PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Gary Dema (ranked 3160 p4p, 150 weight class) and DeMario Valdez (ranked 2784 p4p, 134 weight class). Valdez is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Era - Ameno. DeMario Valdez struggled to make weight for this fight. He only made it down to 136.9lbs at the first attempt and had to take the additional two hours to make the official bout weight. Let's see how much it's taken out of him. Gary Dema had a look across the cage there at his opponent. He definitely means business

Dema
vs
Valdez

172 cm
27
140 lbs
7 - 6 - 0

180 cm
21
150 lbs
5 - 3 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Great elbows
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Gary Dema!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, DeMario Valdez!
The judges for this bout are Winston Howard, Topper Green and John Mangel.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Dema avoids a low kick by using good footwork.

Dema pushes Valdez up against the cage in a clinch.
Dema tries to stall but Valdez uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Dema wants to stall.

Dema jumps guard and drags Valdez to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.

Dema escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Valdez gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Valdez is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Dema definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.

Dema working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Valdez doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Valdez manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Dema looks to be working for a triangle here. Oh, it looks like he might have it! Valdez has picked Dema up and slammed him! Dema can't keep hold of the triangle and Valdez manages to pass to side control!
Dema is trying to improve his position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dema can't do much from the bottom here.
Both fighters take a look at the clock.
Dema tries to control but Valdez manages to take his back.
Dema tries to escape the position - he's now mounted. Is that better or worse? Hard to tell!
Valdez controlling his opponent.
Dema wants to hold on but Valdez pushes him away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Dema is trying to escape the mount.
Valdez avoids the attempt from Dema to control.
Dema is wriggling around trying to escape.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Dema tries to lock up and control but Valdez gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dema is desperately trying to improve his position but Valdez has a good base and remains in mount.
Dema is working hard here to advance position.
Dema is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Dema tries to reverse the position but Valdez maintains control.
Valdez sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Dema tries to reverse the position but Valdez maintains control.
Dema tries to hold on but Valdez pushes him away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Valdez looking to control and managing it successfully.
Dema is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Dema is desperately trying to improve his position but Valdez has a good base and remains in mount.
Dema manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Dema is holding on to half guard well.
Dema flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Dema is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Dema wants to control but Valdez is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Dema is trying to get back to full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

DeMario Valdez dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Valdez pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Dema lands a nice leg kick that just misses Valdez's sensitive parts.
A bone on bone clash there as Dema blocks the leg kick.
Valdez ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Dema tries to clinch there but Valdez circles away.
The fighters circle momentarily. Valdez darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
Dema takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Dema throws out a loose jab but Valdez uses good head movement to avoid it.
Dema tries to clinch but Valdez is having none of it.
Dema pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Dema fails in his attempt to clinch.
Valdez blocks a head kick by Dema.
Valdez on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Dema swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Valdez counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Dema steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Valdez.
Valdez moves out of range of the strikes.
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!
Dema looks to score with a jab to the body but Valdez is just out of range.
Valdez is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
Valdez looks to land a right hand but Dema moved out of range.
Valdez ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Valdez appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Dema clinches.
Dema with a knee to the head.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Valdez takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Valdez working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Dema throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Dema pushes off an throws an elbow but Valdez leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Dema is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Dema can't seem to implement his control oriented gameplan at the moment. That's no bad thing of course, for those of us who want to see a good fight.
Knees to the body from Dema.
Dema throws a head punch that misses.
Dema looking to stall.
A short uppercut from Valdez.
Dema lands an elbow that stopped Valdez in his tracks for a moment.
A left hand lands to the body for Valdez.
Valdez lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Dema or not.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Valdez breaks the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Valdez throws a hook but Dema blocks it.
Ooooh, nice body kick lands from Valdez. Dema shrugs it off though.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Dema throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Valdez checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Valdez throws a low kick, looking for Dema's leg but Dema calmly moves out of range.
Dema looked to counter that last move with a leg kick but didn't pull the trigger.
Dema tries to close the distance and clinch but Valdez swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Valdez uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Dema.
Valdez replies with a solid counter kick to the body but Dema blocks it well.
Valdez throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Valdez looks to land a right hand but Dema moved out of range.
Dema ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Valdez moves away.
Dema misses with a left hand
letting Valdez counter with a right hand.
Valdez throws a jab when Dema was well out of range.
Valdez tried to score with a low kick but Dema checks it.
Dema tries to clinch there but Valdez circles away.
Valdez swats away the attempt to clinch by Dema.
Dema moves out of range as Valdez strikes.
Dema was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Valdez throws a jab when Dema was well out of range.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dema looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
It seemed like Valdez was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
DeMario Valdez seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Valdez keeps the fight on the outside.
A jab from Valdez does it's job there.
Dema throws a body punch but Valdez moves out of range.
Dema ducks right into an uppercut from Valdez.
Dema tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Dema looks to score with a jab to the body but Valdez is just out of range.
Dema tries to score with a low kick but Valdez moves his leg out of the way.
Valdez scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Valdez misses with an uppercut.
Valdez checks a leg kick.
Valdez uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Dema.
Valdez wants to land a leg kick but Dema is out of range.
Dema throws a leg kick
and Valdez counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Valdez misses with a body shot.
Valdez takes a swing at Dema's ribcage but misses.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Dema.
Dema tries to clinch there but Valdez circles away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Dema thumps Valdez with a low kick.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Dema connects with a leg kick. Valdez looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
An inside leg kick from Valdez misses.
Valdez lands a slapping body shot.
Dema uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Valdez.
Dema is looking to counter the offense by Valdez and move into the clinch.
Valdez moves out of range as Dema throws a body kick.
Dema moves in looking to clinch but Valdez pushes him off.
Dema checks a leg kick nicely.
Valdez connects with a jab.
The fighters circling - Valdez throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Dema is really struggling to find his range with his punches. Valdez's reach advantage is clearly causing him problems.
Dema displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Valdez throws out the jab.
Dema moves out of range as Valdez strikes.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Dema fails with an attempt to clinch.
Nice defenses there by Valdez.
Valdez feints a counter leg kick.
Dema just misses with a punch to the body.
Valdez throws the left hand but Dema avoids the punch easily.
Dema tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Valdez slips under a jab.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

DeMario Valdez showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Nice jab there from Valdez.
Valdez scores with a three punch combo!

Dema is rocked!
Valdez throws out a leg kick but Dema moves out of range and Valdez only half commits.
Dema throws a shot from downtown. Valdez moves away and avoids it.
Valdez tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Dema is able to avoid easily.
Dema takes a swing at Valdez's ribcage but misses.
Dema wants to clinch.
Valdez misses with a looping left.
Dema wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.
A nice inside leg kick there by Dema. That's going to slow Valdez down.
Valdez's corner calls for a 1-2. Valdez obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Oh Dema is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Valdez has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Dema tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Valdez scores with a counter punch that sends Dema to the canvas! Valdez smells blood - he's punishing Dema with more strikes and the ref has stopped it! Dema has no idea where he is - he's tackled the ref... oh dear, poor guy, the crowd is in hysterics!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:44 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). DeMario Valdez!
DeMario Valdez bigged himself up after the win. The crowd seemed to love it.