PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Alex Skaar (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Zach Perez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Skaar
vs
Perez

195 cm
20
220 lbs
4 - 3 - 0

198 cm
20
224 lbs
5 - 4 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Alex Skaar!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Zach Perez!
The judges for this bout are Frank Antenori, Jack Bonds and Timothy Bukovac.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Skaar tries to close the distance and clinch but Perez swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Skaar looks exhausted already! Oh dear, he should have come in in better shape than this!

Perez scores with a takedown into Skaar's guard.

Skaar looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

Perez stands up from Skaar's guard - Perez perhaps looking for a knockout.

Perez decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Perez landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Perez controlling the action here.
Skaar tries to roll over but Perez keeps him under control.
Perez controlling the action here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Perez seems to be looking for submissions.
Skaar is looking to get back to full guard here but Perez has managed to pass to side control instead.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Perez cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Perez scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Skaar?
Perez cracks Skaar with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Perez unloading with bombs!
Perez tries to control but Skaar wriggling away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Perez pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Perez controlling from mount.
Skaar is bucking up trying to escape but Perez cracks him with another couple of good strikes.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Skaar is trying to escape the mount.
Perez lands a heavy elbow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Perez has hold of Skaar's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Skaar manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Skaar is in a horrible position here. Perez smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Skaar tries to lock up and control but Perez gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Perez content just to control the position here.
Skaar in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Perez landing strikes, looking to finish!

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Perez looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Skaar is looking to get to half guard.
Perez cracks Skaar with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Perez controlling from the full mount.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Skaar wants to hold on but Perez pushes him away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Zach Perez 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.

Skaar misses with a takedown
and Perez counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Perez swats away the attempt to clinch by Skaar.
Skaar tries for a takedown but Perez circles away easily

and Perez counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Perez controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Perez thows a big elbow that misses.

Skaar has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Perez is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Skaar.
Perez controlling the position.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Perez's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Perez trying to control the action but Skaar is working from the bottom.
Perez is putting a hurting on Skaar here, landing some big shots from side control.

Perez tries for a kimura but Skaar is defending well.
Skaar is looking for a sweep.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Perez trying to control the position but Skaar is working away.
Perez landing strikes.
Skaar is not content to let Perez control the position.

Perez stands up and beckons Skaar to his feet.
Skaar slips a jab and a cross from Perez.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Skaar throws a head kick but Perez moves out of range.

Perez gets a clinch.

Perez breaks from the clinch.

Skaar shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Perez's guard.
Perez pulls Skaar in close to prevent any damage.
Perez controls Skaar momentarily but Skaar frees himself.
Perez throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Skaar postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

Skaar postures up as if he's going to throw some strikes but drops back for an ankle! Perez is in big trouble! He looks ready to tap! But no, he's escaped and dives on top of Skaar, into his guard.
Skaar is wriggling around but Perez manages to pass to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Skaar looking for submissions off his back.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Perez lands a nice short elbow.

Perez is trying to work for a kimura but Skaar is defending well.
Skaar moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Zach Perez showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Perez shoots in and bounces Skaar off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.

Skaar working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Perez doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Perez manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Perez controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Perez lands a couple of elbows.
Perez postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Skaar looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Perez not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Perez wants to pass the guard but Skaar is keeping the position.
Perez throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

Skaar working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Perez has passed into half guard!
Perez lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Perez lands a nice short elbow.

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.

Skaar pushes Perez off and gets back to his feet.
Perez lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Skaar throws a lazy head kick

and Perez counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Perez sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Skaar's guard.
Skaar gets back to full guard.
Skaar is looking to stand back up... there's a bit of a scramble and Perez dives into side control.
Perez trying to control the position but Skaar is working away.

Perez is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Skaar knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Skaar is trying to get back to his feet.
Skaar taking a bit of punishment here - Perez scoring with strikes.
Skaar tries to control the position but he's not in luck - Perez easily slips into full mount!
Perez lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Perez punishing his opponent with strikes.
Perez blocks Skaar's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Perez tries to control but Skaar wriggling away.
Perez connects with a couple of good shots from mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Perez working the ground and pound effectively.
Perez can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Skaar is looking to escape.
Alex Skaar has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Perez working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Perez landing strikes from the mount.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Perez cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Perez wants to control the pace but Skaar is squirming around nicely.

And that's the end of the fight!
Zach Perez comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Perez has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Frank Antenori scores the fight 26:30
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 26:30
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Zach Perez!