PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Tyrion Snow (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jose Mera (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Snow
vs
Mera

177 cm
24
157 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

168 cm
38
150 lbs
19 - 16 - 1

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Very strong

Excellent grappler
Excellent boxer
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Tyrion Snow!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 19 - 16 - 1, fighting out of London, Jose Mera!
The judges for this bout are Aafke Stam, Albert Achterberg and Saam Ante.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Snow misses with a shot to the body

and Mera counters with a takedown into side control! That could mean trouble for Snow!

Mera swings around for an armbar but Snow sees it coming a mile off and turns beautifully into Mera's guard.
The fighters are tangled up in the ropes here. We might need a restart if the fighters can't break free themselves.
Mera keeping moving, preventing Snow from controlling successfully.
Snow looking to pass the guard.

Mera escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Snow gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Snow postures up.

Mera working for a triangle but Snow defends it easily.
Mera keeping moving, preventing Snow from controlling successfully.
Mera can't keep his opponent in guard - Snow advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.

Snow is sneakily working for an arm triangle but Mera sees it coming and defends easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Snow works his foot free and advances to mount.

Snow is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Mera has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Mera!
Mera preventing the sweep.
My spies in ~T~ Troid - Gym inform me that Mera has been getting involved in the gym's BJJ sparring sessions. Let's see whether that pays dividends!
Mera tries to free his leg and advance position but Snow is retaining full guard.

Mera got a little sloppy there for a moment and Snow has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Mera has managed to get both his arms back between Snow's legs - danger averted.

Snow had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Mera defends it easily.
Snow keeping moving, preventing Mera from controlling successfully.
Mera wants to pass the guard but Snow is keeping the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Snow is looking for a triangle but Mera pushes his legs off easily.
Mera chips away with some ground and pound.
Mera pushes down on Snow's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Mera lands strikes from half guard.
Snow is trying to control but can't.
Snow wants to get back to full guard but Mera has passed into side control.
Snow definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Mera trying to control the position but Snow is working away.

Mera wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Snow, who protects the arm well.
Snow is trying to control Mera's posture but Mera avoids it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Snow is looking to reverse the position.
Snow sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Mera works his way into side control.
Snow manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.

Mera looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Mera looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Snow trying to hold on to Mera's head to control him but Mera postures up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Snow is trying to control but Mera passes into side control!
Snow is looking to regain half guard here but Mera keeps moving and retains side control.
Snow is working hard here to advance position.
Mera landing with strikes to the head and body from side control.

Mera tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Mera has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Snow struggling a bit here.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Snow is trying to get back to half guard.

Mera stands up and beckons Snow to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jose Mera dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Snow is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Mera.
Mera throws a right and a left that Snow avoids nicely.
Mera misses with the combination.
Nice defenses there by Mera.
Mera ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Snow misses with a wild body shot.
Snow throws a hook to the side of Mera's head but Mera sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Mera steps in looking to clinch after the strikes miss from Snow.
Snow swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Mera.
Snow uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Mera.
Snow feinted with a counter takedown.
A big left from Snow misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Mera defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Snow.
Snow looks to land a right hand but Mera moved out of range.
Mera defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Snow.
Snow loads up on a big right hand but Mera slips the punch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Snow lands a glancing blow to the side of Mera's head.
Mera misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Snow.
Snow swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Mera wants to counter the offense by Snow and move into the clinch position.
Snow throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Mera wants to counter with a clinch but Snow pushes him away.
Snow on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Snow misses with a body shot

and Mera counters with a single leg into guard. Snow didn't expect that.

Snow is looking for a triangle but Mera pushes his legs off easily.
Mera tries to free his leg and advance position but Snow is retaining full guard.
Snow working a defensive guard here.
Snow keeping moving, preventing Mera from controlling successfully.

Mera avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Snow looking for a sweep. Not yet Snow, not yet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Snow keeping moving, preventing Mera from controlling successfully.

Snow throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Mera escapes and throws Snow's legs to the side, diving into side control!

Mera tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Snow is trying to get back to half guard.
Mera wants to take a breather but Snow manages to regain guard - a lesson learnt for Mera.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Snow working for a triangle but Mera defends it easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mera landing with the ground and pound.

Snow looking for a guillotine here but Mera defends easily.
Mera lands a couple of decent looking shots.
The fighters are trapped in the ropes so we're going to have a reposition here. The ref calls for a break and repositions the fighters in the center of the ring.
Mera advances to half guard.
Mera tries to pass the half guard into mount. Snow knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Mera takes advantage of the dominant position to land a couple of big hammer fists.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Snow is looking to improve his position.
Snow tries to regain full guard. Instead though, Mera has advanced to mount. Uh oh.

Mera goes for an armbar but Snow turns quickly into his guard - lovely anticipation from Snow.
Snow passes into half guard.
Mera is looking to improve his position.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Mera regains full guard. Nicely done.
Mera keeping full guard, as Snow tries to pass.

Mera is looking for a triangle but Snow pushes his legs off easily.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Jose Mera will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Snow throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Mera sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Mera throws a lazy right hand but Snow sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Snow darts in looking for a takedown but Mera gets double underhooks and turns Snow into the ropes.
Snow looks for a takedown but Mera sprawls well.

Snow 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.
Jose Mera has got the better of the ground game so far.
Snow pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Mera is keeping the position for now.
Snow advances position into side control!
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Snow wants to lay and pray for a moment but Mera keeps working.
Snow advances to full mount.

Snow has hold of Mera's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Mera manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mera is trying desperately to improve position.
Mera tries to hold on but Snow pushes him away.
Mera tries to get back to half guard but can't.

Snow looking for a guillotine from mount but Mera is having none of it.
Mera is wriggling around trying to escape.
Snow looking to control but Mera is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

Snow wants to finish this one by submission but Mera is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Snow.
Jose Mera is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mera tries to reverse the position but Snow maintains control.
Snow trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Snow is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Mera is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Mera gets back to half guard.
Mera is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Snow is trying to control the action in half guard but Mera is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Mera wants to get back to full guard.
Mera is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Mera is trying to stand.
Mera tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mera is pressing down on Snow's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Mera keeping moving, preventing Snow from controlling successfully.

Snow drops back looking for a leg! Mera is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Mera manages to kick Snow off! Snow jumps back into Mera's guard.
Mera wants to sweep here but Snow controlling him for the moment.
Mera wants to improve his position but instead Snow has moved into half guard.
Mera is looking for a sweep. Snow is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

Snow seems to be working for a kimura but Mera defends the submission attempt.
Snow trying to pass the guard but Mera defending well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Snow is trying to work for a kimura but Mera is defending well.
Snow is trying to control. Mera wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.
Mera regains full guard. Nicely done.
Mera wants to stand and escape but Snow is having none of it.
Snow trying to control but Mera is working from the bottom.
Tyrion Snow has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Snow throws a big right hand that misses.
Mera working a defensive guard here.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Mera wants to sweep here but Snow controlling him for the moment.

Mera is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Snow is aware though and is defending well.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tyrion Snow showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Mera 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 Aafke Stam scores the fight 28:29
Judge Albert Achterberg scores the fight 29:28
Judge Saam Ante scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Jose Mera!
During a confident post fight interview, Jose Mera thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.