PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Gerald Butler (ranked 5662 p4p, 533 weight class) and Andre Dirrel (ranked 6773 p4p, 575 weight class). I can't wait for this one - let's get the fighter introductions out of the way and get this one started!

Butler
vs
Dirrel

175 cm
23
155 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

180 cm
25
157 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Hates pizza

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite 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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Gerald Butler!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Andre Dirrel!
The judges for this bout are Gwen Towbar, Wesley Smith and Robert Twigg.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Butler closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Dirrel quickly recovers to half guard.
Butler missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Butler trying to control the action but Dirrel is working from the bottom.

Butler is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Dirrel has managed to free his arm - good work.
Dirrel trying to control from the bottom.
Butler is looking to take a break and control but Dirrel is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Butler 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.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Butler wants to advance to full mount but Dirrel doesn't think that's going to happen and regains full guard instead.
Butler postures up.
Butler tries to free his leg and advance position but Dirrel is retaining full guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Butler postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.

Butler gets to his feet. Dirrel looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!

Butler clinches with his opponent.
Dirrel gets underhooks to prevent Butler's takedown attempt.
Dirrel is trying to force a seperation but Butler has the dominant position.

Butler tightens his grip and picks Dirrel up, before dumping him to the ground. Dirrel manages to land in guard.

Dirrel kicks Butler off and gets to his feet.
A swing and a miss from Butler.
Dirrel throws a head kick that misses.
The fight stays on the outside here - Dirrel looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

Butler has taken the fight to the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Butler has moved round to his opponent's back and is looking for a suplex! Oh snap! He's tossed Dirrel clear over his head and slammed him to the mat!
Dirrel tries to escape the position.
Butler is looking to control Dirrel but Dirrel is wriggling around and keeping busy.

Butler has his hand under the chin of his opponent looking for the choke. He's nearly got it! This one could be all over! But no, Dirrel has freed his hand and lives to survive another… well, another couple of seconds at least!
Butler tries to get the hooks in deep but Dirrel pushed the leg off.
Butler struggling to land strikes to the head as Dirrel covers up.
Butler looks to be in better condition than last time we saw him fight. Obviously he's been working hard on his cardio.
Dirrel is trapped and Butler is scoring with shots to the head and body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Will Butler go for the finish here or will he try and keep control of the position?
I would not like to be Dirrel right now.
Dirrel looks to control his opponent's hands but he's not mananging it at the moment.

Butler patiently working for the choke. Which fighter will keep their nerve here?

Dirrel is staying cool under pressure, defending well against the rear naked choke attempt from his opponent.
Butler lands with a big left hand that may well have hurt his opponent. Can Dirrel hold on?!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dirrel tries to roll but Butler sticks to his back.
Butler is trying to control but Dirrel is trying to escape here - he's now mounted.
Dirrel is squirming around, avoiding Butler's attempts to control the action.
Dirrel tries to hold on but Butler pushes him away.
Butler unloads with some shots from mount but Dirrel bucks and avoids them well.
Butler controlling from the full mount.
Butler looking to finish Dirrel with some ground and pound. This is bad for Dirrel!
Butler lands with some strikes.
Butler trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Butler working away from the top, dropping strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gerald Butler dominated that round.
That's time! Butler's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Butler throws a right and a left that Dirrel avoids nicely.
Dirrel shoots in looking for a takedown but Butler manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Dirrel's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Dirrel will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Dirrel avoids the head kick by Butler.
Butler keeps the fight on the outside.
Dirrel dives in for a single leg takedown but Butler sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Gerald Butler has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Andre Dirrel.
Dirrel misses with a combination

and Butler counters with a shoot takedown. Dirrel fights it but they end up in guard.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Butler working some strikes from top position.
Butler trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Butler has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Butler sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Dirrel's guard.
Butler is trying to control. Dirrel wants to improve his position but can't escape this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Butler winds up and cracks Dirrel with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Dirrel is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Butler's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Butler's back!
Dirrel is looking to control Butler but Butler is wriggling around and keeping busy.
Butler trying to control the hands but Dirrel breaks the grip.
Butler looking very determined here, making life difficult for Dirrel.
Butler manages to reverse the position and now he's in Dirrel's guard. Nice work there by Butler.
Butler postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Gerald Butler overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Butler trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Butler slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dirrel throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Dirrel keeping moving, preventing Butler from controlling successfully.
Butler trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Dirrel is trying to keep Butler in close.
Butler connects with a couple of short punches.
Butler with a flurry of punches that miss.
Dirrel keeping moving, preventing Butler from controlling successfully.
Butler scoring with punches to the head and body.
Butler tries to free his leg and advance position but Dirrel is retaining full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Butler is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Butler trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Butler sitting in guard here, content to control.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Dirrel looks for a takedown but Butler sprawls well.
Dirrel is breathing heavily.
Dirrel shoots for a takedown but Butler saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Butler is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Dirrel can do to turn this around?
Dirrel has a takedown stuffed.

Butler gets a clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Butler is trying to trip Dirrel. He has hold of a leg but Dirrel is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Butler persists though and gets the takedown into guard.

Dirrel has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Butler is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Dirrel.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Butler sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Dirrel is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Butler controlling the position from side mount.
Dirrel is not content to let Butler control the position.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Dirrel is looking for a sweep.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gerald Butler dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. And we move into the final round!

Dirrel takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Dirrel shoots in looking for a takedown but Butler manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Dirrel's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Butler appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
Dirrel throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Butler's waist but Butler gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Dirrel off to one side.
Butler changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Dirrel fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Gerald Butler has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Andre Dirrel.

Butler forces Dirrel back against the cage and clinches.
Dirrel prevents a takedown attempt there.
Dirrel doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Butler tries for a takedown. No joy.
Butler goes for a takedown in the clinch but Dirrel prevents it.
Dirrel is pressed up against the cage. Butler has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Dirrel down to the mat. Dirrel avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dirrel shoots for a double leg takedown but Butler sprawls well. He's pushed Dirrel's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Butler tries to counter with a takedown but Dirrel is quick to defend against it.

Butler moves into range and clinches up with Dirrel.

Butler has Dirrel pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Butler pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Dirrel tumbling to the mat - Butler dives into Dirrel's guard.
Butler wants to control from the top but Dirrel keeps moving.
Dirrel has momentary wrist control but Butler slips an elbow through the middle.

Dirrel is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Butler is aware though and is defending well.
Dirrel takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Butler controls from within his opponent's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Butler stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Dirrel swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Butler scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Dirrel working a defensive guard here.
Dirrel preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Butler tries to free his leg and advance position but Dirrel is retaining full guard.
Dirrel not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Butler wants to control from the top but Dirrel keeps moving.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Dirrel preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Butler trying to control but Dirrel is working from the bottom.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Dirrel thows a leg kick but Butler checks it

and Butler counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Butler postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Butler advances position into side control!
Butler has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for Dirrel!
Gerald Butler is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Dirrel wants to hold on but Butler pushes him away.
Butler takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Dirrel takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Butler controlling his opponent.
Dirrel is trying desperately to improve position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Butler lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Dirrel hang on?
Butler takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Dirrel wants to control but Butler is having none of it.
Dirrel is looking to get to half guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Butler raining down hammerfists from mount.

And that's the end of the fight!
Gerald Butler showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Butler 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 Gwen Towbar scores the fight 30:27
Judge Wesley Smith scores the fight 30:27
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Gerald Butler!