PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Gregory Pen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Tommy Riordan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). I can't wait for this one - let's get the fighter introductions out of the way and get this one started!

Pen
vs
Riordan

173 cm
24
183 lbs
9 - 8 - 0

182 cm
27
185 lbs
12 - 9 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Experienced

Good wrestler
Great elbows
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Gregory Pen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Tommy Riordan!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Jack Bonds and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pen takes one on the button.

Riordan clinches up with Pen and pushes him back against the cage.
Pen blocks an elbow strike.
Riordan on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Pen misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Riordan.
Pen digs a right hand into Riordan's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Riordan's gas tank.
Pen lands a hook to the side of the head.
Pen prevents a takedown attempt there.
Nice elbow from Riordan.
Riordan comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.

Riordan turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Riordan manages to end up in side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Riordan looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Pen can't do much from the bottom here.
Pen tries to improve position but can't.
Riordan trying to control the action but Pen is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Riordan sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Pen is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Pen is trying to control Riordan's posture but Riordan avoids it.
Pen tries to get back to half guard but can't.
You can see the frustration on Pen's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Riordan scores with punches from side control.

Riordan looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.

Riordan is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Pen has escaped the position, nice work there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Riordan working away.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Riordan tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Riordan has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Riordan landing a few strikes.
Riordan has knee on belly and moves into mount.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Riordan thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!

Riordan with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
My spies in Evolve Fight Team inform me that Riordan has been getting involved in the gym's BJJ sparring sessions. Let's see whether that pays dividends!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pen is wriggling around trying to escape.
Riordan trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Pen holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Riordan tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.
Riordan has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
The referee warns Pen that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.
Riordan prevents Pen from getting the reversal.
Riordan scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Pen?

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Riordan lands a big shot there that rocks Pen but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Riordan wants to take Pen's back but he can't do it this time.
Riordan can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Pen is looking to escape.
Riordan forces the positional change into back control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tommy Riordan dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Pen misses the jab.
Pen fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Riordan manages to avoid it.
Pen keeps the fight on the outside.
Pen misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Riordan tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Riordan tries to clinch but Pen moves away
and Riordan takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Pen throws a series of punches but Riordan avoids them all with ease.
Gregory Pen is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Riordan misses with a takedown attempt - Pen sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Riordan clinches up against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Pen tries to throw a body punch but Riordan avoids it by throwing Pen back against the cage.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Pen.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Riordan.
Riordan has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Pen missing with knees to the body.
Riordan on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Riordan lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Riordan takes a shot to the head.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Pen drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Riordan has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Pen is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Pen tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Nice elbow from Riordan.
Riordan trying to control the position but instead, Pen has worked for underhooks and has pushed Riordan into the cage.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Riordan just misses with a elbow thrown towards Pen's brow.
Riordan creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Riordan tries for a takedown. No joy.
Gregory Pen has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Tommy Riordan.
Riordan looking to stall.
Pen gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Riordan.
Pen putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Riordan in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A shot in the inside from Pen.
Pen utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Riordan is breathing heavily.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Pen fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Riordan wants to take the fight to the mat but Pen manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Pen avoids the elbow strike from Riordan, against the cage.
Riordan is looking to take this one to the mat.
Pen utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Pen lands a right hand that snaps the head of Riordan backwards.
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!
A short right from Pen on the inside.
Riordan looking to slow down the pace here.
Riordan is looking to take this one to the mat.
Riordan trying to stall but Pen improves his position.
Pen lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Riordan pushes off an throws an elbow but Pen leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Pen lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Pen creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Riordan's defenses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pen scores with a nice hook to the head.
Pen is working for takedown but Riordan is calmly controlling the position for now.
Riordan is looking to control Pen's arms but Pen gets an underhook and turns him. Now Riordan has his back to the cage.
A bit of stalling here from Pen.
Riordan tries to stall but Pen uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Riordan managing to block the knees to the body from Pen.
Pen takes an elbow to the temple.
Pen dodges an elbow strike from Riordan.
Pen tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Pen unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Pen lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Pen using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Riordan has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Riordan misses with an elbow strike.
Pen blocks an elbow strike.
Riordan tries for a takedown but Pen manages to get underhooks.
Riordan misses with an elbow strike.
Knees in the clinch landing for Pen.

Pen gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Riordan regains guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Riordan has momentary wrist control but Pen slips an elbow through the middle.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Pen avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Pen pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Riordan is keeping the position for now.
Pen is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Pen lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

Riordan had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Pen defends it easily.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Pen accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Pen wants to control from the top but Riordan keeps moving.
Tommy Riordan has got the better of the ground game so far.
Pen keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Riordan's head.

Riordan has his foot on Pen's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Pen works his way back into a safe position though.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gregory Pen dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Riordan shoots in for a takedown but Pen shows good takedown defense.
Pen lands a body shot.
Riordan takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Riordan ducks under a wild hook from Pen.
Riordan gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Pen counters with a left and a right that hurts Riordan! He wobbles and falls to the floor - he's in big trouble! Pen jumps into full mount!

Riordan is rocked!
Riordan working to try and regain half guard.
Pen punishing his opponent with strikes.
Riordan is still in real trouble! Can Pen finish him?
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!
Pen looking to finish here with some ground and pound. He lands one big shot that has Riordan covering up... and two more big strikes land, forcing the referee to step in and put and end to proceedings! This fight is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:57 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Gregory Pen!
Gregory Pen decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.