PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Fyodor Pending (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Daniel Bryan (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Pending
vs
Bryan

150 cm
43
130 lbs
49 - 70 - 0

179 cm
33
135 lbs
31 - 13 - 1

Good takedowns
Counter fighter
Good chin

Good takedowns
Brawler
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 49 - 70 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Fyodor Pending!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 31 - 13 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Daniel Bryan!
The judges for this bout are Robert Twigg, Stewart Dunkirk and Tiny Johnson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Bryan tries to clinch up.
Bryan throws a sloppy head kick and Pending moves out of range easily.
Bryan misses the shot to the body.
Bryan swings and misses with a shot to the body

and Pending counters by clinching up.
Pending is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Bryan jumps guard but Pending turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Bryan trying to control the position but instead, Pending has worked for underhooks and has pushed Bryan into the cage.
Bryan stops a takedown attempt from Pending.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Pending has double underhooks and is working for a body lock takedown. He's got it. The fighters land in half guard but Bryan regains guard immediately.
Bryan keeping moving, preventing Pending from controlling successfully.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pending preventing the sweep.
Pending forces his way into half guard.
Bryan is trying to stand up here but Pending is controlling him well.
Bryan trying to control from the bottom.
Pending takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.

Pending is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.

Pending is looking for a kimura here.

Pending is looking for a kimura but Bryan is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Pending to get the leverage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.

Pending is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Bryan has managed to free his arm - good work.
Bryan wants to improve his position but Pending is controlling well.
Pending could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Pending moves into full mount! Bryan won't be happy about that!
Pending looking to control but Bryan is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Pending has hold of Bryan's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Bryan manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Bryan is in all sorts of trouble here.

Pending is going oldschool here, as he tries to force Bryan to tap using a forearm choke. This isn't 1993 though, so Bryan shrugs it off.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Pending is working for a guillotine from mount but Bryan frees his head quite easily.
Bryan is in all sorts of trouble here.
Bryan tries to lock up and control but Pending gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Bryan is trying to get back to his feet but can't.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Pending has control of Bryan's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Bryan regains control of the situation pretty easily.
Bryan really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Bryan regains half guard.
Pending prevents Bryan from improving his position.
Pending is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Bryan!
Bryan is squirming around, avoiding Pending's attempts to control the action.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Bryan wants to control but Pending is having none of it.
Bryan is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Fyodor Pending dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Pending circles away from the clinch attempt.
Pending drops down looking for a counter takedown but Bryan sprawls and moves away.
Bryan moves to clinch but Pending breaks away

and Pending decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Bryan's guard.
Pending is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Bryan can do to turn this around?

Bryan had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Pending defends it easily.
Bryan is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Bryan is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Pending is controlling him.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Pending got a little sloppy there for a moment and Bryan has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Pending has managed to get both his arms back between Bryan's legs - danger averted.
Pending might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Pending slips nicely into half guard.
Bryan is concentrating on defense, preventing Pending from advancing position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pending is trying to control the action in half guard but Bryan is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Bryan looks like he's trying to stand up.
Fyodor Pending overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

Pending is working for a submission of some sort.
Bryan keeping control of the position.

Pending is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Bryan doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Pending.

Pending is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Bryan defends it well.

That's two 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.
Bryan tries to roll over but Pending keeps him under control.
Pending seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Bryan does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

Pending is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.

Pending is working for a submission of some sort.
Bryan is trying to maintain the position but Pending is very close to passing his half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pending wants to advance to full mount but Bryan doesn't think that's going to happen and regains full guard instead.

Bryan working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Pending doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Pending manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Pending pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Bryan is keeping the position for now.
Bryan wants to sweep here but Pending controlling him for the moment.
Bryan working a defensive guard here.
Bryan controlling Pending's posture.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Pending prevents Bryan from getting back to his feet.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Pending trying to control the position from guard on top but Bryan is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Bryan closes the distance and clinches up with Pending, looking for a takedown. Bryan pushes Pending against the cage but Pending circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Bryan fails with the takedown
and Pending counters with a three punch combo that has Bryan backing up. Bryan nods at Pending to acknowledge the strikes.
Fyodor Pending is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Bryan looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Pending is fending him off so far but Bryan persists. Nope, Pending circles away and we're back to standing.
Fyodor Pending has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Daniel Bryan.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Bryan fails with the takedown
and Pending counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Fyodor Pending 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!

Bryan gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Pending counters with a three punch combo that has Bryan backing up. Bryan nods at Pending to acknowledge the strikes.
Bryan fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Bryan just manages to avoid a counter high kick fromPending.
Bryan throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Pending counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Pending avoids the body shot from Bryan.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bryan goes for a double leg but Pending avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Pending continues to drive forward.
Pending tries to counter with a takedown but Bryan is quick to defend against it.
Fyodor Pending has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Daniel Bryan.
Bryan tries to clinch but Pending moves out of range.
Bryan fails with the takedown

and Pending moves into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bryan is trying to stall.

Pending successfully pulls guard.
Bryan trying to control but Pending is working from the bottom.
Bryan landing with the ground and pound.

Bryan gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Daniel Bryan seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Pending blocks a low kick nicely.
Bryan doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Pending counters with a slapping leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bryan thows a leg kick but Pending checks it
and Pending counters with a straight punch to the midsection.

Bryan bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Pending is looking to reverse the position.
Pending is not content to let Bryan control the position.
Pending is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Bryan wants to stand but Pending has his arm trapped.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bryan just content to control the position.
Bryan working the ground and pound.
Pending can't do much from the bottom here.
Pending manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Bryan is trying to control but can't.
Bryan is looking to escape.

Pending is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Bryan is just riding it out for now. Pending eventually gives up the hold.

Pending is looking for an arm triangle, whilst trying to pass to side control. Bryan doesn't seem that keen to cooperate though. No luck this time Pending.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Pending is actively looking for submissions here but good counter grappling here from Bryan as he works his way to full guard.
Pending pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Bryan is keeping the position for now.
Bryan tries to land a sweep but no joy.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Pending trying to control the position from guard on top but Bryan is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Bryan not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

And that's the end of the fight!
Fyodor Pending showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Pending 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 Robert Twigg scores the fight 30:27
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 30:27
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Fyodor Pending!
The defeated Daniel Bryan had this to say: 'NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!'.