PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Anton Archer (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Zaki Zaki (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Anton Archer has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Archer
vs
Zaki

174 cm
25
130 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

150 cm
19
130 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter fighter
Self confident

BJJ Brown Belt
Brawler
Very confident

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Anton Archer!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of London, Zaki Zaki!
The judges for this bout are Anni Minnemäki, Matti Vanhoillinen and Ben Zyskovitsi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Archer will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Zaki throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Archer lands with a right hand.

Zaki closes the distance and clinches.

Archer drags the fight down to the ground.
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Archer holds on and takes a little breather.
Archer'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.
Zaki wants to control from the top but Archer keeps moving.
Archer really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Archer looking to sweep using the butterfly guard but Zaki puts pay to that idea as he passes nicely into half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Still in half guard, Zaki seems content to control.
Archer is staying active underneath Zaki, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Archer is breathing heavily.
Archer wants to control but Zaki is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Zaki missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Zaki missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

Archer is defending against the submission attempts here by Zaki.
Zaki takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.
In the pre-fight buildup videos we saw Zaki working his ground and pound in the gym. He isn't landing a great percentage of his ground strikes so far though.

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.
Archer is not content to let Zaki control the position.
Zaki seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Zaki seems to have lost interest with the ground game and is thinking about standing back up.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Zaki tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Archer was well out of range. Poor timing from Zaki.
Archer appears to be looking for a big counter.

Archer shoots in and gets a takedown into Zaki's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Zaki manages to wriggle out and sneak his way back up to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched up against the cage.
Zaki should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
Archer is trying to drag Zaki to the mat but Zaki just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Zaki working hard to break the clinch.

Archer breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Zaki is defended easily by Archer.
Zaki tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Zaki has taken the fight to the clinch.
Zaki dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zaki wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
The referee calls for Archer to work.

Zaki works for the underhooks and manages to get a trip takedown into guard.
Archer keeping moving, preventing Zaki from controlling successfully.
Zaki passes Archer's right leg, so he's now in half guard.

Zaki is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Archer has managed to free his arm - good work.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Archer tries to get to full guard but Zaki has control of the leg.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Archer goes for a double leg but Zaki avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Zaki continues to drive forward.
Zaki walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Archer shoots in but Zaki avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Zaki misses with a takedown attempt - Archer sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Zaki enables Archer to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Zaki manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.

Zaki wriggles free and stands up.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Archer scores with a one two! Zaki had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Zaki has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Zaki misses with the combination.
Archer attempts a counter takedown but Zaki avoids it well and moves away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Archer fails with the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Anton Archer. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Zaki tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Archer defends well and Zaki ends up having to push Archer into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Archer fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Archer displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Zaki.
Nice takedown defense from Archer. No joy for Zaki on that attempt.
A low kick from Zaki is predictable there

and Archer counters by moving into the clinch.
Archer is trying to pull guard but Zaki turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Archer tries to pull guard but Zaki won't allow it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zaki is looking for a takedown.
Archer drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Zaki is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Zaki can't break the clinch.
I was talking to Archer's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Zaki misses with a punch on the inside.
Archer stops a takedown attempt from Zaki.
Zaki tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

Archer escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Zaki tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Archer was well out of range. Poor timing from Zaki.
Anton Archer is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Zaki tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Archer paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Nice takedown defense from Archer. No joy for Zaki on that attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zaki throws a right and a left that Archer avoids nicely.
Zaki closes this distance looking for a takedown but Archer circles away.
Donk. Archer catches Zaki right on the button with a cross.
Archer is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
A jab lands there for Archer.
Zaki tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Archer counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Archer.

Zaki looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Archer passes into half guard.
Zaki tries to get to full guard but Archer has control of the leg.
Archer looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zaki is trying to control but can't.
Archer will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Still in half guard, Archer seems content to control.
Archer stalling away here and it's allowed Zaki to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Archer wants to control from the top but Zaki keeps moving.
Zaki is trying to control the position but Archer postures up.
Zaki is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Anton Archer will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Zaki misses with a head kick.

Archer closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.

Zaki kicks off Archer and gets to his feet.
Archer ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.

Zaki gets a clinch.

Zaki pulls Archer into guard.
Zaki wants to get back to his feet but Archer is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Zaki is controlling Archer's posture.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
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!
Archer is looking to advance position but Zaki has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Archer is in a horrible position here, under a barrage of strikes, he's managing to avoid any damage.
Zaki breaks from Archer's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Archer manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Zaki Zaki has got the better of the ground game so far.
Zaki looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Archer with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Zaki throwing shots but Archer is blocking nicely.
Zaki seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Archer does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Archer avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Zaki.
Archer is refusing to be controlled, as Zaki sits in half guard.
Zaki wants to free his trapped foot but Archer is holding on for dear life with his legs.

Archer looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Archer avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Zaki.
Zaki is looking to take a break and control but Archer is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Archer knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Zaki on the ground.
Archer is looking to improve his position.
Archer on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Zaki tries to pass to full mount but Archer defends it.

Zaki stands up out of the half guard.
Zaki tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Zaki darts in looking for a takedown but Archer gets double underhooks and turns Zaki into the cage.
Zaki shoots in for a takedown but Archer shows good takedown defense.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Zaki fails with an attempt to clinch.
Archer circles away from the clinch attempt.

And that's the end of the fight!
Zaki Zaki comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Zaki 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 Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 28:29
Judge Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 28:29
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Zaki Zaki!