PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Lauren Bray (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jackie Diaz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Jackie Diaz has the eye of the tiger tonight.

Bray
vs
Diaz

151 cm
24
194 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

175 cm
22
184 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Cuts easily

BJJ Brown Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Lauren Bray!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Jackie Diaz!
The judges for this bout are Kenichi Hosakawa, Shigeki Fujiwara and Yukihiro Yamamoto.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Diaz darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.

Diaz stands up out of the half guard.
Diaz wants to clinch up but Bray keeps it at a distance.
Diaz tries to clinch up
and Bray counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Bray shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Diaz sprawls well. Diaz wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Bray gets slowly back to his feet.

Bray gets a clinch.
Diaz tries for a takedown but Bray manages to get underhooks.
Diaz goes for a takedown in the clinch but Bray prevents it.

Diaz is fighting off a takedown attempt but Bray is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Diaz to the mat. Diaz regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bray is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Bray might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Bray tries to free his leg and advance position but Diaz is retaining full guard.
Diaz wants to stand up but Bray is controlling him.

Diaz is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Bray defends well.
Diaz is trying to control the position but Bray postures up.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Bray accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bray prevents Diaz from getting back to his feet.
Bray wants to control from the top but Diaz keeps moving.

Diaz looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Bray controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Bray postures up.
Bray is fighting to break Diaz's control of his arms but Diaz is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Bray throws a nice inside leg kick.

Bray has closed the distance and engaged Diaz in a clinch.
Bray has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Diaz avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Diaz wants a takedown.
Lauren Bray has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jackie Diaz.
Diaz wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Bray has him pressed against the cage.
Bray blocks an elbow strike from Diaz.
Diaz stops a takedown attempt from Bray.
Diaz is trying to break the clinch but Bray is controlling him.
Bray tries to pull guard but Diaz forces him back to his feet, against the cage.

Bray drags the fight down to the ground.
Bray manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Diaz is trying to reverse the position but instead Bray has taken his back - oops!
Diaz rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!

Bray is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Diaz defends it well.
Diaz trying to hold on to Bray's head to control him but Bray postures up.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Diaz is controlling Bray's trapped leg to prevent Bray from advancing to side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Jackie Diaz will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Diaz tries to clinch but Bray is having none of it.
Bray fails with an attempt to clinch.
Diaz has a takedown stuffed.
Bray has a takedown stuffed.
Bray could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.

Bray gets caught flat footed, as Diaz shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Bray pulls Diaz in close to prevent any damage.
Bray is looking to stand back up... there's a bit of a scramble and Diaz dives into side control.
Bray tries to improve position but can't.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Diaz takes advantage of some sloppy striking from Bray to pass into mount.
Bray looking to escape from mount but he's given up his back!
Diaz controls the action.
Bray tries to break free.

Bray defends a rear naked choke attempt by controlling one of Diaz's arms.
Diaz cracks Bray with a big shot to body and one to the head - really punishing Bray from the back mount here, looking to soften him up.
Jackie Diaz has got the better of the ground game so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Diaz is looking for the choke from the back position but Bray is controlling his hands well.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Diaz tries to keep control of the position but Bray is staying busy.
Bray is in bad spot here.
Bray staying busy and making it hard for Diaz to control.
Diaz throwing damaging strikes from the back! Bray could be in trouble here!
Will Diaz go for the finish here or will he try and keep control of the position?
Diaz doesn't have the hooks in and Bray manages to turn into his guard.
Bray won't allow Diaz to sweep him here.
Diaz is trying to keep Bray in close.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Diaz manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Bray manages to get himself to full guard.
Bray tries to strike from the bottom.
Bray working a defensive guard but Diaz manages to pass into side control anyway.

Diaz is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Bray knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.
Bray managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Diaz.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bray managing to avoid any damage from the strikes thrown by Diaz.

Diaz wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Bray, who protects the arm well.

Diaz has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.

Bray has closed the distance and engaged Diaz in a clinch.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Bray breaks from the clinch.
Diaz shoots in and drives through. Bray sprawls well.
Bray leaves Diaz with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jackie Diaz showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Diaz stuffs the takedown attempt from Bray. Bray gets slowly back to his feet.
Bray shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Diaz defends it nicely.
Lauren Bray is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Diaz misses with a head kick.
Diaz keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Lauren Bray. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Diaz shoots in and drives through. Bray sprawls well.
Bray tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Diaz paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Bray keeps the fight on the outside.
Bray tries to score a power double leg takedown but Diaz sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Bray somewhat.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Diaz is looking to land body kicks.
Diaz fails miserably with a takedown attempt.

Bray has taken the fight to the clinch.
Bray jumps guard but Diaz stands there with Bray around his waist. Bray gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Diaz prevents a takedown attempt there.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

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

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Diaz throws a sloppy head kick and Bray moves out of range easily.
Diaz tries to clinch up
and Bray counters with a nice body kick.
Diaz takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.

Bray moves into range and clinches up with Diaz.
Bray fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Diaz is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Bray is defending well for now.

Bray jumps into guard, dragging Diaz to the mat.

Diaz stands up and waves to Bray to follow him.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Diaz throws a sloppy head kick and Bray moves out of range easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bray misses with a head kick.
Diaz keeps the fight on the outside.
Diaz tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Bray paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Bray scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Diaz doesn't seem bothered though.

Diaz shoots in and bounces Bray off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Diaz postures up in Bray's guard and throws a big left but Bray blocks it.
Diaz sitting in guard here, content to control.
Diaz tries to stand but Bray is controlling from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Diaz decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.
Diaz throws a sloppy head kick
and Bray counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Bray shoots in but Diaz avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Bray fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Diaz tries to clinch there but Bray circles away.
Lauren Bray has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Jackie Diaz is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Diaz shoots for a takedown but Bray saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Jackie Diaz.
I've got Diaz winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Kenichi Hosakawa scores the fight 27:30
Judge Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 27:30
Judge Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 28:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jackie Diaz!