PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Forrest Vera (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Michael Meryk (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Michael Meryk struggled to make weight for this fight. He only made it down to 206.3lbs at the first attempt and had to take the additional two hours to make the official bout weight. Let's see how much it's taken out of him. Forrest Vera could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Michael Meryk's chin.

Vera
vs
Meryk

187 cm
22
205 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

188 cm
18
219 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Very confident

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Forrest Vera!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Michael Meryk!
The judges for this bout are Steve Smith, Dillan Fox and Alec Ball.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Excellent takedown into side control there by Meryk.
Vera is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Meryk off and has taken his back!

Vera is working for the rear naked choke. He has one arm under the chin but Meryk has hold of the other arm. A bit of a stalemate here.
Meryk looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.
Vera throws a big right hand but he misses and hits the mat. Ouch.
Vera trying to control.
Vera is hanging on to Meryk's back as he tries to escape.

Vera tightening his grip on Meryk, looking for the choke.

Meryk is displaying good submission defense - not really looking in danger of submitting to the rear naked choke at the moment. That could change in an instant of course if Vera gets his way!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Meryk wriggles onto his back under a barage of strikes.
Vera can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Meryk is looking to escape.
Vera tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Meryk is in all sorts of trouble here.

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.
Meryk manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Vera blocks the strikes from Meryk.
Meryk is trying is best to control the position here.
Vera blocks the strikes from Meryk.
Meryk is trying to control but Vera passes into side control!
Meryk gets back to half guard.
Vera keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.

Meryk looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Meryk looks gassed!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Meryk moves into full guard.
Vera wants to control from the top but Meryk keeps moving.
Vera trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Meryk being controlled here, momentarily.
Meryk tries to land a sweep but no joy.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

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

Vera drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Vera is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Meryk working a defensive guard here.

Vera gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Vera plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Meryk fails with the takedown

and Vera counters with a nice double leg into side control. Meryk won't be happy with that.

Vera stands up and we're back to a striking position.
Vera lands a head kick. Meryk smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Vera gets the takedown into side control.
Meryk is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Meryk struggling a bit here.
Meryk avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Vera.
Vera working the body and head with strikes.
Meryk taking a bit of punishment here - Vera scoring with strikes.
Vera just content to control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Vera landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Vera creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Meryk is not content to let Vera control the position.
Vera connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Meryk some visible discomfort.

Vera decides to take the fight back to the feet.

Vera decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Vera is looking to take a break and control but Meryk is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
It looks like Vera is going to stand back up.
Still in half guard, Vera seems content to control.
Meryk keeps control of the position for the meantime.
Meryk is trying to get back to full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Vera is taking a breather. Meryk says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vera is looking to stall here but Meryk recovers full guard.
Vera trying to control but Meryk is working from the bottom.
Meryk thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Vera trying to control the position from guard on top but Meryk is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Meryk had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Vera is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Meryk Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Vera's back instead.

That's four 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.
Vera trying to control the action but Meryk just sinks the hooks in.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Forrest Vera just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Meryk doesn't succeed with the takedown

and Vera counters with a shoot takedown. Meryk fights it but they end up in guard.
Vera won't allow Meryk to sweep him here.
Vera trying to control but Meryk is working from the bottom.
Vera is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Meryk is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Forrest Vera dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Vera changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Meryk looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Vera throwing ground and pound but whilst doing so, he forgets to control position and Meryk works his way back to half guard. Good composure under pressure.
Meryk is refusing to be controlled, as Vera sits in half guard.
Meryk controlling the position well.
Meryk trying to control but Vera postures up.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Meryk is refusing to be controlled, as Vera sits in half guard.

Vera is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Vera throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
The fighters are battling for position here. Meryk manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Vera tries to free his leg and advance position but Meryk is retaining full guard.
Forrest Vera overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Vera trying to control but Meryk is working from the bottom.
Vera trying to pass the guard. He's being very persistent here but Meryk manages to land a sweep and now he's on top!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Meryk controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Vera manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Meryk manages to get himself to full guard.
Vera lands a couple of digs.
Vera trying to control the position from guard on top but Meryk is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Vera drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Meryk dives on top into guard.
Vera looking for a sweep. Not yet Vera, not yet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Meryk postures up.
Meryk sitting in guard, not really doing much.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Meryk accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Meryk controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Vera is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Vera trying to mount his opponent but Meryk defends it.
Vera is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Meryk is not content to let Vera control the position.
Vera tries to pass to full mount but Meryk defends it.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Meryk looking for submissions off his back.

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 Forrest Vera.
Well Vera has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Smith scores the fight 30:27
Judge Dillan Fox scores the fight 30:27
Judge Alec Ball scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Forrest Vera!