PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Wayne Lara (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Donovan Burch (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Donovan Burch has the power to score a knockout today if he connects clean with Wayne Lara's chin.

Lara
vs
Burch

222 cm
19
140 lbs
0 - 3 - 0

170 cm
18
135 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Basic striking
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 0 - 3 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Wayne Lara!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Donovan Burch!
The judges for this bout are Fedor Mirinova, Konstantin Menshow and Sergei Dronov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Burch drives through and clinches with Lara against the cage.
Lara throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.

Burch successfully pulls guard.
Lara scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Lara throws a big right hand that misses.
Lara will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Lara with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Lara really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Lara in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Burch wants to stand up but Lara is controlling him.
Lara in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lara with a nice head shot there.
Lara won't allow Burch to get back to his feet.
Lara with a flurry of punches that miss.
Lara with a nice head shot there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lara scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Lara throws a big elbow that misses.
Lara throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

Burch manages to wriggle out and sneak his way back up to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched up against the cage.
Lara misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Burch wants to break the clinch but can't.
Lara goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Lara pressing his opponent against the cage.
Lara leaning his opponent against the cage.
Lara stalls.
Lara seems to have come into the fight with the intention of avoiding any damage in the clinch, rather than actually showing any aggression.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lara keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Burch's efforts to push away.
Lara scores with a shot to the side of Burch's head.
Lara lands with a light punch inside.
A frustrated look appears on Burch's face as he tries to break the clinch.

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

Burch clinches up with Lara and pushes him back against the cage.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.

Burch gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Lara looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Burch misses with a head shot. Lara uses the momentum to regain guard.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Burch throws a big elbow that misses.
Lara keeping moving, preventing Burch from controlling successfully.
Lara striking off his back but it's not causing Burch any problems.
Burch wants to control from the top but Lara keeps moving.

Lara looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.

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.

Lara looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Burch trying to control the position from guard on top but Lara is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Burch sitting in guard here, content to control.
Lara throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Lara escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Burch gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Burch postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Wayne Lara will probably get the nod.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Sloppy strikes from Lara. Those never looked like landing.

Burch moves into the clinch successfully.
Lara has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Lara scores with a hook to the body.
Burch is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Burch pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Burch moves into range and clinches up with Lara.

Burch has Lara pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Burch pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Lara tumbling to the mat - Burch dives into Lara's guard.

Lara had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Burch defends it easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Burch trying to control the position from guard on top but Lara is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Burch accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Lara bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Burch's guard.

Wayne Lara overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Lara is working Burch over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Lara is looking to stand up but Burch won't let him.
Lara in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Lara stands up over Burch, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Lara wants to stand but Burch is controlling his posture from full guard.
Lara missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Lara working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Lara throwing strikes from guard but Burch blocks nicely.
Lara won't allow Burch to sweep him here.
Lara throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Burch works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Burch utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Lara postures up in Burch's guard and throws a big left but Burch blocks it.
Burch is breathing heavily.
Lara is in close to Burch's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Lara throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Lara in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Lara misses with a head kick.
A looping hook to the body misses from Lara. Burch does a little dance to reset his feet.
Burch wants to counter the offense by Lara and move into the clinch position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lara takes a swing at Burch's ribcage but misses.
Despite the aggression on Burch's face he doesn't fully commit to the counter.
Burch will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Burch throws a sloppy head kick and Lara moves out of range easily.
Burch lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Lara circles away quickly and effectively.
Lara fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Burch checks it well.
Burch dodges the punch combination from Lara.
Burch checks the leg kick.
Burch is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Burch misses with a looping left.

Lara darts in and clinches Burch up against the cage.
Lara keeps control of Burch as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Lara tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Burch avoids it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Burch avoids a wild elbow strike from Lara.
Lara trying to land knees to the body.
Lara scores a nice knee to the body.
Lara tries to work over Burch's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.

Burch turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!

Burch decides to take the fight back to the feet.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Burch misses with a straight left.
Lara feinted with a counter takedown.

Burch looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into side control! Oh, that's bad for Lara!
Lara is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Burch's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Lara landing rabbit punches to the side of Burch's head. Not doing much damage but still scoring a few points.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Donovan Burch will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Lara misses with a jab, cross combination.
Lara just misses with a punch to the body.
Burch tries to counter by closing the distance.

Burch moves into the clinch.
Burch softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Burch is trying to push Lara away but Lara has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Burch wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Lara lands with a left to the head.

Burch breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
A punch combination from Burch misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Burch instigates a clinch.
Burch trying to land knees to the body.
Lara effectively controlling the action here.
Lara has Burch pressed against the cage, preventing Burch from circling away and getting back to striking at range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Burch prevents a body shot from Lara.
Lara throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Burchs head.

Burch pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Burch closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Burch throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Burch takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Burch swinging wildly here.

Burch decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

Lara actively working from the bottom here.
Lara is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Burch's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Burch's back!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Lara looking for the RNC.
Lara missing with strikes from the back.
Lara connects with a big shot to the side of Burch's head.

Lara looking for the choke from the back.

Lara is working for the choke. I would put my money on him to finish from this position. He's rolled onto his back and has dragged Burch with him. Burch is trying to defend but Lara has an arm under the chin now! Burch grimaces and is forced to tap out!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:47 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Wayne Lara!