PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Edison Meyer (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gianfranco Zola (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Meyer
vs
Zola

160 cm
18
278 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

190 cm
18
245 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Edison Meyer!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Gianfranco Zola!
The judges for this bout are Steve Montenegro, Alyssa Summers and Dean Styles.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Meyer throws a lazy uppercut

and Zola counters by moving into the clinch.
Zola makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.

Zola breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Meyer throws a head kick that misses.
Gianfranco Zola seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Zola misses with a few strikes there.

Zola instigates a clinch.

Zola decides to pull guard.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Zola wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Zola keeping moving, preventing Meyer from controlling successfully.
Meyer stays in close to Zola's body and controls the position.
Meyer seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Zola for as long as he can get away with.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up, due to lack of activity on the part of Edison Meyer.

Zola shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Meyer napping and manages to drive through into side control!

Meyer bucks up and manages to escape back to his feet!
Meyer tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Zola gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Meyer to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Zola looking for a sweep. Not yet Zola, not yet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Zola doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Meyer postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Zola can do anything to dispel that myth.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Meyer trying to control but Zola is working from the bottom.
Zola is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Meyer is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
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!
Zola striking off his back but it's not causing Meyer any problems.
Meyer trying to control but Zola is working from the bottom.

We're going to have a standup here because Edison Meyer wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Zola misses with a body punch

and Meyer counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Zola's guard now.
Meyer throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Meyer showing good wrestling skills to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zola looking to hit a scissor sweep but Meyer is one step ahead there.
Meyer trying to control the position from guard on top but Zola is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Zola wants to hit a switch here but Meyer passes into full mount! Oh no, disaster for Zola there!
Zola is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zola squirming around on the bottom, looking to escape.
Zola looks winded!
Meyer tries to control but Zola wriggling away.
Meyer avoids the attempt from Zola to control.
Meyer landing strikes from the mount.
Zola blocking the ground and pound.
Meyer looking to control and managing it successfully.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Edison Meyer dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Zola avoids the head kick by Meyer.

Zola looking to score a takedown here. Meyer is defending well but Zola drives through and ends up in Meyer's guard.
Zola wants to pass the guard but Meyer is keeping the position.
Zola throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

Zola got a little sloppy there for a moment and Meyer has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Zola has managed to get both his arms back between Meyer's legs - danger averted.

Meyer isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Zola stacks Meyer on his neck as he steps over and passes to the side. He's now in a much more dominant position where he can look to do some serious damage. Nice move by Zola!
Meyer is being controlled here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Meyer wants to control but Zola postures up.
Check out the look on Zola's face as he threw that strike - that's one determined fighter!
Meyer wants to get back to his feet.
Meyer takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Meyer could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Meyer is trying to control Zola's posture but Zola avoids it.

Zola is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Meyer is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Meyer tries to escape but Zola is in control.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Meyer prevents Zola from moving into mount.
Meyer pushes Zola away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Zola gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Meyer tries to control but Zola manages to take his back.
Meyer might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Zola gets his hands free as Meyer looks to control.
Meyer is trying to break free.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Zola is working the ground and pound. Can Meyer escape?
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Zola cracks Meyer with a big shot to body and one to the head - really punishing Meyer from the back mount here, looking to soften him up.

Zola is working for the rear naked choke. He has one arm under the chin but Meyer has hold of the other arm. A bit of a stalemate here.
Zola is looking cool and calm here, just waiting for a good opportunity to attack and finish the fight from this dominant position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zola lands strikes to the head.
Meyer looking very determined here, making life difficult for Zola.
Meyer just trying to survive but Zola is wriggling into a better position, looking to finish.
Meyer controlling the position well but he knows he's in a bad position.
Meyer looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.
Meyer wants to escape the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zola biding his time, controlling Meyer.
Meyer controlling the position well but he knows he's in a bad position.
Edison Meyer overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Zola lands with a big left hand that may well have hurt his opponent. Can Meyer hold on?!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
So, who will make the next big move? In this position it could be crucial.

Meyer defending nicely against the rear naked choke attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gianfranco Zola showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Zola shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Zola showed some decent athleticism there.

Meyer looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Meyer is controlling Zola's position as best he can from this difficult position.
Meyer tries to push off, looking to stand up, but Zola manages to move to mount!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Zola in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zola tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.

Zola is working close to his opponent, looking to work a submission by the looks of things. Oh, he's managed to get a guillotine from mount as his opponent reached up! That looks tiiiiight! Will he tap? YES, he's tapped! Impressive submission by Zola!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:26 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Guillotine). Gianfranco Zola!
Gianfranco Zola opened up his post fight interview with a scream to camera that he wants a title shot! Whether he deserves the shot will be up to the management of the organization, so I guess he'll have to wait and see.