PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Emiliano Blackburn (ranked 1623 p4p, 1542 weight class) and Bert River (ranked 179 p4p, 172 weight class). River comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Five Finger Death Punch- Bad Company kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! Bert River has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Blackburn
vs
River

168 cm
30
146
19 - 10 - 0

170 cm
31
145
16 - 12 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Paddy's Enhancing Drugs (160Q)

Bondi MMA 🏝️
Carnage

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 19 - 10 - 0, fighting out of New York, Emiliano Blackburn!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 16 - 12 - 0, fighting out of New York, Bert River!
The judges for this bout are Frank Antenori, Timothy Bukovac and Percy O'Donnell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Blackburn gets cracked with a nice right hand there by River.
River does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Nice defenses there by River.
River tries to move into range but Blackburn moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Blackburn avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Blackburn misses with an uppercut.
River moves away from the strike by Blackburn.
Blackburn tries to close the distance and clinch but River swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Blackburn paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.

It looks like Bert River has been cut.
River lands with a right hand.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Blackburn.
No luck for Blackburn with that takedown attempt.
Bert River seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
River swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Blackburn appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
We've been hearing reports that Blackburn has been drilling takedowns in recent sessions so let's see if that has an impact on the result of this fight.
River tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Blackburn was well out of range. Poor timing from River.
River stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
River keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
River missing with a left hand there. Blackburn was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
River throws a right and a left that both miss.

Blackburn instigates a clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A short right from River.
Blackburn tries to break the clinch but River is controlling the position.
River doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
River lands with a short punch from the clinch.
A left hand lands to the body for Blackburn.
A nice glancing elbow lands by River.

Blackburn breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
River misses with a looping right.

Blackburn manages to get an easy takedown there - catching River on his heels. He'll look to pass River's guard now, I'm sure.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Blackburn has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of River is proving hard to escape from.

River working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Blackburn doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Oh but River is tightening it up a little... Blackburn has to be careful here... He's got his foot tucked under now, this looks tight! Blackburn reacted too slowly and this one could be over in a matter of seconds! YES! Blackburn taps out! Nice BJJ there by River!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:56 of round 1, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle Choke). Bert River!
After winning the bout, Bert River thanked all his fans and promised he'd do even better in his next fight. The crowd seemed to love his humility.