PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Zia Janjua (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ryan Vardey (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Vardey has chosen savior as his entrance music. Rumors backstage are that the fighters have been paid to keep it standing but we know that would never happen in MMA!

Janjua
vs
Vardey

220 cm
20
220 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

191 cm
26
255 lbs
2 - 6 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Zia Janjua!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Ryan Vardey!
The judges for this bout are Hirohito Nitta, Yasuomi Hirokawa and Shirou Masuda.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Vardey avoids a punch combination nicely.
Vardey raises up his leg as if looking to counter with a high kick.
Vardey throws a series of punches but Janjua avoids them all with ease.
A looping hook to the body misses from Vardey. Janjua does a little dance to reset his feet.
Vardey closes this distance looking for a takedown but Janjua circles away.
Janjua is looking to counter punch.

Janjua shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Vardey manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Janjua missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Janjua pushes down on Vardey's leg and manages to get into half guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Janjua tries to stand but can't do so whilst Vardey controls his leg.
Janjua slows the pace down in half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Janjua tries to pass to full mount but Vardey defends it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Janjua controlling the pace.

Janjua is looking for a kimura but Vardey is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Janjua to get the leverage.
Janjua is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Vardey keeps control of the position for the meantime.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Janjua trying to control from half guard but Vardey is working away.
Janjua content to control rather than advance.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

Janjua closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Janjua lands in his opponent's guard.
Janjua sitting in guard here, content to control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Janjua's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Janjua throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Vardey works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Janjua postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Vardey trying to strike off his back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Janjua is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Janjua won't allow Vardey to get back to his feet.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Janjua tries a head kick but it misses.
Janjua sets himself, and Vardey steps forward looking for the clinch! Janjua avoids it this time.
Janjua leaves Vardey with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Vardey shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Janjua defends it nicely.
Zia Janjua has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ryan Vardey.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Vardey throws a head kick that misses.
Janjua looked to counter with a high kick but didn't commit.
Janjua shoots in but no luck this time.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Zia Janjua dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Vardey tries to clinch but Janjua is having none of it.
Vardey misses with a low kick.

Janjua closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Vardey quickly recovers to half guard.
Vardey is looking for a sweep. Janjua is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Janjua wants to stand but Vardey has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.
Janjua sitting and controlling from the half guard.
Vardey taking some punishment here, with Janjua in his half guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Vardey wants to improve his position but Janjua is controlling well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Janjua is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Janjua wants to stand up but Vardey is controlling the position.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Janjua really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Vardey trying to hold on to Janjua's head to control him but Janjua postures up.
Janjua trying to mount his opponent but Vardey defends it.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Janjua throws a low kick, looking for Vardey's leg but Vardey calmly moves out of range.
Janjua tries to clinch but Vardey moves out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Janjua wants to clinch.
Janjua waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Vardey.
Janjua misses with a takedown attempt - Vardey sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
A telegraphed right hand from Janjua misses the target.
Vardey lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.

Janjua clinches.
Janjua tries to break free but Vardey pushes him back against the cage.

Vardey breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Vardey shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Janjua pinned against the cage. Janjua gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Vardey changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Janjua tries to avoid it but Vardey manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Janjua to the ground. Janjua escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Janjua half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Vardey slips under a jab from Janjua.

Janjua manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Vardey on his heels. He'll look to pass Vardey's guard now, I'm sure.
Janjua postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Janjua wants to control from the top but Vardey keeps moving.
Vardey trying to control the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Vardey wants to improve his position but instead Janjua has moved into half guard.
Janjua not doing much here.
Janjua is pressing down on Vardey's thigh, looking to free his foot. Vardey is holding on for now.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Janjua trying to control the action but Vardey is working from the bottom.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Zia Janjua dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Vardey tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Janjua defends well and Vardey ends up having to push Janjua into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
As Vardey tries to get set, Janjua tries to push him back and clinch up but Vardey manages to avoid the attempt.

Vardey scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.
Janjua tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Janjua is looking for a sweep. Vardey is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Janjua wants to control but Vardey passes into side.
Janjua on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Janjua tries to get out of the position.
Janjua is looking for a sweep.
Janjua manages to get back to half guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Janjua wants to control but Vardey is keeping busy.
Vardey passes to side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Janjua tries to bench press Vardey off him but Vardey keeps the position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Vardey moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.
Zia Janjua overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Janjua is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Janjua is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Vardey can do to turn this around?

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Janjua is trying to control Vardey's posture but Vardey avoids it.
Vardey has control of an arm but Janjua manages to advance to Vardey's back!
Good control from Janjua.
Vardey wants to get back to his feet.
Vardey trying to control the position but Janjua manages to sink in the hooks.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Janjua looking for the choke from the back.
Janjua will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Janjua controlling well, preventing Vardey from escaping the position.
Vardey rolls and manages to get back to half guard. Nicely done.
Vardey gets back to full guard.
Vardey avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Vardey trying to keep a closed guard but Janjua is proving a slippery customer.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Vardey avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Vardey keeping moving, preventing Janjua from controlling successfully.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Janjua distracts Vardey with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Janjua slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Vardey wants to clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Zia Janjua.
Well Janjua has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Hirohito Nitta scores the fight 30:27
Judge Yasuomi Hirokawa scores the fight 30:27
Judge Shirou Masuda scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Zia Janjua!