PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Walter Rothko (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Daniel Bryan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Daniel Bryan has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Rothko
vs
Bryan

178 cm
31
147 lbs
10 - 18 - 0

179 cm
27
135 lbs
13 - 2 - 1

BJJ Brown Belt
Great elbows
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 10 - 18 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Walter Rothko !
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 13 - 2 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Daniel Bryan!
The judges for this bout are Gwen Towbar, Frank Dennis and Alan Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Bryan is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Bryan wants to clinch.
Bryan is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Bryan is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

Bryan drives through with a takedown into guard.
Rothko not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Bryan pushes down on Rothko 's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Bryan stalling.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bryan is trying to get back to his feet now but his leg is trapped.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rothko is trying to get back to full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Bryan keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.

Bryan looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Rothko wants to get back to his feet.
Rothko has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Bryan is working away from the top position though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Bryan lands a nice short elbow.
Bryan keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Bryan trying to control from half guard but Rothko is working away.
Bryan seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Bryan shoots in but Rothko avoids the takedown attempt easily.

Bryan throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Rothko was covering up waiting for the punch and Bryan finishes the takedown easily into guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rothko controls Bryan momentarily but Bryan frees himself.
Bryan prevents Rothko from getting back to his feet.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Bryan trying to control the position from guard on top but Rothko is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Bryan trying to stand up but can't free himself from Rothko 's guard.
Rothko trying to control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Rothko looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Bryan stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Bryan tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Rothko swivels and escapes.
Rothko throws a one two combo.
Bryan fails with a takedown attempt.
Walter Rothko has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Daniel Bryan.
Bryan changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Rothko tries to avoid it but Bryan manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Rothko to the ground. Rothko escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Rothko gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Bryan counters with a single leg into guard. Rothko didn't expect that.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Bryan slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Bryan in side control lands a decent elbow.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Daniel Bryan dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Bryan misses with the body kick
and Rothko counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Rothko avoids the body shot from Bryan.
Rothko moves out of range of the body kick from Bryan.
Bryan misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Rothko scores with a kick to the midsection.

Bryan closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Bryan lands in his opponent's guard.
Bryan tries to free his leg and advance position but Rothko is retaining full guard.
Bryan has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bryan not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Rothko has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Bryan can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Bryan pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Rothko is keeping the position for now.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rothko trying to control the position.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Bryan trying to control but Rothko is working from the bottom.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

Rothko gets caught napping as Bryan dives in and scores a takedown. Rothko manages to retain guard.
Rothko wants to stand up but Bryan is controlling him.
Bryan trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Bryan wants to control from the top but Rothko keeps moving.
Rothko is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Bryan has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Rothko is proving hard to escape from.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bryan postures up in Rothko 's guard and throws a big left but Rothko blocks it.
Bryan trying to control but Rothko is working from the bottom.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Bryan controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

Bryan drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Bryan trying to control the position from guard on top but Rothko is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Bryan might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Rothko haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.

Bryan gets to his feet. Rothko looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!

Bryan closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Rothko quickly recovers to half guard.
Rothko trying to control from the bottom.
Bryan drops an elbow to the side of Rothko 's head.
Daniel Bryan has got the better of the ground game so far.
Bryan not doing much here.
Bryan's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Rothko wants to get back to his feet.
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.
That's time! Rothko 's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Bryan swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Rothko digs a good body shot into Bryan's ribs.
No luck for Rothko with that takedown attempt.

Bryan shoots in and bounces Rothko off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Rothko not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bryan is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

Rothko isolates an arm and boxes in a triangle. Bryan stacks Rothko 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 Bryan!
Rothko trying to remain calm as Bryan controls from the top position.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Bryan looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Bryan working the body and head with strikes.
Bryan working away.

Bryan is working to tighten his grip on Rothko 's neck. He's isolated an arm and is working for an arm triangle. Rothko has recognised the danger and is trying to turn with the submission but Bryan is really squeezing tight and eventually Rothko passes out! Bryan breaks the hold and jumps onto the cage to celebrate! Submission of the night, I'd say!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:57 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Arm Triangle). Daniel Bryan!
Daniel Bryan looked relieved post fight as he said the following; 'YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! '.