SFA: The Beginning PBP Commentary

Co-main event

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between brandon hervey (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mike Ryba (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Mike Ryba has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

hervey
vs
Ryba

200 cm
19
275 lbs
0 - 4 - 0

198 cm
23
256 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
KO power

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Intelligent

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 4 - 0, fighting out of New York, brandon hervey!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of New York, Mike Ryba!
The judges for this bout are Columbo Gatti, Franklyn Lucas and Russell Pearce.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
hervey throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Ryba throws a head kick that misses.
Ryba lands a head kick!

Ryba throws a head kick that lands with a deafening thwack! The crowd roars as hervey stumbles backwards and falls to the mat. Ryba follows into mount!

hervey is rocked!

It looks like brandon hervey has been cut.
hervey is desperately trying to get back to half guard.
hervey wants to control but Ryba is having none of it.
hervey really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
hervey tries to hold on but Ryba pushes him away.
hervey is in all sorts of trouble here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
hervey tries to lock up and control but Ryba gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
hervey tries to get back to half guard but can't.
hervey is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
hervey can't escape the position.
hervey is working hard here to advance position.
hervey is breathing heavily.
Ryba tucks in and makes sure he doesn't lose the dominant position.
Ryba trying to control but hervey is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.

Ryba get's back to his feet.
Ryba is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Ryba plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Ryba throws a sloppy head kick and hervey moves out of range easily.
Ryba throws a nice head kick!

Ryba gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ryba with an attempt at a knee that misses.
A knee to the head by Ryba.
Ryba throws a knee to the head but misses.
Ryba misses with a knee strike.
Ryba scores with a knee to the head.
Ryba misses with a knee to the head.
Ryba with a knee to the head.
Ryba throws a knee to the head but misses.
hervey is trying to break the clinch but Ryba has him pressed against the cage.
Ryba using the Thai plumb to throw knees but hervey has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
hervey tries to pull guard but Ryba holds him up against the cage and eventually hervey drops back down to his feet.
A knee to the head by Ryba.
hervey can't get the takedown.

hervey breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Ryba pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Ryba tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Ryba tries to clinch up but hervey circles away and keeps his distance.
Ryba tries to clinch up.
hervey changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Ryba tries to avoid it but hervey manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Ryba to the ground. Ryba escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for brandon hervey. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
hervey misses with a head kick.
hervey avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Ryba connects with a high kick.
hervey tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Ryba was well out of range. Poor timing from hervey.
hervey looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Ryba is fending him off so far but hervey persists. Nope, Ryba circles away and we're back to standing.
Ryba tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Ryba stuffs the takedown attempt from hervey. hervey gets slowly back to his feet.
Ryba connects with a high kick.
hervey takes a head kick and keeps coming.
hervey misses with a takedown attempt - Ryba sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
hervey moves in looking to clinch but Ryba pushes him off.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
hervey blocks a head kick by Ryba.
hervey misses with a takedown attempt - Ryba sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Ryba clinches up against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mike Ryba dominated that round.
The cut man is working on brandon hervey's cut.
That's time! hervey's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Ryba clinches up against the cage.
Ryba tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Ryba misses with a knee strike.

hervey breaks from the clinch.
Ryba tries to clinch up

and hervey counters by moving into the clinch.
Ryba tries a knee to the head but hervey blocks it.
Ryba with a knee to the head.
Come on hervey - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.

hervey gets control of Ryba's arms and successfully pulls guard. hervey will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
hervey looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
hervey pulls Ryba in close to his closed guard and prevents Ryba from doing any damage or advancing position.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
hervey trying to keep a closed guard but Ryba is proving a slippery customer.

