PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Stephen Bryan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mustafa Poturak (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Mustafa Poturak has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Bryan
vs
Poturak

214 cm
17
350 lbs
0 - 3 - 0

170 cm
25
300 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good in bed

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 3 - 0, fighting out of London, Stephen Bryan!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Mustafa Poturak!
The judges for this bout are James Glass, James Ackerman and Phil Schofield.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Poturak stuffs the takedown.
Bryan shoots in looking for a takedown but Poturak manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Bryan's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.

Bryan moves into the clinch.
Poturak stalling the fight.
Bryan stalling the fight.
Bryan tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
We're hearing some news coming in from back stage. It's official - Poturak has eaten all the pies!
Bryan has Poturak pressed against the cage.

Bryan breaks from the clinch.
Bryan shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Poturak as he jumps to the side.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Stephen Bryan. That's going to take a lot out of him.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

Bryan successfully pulls guard.
Poturak wants to stand and escape but instead Bryan has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Bryan is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Poturak preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Bryan trying to control but Poturak is working from the bottom.
Poturak is looking to sweep but instead, Bryan has passed into half guard.
Poturak tries to roll over but Bryan keeps him under control.
Bryan trying to control the action but Poturak is working from the bottom.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Poturak can do anything to dispel that myth.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Bryan wants to work for an arm triangle but Poturak is really keeping half guard well and defending the submission attempt.
Bryan tries to pass the half guard into mount. Poturak knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Poturak is trying to stand.
Poturak looks winded!
Poturak won't allow Bryan to pass to mount.
Bryan keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Poturak trying to control but Bryan postures up.
Poturak keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Poturak controlling the leg, holding on to half guard.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Poturak throws a right and a left that both miss.

Poturak clinches.
Poturak lands a left hand.
Poturak is looking to break free of the clinch but Bryan has double underhooks.

Bryan manages to pull guard.
Poturak is looking to stand up but Bryan won't let him.
Poturak must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Bryan throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Bryan bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Poturak's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Bryan drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Bryan jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Bryan will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Bryan trying to control but Poturak is working from the bottom.
Poturak is looking to stand up but Bryan isn't so interested in that idea.
Bryan throwing strikes but missing.
Bryan has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Poturak keeping moving, preventing Bryan from controlling successfully.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Bryan would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Stephen Bryan dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Poturak will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
A head kick misses from Bryan.
Bryan shoots for a double leg takedown but Poturak sprawls well. He's pushed Bryan's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Poturak throws a low kick but Bryan moves out of range easily.
Poturak slaps away a takedown attempt from Bryan, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Bryan tries to close the distance and clinch but Poturak swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Poturak is breathing heavily.
Bryan fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Stephen Bryan. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Poturak swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bryan tries to close the distance and clinch up but Poturak swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Poturak fails in his attempt to clinch.
Poturak throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Poturak tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Bryan was well out of range. Poor timing from Poturak.
Bryan fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Poturak avoids it really well and circles away.
Bryan fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Good leg kick by Poturak there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Bryan misses with a takedown attempt - Poturak sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Mustafa Poturak is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Poturak gets in close and instigates a clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Bryan decides to pull guard.
Bryan not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Poturak wants to stand but Bryan has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Bryan wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Poturak is now in half guard.
Bryan wants to improve his position but Poturak is controlling well.
Poturak wants to stand up but Bryan is controlling the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Poturak wants to stand up but Bryan manages to regain full guard.
Bryan manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Poturak wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Bryan.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Poturak avoids a series of strikes thrown by Bryan.

Bryan is standing up out of mount! Strange tactic there - he must really want this one on the feet!
Some bone on bone action there as Poturak checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.

Poturak drives through and clinches with Bryan against the cage.
Poturak trying to control the position but instead, Bryan has worked for underhooks and has pushed Poturak into the cage.
Poturak misses with the head strike.
Poturak is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Bryan is keeping busy.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Bryan fails to pull guard.
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 Stephen Bryan will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Poturak throws a series of punches but Bryan avoids them all with ease.
Bryan tries to clinch but Poturak moves out of range.
Stephen Bryan is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Bryan clinches up with Poturak and pushes him back against the cage.
Poturak is pressed up against the cage. Bryan has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Poturak down to the mat. Poturak avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Bryan tries to close the distance and clinch up but Poturak swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Bryan gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Bryan has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Poturak is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Bryan looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Bryan has Poturak pressed against the cage, preventing Poturak from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
A short body shot lands from Poturak as the two fighters clinch.
Bryan tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Poturak smiles and moves away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Stephen Bryan. That's going to take a lot out of him.

The fight moves into the clinch position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Poturak looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Bryan can't break the clinch.
Bryan is trying to push Poturak away but Poturak has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Poturak can't break the clinch.
Poturak trying to control the position but instead, Bryan has worked for underhooks and has pushed Poturak into the cage.

Poturak breaks the clinch.
A leg kick checked by Poturak.

Bryan forces Poturak back against the cage and clinches.
Poturak working aggressively here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Bryan pulls guard successfully.
Poturak tries to stand but Bryan is controlling from the bottom.
Bryan is trying to control the position but Poturak postures up.
Bryan is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Poturak is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Bryan tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Poturak tries to stand but Bryan is controlling from the bottom.
Bryan seems keen to control Poturak's posture.

Stephen Bryan has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Poturak!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Poturak avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Bryan misses with a jab, cross combination.

Poturak has managed to clinch.
Bryan slows down the pace here.
Poturak avoiding damage as Bryan throws knees to the body.

Poturak manages to break the clinch.
Poturak stuffs the takedown attempt from Bryan. Bryan gets slowly back to his feet.
Poturak tries to close the distance and clinch but Bryan swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Poturak tries to score with a low kick but Bryan moves his leg out of the way.
Poturak misses with a few strikes there.
Bryan moves out of range as Poturak strikes.
Bryan fails with a takedown attempt.
Bryan shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Poturak defends it nicely.
Poturak misses with a jab, cross combination.
Mustafa Poturak has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Stephen Bryan is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Poturak blocks a head kick by Bryan.

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 Stephen Bryan.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Bryan, 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 James Glass scores the fight 30:28
Judge James Ackerman scores the fight 28:29
Judge Phil Schofield scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Stephen Bryan!