PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Damian Taylor (ranked 2570 p4p, 5363 weight class) and Howie Finkelman (ranked 245 p4p, 368 weight class). Taylor comes to the cage accompanied by Rock 'N' Roll Outlaw. Well, I have no idea who's going to take this one!

Taylor
vs
Finkelman

165 cm
22
147
3 - 3 - 0

174 cm
22
152
2 - 5 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

BJJ Brown Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

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 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Damian Taylor !
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Howie Finkelman!
The judges for this bout are Jonathan Paton, John Kavanagh and Bruno Lombardi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Finkelman closes the distance and pushes Taylor back into the cage.

Finkelman's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Finkelman with a hook.
Taylor looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Nice cross by Finkelman.
Taylor blocks a jab.
Finkelman misses with a jab, cross combination.
Taylor went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.
Finkelman connects with a body shot that sends Taylor 's belly button to the back.
Taylor avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Taylor is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Finkelman.
Finkelman staying out of range there.
Taylor lunges at Finkelman with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Finkelman's hand.
Finkelman thows a left - swing and a miss!
Taylor looks to throw the jab but Finkelman is out of range.
Finkelman 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.
Taylor throwing a counter right hand but Finkelman manages to avoid it.
Finkelman fails to land with a series of punches.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Taylor keeps the fight on the outside.

Taylor drives through and clinches with Finkelman against the cage.
Taylor tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Finkelman's elbow.
A nice right hand lands inside from Taylor .

Finkelman escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A shot to the liver by Finkelman. Beautiful body shot.
Finkelman throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Taylor sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Taylor checks a leg kick.
Finkelman shoots for a double leg takedown but Taylor sprawls well. He's pushed Finkelman's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Finkelman waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Taylor .
Taylor appears to be looking for a big counter.
Taylor displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Finkelman.
A slow jab from Finkelman misses its intended target.
Finkelman steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Taylor .
Finkelman tries to clinch but Taylor moves out of range.
Taylor throwing a counter right hand but Finkelman manages to avoid it.
Finkelman scores with a one two! Taylor had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Taylor shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Finkelman scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Taylor jabs at Finkelman's body.
Finkelman comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Taylor takes one to the side of the head.
Howie Finkelman seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Taylor walks into a jab.
Finkelman paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nice jab there from Taylor .
Finkelman gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Taylor counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Damian Taylor has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Howie Finkelman.
Finkelman throws a right hand that misses
and Taylor counters with a nice uppercut.
Finkelman throws a looping overhand right but Taylor ducks down to avoid it.
A swing and a miss from Finkelman.
Taylor tries to counter by clinching up but Finkelman breaks away and moves out of range.
A jab from Finkelman finds it's way through Taylor 's defenses.
Finkelman throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Taylor sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Finkelman with a nice cross.
Finkelman tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Taylor was well out of range. Poor timing from Finkelman.

Finkelman clinches up against the cage.
Taylor lands a shoulder strike.
Taylor is pressed up against the cage. Finkelman has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Taylor down to the mat. Taylor avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Taylor misses with a looping left.
Finkelman is landing a lot of head punches in this opening round! Taylor had better start moving his head a bit unless he wants his face to turn into mush.
Taylor jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Finkelman shoots in and drives through. Taylor sprawls well.
Taylor bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taylor moves away from the strike by Finkelman.
Finkelman fails with the takedown.
Finkelman is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Taylor .
Taylor misses with a hook.
Finkelman steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Taylor .
Finkelman throws a poor cross that misses
and Taylor counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Nice uppercut lands for Finkelman. That snapped Taylor 's head back.
Taylor waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Finkelman.
Finkelman misses the body punch
and Taylor counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Finkelman thinking.
Finkelman stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Taylor uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Finkelman.
Finkelman swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Finkelman avoids a punch combination nicely.
Nice sprawl there from Taylor as Finkelman shoots in.
Taylor stuffs the takedown attempt from Finkelman. Finkelman gets slowly back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Finkelman shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Taylor sprawls well. Taylor wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Finkelman gets slowly back to his feet.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Finkelman throws a looping overhand right but Taylor ducks down to avoid it.
Taylor was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Finkelman misses with an uppercut
and Taylor cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Taylor scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.

Finkelman is rocked!
Taylor takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
Finkelman is still on wobbly legs! Can Taylor finish him?
Finkelman lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Finkelman is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Taylor walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Finkelman rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Taylor counters with a huge left! Finkelman is in big trouble! He's backing up but Taylor isn't giving him chance to recover. Under a barage of punches the ref has to step in to save Finkelman from any more damage. A dominating finish by Taylor !

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:40 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Damian Taylor !
A very excited looking Damian Taylor made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.