PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Dewey Church (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jamie Barber (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Church
vs
Barber

212 cm
18
140 lbs
1 - 4 - 0

169 cm
25
145 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

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 1 - 4 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Dewey Church!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Jamie Barber!
The judges for this bout are Aleksandr Martynov, Ivan Kurochkin and Valeri Chadov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Barber fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Church to the ground. Barber is now in Church's guard.
Church will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Church wants to sweep here but Barber controlling him for the moment.
Church throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.

Barber gets to his feet - Church follows without any prompting.
Church is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Church avoids the head kick by Barber.

Barber has closed the distance and engaged Church in a clinch.
Barber tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Church prevents a takedown attempt there.
Church looking for a takedown.

Church breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Nice takedown defense from Church. No joy for Barber on that attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barber circles away from the clinch attempt.
Barber tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Barber closes this distance looking for a takedown but Church circles away.
Dewey Church has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Jamie Barber.
Barber with a lazy takedown attempt
and Church counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Barber is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Church looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Barber is fending him off so far but Church persists. Nope, Barber circles away and we're back to standing.
The fight stays on the outside here - Church looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Church is looking to clinch.

Church gets tackled into the cage by Barber. Barber maintains the clinch.
Barber throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Church drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Barber gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Barber being controlled against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Barber breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Church is looking to clinch but Barber is avoiding it.
Barber closes the distance and clinches up with Church, looking for a takedown. Barber pushes Church against the cage but Church circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Nice sprawl there from Church as Barber shoots in.

Church gets tackled into the cage by Barber. Barber maintains the clinch.
Barber stalling the fight.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Barber can't get the takedown.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Church has had enough of the clinch but Barber keeps him there for the moment.
Barber tries to pull guard but Church forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Barber tries a body shot but Church blocks it.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
The referee is keeping an eye on Barber - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Barber can't get the takedown.
Barber looks winded!
Church tries to break the clinch but Barber is controlling the position.
Church stops a takedown attempt from Barber.
Church gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Barber.

Church's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Barber pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Barber shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Church as he avoids it easily.
Church with a lazy takedown attempt
and Barber makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
No luck for Church with that takedown attempt.
A combination from Barber does no damage.

Church shoots in and bounces Barber off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Church trying to control but Barber is working from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Jamie Barber will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

No joy there for Church, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Church with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Church avoids a punch combination nicely.
Jamie Barber seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Church blocks a head kick by Barber.
Church fails with an attempt to clinch.
Barber avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Church gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Barber counters with a head kick.

Church shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Church knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Barber on the ground.

Church is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barber is looking to control Church's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Barber avoid being mounted?
Barber preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.

Church is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Barber is controlling Church's position as best he can from this difficult position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Barber slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Barber has control of Church's left arm, preventing Church from doing any damage.
Barber thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Barber is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Barber bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Church's guard.
Church wants to sweep here but Barber controlling him for the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Church can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Barber controls the pace.
Church looking to hit a scissor sweep but Barber is one step ahead there.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Barber's corner is telling him to maintain position.

Church has his foot on Barber's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Barber works his way back into a safe position though.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Barber forces his way into half guard.
Barber is figuring out what he wants to do next.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Barber winds up and cracks Church with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Barber prevents Church from improving his position.
Barber sitting and controlling from the half guard.

Church looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Barber looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Barber working over Church with some ground and pound. Church looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Barber not doing much here.

Barber decides to return to a standing position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jamie Barber showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! And we move into the final round!

Barber fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Church sprawls well initially but Barber persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Barber seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Church wants to get back to full guard but Barber has passed into side control.
Church tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Barber wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

Barber is trying to get an arm triangle but Church is defending well.
Barber wants to lay and pray for a moment but Church keeps working.
Barber is staying tight to Church's torso, preventing him from escaping.
Church is looking to regain half guard here but Barber keeps moving and retains side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barber is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.
Barber gets to mount! Church was on the offensive and wasn't defending properly.
Barber controlling the position easily from mount.
Church is in all sorts of trouble here.
Church is squirming around, avoiding Barber's attempts to control the action.
Church tries to reverse the position but Barber maintains control.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Barber cracks Church with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Barber looking to control and managing it successfully.
Barber lands a heavy elbow.
Barber controlling his opponent.
Church really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Church is working hard here to advance position.
Barber lands a big shot there that rocks Church but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.

Church is rocked!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barber controlling his opponent.
Oh Church is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Barber landing strikes, looking to finish!
Church is trying to reverse the position but instead Barber has taken his back - oops!

Barber is working the back position looking for the choke. Oh, he's slid into an armbar! Beautiful transition and Church taps out! Fantastic Jiu Jitsu from Barber.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:30 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Jamie Barber!