PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Matt Byrne (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and John Jackson (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Byrne
vs
Jackson

203 cm
22
240 lbs
5 - 1 - 0

195 cm
30
289 lbs
12 - 6 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Granite chin

INTENSITY RIO'S BEST!

GREEN!160

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Matt Byrne!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, John Jackson!
The judges for this bout are Skip Squint, Ron Honeybunn and Ben Hemmingworth.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Byrne throws a leg kick which misses Jackson's front leg but catches the back leg as Jackson tries to avoid it.
Jackson throws a left and a right that both miss
and Byrne counters with an inside leg kick.
Byrne wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Byrne has been working on his boxing with his coaches at LOD-Guts & Glory Gym in the buildup to the fight.
A jab from Byrne finds it's way through Jackson's defenses.
Byrne scores with a kick to the body.
Jackson throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Jackson takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Jackson misses with a left hand
and Byrne counters with a straight right hand.
Jackson misses with a jab, cross combination.
Jackson misses with a lunging right hand
and Byrne cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Jackson swings away with a body shot that misses
and Jackson takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.

It looks like John Jackson has been cut.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
A cross from Byrne lands.
Byrne connects with a jab.
Jackson misses with a series of wild punches.
We've been informed that Jackson has been sparring a lot of Muay Thai in the buildup to this fight so let's see if that has an impact on the result.
Jackson walks into a stiff left hand from Byrne.
Matt Byrne is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Byrne slips a jab and a cross from Jackson.

Byrne rushes Jackson and presses him up against the cage.
Still in the clinch, Byrne scores with a nice short uppercut.
Knees to the body from Byrne.
Jackson looks winded!
Byrne misses with a punch to the body.
Jackson softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Byrne scores with a shoulder strike.
Byrne blocking some punches.
Jackson lands an uppercut.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Jackson as Byrne tries to tie him up.
Byrne being controlled against the cage.
Jackson is trying to stall.
Byrne misses with a hook to the ribs.
Jackson presses Byrne against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Jackson goes for a takedown attempt but Byrne pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Jackson swings away with a body shot that misses
and Byrne counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Byrne is really peppering his opponent's head with punches.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Byrne closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Byrne on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Jackson misses with a hook from the clinch.
Jackson misses with a punch on the inside.
Jackson has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Byrne after a bit of a struggle.
Byrne is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Jackson can't find room to land a body shot as Byrne controls the action.
Byrne tries to work over Jackson's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Jackson has a couple of punches blocked by Byrne.
Byrne cracks Jackson with a nice body shot.
Byrne lands an elbow inside.
Byrne trying to control the position but instead, Jackson has worked for underhooks and has pushed Byrne into the cage.
Byrne lands with a right to the head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jackson misses with a punch on the inside.
Byrne effectively controlling the action here.
Jackson scores with a shoulder strike.
Byrne's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Byrne stalling in the clinch but Jackson improves position.
Byrne avoiding damage as Jackson throws knees to the body.
Jackson is looking to take this one to the mat.
Matt Byrne has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of John Jackson.
Byrne misses with a punch to the body.
Jackson is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Byrne gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Jackson is trying to stall.
Jackson misses with a short punch on the inside.
Jackson trying to stall but Byrne improves his position.
Byrne is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Jackson throws a head punch that misses.

Jackson pulls guard effortlessly.
Byrne preventing the sweep.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Jackson being controlled here, momentarily.
Jackson looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Jackson looking to control but Byrne passes into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Byrne looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Byrne wants to lay and pray for a moment but Jackson keeps working.
Byrne works his way into side control.
Byrne tries to stand but Jackson is controlling his head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Matt Byrne dominated that round.
The cut man is working on John Jackson's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Jackson lands with a nice combination. Byrne backs away looking to recover.

It looks like Matt Byrne has been cut.
Byrne slaps away a takedown attempt from Jackson, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Jackson closes the distance but Byrne moves to the side
and Byrne counters with a nice uppercut.

That has opened up John Jackson's cut even more.
Jackson keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
A jab lands there for Byrne.
Byrne cracks Jackson with an open hand slap.
Byrne lands with a hook. Jackson tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Byrne jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Matt Byrne is winning the standup battle so far.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Jackson takes one on the button.

The cut above John Jackson's eye is starting to cause him problems now.
Byrne misses with a jab, cross combination.
Jackson drops down looking to force a counter takedown but Byrne defends it well.
John Jackson seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Byrne!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Jackson has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Byrne.
Byrne throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Jackson misses with the combination.
Jackson is breathing heavily.

Byrne gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Jackson throws a punch but it's blocked by Byrne.
Jackson blocks an uppercut.
Jackson throws a punch but it's blocked by Byrne.
Jackson takes a shot to the head.
It really doesn't seem like the step up in weight is hurting Byrne here at all. He's more than holding his own against the bigger man.
Jackson is looking to control Byrne's arms but Byrne gets an underhook and turns him. Now Jackson has his back to the cage.
Byrne has a couple of punches blocked by Jackson.
Byrne manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Jackson.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Byrne using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Jackson has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Jackson as Byrne tries to tie him up.
Jackson is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Byrne is defending well.
Byrne has Jackson pushed against the cage.
Byrne is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Jackson can do to turn this around?
A shot in the inside from Byrne.
Jackson wants to stall.
Jackson wants to stall.
Byrne blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Jackson lands a shot to the body.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Jackson looking to slow down the pace here.
Byrne tries a body shot but Jackson blocks it.
Byrne tries to throw a body punch but Jackson avoids it by throwing Byrne back against the cage.
Jackson dodges an elbow strike from Byrne.
Matt Byrne has scored more points in the clinch so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Jackson takes an elbow to the temple.

John Jackson's cut is absolute horrible now. This looks like something out of a horror film with blood covering both fighters.

The referee calls the doctor in to look at John Jackson's cut. Oh no, the doctor has called an end to the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:15 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Cut). Matt Byrne!
Matt Byrne retains his heavyweight title!
During a confident post fight interview, Matt Byrne thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.