PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Gabriel Torje (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Virtua Bird (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Torje
vs
Bird

178 cm
21
185 lbs
6 - 2 - 0

170 cm
23
189 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Good chin

Dangerous GnP
Counter striker
Granite chin

Poison Apparel

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the middleweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Gabriel Torje!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Virtua Bird!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Torje bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Bird's head.
Torje scores with a hook.
Nice takedown defense from Torje. No joy for Bird on that attempt.
Bird has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Torje.
Torje scores with a hook.
Torje throws a nice head kick!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Torje throws out a powerful jab.
Torje throws a nice inside leg kick.
Torje lands with a straight right. Bird didn't see that one coming.
Torje lands a head kick. Bird smiles back at him and beckons him forward.
Torje thuds a left hand into Bird's body.
Gabriel Torje seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Good leg kick by Torje there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Torje's corner calls for a 1-2. Torje obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Torje lands with a nice body punch.
Bird looks gassed!

Torje has Bird up against the cage in a clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Torje tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Torje lands a knee to the head.
Torje crunches a lovely knee into Bird's ribcage.
Torje stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Torje throws a knee to the head but misses.
Torje lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Bird backwards.
Torje throws a knee to the head but misses.
Torje stalling the fight.
Torje is looking to control Bird's arms but Bird gets an underhook and turns him. Now Torje has his back to the cage.
Torje tries a knee to the head but Bird blocks it.
Torje pushes Bird back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Bird managing to block the knees to the body from Torje.
Bird trying to control the position but instead, Torje has worked for underhooks and has pushed Bird into the cage.
Torje throws a knee to the head but misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Torje tries a knee to the head but Bird blocks it.
Torje stalling.
A bit of stalling here from Bird.
Torje lands a body punch.
Bird tries to score a body lock takedown but Torje shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Torje trying to stall but Bird improves his position.
Torje works on Bird's body with a couple of short punches.
Bird looking for a takedown.
Gabriel Torje has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Virtua Bird.
Torje is trying to stall.
Torje lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Torje tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Bird pressing his opponent against the cage.
Torje tries to land a knee to the head but misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A shot in the inside from Torje.
Torje with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Bird takes a shot to the head.
Torje looking to throw knees to the head but Bird is blocking nicely.
Torje trying to land knees to the body.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Torje misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Bird.
Torje landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Torje is trying to stall.
Bird taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Torje cracks Bird with a nice body shot.
Torje with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Bird blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Torje misses with the head strike.
Torje prevents the takedown attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Torje throws a knee to the head but misses.
Still in the clinch, Torje scores with a nice short uppercut.
Torje tries to land a knee to the head but Bird blocks with his arms.
Torje connects with a nasty looking knee right to Bird's face.
Bird managing to block the knees to the body from Torje.
Bird is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Torje struggles to land a body shot inside as Bird controls his hands.
Bird tries for a takedown. No joy.
Bird slows down the pace here.
Torje is trying to maintain a safe position but Bird gets an underhook and turns Torje into the cage.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Torje misses with a knee strike.
Torje throws a head punch that misses.
Bird fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Torje using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Bird has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gabriel Torje dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Bird slips a jab from Torje.
Torje connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Bird's hands.
Gabriel Torje is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Torje keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Bird closes the distance but Torje moves to the side
letting Torje counter with a right hand.
Torje lands a jab to the head.
Gabriel Torje is winning the standup battle so far.
Bird steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Torje. That one must have hurt.
Torje throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Torje misses with the combination.
Torje wants to clinch

and Bird counters with a single leg into guard. Torje didn't expect that.
Bird trying to control the position from guard on top but Torje is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Bird slips nicely into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Bird is looking for a kimura but Torje is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Bird to get the leverage.
Torje tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Bird wants to control but Torje is keeping him busy.

Bird is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Torje gets back to full guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Torje working a defensive guard here.
Bird wants to control from the top but Torje keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Bird stands and throws Torje's legs to the side, diving into side control.

Bird tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Bird has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Torje striking from the bottom but nothing landed.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Torje is trying to escape and get back to his feet.

Bird wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Torje, who protects the arm well.
Torje wants to control but Bird postures up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Bird goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Torje has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Bird but great work by Torje.
Bird is looking for a sweep.
Bird is not content to let Torje control the position.
Bird gets back to half guard.

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.
Bird is pressing down on Torje's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Bird is on top in guard.
Bird working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Bird trying to control but Torje is working from the bottom.
Bird pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Torje is keeping the position for now.
Bird postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Virtua Bird showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Torje lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Torje smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Torje tries to clinch up

and Bird holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Torje lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Torje landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Torje displaying some good clinch control by pressing Bird up against the cage.
Bird tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Torje is trying to stall.
Bird fails to pull guard.
Knees to the body from Torje.
Bird takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Torje lands a left hand that snaps the head of Bird backwards.
Torje tries a knee to the head but Bird blocks it.
Bird takes a shot to the head.
Torje throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Bird blocks it with crossed arms.
Torje is looking to control Bird's arms but Bird gets an underhook and turns him. Now Torje has his back to the cage.
Bird tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Torje just stands there and leans against the cage.
Gabriel Torje has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Virtua Bird.
Bird holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Torje lands with a light punch inside.
Torje using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Torje lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Torje tries to break the clinch but Bird is controlling the position.
Torje scores with a knee to the head.
Torje throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Bird blocks it with crossed arms.
Torje lands a left hand that snaps the head of Bird backwards.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Torje tries a body shot but Bird blocks it.
Torje misses with some punches.
Bird blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Torje misses with a knee to the head.

Bird manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Torje preventing the sweep.

Bird working for a triangle but Torje defends it easily.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Torje wants to control from the top but Bird keeps moving.
Torje wants to get up but he can't break Bird's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Bird throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Bird is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Torje passes into half guard.
Bird moves into full guard.
Bird wants to sweep but no luck.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Torje is posturing up here but Bird has hold of an arm and he's gone for an armbar! Torje tries to roll out but it's too tight and Torje has to tap! Slick submission there by Bird!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:20 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (Armbar). Virtua Bird!
Virtua Bird is the new middleweight champion!