PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Burt Byrd (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Zach Fletcher (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Well, the cameraman is lingering on a pretty young lady for a bit too long there. Keep your eyes on the fighters buddy or you'll miss the fighter intros!

Byrd
vs
Fletcher

180 cm
26
175 lbs
3 - 5 - 1

175 cm
20
175 lbs
1 - 4 - 1

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
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 3 - 5 - 1, fighting out of Sydney, Burt Byrd!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 4 - 1, fighting out of Sydney, Zach Fletcher!
The judges for this bout are Steve Erwin, Eliza Hachem and Bruno Hogan.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Fletcher misses with a low kick.
Byrd wants to clinch.
Fletcher keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Byrd fails with a takedown attempt.
Fletcher pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Fletcher looks to land a combination but Byrd avoids it well.
Byrd tries to clinch there but Fletcher circles away.
Fletcher throws a leg kick
and Byrd counters with a three punch combo that has Fletcher backing up. Fletcher nods at Byrd to acknowledge the strikes.
Fletcher connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Byrd is looking to clinch but Fletcher is avoiding it.
Fletcher throws a head kick but Byrd moves out of range.
Byrd has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.

It looks like Burt Byrd has been cut.
Byrd tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Fletcher paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Fletcher throws a series of punches but Byrd avoids them all with ease.

Fletcher rushes Byrd and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Byrd gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Fletcher is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Byrd is defending well.
Fletcher is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Byrd tries to land knees in the clinch but Fletcher avoids the damage to the body.

Byrd escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Byrd shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Fletcher's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Fletcher preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Byrd accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Byrd trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

Byrd drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Byrd jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Byrd accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Fletcher working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Byrd.
Byrd postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Fletcher wants to stand but Byrd is controlling the position.
Byrd in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Byrd throwing strikes but missing.
Byrd throws a big right hand that misses.
Byrd postures up in Fletcher's guard and throws a big left but Fletcher blocks it.
Byrd trying to control the position from guard on top but Fletcher is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Byrd throwing strikes from guard but Fletcher blocks nicely.
Fletcher wants to stand but Byrd is controlling the position.
Byrd forces his way into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Byrd missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Fletcher is refusing to be controlled, as Byrd sits in half guard.
Fletcher avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Byrd.

The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Byrd is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Fletcher has managed to free his arm - good work.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Fletcher trying to keep hold of his opponent's head but Byrd manages to pass to mount!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Fletcher forces Byrd back against the cage and clinches.
Byrd creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Fletcher's defenses.

It looks like Zach Fletcher has been cut.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Byrd has Fletcher pressed against the cage, preventing Fletcher from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Fletcher looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Fletcher tries to break the clinch but Byrd is controlling the position.

Byrd's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Fletcher swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Byrd tries to clinch up but Fletcher circles away and keeps his distance.
Byrd slips under a jab from Fletcher.
Fletcher throws a sloppy head kick and Byrd moves out of range easily.
Fletcher swings and misses with a hook to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Byrd tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Fletcher manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Byrd is looking to clinch but Fletcher is avoiding it.
Fletcher misses with a two punch combination.
Burt Byrd is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Byrd has managed to clinch.
The referee is keeping an eye on Byrd - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Fletcher is trying to break free.
Byrd connects with a nasty looking knee right to Fletcher's face.
Fletcher takes an elbow to the forehead.
Byrd tries to stall but Fletcher uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Fletcher wants to take the fight to the mat but Byrd manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Byrd prevents Fletcher from breaking the clinch.
Fletcher is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Byrd gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Fletcher as Byrd tries to tie him up.

Byrd breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Byrd tries to close the distance and clinch up but Fletcher swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Byrd moves out of range as Fletcher strikes.
Byrd tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Fletcher paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Fletcher swats away the attempt to clinch by Byrd.
A combination from Fletcher does no damage.
Fletcher leaves Byrd with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Byrd.
Fletcher bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Byrd's head backwards.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Byrd wants to clinch.
Byrd fails with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Burt Byrd. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Byrd showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Fletcher.
Byrd tries to clinch but Fletcher is having none of it.
Zach Fletcher seems to be getting the better of the standup.

That's four 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.
Byrd tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Fletcher has closed the distance and engaged Byrd in a clinch.
Fletcher looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Fletcher as Byrd tries to tie him up.
Byrd using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Fletcher has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Fletcher on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Fletcher looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Byrd is struggling to control the position.

Byrd breaks the clinch.
Byrd is looking to clinch but Fletcher is avoiding it.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Fletcher swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Byrd moves into the clinch.
Fletcher is trying to break the clinch but Byrd has him pressed against the cage.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
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 Burt Byrd will probably get the nod.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! And we move into the final round!

Byrd avoids a punch combination nicely.
Byrd tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Sloppy strikes from Fletcher. Those never looked like landing.
Nice defenses there by Byrd.
Jab, jab by Fletcher - just one landing.

Fletcher instigates a clinch.
Byrd using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Fletcher has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Fletcher is trying to break the clinch but Byrd is controlling him.
Fletcher looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Byrd trying to stall but Fletcher improves his position.
Byrd prevents Fletcher from breaking the clinch.
Fletcher has had enough of the clinch but Byrd keeps him there for the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Fletcher wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Byrd throws an elbow but it misses.
Fletcher drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Byrd keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Fletcher's efforts to push away.
Byrd is trying to maintain a safe position but Fletcher gets an underhook and turns Byrd into the cage.
Fletcher wants to break the clinch but can't.
Byrd lands an elbow that stopped Fletcher in his tracks for a moment.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Fletcher wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Byrd has him pressed against the cage.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Fletcher is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Byrd dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Byrd is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Fletcher is keeping busy.
Byrd stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Burt Byrd.
Byrd tries to close the distance and clinch up but Fletcher swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Byrd tries to clinch up.
Byrd is looking to clinch but Fletcher is avoiding it.
Fletcher keeps the fight on the outside.
Byrd showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Fletcher.
Byrd tries to clinch but Fletcher is having none of it.
Byrd fails in his attempt to clinch.
Byrd checks a low kick from Fletcher.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Byrd misses with the combination.
The fight stays on the outside here - Byrd looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Zach Fletcher has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Burt Byrd is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Byrd looks to clinch
and Fletcher counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Byrd dodges the punch combination from Fletcher.
Fletcher looks to land a combination but Byrd avoids it well.
Sloppy strikes from Fletcher. Those never looked like landing.
Fletcher motions for Byrd to come forward. Fletcher throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Byrd tries to clinch but Fletcher moves out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Fletcher tries to keep at a distance but Byrd has taken the fight into the clinch.
Byrd lands an elbow that stopped Fletcher in his tracks for a moment.
The referee calls for Byrd to work.
Byrd prevents Fletcher from breaking the clinch.
Fletcher tries to work over Byrd's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Fletcher is trying to push Byrd away but Byrd has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Fletcher tries to break the clinch but Byrd is controlling the position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Byrd slowing the pace effectively.
Byrd scores with a knee to the head.
Byrd displaying some good clinch control by pressing Fletcher up against the cage.
Byrd throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Fletcher blocks it with crossed arms.

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 Burt Byrd.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Byrd, 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 Steve Erwin scores the fight 30:27
Judge Eliza Hachem scores the fight 30:27
Judge Bruno Hogan scores the fight 30:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Burt Byrd!