PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Daren Byrd (ranked 25697 p4p, 0 weight class) and Conor Larkin (ranked 6637 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Byrd
vs
Larkin

215 cm
24
178 lbs
0 - 5 - 0

189 cm
18
174 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Experienced

BJJ White Belt
Basic striking
Solid chin

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 0 - 5 - 0, fighting out of New York, Daren Byrd!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Conor Larkin!
The judges for this bout are John Roberts, David Schapiro and Steve Montenegro.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Larkin misses with a left hand
and Byrd counters with a nice body shot.
Larkin throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
A combination from Larkin does no damage.
Sloppy strikes from Larkin. Those never looked like landing.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Larkin enables Byrd to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Larkin manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Larkin is wriggling around but Byrd manages to pass to half guard.

Larkin is looking to escape.
Byrd is taking a breather. Larkin 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.

Larkin looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Nice strikes from Byrd there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Larkin is looking for a sweep. Byrd is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Byrd lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Byrd looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Larkin is looking to control Byrd's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Larkin avoid being mounted?
Byrd stalling.
Larkin is trying to control but can't.
Byrd looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Larkin can do anything to dispel that myth.
Byrd lands strikes from half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Larkin is trying to control but Byrd passes into side control!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Byrd remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
Larkin tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Byrd wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

Byrd is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Larkin is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Byrd controls the position from side control.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Larkin looks to move to half guard but instead Byrd has passed into mount! Damn!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Larkin is trying to escape the mount.
Byrd controlling the position easily from mount.
Larkin wants to hold on but Byrd pushes him away.
Larkin can't escape the position.
Larkin is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.

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.
Byrd takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Larkin is flailing around like a fish out of water, trying to land strikes.
Larkin reaches up to try and control the position but Byrd seems to have an arm triangle now! Uh oh! Larkin rolls and tries to escape and now Byrd has his back!
Larkin tries to escape the position.
Byrd avoiding Larkin 's attempts to control his hands.
Byrd has good solid back control here.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Larkin tries to roll but Byrd sticks to his back.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Daren Byrd dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Byrd shoots in but no luck this time.
Larkin steps in looking to clinch after the strikes miss from Byrd.

Larkin gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Byrd missing with knees to the body.
Byrd prevents a body shot from Larkin.
Larkin tries a body shot but Byrd blocks it.
Larkin keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Byrd's efforts to push away.
Byrd managing to block the knees to the body from Larkin.
Larkin tries to work over Byrd's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Larkin stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Larkin throws an elbow but it misses.
Larkin avoids the elbow strike from Byrd, against the cage.
Larkin struggles to land a body shot inside as Byrd controls his hands.
Larkin lands a nice uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Larkin works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Byrd blocks a body shot from Larkin.
Byrd tries for a takedown. No joy.
Byrd fails to pull guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Daren Byrd. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Larkin misses with a body punch.
Larkin lands a body punch.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Larkin lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Byrd wants to stall.
A short body shot lands from Larkin as the two fighters clinch.
Byrd's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Byrd is trying to stall.
Larkin lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Byrd.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Larkin lands an uppercut.
Larkin lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Byrd backwards.

Byrd is rocked!
Larkin lands a body shot.
Oh Byrd is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Larkin lands with a short head shot on the inside.
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!
Larkin just leaning against Byrd, taking a breather.
Larkin lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Larkin dips a shoulder and cracks Byrd with a mighty uppercut! Byrd falls back against the cage and Larkin unloads with a barrage of strikes! Byrd is completely out with his eyes open, only supported by the cage! Save him ref! Eventually the ref decides to do his job and jumps in - Larkin screams abuse at the incompetent official before going over to celebrate with his corner. Brutal stuff!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:27 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Conor Larkin!