PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Christopher Byrd (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Barry Neville (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Christopher Byrd has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Byrd
vs
Neville

161 cm
19
193 lbs
0 - 6 - 0

178 cm
25
188 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Christopher Byrd!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Barry Neville!
The judges for this bout are Francis DeMontford, Darius Henderson and Winston Howard.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Byrd looks to score with a jab to the body but Neville is just out of range.

Neville drives through with a takedown into Byrd's guard. Let's see what he can do from the top position.
Neville wants to stand but Byrd is controlling his posture from full guard.
Neville sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Byrd wants to improve his position but instead Neville has moved into half guard.
Neville is thwarting Byrd's attempts to control the position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Byrd is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Neville is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Neville takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Byrd is trying to maintain the position but Neville is very close to passing his half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Neville trying to mount his opponent but Byrd defends it.
Byrd really is a fat lump.
Still in half guard, Neville seems content to control.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.

Neville is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Byrd wants to control but Neville is keeping busy.

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

Neville gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Neville lands an elbow that stopped Byrd in his tracks for a moment.

It looks like Christopher Byrd has been cut.

Neville gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
Neville is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Neville passes Byrd's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Neville trying to pass the guard but Byrd defending well.
Neville looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Neville throwing shots but Byrd is blocking nicely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Neville wants to get back to his feet.

Neville is trying to work for a kimura but Byrd is defending well.
Well, if Neville is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.

Neville is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Neville stalling.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.

Byrd gets tackled into the cage by Neville. Neville maintains the clinch.

Byrd is fighting off a takedown attempt but Neville is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Byrd to the mat. Byrd regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
Byrd knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Neville on the ground.
Neville forces his way into half guard.
Byrd avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Neville.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Byrd is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Neville is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Barry Neville dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Christopher Byrd's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Byrd shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Neville as he avoids it easily.
Byrd is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Neville.

Neville feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Neville throwing strikes from guard but Byrd blocks nicely.
Neville has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Neville wants to control from the top but Byrd keeps moving.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Neville stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Neville keeps Byrd at a distance using the push kick.
Byrd scores with a jab to the jaw.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Neville closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Byrd's guard.
Neville showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Byrd is controlling Neville's posture.
Byrd trying to keep a closed guard but Neville is proving a slippery customer.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neville is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Byrd trying to control the position.
Byrd can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Neville controls the pace.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Barry Neville seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Byrd throws a predictable looking body shot
and Neville counters with a good, hard body kick but Byrd shrugs it off.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Byrd tries to keep at a distance but Neville has taken the fight into the clinch.

Byrd escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Neville is looking to slow Byrd down with leg kicks.

Neville closes the distance and clinches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A bit of stalling here from Neville.
Byrd can't break the clinch.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Neville takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Neville crunches a lovely knee into Byrd's ribcage.
Byrd wants to break free but Neville has control.
A frustrated look appears on Byrd's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Byrd has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

Neville escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Neville gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

Neville gets a trip takedown into half guard.

Neville is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Byrd is just riding it out for now. Neville eventually gives up the hold.
Byrd is trying to get back to full guard.

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

Neville decides to stand up.
Neville fails in his attempt to clinch.

Neville clinches up against the cage.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Neville blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Neville keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Byrd's efforts to push away.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Neville.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Barry Neville showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Christopher Byrd's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Neville has Byrd up against the cage in a clinch.
Byrd lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Still in the clinch, Byrd scores with a nice short uppercut.
Neville trying to control the position but instead, Byrd has worked for underhooks and has pushed Neville into the cage.
Neville lands a left hand.
Byrd tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

Neville manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Neville controlling Byrd's posture.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Neville is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.

Neville is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. Byrd can't fight it off and eventually Neville manages to take the fight to the floor. Byrd looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Neville decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Byrd, up you get!
Christopher Byrd is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Neville tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Neville cracks Byrd with a big right hand that sends him to the floor! Byrd looks wobbly but he's sprung back up to his feet straight away… can Neville finish him?

Byrd is rocked!

Neville shoots and scores a devastating slam takedown! Byrd is unconscious as Neville celebrates over his stricken foe!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:37 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Slam). Barry Neville!