PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Joe Zumo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Thomas Martyn (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Martyn has chosen Live For The Moment as his entrance music. I can't wait for this one - let's get the fighter introductions out of the way and get this one started!

Zumo
vs
Martyn

181 cm
19
212 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

191 cm
21
205 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Self confident

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

Poison Apparel

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Joe Zumo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Thomas Martyn!
The judges for this bout are , Frank Antenori and Timothy Bukovac.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Martyn misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Zumo has his takedown stuffed

and Martyn counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Martyn.
Zumo looking for a sweep. Not yet Zumo, not yet.
Zumo wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.
Zumo working a defensive guard here.
Zumo manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Martyn manages to get himself to full guard.
Martyn looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Martyn keeping full guard, as Zumo tries to pass.
Martyn is striking but Zumo is not phased and passes to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zumo not doing much here.
Zumo could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Zumo seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
Zumo working the head and body with strikes.
Zumo throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.
Martyn is looking to improve his position.
Zumo trying to control from half guard but Martyn is working away.
Zumo sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Martyn is not content to let Zumo control the position.

That's two 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.
Martyn missing with punches from the bottom.
Zumo lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Zumo seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Martyn does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Zumo controlling the pace.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Zumo connects with a nice short shot to Martyn's temple.
Zumo wants to control but Martyn is keeping him busy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Joe Zumo just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.

Martyn fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Zumo sprawls well initially but Martyn persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Martyn looks gassed!
Zumo trying to hold on to Martyn's head to control him but Martyn postures up.
Zumo moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Zumo is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Zumo controlling Martyn's posture.
Martyn trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Zumo is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Zumo is on top in guard.
Zumo 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.
Zumo wants to control from the top but Martyn keeps moving.
Zumo landing some decent shots from guard.
Zumo is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Martyn keeping moving, preventing Zumo from controlling successfully.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Joe Zumo just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Zumo fails with the takedown
and Martyn counters with a leg kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Zumo misses with a takedown attempt
and Martyn counters with a body kick that stops Zumo in his tracks momentarily.

Zumo shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Martyn tries to get to full guard but Zumo has control of the leg.
Zumo is tying to control. Martyn wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Zumo wants to pass the guard but Martyn is defending well.
Zumo wants to control but Martyn is keeping him busy.
Zumo working to pass to mount. He's got his hand pressing down on Martyn's thigh. Martyn counters though and makes it back to full guard.
Martyn is breathing heavily.
Zumo throwing strikes from guard but Martyn blocks nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Martyn has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Zumo can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Zumo with a nice head shot there.
Zumo controlling from the top position.

Martyn looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Zumo tries to free his leg and advance position but Martyn is retaining full guard.
Zumo stays in close to Martyn's body and controls the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Zumo wants to control from the top but Martyn keeps moving.
Zumo advances to half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Zumo wants to pass the guard but Martyn is defending well.
Martyn tries to get to full guard but Zumo has control of the leg.
Zumo wants to take a breather but Martyn is having none of it.
Zumo trying to mount his opponent but Martyn defends it.
Martyn is refusing to be controlled, as Zumo sits in half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Zumo is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Martyn is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Zumo shoots in and bounces Martyn off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Zumo wants to control from the top but Martyn keeps moving.
Zumo looking to sit in guard and control but Martyn gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Zumo controlling the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zumo trying to keep a closed guard but Martyn is proving a slippery customer.
Martyn trying to control but Zumo is working from the bottom.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Zumo is on top in guard.
Zumo wants to control from the top but Martyn keeps moving.
Zumo postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Martyn keeping moving, preventing Zumo from controlling successfully.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Joe Zumo dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Nice takedown defense from Martyn. No joy for Zumo on that attempt.
Joe Zumo is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Martyn scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Zumo prevents Martyn from moving into mount.
Zumo wants to control but Martyn postures up.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Joe Zumo just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Nice sprawl there from Martyn as Zumo shoots in.
Zumo fails with the takedown

and Martyn counters with a nice double leg into guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Joe Zumo. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Martyn wants to control from the top but Zumo keeps moving.
Zumo looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Martyn trying to control but Zumo is working from the bottom.
Martyn takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Martyn stopping the sweep attempt from Zumo.
Zumo not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Zumo has his hands on Martyn's head, controlling the position.
Martyn postures up.
Joe Zumo overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Zumo with a lazy takedown attempt

and Martyn counters with a shoot takedown. Zumo fights it but they end up in guard.
Martyn being controlled here momentarily.
Zumo controls Martyn momentarily but Martyn frees himself.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zumo controlling Martyn's posture.
Zumo looking for a sweep. Not yet Zumo, not yet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zumo is trying to keep Martyn in close.
Zumo will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Zumo drives through with a takedown into guard.
Zumo trying to control but Martyn is working from the bottom.
Zumo has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Zumo not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Zumo trying to control but Martyn is working from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Martyn working for submissions but it's allowed Zumo to get to half guard.
Zumo looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Zumo trying to control from half guard but Martyn is working away.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Joe Zumo just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Zumo gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Martyn counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.

And that's the end of the fight!
Thomas Martyn comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Martyn has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 29:29
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 28:29
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Thomas Martyn!