PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Gregg Valdez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Henry Linz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Man, I cannot wait for this one!

Valdez
vs
Linz

169 cm
24
140 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

156 cm
20
130 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid 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 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Gregg Valdez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Henry Linz!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Fujiwara, Ren Mimura and Yuuki Gou.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Linz doesn't manage to clinch there - Valdez circles away.
As Linz backs away, Valdez returns fire with a leg kick that just misses.
Linz swats away the attempt to clinch by Valdez.
Linz tries to close the distance and clinch but Valdez swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Valdez thumps Linz with a low kick.

Valdez gets in close and instigates a clinch.

Valdez breaks from the clinch.
Valdez throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Valdez looking to score a takedown here. Linz is defending well but Valdez drives through and ends up in Linz's guard.
Linz can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Valdez controls the pace.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Linz is wriggling around but Valdez manages to pass to half guard.
Linz tries to push off, looking to stand up, but Valdez manages to move to mount!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Valdez throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
Linz is trying to get to the cage to help him get back to his feet.
Linz bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Linz stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Valdez swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Linz trying to control the position from guard on top but Valdez is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Linz trying to stand up but can't free himself from Valdez's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Linz wants to pass the guard but Valdez is keeping the position.
Linz wants to control from the top but Valdez keeps moving.
Valdez is controlling Linz's posture.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Linz preventing the sweep.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Valdez throws a nice looking combination but Linz bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Linz throws a leg kick
and Valdez counters with a left and a right that stings Linz.
Valdez lands a glancing blow to the side of Linz's head.
Linz on the wrong end of a nice hook.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Linz tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Valdez wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.
Left hook, right uppercut from Linz.
Linz looks to land a body kick but Valdez moved away.
Valdez tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Linz misses with a low kick.
Linz takes a shot right to the bread basket.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Linz takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Valdez throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.

Linz clinches up against the cage.
Linz is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Linz is trying to pull guard but Valdez turns him against the cage and we stay in the clinch.
Linz is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Valdez pulls him back up using the underhooks.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Linz tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Valdez paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Linz changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Valdez tries to avoid it but Linz manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Valdez to the ground. Valdez escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Linz misses with a double jab.
Valdez scores with a three punch combo!

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Linz keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Valdez's efforts to push away.
Valdez is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Linz gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Valdez drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Linz gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Valdez lands with a light punch inside.
Linz tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Valdez just stands there and leans against the cage.
Linz taking a breather.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Valdez.
Valdez tries to pull guard but Linz holds him up against the cage and eventually Valdez drops back down to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Gregg Valdez. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Valdez manages to break the clinch.
Linz tries to clinch but Valdez is having none of it.
Gregg Valdez is winning the standup battle so far.

Valdez moves into range and clinches up with Linz.
Valdez unloads a knee to the mid-section.
Nice body punch from Valdez - that landed with a thud.

Valdez escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Valdez feints and then cracks Linz's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Linz down.
Linz shoots in and drives through. Valdez sprawls well.
Linz tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Valdez manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Valdez misses with a body kick.
Valdez is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Valdez moves into range and clinches up with Linz.

Linz manages to pull guard.
Valdez looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Linz will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Linz is looking to stand back up but Valdez counters by passing into half guard. Oops... bit sloppy there by Linz.

Valdez is looking for a kimura here.
Valdez is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Linz can do to turn this around?

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Valdez controlling the pace.
Linz regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Valdez.
Valdez works over Linz with some ground and pound from guard.
Gregg Valdez overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Linz looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

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.
Valdez postures up in Linz's guard and throws a big left but Linz blocks it.
Linz trying to control the position.

Linz throws his legs up looking to secure a triangle. Oh, that looks pretty tight, I gotta say! Valdez escapes and throws Linz's legs to the side, diving into side control!
Linz is breathing heavily.
Linz tries to slip a leg under to move to half guard but Valdez presses down on the leg and jumps into full mount!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Valdez working Linz over with strikes here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gregg Valdez dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Linz closes the distance looking to clinch
and Valdez counters with a straight right hand.

Linz 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.
Linz wants to pass the guard but Valdez is keeping the position.
Valdez is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Valdez keeping moving, preventing Linz from controlling successfully.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Valdez has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Valdez is looking to stand back up... there's a bit of a scramble and Linz dives into side control.
Valdez manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Valdez is trying to get back to full guard.
Linz is looking to stall here but Valdez recovers full guard.
Linz engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Valdez preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

Linz stands and steps away. Valdez gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.

Valdez closes the distance and pushes Linz back into the cage.
Valdez lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
Valdez lands a nice uppercut.
Valdez avoids the elbow strike from Linz, against the cage.
Linz lands a hook to the side of the head.
Linz is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Valdez is defending well for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Linz is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Valdez is defending well.
Linz takes a shot to the head.
Valdez makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Linz gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Valdez.
Linz is looking to break free of the clinch but Valdez has double underhooks.

Valdez pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Valdez throws a series of punches but Linz moves out of range.
Linz sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Valdez shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Linz counters with a left to the body.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Valdez fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Valdez scores with a leg kick.
Henry Linz seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Linz tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Valdez counters with a one-two to the body.
Nice takedown defense from Valdez. No joy for Linz on that attempt.
Valdez circles away from the clinch attempt.
Valdez shoots in for a takedown but Linz shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Linz tries to counter with a clinch but Valdez shakes him off and moves away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Gregg Valdez. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A right-left combo lands from Linz.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Linz wants to clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
Gregg Valdez showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Valdez 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 Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 30:27
Judge Ren Mimura scores the fight 30:27
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Gregg Valdez!