That's one minute gone in the round.

hervey looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Ryba wants to stand but hervey has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
hervey is trying to control the position but Ryba postures up.
Ryba wanted to stand there but hervey had control of the position.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Ryba darts in trying to clinch

and hervey counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by hervey.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
hervey looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
hervey prevents Ryba from getting back to his feet.
hervey stays in close to Ryba's body and controls the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
hervey prevents Ryba from getting back to his feet.

hervey gets to his feet - Ryba follows without any prompting.
hervey closes the distance and clinches up with Ryba, looking for a takedown. hervey pushes Ryba against the cage but Ryba circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Ryba throws a head kick that hervey semi-blocks.
Ryba lands with a kick to the temple. hervey shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
A head kick misses from hervey.

Ryba rushes hervey and presses him up against the cage.
Ryba tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
The step up in weight doesn't seem to be a problem for Ryba. He's performing admirably here against the bigger man.
hervey tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Ryba smiles and moves away.
Ryba stuffs the takedown attempt from hervey. hervey gets slowly back to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for brandon hervey. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ryba scores with a head kick.
Mike Ryba is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
hervey avoids the head kick by Ryba.
Ryba pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Ryba drives through and clinches with hervey against the cage.
Ryba keeps control of hervey as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Ryba looking to throw knees to the head but hervey is blocking nicely.
Ryba tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Ryba tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
hervey tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Ryba just stands there and leans against the cage.
hervey jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Ryba walks away with a smile on his face. hervey gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
hervey circles away from the clinch attempt

and hervey counters by clinching up.
hervey misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Ryba.
Ryba with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Ryba misses with a knee strike.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

brandon hervey dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on brandon hervey's cut.
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!

hervey looks for a takedown but Ryba sprawls well.
Ryba throws a head kick that hervey semi-blocks.
hervey takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
A head kick misses from Ryba.
Ryba tries to clinch but hervey moves away
and hervey counters with a left and a right that stings Ryba.
Ryba closes the distance looking to clinch

and hervey counters with a shoot takedown. Ryba fights it but they end up in guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
hervey looking to pass the guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
hervey is standing up over Ryba. Ryba looks to escape but hervey dives into side control.
Ryba is trying to get back to his feet.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
hervey with the ground and pound but Ryba regains half guard under the barage of strikes.

Ryba is defending against the submission attempts here by hervey.
hervey wants to pass to mount but Ryba is defending the position.
Ryba looks like he's trying to stand up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
hervey landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Ryba tries to clinch but hervey moves out of range.
Ryba doesn't manage to clinch there - hervey circles away.
Ryba blocks the body kick.

Ryba has closed the distance and engaged hervey in a clinch.
Ryba throws a knee to the head but misses.
Ryba tries a knee to the head but hervey blocks it.
Ryba tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
A nice glancing elbow lands by hervey.

hervey gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Ryba wants to stand back up but hervey manages to pass into side control.
hervey is looking to take a break and control but Ryba is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Ryba explodes and escapes back to his feet! Nice escape there!
hervey is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Ryba tries to clinch but hervey moves away
and hervey counters with a series of strikes. Ryba will be more careful next time no doubt.
brandon hervey is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Ryba gets a clinch.
hervey is working for takedown but Ryba is calmly controlling the position for now.
Ryba tries to land a knee to the head but hervey blocks with his arms.
Ryba connects with a nasty looking knee right to hervey's face.
Ryba is pressed up against the cage. hervey has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Ryba down to the mat. Ryba avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for brandon hervey. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Ryba tries to clinch but fails miserably
and hervey counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Ryba thinking.
Ryba throws a head kick that hervey semi-blocks.
Ryba avoids a kick to the body.
A head kick misses from hervey.
Ryba lands with a kick to the temple. hervey shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ryba misses with a head kick.
Ryba darts in trying to clinch

and hervey counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Ryba!
Ryba is squirming around, avoiding hervey's attempts to control the action.

hervey with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

hervey is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Ryba can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.

And that's the end of the fight!
brandon hervey showed his dominance in that final round.
I think hervey has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Columbo Gatti scores the fight 28:28
Judge Franklyn Lucas scores the fight 28:28
Judge Russell Pearce scores the fight 28:28

The fight is ruled a draw!