PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Abi Tural (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mathias Matthews (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Tural
vs
Matthews

170 cm
20
153 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

175 cm
21
160 lbs
4 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Abi Tural!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Mathias Matthews!
The judges for this bout are Steve Erwin, Eliza Hachem and Donatello Bradman.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Matthews looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Tural is fending him off so far but Matthews persists. Nope, Tural circles away and we're back to standing.
Matthews throws a jab but it's blocked by Tural.

Tural clinches up with Matthews and pushes him back against the cage.
Tural lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Matthews backwards.
Matthews takes an elbow to the forehead.
Tural lands with a short head shot on the inside.
A short uppercut from Tural.
Matthews tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
A head punch on the inside from Matthews fails to land.
Tural lands an elbow inside.

Matthews pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Tural darts in and clinches Matthews up against the cage.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Tural scores with a hook to the body.
Matthews is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Tural softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
I was talking to Tural's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Matthews is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tural working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Tural has Matthews pressed against the cage, preventing Matthews from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Matthews changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Tural fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Abi Tural has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mathias Matthews.
Matthews tries to close the distance and clinch but Tural swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Matthews ducks right into an uppercut from Tural.

Tural rushes Matthews and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Matthews is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Tural gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Matthews tries to break free but Tural pushes him back against the cage.
Matthews tries to score a body lock takedown but Tural shows good agility there to stay on his feet.
Matthews tries to circle away but Tural has him pinned against the cage.
Tural is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Matthews is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Matthews takes a shot to the head.
Matthews has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Tural after a bit of a struggle.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Matthews wants to break free but Tural has control.
Tural lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Matthews has Tural pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Tural manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Matthews takes a knee to the side of the body.
Matthews looks winded!
Tural lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Matthews tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Tural just stands there and leans against the cage.
Matthews's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Tural lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Matthews backwards.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Tural lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Matthews backwards.
Tural lands a damaging elbow.
Tural taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Matthews has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Tural is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Tural lands a nice uppercut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tural will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Matthews up against the cage.
Tural lands with a short shot to the head.
Tural lands with a right to the head.
Tural gets through Matthews's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Matthews has Tural pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Tural manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Come on Tural - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Tural throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Matthewss head.
Tural stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
A right handed body shot lands from Tural.
Tural holding his opponent close, against the cage.
Matthews is trying to break the clinch but Tural is controlling him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tural has Matthews pressed against the cage.
Tural lands with a left to the head.
Tural lands a nice elbow.
Tural using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Matthews has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
We've been informed that Matthews has been working hard on his conditioning in the buildup to the fight.
Tural lands with a left to the head.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Tural lands a knee to the head.
Tural digs a right hand into Matthews's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Matthews's gas tank.
Matthews lands a good knee to the midsection. Tural won't want to take too many of those.
Tural creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Matthews's defenses.
Matthews is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Nice body punch from Tural.
Tural comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.

Matthews escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Tural throws a right and a left that Matthews avoids nicely.
Matthews feints the counter takedown.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Abi Tural dominated that round.
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.

Matthews has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Tural.
Tural tries to clinch up.
Tural slips a jab from Matthews.
Jab by Tural.
Tural lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.

Tural pushes Matthews up against the cage in a clinch.
Matthews changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Tural fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Tural punishes Matthews's body with a nice straight punch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tural connects with a solid leg kick.
Tural blocks a jab.
A head kick misses from Matthews.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Matthews has closed the distance and engaged Tural in a clinch.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Tural.
A shot in the inside from Tural.
Tural has Matthews pressed against the cage.
Matthews is looking to take this one to the mat.

Matthews breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Matthews needs to keep his hands up - Tural had a free shot at his head there.
Tural dips down and scores with a jab to the body.

Tural gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Tural dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Matthews goes for a takedown attempt but Tural pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Abi Tural has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Mathias Matthews.
Matthews shoots for a double leg takedown but Tural sprawls well. He's pushed Matthews's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Matthews shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Tural defends it nicely.
Tural half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Abi Tural seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Matthews is breathing heavily.

Tural lands a left and a right that send Matthews crashing to the mat, dazed. Tural thinks about following him to the mat but decides to wave him back up to his feet!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Matthews is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Tural.

Matthews is rocked!
Matthews shoots and misses
and Tural makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Matthews is still on wobbly legs! Can Tural finish him?
Tural cracks a nice hook into Matthews's ribs.
Matthews seems to have recovered his senses.
Abi Tural is winning the standup battle so far.

Tural pushes Matthews up against the cage in a clinch.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Tural.
Matthews working hard to break the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tural content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Tural scores with a hook to the body.
Tural stalling.
Tural working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Tural lands a left hand.
Tural throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Tural creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Matthews's defenses.

Tural drops Matthews with a big knee straight up the middle! Matthews is covering up against the cage but manages to escape and gets back to his feet!
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Tural cracks Matthews with a nasty uppercut that draws ooohs from the crowd and sends Matthews tumbling backwards onto the mat. He tries to recover but Tural pounces and lands a hail of unanswered strikes that forces the referee to step in to end the fight! Matthews is not happy but he gave the referee no choice!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:39 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Abi Tural!
In defeat, Mathias Matthews stepped up to the mic, saying 'Bollocks. Fook that limey bloke!'.