PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Barrett Byers (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ghost Face (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Face has chosen Bring the ruckus as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Both fighters really staring each other down here, as Ghost Face enters the cage!

Byers
vs
Face

176 cm
18
161 lbs
2 - 6 - 0

190 cm
25
160 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Tends to cut

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 2 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Barrett Byers!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Ghost Face!
The judges for this bout are Donatello Bradman, Summer Carpenter and Eliza Hachem.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Face's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Face duly obliges.

It looks like Barrett Byers has been cut.
Face stuffs the takedown attempt from Byers. Byers gets slowly back to his feet.
Face looks to land a combination but Byers avoids it well.
Byers tried to counter with a leg kick but Face avoided it.
Byers avoids a punch combination nicely.
Ghost Face seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Face tries to keep at a distance but Byers has taken the fight into the clinch.

Face breaks the clinch.
Face scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Face shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Byers eats them both and turns towards Face to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Byers shoots in but Face avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Face clobbers Byers with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Face throws a combination. Byers tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Face misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A head kick misses from Face.
Face with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.

Byers takes the fight into the clinch.
Face is trying to force a seperation but Byers has the dominant position.

Face pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Byers tries to close the distance and clinch up but Face swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Byers shoots in and drives through. Face sprawls well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Barrett Byers. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Face turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Face is looking to clinch.
Byers wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.
Face swats away the attempt to clinch by Byers.
Face scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Byers avoids the head kick by Face.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Face throws a series of punches but Byers avoids them all with ease.
Face lands a two punch combo.
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!

Face pushes Byers up against the cage in a clinch.
Face wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Byers has him pressed against the cage.

Byers pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Face displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Byers.
Byers blocks a head kick by Face.
Byers is looking for a counter combo.
Face is working the combinations to good effect here.
Nice body kick from Face.
A punch combination from Face misses.
A slow jab from Face misses its intended target.
Face pivots, looking for a leg kick but Byers is out of range and Face settles back down.
Face connects with a body shot that sends Byers's belly button to the back.
Face is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Face fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Face looks winded!
Byers closes the distance and clinches up with Face, looking for a takedown. Byers pushes Face against the cage but Face circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Face drives through and clinches with Byers against the cage.
Byers jumps guard but Face turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Face tries to break free but Byers pushes him back against the cage.

Face breaks from the clinch.
Ghost Face is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Face tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Face tries a head kick but it misses.
Sloppy strikes from Face. Those never looked like landing.
Byers is trying to close the distance and clinch up, after that failed offence from Face.
Byers avoids a punch combination nicely.
Face circles away from the clinch attempt.
Byers avoids the head kick by Face.
No luck for Byers with that takedown attempt.
Byers slips a jab and a cross from Face.
Face feints a jab promting Byers to slip. Face then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Byers slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Byers checks a low kick from Face.
Face misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Byers.
Face keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Face is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.
Face tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Byers is able to avoid easily.
Face fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Face looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.

Face closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Byers wants a takedown but no success here.
Byers keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Face's efforts to push away.

Face breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Face defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Byers.
Face fails to land with a series of punches.
Byers looked to counter with a high kick but didn't commit.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ghost Face dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Barrett Byers's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Byers fails with the takedown.
Face fails to land with a series of punches.
Byers has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Barrett Byers is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Face lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!
Byers wants to clinch up but Face keeps it at a distance.
No joy there for Face, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Face throws a combination. Byers tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Face tries to clinch but Byers is having none of it.
Byers shoots in but Face avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Byers closes this distance looking for a takedown but Face circles away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Barrett Byers. That's going to take a lot out of him.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Face misses with a double jab.
Face is breathing heavily.
Face misses with a double jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Face dodges the punch combination from Byers.
Byers slips a jab and a cross from Face.
Ghost Face seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Face throws a series of punches but Byers moves out of range.
As Face tries to get set, Byers tries to push him back and clinch up but Face manages to avoid the attempt.
Face throws a series of punches but Byers moves out of range.

Byers drives through and clinches with Face against the cage.
This is turning into a torrid day at the office for Byers. He's trying desperately to land a takedown but he's failing miserably and getting slapped silly on the feet to compound his misery.
Face is trying to break free.
Face has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Byers is trying to drag Face to the mat but Face just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Byers misses with a punch on the inside.
A frustrated look appears on Face's face as he tries to break the clinch.

Face breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Face tries to clinch up.

Byers clinches up with Face and pushes him back against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Face is trying to force a seperation but Byers has the dominant position.
Byers keeps control of Face as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

Face pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Face misses with a wild combination.
Face throws a series of punches but Byers moves out of range.
Face fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Byers shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Face pinned against the cage. Face gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.

Face forces Byers back against the cage and clinches.
This has been an exciting period of action!

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

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Face throws a sloppy head kick

and Byers counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

Byers gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Face trying to control from the bottom.
Byers slips a nice elbow through Face's hands, connecting with Face's forehead.
Byers prevents Face from improving his position.

Byers is working for a kimura but Face is defending it quite comfortably.
Byers sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Face defending well though.
Byers scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Face scrambles, trying to get to his feet, but Byers manages to mount him!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Face can't escape the position.

Byers with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Face can't escape the position.
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!
Byers with shots to the head and body - Face looks very uncomfortable down there.

Byers has control of Face's right arm, working for a kimura. It's a bit of a token attempt though and Face regains control of the situation pretty easily.
Face tries to hold on but Byers pushes him away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ghost Face showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Barrett Byers's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Byers throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Face's waist but Face gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Byers off to one side.
Face lands with a straight right. Byers didn't see that one coming.
Face cracks Byers with an open hand slap.
Byers tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Face counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.

Face moves into the clinch.

Face manages to break the clinch.
Good exchange - Face coming out on top.
Byers tries to clinch but Face is having none of it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A head kick misses from Face.
Face throws a right and a left that both miss.
Face cracks Byers with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Face is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Face throws a front kick aimed at Byers's knee but Byers avoids it well.
Face takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Face throws a lazy uppercut

and Byers counters by moving into the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Byers has managed to pull guard. Let's see whether he can work an aggressive guard. It will also be interesting to see what tactics Face uses from the top position.
Byers bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Face's guard.

Face wants to sweep but no luck.
Face is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Byers working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Byers is looking to work some ground and pound but Face has wrist control.
Byers postures up and lands a big shot to Face's brow.
Face really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Byers. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Face wants to stand up but Byers is controlling him.
Byers working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Byers postures up and lands a big shot to Face's brow.

Face escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Byers gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Face looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Byers scores with a decent looking elbow strike.

Face is working an open guard so Byers takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Face scores with a one two! Byers had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Byers misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Byers will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Barrett Byers. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Byers fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Face pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Byers fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Face avoids it really well and circles away.
Face getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Face connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
Face has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Byers.
Face lands a body shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Byers tries to score a power double leg takedown but Face sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Byers somewhat.
Face throws a series of strikes that have Byers backpedaling.
Face looks to land a combination but Byers avoids it well.
Face lands with a nice combination. Byers backs away looking to recover.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Face closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Byers shoots in for a takedown but Face shows good takedown defense.
Face fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Barrett Byers has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Ghost Face is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Byers throws a sloppy head kick and Face moves out of range easily.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ghost Face comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Face winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Donatello Bradman scores the fight 26:30
Judge Summer Carpenter scores the fight 26:30
Judge Eliza Hachem scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ghost Face!
After the fight, Ghost Face was humble in paying tribute to his opponent but made it clear he wants to go on to bigger and better things. It seemed to go down well with the crowd who cheered him loudly.