PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Al Baghdadi (ranked 7772 p4p, 663 weight class) and Zapi Zap (ranked 24618 p4p, 761 weight class). The key to victory for Al Baghdadi has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Baghdadi
vs
Zap

175 cm
22
170 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

172 cm
22
170 lbs
6 - 8 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Knockout power

Pit Bull Development

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Al Baghdadi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 8 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Zapi Zap!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Zap scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Baghdadi manages to work his way to half guard, despite Zap's best efforts.
Baghdadi is trying to get back to full guard.
Zap working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Baghdadi is trying to defend against the ground and pound but Zap scores with a couple of nice shots.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Zap seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Baghdadi wants to improve his position but Zap is controlling well.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Zap content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Zap seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Zap is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Baghdadi has managed to free his arm - good work.
Zap is taking a breather. Baghdadi says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Zap slips a nice elbow through Baghdadi's hands, connecting with Baghdadi's forehead.

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.
Baghdadi wants to get back to full guard.
Baghdadi is pressing down on Zap's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Zap postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Zap not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Zap with a nice head shot there.
Zap is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Baghdadi falls off balance throwing a combination

and Zap decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Baghdadi's guard.

Baghdadi is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.

Zap breaks from the clinch.
A combination from Baghdadi does no damage.

Zap drives through and clinches with Baghdadi against the cage.
A frustrated look appears on Baghdadi's face as he tries to break the clinch.

Zap breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Baghdadi tries to sprawl but Zap drives through with a takedown into half guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Zap lands strikes from half guard.
Baghdadi misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Baghdadi trying to get back to full guard but Zap takes advantage of the position and moves to full mount!

Zap is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Baghdadi has managed to escape the submission attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zap takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Zap lands a big elbow.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Zapi Zap dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Excellent takedown into side control there by Zap.

Baghdadi explodes and escapes back to his feet! Nice escape there!
Zap dips down and scores with a jab to the body.

Zap has Baghdadi up against the cage in a clinch.
Zap digs a right hand underneath Baghdadi's ribcage. Baghdadi let out a lung full of air as it connected.

Zap wants the takedown. Baghdadi is fighting it off but Zap persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Baghdadi's guard against the cage.
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!
Zap postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Baghdadi seems to have improved his submission grappling technique since last time we saw him. Let's see if he can pull off a submission.
Zap postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Zap content to stall in guard here.
Zap postures up and lands a big shot to Baghdadi's brow.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zap postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
We've been informed that Zap has been working hard on his conditioning in the buildup to the fight.

Baghdadi looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Zap content to stall in guard here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Zap forces his way into half guard.
Zap has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Baghdadi is looking to improve his position.
Zap slips a nice elbow through Baghdadi's hands, connecting with Baghdadi's forehead.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zap passes to full mount!
Baghdadi is in a horrible position here. Zap smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Zap has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Zap content just to control the position here.
Zap can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Baghdadi is looking to escape.

Zap working for a submission but Baghdadi is keeping him at bay.

Zap is in full mount, looking to secure a guillotine but Baghdadi is surviving well by controlling Zap's body position as best he can.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zap sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Let's hope that Zap has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Baghdadi wants to improve position but instead he's given up his back.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Zapi Zap showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Baghdadi uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Zap.
Baghdadi appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Baghdadi ducks under a wild hook from Zap.
Zap throws a one two combo.
Baghdadi swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Zap.
Baghdadi goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Zap slips a jab and a cross from Baghdadi.
Zap misses with a body kick.
Baghdadi is looking to clinch.
Baghdadi misses with a combination

and Zap counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

Zap decides to pull guard.
Baghdadi is fighting to break Zap's control of his arms but Zap is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
Baghdadi trying to control but Zap is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Baghdadi gets to his feet. Zap looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!
Zap throws a low kick but Baghdadi moves out of range easily.

Zap moves into the clinch.

Zap breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Zap takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.

Zap closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Zap lands in his opponent's guard.
Zap content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.

Zap stands up from guard. Let's bang!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Baghdadi misses with a low kick.
Baghdadi's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Baghdadi duly obliges.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Zap manages to get an easy takedown there - catching Baghdadi on his heels. He'll look to pass Baghdadi's guard now, I'm sure.
Baghdadi wants to get back to his feet but he's too absorbed in his own little project and Zap manages to pass to side control.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Zap lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Zap is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Zap content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zap tries to pass the half guard into mount. Baghdadi knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Zap drops an elbow to the side of Baghdadi's head.
Zap slows the pace down in half guard.

Zap is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Baghdadi defends it well.

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.
Baghdadi has hold of Zap's hands but Zap slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Zap looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Zapi Zap has got the better of the ground game so far.
Zap's corner are shouting for him to control the position and he seems happy to oblige.
Zap slips a nice elbow through Baghdadi's hands, connecting with Baghdadi's forehead.

And that's the end of the fight!
Zapi Zap comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Zap has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Don Winkell scores the fight for Zapi Zap!
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight for Zapi Zap!
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight for Zapi Zap!

Zapi Zap wins by unanimous decision!
Al Baghdadi spoke after the fight, saying 'Shout out to Dunder Mifflin, what's up Abu!! I'm sorry to the all people who had to witness this boring fighter get a "win" Fuck you!'.