PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Brent Schultz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dean Irish (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Dean Irish has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Brent Schultz's chin.

Schultz
vs
Irish

179 cm
24
151 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

169 cm
21
145 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Basic striking
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Brent Schultz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Dean Irish!
The judges for this bout are Yuuki Gou, Ren Mimura and Sosuke Kotani.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Schultz misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Dean Irish seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Irish tries to clinch up but Schultz circles away and keeps his distance.
Schultz is looking to counter the offense by Irish and move into the clinch.
Irish tries to clinch but Schultz is having none of it.
Irish leaves Schultz with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Irish tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Schultz fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Schultz shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Irish sprawls well. Irish wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Schultz gets slowly back to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Brent Schultz. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Schultz shoots in and drives through. Irish sprawls well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Schultz shoots in for a takedown but Irish shows good takedown defense.
Irish unleashes a big counter combination but Schultz bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.
Irish tries to close the distance and clinch but Schultz swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Irish tries to close the distance and clinch up but Schultz swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Irish closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Irish landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
We've been informed that Irish 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.
Irish throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Irish swings away with an uppercut that misses.

Irish pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Irish blocks a head kick by Schultz.

Irish darts in and clinches Schultz up against the cage.
Irish gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Schultz.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Irish misses with a knee strike.
Irish doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Schultz blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Irish tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Irish lands a body punch in the clinch.
Schultz is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Irish to keep the fight standing.
Schultz blocks the elbow strike.
Irish tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Irish landing knees to the head.

It looks like Brent Schultz has been cut.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Schultz content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Irish pushes Schultz back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Schultz managing to block the knees to the body from Irish.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Irish lands an elbow inside.

Schultz breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Irish shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Schultz napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Schultz is looking for a sweep.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Irish working away.
Schultz holds on tight, trying to prevent any damage.
You can see the frustration on Schultz's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Irish really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Schultz. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Irish tries to stand but Schultz is controlling his head.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Schultz is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Irish has just dragged him back down to the mat.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Schultz is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Irish's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Schultz controlling the position for now.
Schultz is trying to control but can't.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Irish fails in his attempt to clinch.

Irish pushes Schultz up against the cage in a clinch.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Irish doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Irish creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.

Schultz breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Dean Irish dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Brent Schultz's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Schultz darts in looking for a takedown but Irish gets double underhooks and turns Schultz into the cage.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Irish has a couple of punches blocked by Schultz.
Irish misses with a hook to the ribs.
Irish scores with a shot to the side of Schultz's head.
Irish tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Dean Irish seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Schultz on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Irish with an attempt at a knee that misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Schultz keeps control of Irish as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Irish trying to land knees to the body.
Irish tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Irish tries to land a knee to the head but Schultz blocks with his arms.
Irish has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Irish misses with a knee strike.

Schultz decides to pull guard.
Irish being controlled here momentarily.

The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Schultz throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Schultz pulls Irish in to control the position.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Schultz is on top in guard.

Schultz trying to control but Irish is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Irish wants to stand up but Schultz is controlling him.
Schultz content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Schultz is in close to Irish's body, working some short punches and elbows.

Schultz thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

Irish is looking for a triangle here but Schultz uses the submission attempt to pass into side control.
Brent Schultz overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Irish is breathing heavily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Irish takes a nasty elbow to the side of the head.

Schultz is trying to get an arm triangle but Irish is defending well.
Schultz lands a decent elbow from side control.
Irish is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Schultz is controlling him well.
Schultz landing a few strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Schultz lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Irish down.

Schultz has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
Schultz looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Irish lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Irish is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Schultz feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Schultz working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Brent Schultz dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Brent Schultz's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Irish is looking to clinch.
Irish looks for the body kick but Schultz saw that one coming.
Schultz shoots in and drives through. Irish sprawls well.
Irish tries to clinch there but Schultz circles away.
Irish tries to clinch up but Schultz circles away and keeps his distance.
Irish moves to clinch but Schultz breaks away
and Schultz counters with a series of strikes. Irish will be more careful next time no doubt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Irish is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Schultz went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Schultz.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Irish doesn't manage to clinch there - Schultz circles away.
Schultz feinted with a counter takedown.

Schultz tries to keep at a distance but Irish has taken the fight into the clinch.
Irish lands a knee to the head.
Irish tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Irish can't find room to land a body shot as Schultz controls the action.
Irish wants to break free but Schultz has control.
Irish doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Irish tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Irish tries to work over Schultz's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Schultz blocks a body shot from Irish.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Irish using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Schultz has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Irish takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Schultz goes for a takedown attempt but Irish pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Brent Schultz. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Schultz feints and as Irish raises his hands in defense, Schultz changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Schultz working some strikes from top position.

Schultz stands and steps away. Irish gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Irish stuffs the takedown.
Brent Schultz is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Irish tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Schultz paws at him with a jab and circles away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Schultz throws a right hand that Irish ducks under and follows up with a left that Irish also avoids with ease.
Irish fails with an attempt to clinch.
A head kick by Schultz misses
and Irish counters with a two punch combo.
Irish avoids the head kick by Schultz.

Irish forces Schultz back against the cage and clinches.
Schultz can't break the clinch.
Irish connects with a nasty looking knee right to Schultz's face.
Irish misses with the head strike.
Irish with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Irish tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Schultz avoids it.
Irish lands a shot to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Schultz breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Schultz looking to score a takedown here. Irish is defending well but Schultz drives through and ends up in Irish's guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Schultz scores with a decent looking elbow strike.

Schultz gets to his feet - Irish follows without any prompting.

Irish fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Schultz to the ground. Irish is now in Schultz's guard.
Schultz thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Schultz looking for a sweep. Not yet Schultz, not yet.
Irish being controlled here momentarily.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Dean Irish.
I think Irish 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 Yuuki Gou scores the fight 28:29
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight 28:29
Judge Sosuke Kotani scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Dean Irish!