PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ahmad Talib (ranked 6147 p4p, 0 weight class) and Dan Mckenzie (ranked 6231 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Talib
vs
Mckenzie

175 cm
22
210 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

195 cm
22
270 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Ahmad Talib!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Dan Mckenzie!
The judges for this bout are John Kavanagh, Eddie Farnsworth and Chad Campbell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Talib fails with an attempt to clinch.
Mckenzie misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Talib keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Talib.
Talib tries to clinch there but Mckenzie circles away.

Talib gets the takedown into side control.
I wouldn't like to be where Mckenzie is right now.
Mckenzie is looking for a sweep.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Talib stands up.
Talib looks for a takedown but Mckenzie sprawls well.
Talib circles away from the clinch attempt.
Talib throws a big counter combination but Mckenzie scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mckenzie lands with a good body shot.
Talib takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Mckenzie looks for a takedown but Talib sprawls well.
Talib takes a punch to the jaw and another one to the bread basket.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Mckenzie.
Talib keeps Mckenzie at a distance using the push kick.
Talib swats away the attempt to clinch by Mckenzie.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mckenzie has a takedown stuffed.
Ahmad Talib has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Dan Mckenzie.
Mckenzie looks winded!
Talib throws a series of punches but Mckenzie avoids them all with ease.
Mckenzie is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Mckenzie defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Talib.

Talib closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Mckenzie to the mat! Mckenzie manages to get full guard.

Mckenzie kicks Talib off and gets to his feet.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Mckenzie shoots in and drives through. Talib sprawls well.
Talib misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Mckenzie looks like he wants to counter punch here.

Mckenzie shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Mckenzie showed some decent athleticism there.

Mckenzie is working for a submission of some sort.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Talib is controlling Mckenzie's trapped leg to prevent Mckenzie from advancing to side control.
Talib is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Mckenzie's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Mckenzie's back!
Mckenzie looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.
Mckenzie is trying to avoid being dragged into an even worse position than he's already in but Talib is staying active.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
You know, I was talking to some of our celebrities at ringside tonight and they were split right down the middle on who was going to win this fight.
Talib is looking to control Mckenzie but Mckenzie is wriggling around and keeping busy.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Talib is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Mckenzie is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Dan Mckenzie will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Talib fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Talib displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Mckenzie.

Talib gets a clinch.
Mckenzie lands an uppercut.
Talib gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Mckenzie.
Talib goes for a takedown in the clinch but Mckenzie prevents it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Mckenzie tries to pull guard but Talib won't allow it.
Ahmad Talib has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Dan Mckenzie.
Mckenzie lands an elbow that stopped Talib in his tracks for a moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Talib can't find room to land a body shot as Mckenzie controls the action.
Talib stalling the fight.
Talib tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Mckenzie smiles and moves away.
Talib connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.

Mckenzie gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Talib to score an easy takedown into full guard.

Mckenzie working for a triangle but Talib defends it easily.
Mckenzie thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Talib working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Mckenzie's head.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Mckenzie keeping moving, preventing Talib from controlling successfully.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Mckenzie wants to sweep here but Talib controlling him for the moment.
Mckenzie wants to stand up but Talib is controlling him.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Talib has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mckenzie tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Talib trying to control the position from guard on top but Mckenzie is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Mckenzie misses with a takedown attempt - Talib sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Mckenzie is breathing heavily.
Mckenzie misses with a jab, cross combination.

Mckenzie gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Mckenzie working a defensive guard here.
Talib trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Mckenzie should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Talib wants to stand and escape but instead Mckenzie has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.

Mckenzie wants to control from the top but Talib keeps moving.
Talib on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Talib tries to get out of the position.
Talib pulls Mckenzie in close to prevent any damage.
Mckenzie looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Mckenzie stands up over Talib, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Ahmad Talib will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Mckenzie is looking to clinch but Talib is avoiding it.
Talib tries to close the distance and clinch up but Mckenzie swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Mckenzie only half commits to the counter leg kick.
Mckenzie shoots in looking for a takedown but Talib manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Mckenzie's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Mckenzie tries to score a power double leg takedown but Talib sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Mckenzie somewhat.
Mckenzie with a poor takedown
and Talib counters with a left and a right that stings Mckenzie.
Ahmad Talib has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Dan Mckenzie.
Mckenzie stuffs the takedown.
Mckenzie wants to counter the offense by Talib and move into the clinch position.
Talib shoots for a double leg takedown but Mckenzie sprawls well. He's pushed Talib's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Mckenzie is trying to counter with his kicks.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Mckenzie fails in his attempt to clinch.
Mckenzie takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Talib shoots in for a double leg but Mckenzie sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Mckenzie shoots in for a takedown but Talib shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
A nice combination there by Talib.

It looks like Dan Mckenzie has been cut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mckenzie slaps away a takedown attempt from Talib, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Mckenzie is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Talib is looking for a counter combo.
Talib stuffs the takedown attempt from Mckenzie. Mckenzie gets slowly back to his feet.

Talib shoots in and bounces Mckenzie off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Talib postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Talib engaging in some classic timewasting tactics.
Mckenzie keeping moving, preventing Talib from controlling successfully.
Talib slips nicely into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Talib in particular looking to stall.
Mckenzie is in trouble now - Talib has advanced to mount!
Mckenzie wants to hold on but Talib pushes him away.
Talib controlling the position easily from mount.

Mckenzie defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Talib.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Mckenzie wants to hold on but Talib pushes him away.
Dan Mckenzie has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Mckenzie tries to reverse the position but Talib maintains control.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Talib can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Mckenzie is looking to escape.
Mckenzie throwing hammer fists to the chest of Talib. What's that going to do exactly?

And that's the end of the fight!
Ahmad Talib showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Talib has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 John Kavanagh scores the fight for Ahmad Talib!
Judge Eddie Farnsworth scores the fight for Ahmad Talib!
Judge Chad Campbell scores the fight for Ahmad Talib!

Ahmad Talib wins by unanimous decision!