PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Tiago Andre (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kong Zhen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Kong Zhen is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Andre
vs
Zhen

160 cm
22
143 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

182 cm
25
142 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Prefers standup

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Tends to cut

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Tiago Andre!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Kong Zhen!
The judges for this bout are Leandro Rodrigues, Emerson Jorge and Luis Engracia.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Zhen drives through and clinches with Andre against the cage.
Zhen looking for a takedown.
Andre is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Zhen is defending well for now.
Andre is trying to force a seperation but Zhen has the dominant position.
Zhen jumps guard but Andre stands there with Zhen around his waist. Zhen gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.

Zhen pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Zhen blocks a head kick by Andre.
Andre moves in looking to clinch but Zhen pushes him off.

Andre gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Andre using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Andre is trying to push Zhen away but Zhen has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.

Andre breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Andre takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Zhen lands with a nice body punch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Andre looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Andre throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Zhen throws a head kick that half lands.
A head kick misses from Andre.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A head kick misses from Andre.
Zhen avoids the head kick by Andre.
Andre throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Zhen moves into the clinch successfully.

Andre breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Tiago Andre is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Andre closes the distance and clinches.
Zhen prevents Andre from breaking the clinch.

Zhen breaks from the clinch.
Zhen connects with a leg kick. Andre looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.

Andre gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Zhen is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Andre is breathing heavily.
Zhen's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Zhen gets to his feet. Andre looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
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!
Zhen throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Andre avoids the head kick by Zhen.
Zhen lands a jab.
Zhen blocks a head kick by Andre.
Zhen lands with a kick to the temple. Andre shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Zhen misses with a two punch combination.
Andre throws a sloppy head kick
and Zhen counters with a nice leg kick.

Andre pushes Zhen up against the cage in a clinch.

Zhen manages to break the clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Andre looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Zhen instigates a clinch.
Zhen crunches a lovely knee into Andre's ribcage.
Zhen taking a breather.
Andre looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.

Zhen breaks from the clinch.
Zhen on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.

Andre gets caught flat footed, as Zhen shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Zhen won't allow Andre to get back to his feet.
Zhen trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.

Zhen drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Zhen jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zhen pushing down on Andre's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Zhen stalling.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Let's hope that Zhen has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

The fight stays on the outside here - Andre looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Zhen fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Andre to the ground. Zhen is now in Andre's guard.
Andre might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Zhen in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Zhen wants to control from the top but Andre keeps moving.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Zhen sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Andre could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Zhen working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Andre keeping full guard, as Zhen tries to pass.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Kong Zhen.
Zhen throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Andre takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Andre tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Zhen manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Zhen takes the fight into the clinch.
Andre is trying to break free.
Zhen taking a breather.
Andre wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

Andre manages to break the clinch.
Kong Zhen is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Zhen chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Zhen throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Zhen keeps the fight on the outside.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Andre gets tackled into the cage by Zhen. Zhen maintains the clinch.
Zhen is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Andre is defending well.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Zhen blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.

Zhen has picked Andre up - he's going for a ride! Zhen dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.

Zhen seems to be working for a kimura but Andre defends the submission attempt.
Zhen lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Zhen tries to pass to full mount but Andre defends it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Andre has hold of Zhen's hands but Zhen slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Zhen looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.

Zhen seems to be working for a kimura but Andre defends the submission attempt.
Zhen wants to free his trapped foot but Andre is holding on for dear life with his legs.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zhen missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

Zhen is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.

Zhen escapes and gets back to his feet.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Zhen scores with a kick to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kong Zhen showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Zhen throws a head kick that half lands.
Andre is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Andre tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Andre tries to score with a low kick but Zhen moves his leg out of the way.

Zhen closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Zhen trying to control the position but Andre is working away.

Zhen wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Andre, who protects the arm well.
Zhen happy to just control the position for now.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zhen passes to full mount! That's big trouble for Andre!
Zhen content just to control the position here.
Tiago Andre has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Andre wants to get back to his feet.
Kong Zhen has got the better of the ground game so far.
Zhen controlling the position easily from mount.

Zhen working from mount. He moves in close and looks like he might be going for an arm triangle... He's hopped off to the side and he's transitioned into an Anaconda choke. Andre turning a nasty shade of purple. He's refusing to tap but he's gone! He's out! The ref rips Zhen off and cradles Andre's limp body as Zhen celebrates with his corner.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:58 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Anaconda Choke). Kong Zhen!