PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Austin Barnett (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Alex Taylor (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Barnett
vs
Taylor

171 cm
21
150 lbs
3 - 4 - 1

185 cm
23
150 lbs
8 - 6 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Basic striking
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 4 - 1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Austin Barnett!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Alex Taylor!
The judges for this bout are Leandro Rodrigues, Emerson Jorge and Mauricio Rocha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Taylor is looking to clinch but Barnett is avoiding it.
Taylor doesn't manage to clinch there - Barnett circles away.

Barnett bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Barnett trying to control the action but Taylor is working from the bottom.

Barnett is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Taylor is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Taylor is looking for a sweep.
Taylor taking punishment in the form of punches.
Taylor is looking to regain half guard here but Barnett keeps moving and retains side control.
Barnett creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Barnett is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Taylor will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.

Barnett tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Barnett cracks Taylor with an elbow. That is naaassty.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Barnett is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Taylor is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Taylor is looking to reverse the position.
Taylor is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Barnett is controlling him well.
Barnett is putting a hurting on Taylor here, landing some big shots from side control.
Taylor is looking to work his way out of this bad position but Barnett is controlling him well.
Taylor is looking to regain half guard here but Barnett keeps moving and retains side control.
Taylor is not content to let Barnett control the position.
Taylor is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Barnett is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Taylor is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Taylor is looking to clinch but Barnett is avoiding it.

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.
Taylor swats away the attempt to clinch by Barnett.
Taylor closes the distance looking to clinch

and Barnett counters with a nice double leg into side control. Taylor won't be happy with that.

Barnett thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Barnett postures up a little and throws a couple of hammerfists but they don't connect properly.
Taylor manages to get one leg in to regain half guard.
Taylor is trying to stand back up but Barnett is controlling him
Barnett moves into full mount! Taylor won't be happy about that!
Barnett is breathing heavily.
Taylor working to try and regain half guard.

Taylor defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Barnett.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Taylor defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Barnett.
Taylor wants to get back to his feet.
Taylor bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!

Barnett looking for a guillotine here but Taylor defends easily.
Taylor has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Barnett is proving hard to escape from.

That's four 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.

Taylor gets to his feet - Barnett follows without any prompting.
Taylor wants to clinch up but Barnett keeps it at a distance.
Barnett throws a head kick but Taylor moves out of range.
Barnett shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Taylor but Taylor pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Barnett avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Taylor moves into the clinch.
Taylor with a knee to the head.
Taylor using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Barnett has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Barnett managing to block the knees to the body from Taylor.
Barnett jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Taylor walks away with a smile on his face. Barnett gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Alex Taylor is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Barnett is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Taylor tries to clinch up

and Barnett counters with a nice double leg into side control. Taylor won't be happy with that.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Taylor avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Taylor takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.

Taylor gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Barnett wants to break free but Taylor has control.
Taylor connects with a knee to the head.
Taylor with a knee to the head.
Barnett wants to break the clinch but can't.
Barnett jumps guard but Taylor stands there with Barnett around his waist. Barnett gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Taylor tries to land a knee to the head but Barnett blocks with his arms.
The is referee keeping an eye on Taylor - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Knees to the body from Taylor.
Taylor connects with a knee to the head.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Barnett tries to pull guard but Taylor holds him up against the cage and eventually Barnett drops back down to his feet.
Taylor tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Barnett wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Taylor has him pressed against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Taylor tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Barnett wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Barnett has had enough of the clinch but Taylor keeps him there for the moment.
Barnett tries to break the clinch but Taylor is controlling the position.
Barnett wants to get back to striking at distance but Taylor won't allow it.
Taylor misses with a knee strike.
Barnett wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Taylor has him pressed against the cage.
Barnett is looking to break free of the clinch but Taylor has double underhooks.
Barnett can't break the clinch.
Barnett tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Taylor smiles and moves away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Austin Barnett. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Barnett connects with a nice looking jab.
Some wild striking there from Barnett.
Barnett fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Taylor manages to avoid it.
Barnett will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Barnett tries to clinch but Taylor moves out of range.
Barnett connects with a body shot.
Barnett tries to clinch up.
Taylor fails in his attempt to clinch.
Barnett throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Taylor wants to clinch up but Barnett keeps it at a distance.
The fight stays on the outside here - Taylor looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Alex Taylor seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Barnett does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.

Taylor pushes Barnett up against the cage in a clinch.
Taylor connects with a nasty looking knee right to Barnett's face.
Barnett tries to break the clinch but Taylor is controlling the position.
Barnett jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Taylor walks away with a smile on his face. Barnett gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Austin Barnett is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Taylor has managed to clinch.
Taylor lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Barnett is trying to break free.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barnett wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Taylor will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Barnett up against the cage.
Taylor scores a nice knee to the body.
Taylor prevents Barnett from breaking the clinch.
Taylor with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Taylor with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Taylor keeps control of Barnett as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Taylor.
Taylor is looking to control Barnett's arms but Barnett gets an underhook and turns him. Now Taylor has his back to the cage.
Barnett is trying to break the clinch but Taylor has him pressed against the cage.
Barnett is trying to stall.
Barnett managing to block the knees to the body from Taylor.
Barnett wants to break the clinch but can't.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Barnett goes for a takedown attempt but Taylor pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

Barnett clinches up against the cage.
Taylor tries to land a knee to the head but Barnett blocks with his arms.
Taylor tries to land a knee to the head but Barnett blocks with his arms.
Taylor looking to throw knees to the head but Barnett is blocking nicely.
Barnett is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Barnett jumps guard and drags Taylor to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.

Taylor has a momentary lapse of concentration, allowing Barnett to throw up a leg and lock on what appears to be a pretty tight triangle! Taylor is fighting it off but it's all too little too late - Barnett pulls down on the head and he's put Taylor to sleep! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:50 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle). Austin Barnett!