PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Ed Whitaker (ranked 24866 p4p, 0 weight class) and Devon Laz (ranked 4586 p4p, 0 weight class). Devon Laz has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Whitaker
vs
Laz

150 cm
24
162 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

180 cm
25
156 lbs
2 - 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 lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Ed Whitaker!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Devon Laz!
The judges for this bout are Gregory Folan, Ian Loll and Yves DeLean.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Laz misses with a takedown
and Whitaker counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Whitaker showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Laz.
It looked like Whitaker was trying to counter with a body shot coming off that last attack from Laz.
Whitaker really is a fat lump.
Laz throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
A quick step to the side and Whitaker tries to counter with a shot to the body but it doesn't connect.
Laz rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Whitaker moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Whitaker half committed to a counter leg kick.

Whitaker shoots in for a takedown and gets it.

Whitaker stands, ready to strike. The ref makes him back up and allows Laz to get to his feet.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Laz fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Laz throws a right hand that misses
and Whitaker counters with a nice body kick.
Laz looks winded!

Whitaker drives through with a takedown into guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Whitaker postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

Whitaker gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.

Whitaker moves into the clinch.
Whitaker misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Laz.
Whitaker is trying to pull guard but Laz has him pressed against the cage.

Whitaker ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Whitaker no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Laz not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Whitaker throwing strikes off his back to little effect.

Whitaker is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Laz defends well.

Whitaker working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Laz has passed into half guard!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Laz blocks the strikes from Whitaker.
Whitaker tries to roll over but Laz keeps him under control.
Whitaker makes his way to full guard. A much better position for Whitaker.
Laz trying to control the position from guard on top but Whitaker is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Laz stopping the sweep attempt from Whitaker.
Laz is pushing down on Whitaker's leg trying to pass to half guard. Whitaker is fighting to maintain full guard but Laz has managed to sneak the leg through.
Whitaker gets full guard.

Whitaker working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Laz doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Laz manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Whitaker utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

Whitaker is looking for a triangle but Laz pushes his legs off easily.
Whitaker looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

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.
Laz pushing down on Whitaker's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
Laz wants to lay and pray for a moment but Whitaker keeps working.
Laz performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Laz is pressing down on Whitaker's thigh, looking to free his foot. Whitaker is holding on for now.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Laz fails in his attempt to clinch.
A counter left hand to the body from Whitaker misses its target.
Laz wants to clinch up but Whitaker keeps it at a distance.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ed Whitaker dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

The fight stays on the outside here - Laz looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Laz shoots in but Whitaker avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Laz tries to clinch
enabling Whitaker to counter with a crisp jab.
Whitaker really is built like a bowling ball. I wonder if he'd roll if you pushed him down a hill...
Laz misses with an uppercut. Whitaker saw that one coming.
Whitaker swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Whitaker looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Laz is fending him off so far but Whitaker persists. Nope, Laz circles away and we're back to standing.
Laz is trying to avoid his opponent's strikes and get into the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Whitaker drives through with a really nice takedown into side control.

Whitaker thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Whitaker working the ground and pound from side control.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Whitaker is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Laz is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.

Whitaker decides to stand up, so the ref orders Laz to his feet.
Laz misses with a hook
letting Whitaker counter with a right hand.
Whitaker moves away from the strike by Laz.
Laz moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Laz tries to clinch
and Whitaker counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
A combination from Laz does no damage.
Laz is breathing heavily.
Whitaker swings for the body but Laz moves out of range.
And Laz tries to counter it with a takedown but Whitaker pushes his down on his head and steps out.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Some wild striking there from Laz.
Laz tries to bum rush Whitaker with a series of wild strikes but Whitaker uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Whitaker appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Laz throws a head kick that misses.
Laz doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Whitaker makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Whitaker lands a jab to Laz's midsection.
Laz throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Whitaker.
Devon Laz is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Whitaker closes the distance and clinches up with Laz, looking for a takedown. Whitaker pushes Laz against the cage but Laz circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Whitaker shoots in but Laz avoids the takedown attempt easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ed Whitaker. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Whitaker lands a body shot.

Whitaker closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Whitaker throws an elbow that misses.

Whitaker ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Whitaker no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Whitaker wants to sweep here but Laz controlling him for the moment.
Whitaker doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Whitaker had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Laz defends it easily.

Whitaker working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Laz doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Laz manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Whitaker bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Laz's guard.

The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Whitaker throws a big right hand that misses.
Whitaker throws a big elbow that misses.
Whitaker scoring with punches to the head and body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ed Whitaker dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

A low kick from Laz is predictable there
and Whitaker cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Whitaker lands a jab to the nose.
Laz tries to land a front kick but Whitaker steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Laz is defended easily by Whitaker.

Whitaker gets a double leg takedown into Laz's guard.

Laz pushes Whitaker off and scrambles back to his feet.
Laz takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Laz misses with a hook.
Whitaker throwing a counter right hand but Laz manages to avoid it.
Whitaker misses with a hook.
Laz stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Laz wants it to stay on the feet.
Laz doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Laz throws a right and a left that both miss.
Laz swings for the body but Whitaker moves out of range.

Whitaker rushes Laz and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Whitaker lands a nice elbow from the clinch.

Laz's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Whitaker has taken the fight to the clinch.

Whitaker escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Laz throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Whitaker throwing a counter right hand but Laz manages to avoid it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Whitaker avoids a kick to the body.
Laz throws a left and a right that both miss
and Whitaker counters with a right hand to the body.
Laz throws a push kick but Whitaker slaps the foot to one side.
Horrible takedown attempt by Whitaker or perhaps it was just good defense by Laz, which made it look bad.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Whitaker avoids the head kick by Laz.
A quick step to the side and Whitaker tries to counter with a shot to the body but it doesn't connect.
Laz misses with a series of wild punches.
Whitaker takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Laz tries to clinch up.
Whitaker swings for the body but Laz moves out of range.
Laz misses with a leg kick
and Whitaker counters with a straight right hand.
Laz fails to land with a series of punches.
Whitaker jabs Laz to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Whitaker cracks Laz with an open hand slap.
Laz thuds his right hand into Whitaker's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Ed Whitaker is winning the standup battle so far.
Whitaker throws a low kick but Laz moves out of range easily.
Devon Laz has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Laz lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
A combination from Laz does no damage.
Laz moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Laz falls off balance throwing a combination
enabling Whitaker to counter with a crisp jab.
Laz throws a body shot but no joy.
Whitaker misses with a body shot.
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!
Laz uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Whitaker.
Whitaker avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Ed Whitaker is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Whitaker throws a shot to the body.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ed Whitaker showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Whitaker 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 Gregory Folan scores the fight 30:27
Judge Ian Loll scores the fight 30:27
Judge Yves DeLean scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ed Whitaker!