PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Joshua Shouse (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Daniel Bryan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). There are an array of beautiful celebrities at ringside tonight! I wonder if any of them paid for their tickets.

Shouse
vs
Bryan

162 cm
29
116 lbs
28 - 24 - 0

179 cm
27
135 lbs
12 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Experienced

Good takedowns
Brawler
Granite 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 28 - 24 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Joshua Shouse !
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Daniel Bryan!
The judges for this bout are Wesley Smith, Alan Glass and Cecil Peabody.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Shouse clinches.
Bryan tries to pull guard but Shouse won't allow it.
Bryan trying to control the position but instead, Shouse has worked for underhooks and has pushed Bryan into the cage.
Shouse keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Bryan's efforts to push away.
Bryan jumps guard but Shouse stands there with Bryan around his waist. Bryan gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Bryan is trying to pull guard but Shouse turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Joshua Shouse has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Daniel Bryan.
Bryan can't find room to land a body shot as Shouse controls the action.
Bryan jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Shouse walks away with a smile on his face. Bryan gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.

Shouse throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Bryan was covering up waiting for the punch and Shouse finishes the takedown easily into guard.
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.
Shouse advances to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bryan is staying active underneath Shouse , who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Shouse stalling away here and it's allowed Bryan to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Bryan is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Bryan has his hands on Shouse 's head, controlling the position.

Bryan escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Shouse gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Bryan keeping full guard, as Shouse tries to pass.
Shouse slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Shouse might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bryan managing to control the position.
Bryan looking for a sweep. Not yet Bryan, not yet.

Bryan looking for a guillotine here but Shouse defends easily.

Bryan has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Shouse can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Shouse would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Shouse trying to control but Bryan is working from the bottom.
Bryan seems keen to control Shouse 's posture.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Joshua Shouse wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Bryan throws a looping overhand right but Shouse ducks down to avoid it.
Shouse tries to bum rush Bryan with a series of wild strikes but Bryan uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Bryan looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Shouse has a takedown stuffed.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Bryan tries to sprawl but Shouse drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Bryan manages to get to full guard.
Bryan looking for a sweep. Not yet Bryan, not yet.
Shouse knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Bryan on the ground.

Bryan working for a triangle but Shouse defends it easily.
Bryan working a defensive guard here.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Shouse trying to control the position from guard on top but Bryan is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Daniel Bryan will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Shouse ducks under a wild hook from Bryan.

Shouse has Bryan up against the cage in a clinch.
Bryan is pressed up against the cage. Shouse has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Bryan down to the mat. Bryan avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Shouse tries for a takedown but Bryan sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.

Bryan decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Shouse has hold of Bryan's hands but Bryan slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Bryan in particular looking to stall.
Shouse is not content to let Bryan control the position.
Shouse has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Bryan is working away from the top position though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shouse throws a sloppy strike from the bottom. He's now off balance and Bryan manages to pass to side control.
Shouse is looking to reverse the position.
Bryan wants to lay and pray for a moment but Shouse keeps working.
Bryan working the head with strikes.
Shouse is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Bryan wants to lay and pray for a moment but Shouse keeps working.
You can see the frustration on Shouse 's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Shouse is in a bad position, trying to hold on for dear life but he is really struggling to maintain any sort of control.
Shouse wings away with a couple of strikes but they don't land.
Bryan trying to control the action but Shouse is working from the bottom.
Shouse is letting Bryan control him for a moment.
Shouse is not content to let Bryan control the position.

Bryan swings around for an armbar but Shouse sees it coming a mile off and turns beautifully into Bryan's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Shouse accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Daniel Bryan hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Shouse is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Bryan gets the takedown into side control.

Bryan decides to stand back up. Bryan steps back and let's Shouse get back to his feet.
Bryan shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Shouse sprawls well. Shouse wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Bryan gets slowly back to his feet.

Shouse moves into the clinch.

Shouse breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Shouse has closed the distance and engaged Bryan in a clinch.

Bryan is fighting off a takedown attempt but Shouse is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Bryan to the mat. Bryan regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Bryan is on top in guard.
Bryan postures up.
Bryan tries to stand but Shouse is controlling from the bottom.
Bryan trying to control the position from guard on top but Shouse is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Shouse is trying to keep Bryan in close.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Bryan pushes down on Shouse 's leg and manages to get into half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Daniel Bryan showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Shouse slaps away a takedown attempt from Bryan, before circling back to the center of the mat.

Bryan scores with a takedown into Shouse 's guard.

Shouse is looking for a triangle but Bryan pushes his legs off easily.
Bryan showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Bryan stopping the sweep attempt from Shouse .
Shouse keeping full guard, as Bryan tries to pass.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Shouse is looking to stand up but Bryan isn't so interested in that idea.
Shouse controls Bryan momentarily but Bryan frees himself.
Bryan slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.

We're going to have a standup here because Joshua Shouse wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.

Shouse clinches with his opponent.
Bryan is working for takedown but Shouse is calmly controlling the position for now.
Bryan fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Joshua Shouse has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Daniel Bryan.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Shouse is pushing Bryan up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Shouse presses Bryan against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Shouse tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Bryan smiles and moves away.
Bryan moves out of range of the leg kick from Shouse .
Shouse moves in looking to clinch but Bryan pushes him off.
Bryan tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Shouse swivels and escapes.
Horrible takedown attempt by Bryan or perhaps it was just good defense by Shouse , which made it look bad.
Bryan shoots and misses
and Bryan takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Bryan slaps away a takedown attempt from Shouse , before circling back to the center of the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bryan stuffs the takedown attempt from Shouse . Shouse gets slowly back to his feet.
Bryan misses with a few strikes there.
Shouse doesn't manage to clinch there - Bryan circles away.
Shouse fails with a takedown attempt.
Bryan shoots in looking for a takedown but Shouse manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Bryan's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.

Shouse dives in and scores a takedown into Bryan's guard.
Shouse is in close to Bryan's body, working some short punches and elbows.

Shouse drops back, looking for a kneebar! Bryan looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Bryan looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Bryan!
Bryan wants to lay and pray for a moment but Shouse keeps working.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bryan might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Shouse haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Shouse takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.
Joshua Shouse has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Daniel Bryan is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
This has been an exciting period of action!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Shouse takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Daniel Bryan.
I've got Bryan 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 Wesley Smith scores the fight 28:29
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 29:29
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 29:28

The fight is ruled a draw!