No joy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The referee calls for Zala to work.
Byrd looking to stall.
Zala is looking to break free of the clinch but Byrd has double underhooks.
Byrd managing to block the knees to the body from Zala.

Zala breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Zala wants to clinch up but Byrd keeps it at a distance.
Zala tries to clinch but Byrd moves out of range.
Byrd tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Zala fails with an attempt to clinch.

Zala moves into the clinch successfully.
Burt Byrd has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Athrun Zala is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Byrd misses with an elbow strike.

And that's the end of the fight!
Athrun Zala showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Zala, 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 Summer Carpenter scores the fight 30:27
Judge Eliza Hachem scores the fight 30:27
Judge Donatello Bradman scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Athrun Zala!