PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Jose Luciano (ranked 4124 p4p, 3292 weight class) and Byron Neal (ranked 485 p4p, 413 weight class). This should be fireworks!

Luciano
vs
Neal

180 cm
20
172
2 - 2 - 0

191 cm
25
179
5 - 4 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Great elbows
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Jose Luciano!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Byron Neal!
The judges for this bout are Trevor Gratis, Robert Douchet and Dillan Fox.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Luciano lands a really nice looking cross but Neal seems unphased.

Neal rushes Luciano and presses him up against the cage.
Luciano works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Neal lands a hook that snaps the head of Luciano backwards.
Neal blocks the elbow strike.
Neal's coach down at Blacksmith MMA Gym 🇺🇲 was telling us pre-fight that they have been working on Neal's balance. Obviously they view that as a key factor in the outcome of this fight.
Neal blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Neal tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Neal lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Luciano tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Neal displaying some good clinch control by pressing Luciano up against the cage.

Neal breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Neal throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Luciano works Neal's body with a nice hook.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Neal gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Luciano.
Luciano chopping away at his opponent's legs.
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!
Luciano slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
A kick lands to the mid section there for Neal.
Neal connects with a right hand. Luciano shakes it off.
Luciano lands a nice leg kick that just misses Neal's sensitive parts.
Neal misses with a double jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Luciano connects with a single shot there.
Luciano definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Neal throws a leg kick but Luciano sees it coming and moves out of range.
Neal throws a body shot but no joy.
Neal lands with a good body shot.
The crowd cheers as Neal lands an impressive looking overhand right. Luciano doesn't seem phased though.
Luciano throws a body kick that misses.
Neal now looks to counter with a shot at the body.
A looping hook to the body misses from Neal. Luciano does a little dance to reset his feet.
Luciano lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Neal digs a good hook to Luciano's body.
Luciano getting the better of the striking in that exchange.

Neal lands a left and a right that send Luciano crashing to the mat, dazed. Neal thinks about following him to the mat but decides to wave him back up to his feet!

It looks like Jose Luciano has been cut.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Neal cracks Luciano with a nasty uppercut that draws ooohs from the crowd and sends Luciano tumbling backwards onto the mat. He tries to recover but Neal pounces and lands a hail of unanswered strikes that forces the referee to step in to end the fight! Luciano is not happy but he gave the referee no choice!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:40 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Byron Neal!
A pretty intense looking Byron Neal took the opportunity post-fight to ask for a shot at the title.