PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Miles O Brien (ranked 2039 p4p, 5338 weight class) and Ed Bridger (ranked 158 p4p, 317 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

O Brien
vs
Bridger

172 cm
31
152
16 - 13 - 1

178 cm
30
158
10 - 7 - 0

Good wrestling
World class MT
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Good low kicks
Powerful

Uncle Rufus Clothing .Co

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 16 - 13 - 1, fighting out of Amsterdam, Miles O Brien!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Ed Bridger!
The judges for this bout are Richard Clark, Chris Edwards and James Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Bridger lands a leg kick that knocks O Brien off balance momentarily.
O Brien tries to clinch there but Bridger circles away.
Nice shot by Bridger.

O Brien has taken the fight to the clinch.
O Brien misses with a short punch on the inside.
Bridger blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Bridger tries to land a knee to the head but O Brien blocks with his arms.

O Brien breaks from the clinch.
O Brien wants to clinch but Bridger slips to the side
and Bridger counters with a nice uppercut.
Bridger attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Bridger is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by O Brien.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bridger stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Bridger wants it to stay on the feet.
Bridger was about to counter that last move with a leg kick but changes his mind.
Both fighters circling a little - O Brien finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
O Brien moves in looking to clinch but Bridger pushes him off.
O Brien darts in and out, connecting with a jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bridger swings and misses with a shot to the body
and O Brien counters with a right hand to the body.
O Brien shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Bridger as he avoids it easily.
Donk. O Brien catches Bridger right on the button with a cross.
Bridger avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Bridger flicks out a counter leg kick but O Brien steps away.

O Brien takes the fight into the clinch.
O Brien has a couple of punches blocked by Bridger.
Bridger takes a shot to the head.
O Brien with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
O Brien digs a right hand into Bridger's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Bridger's gas tank.
Bridger doesn't land with the attempted body shot.

O Brien breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Bridger swinging wildly here.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
O Brien has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Bridger.
O Brien looks to throw the jab but Bridger is out of range.
O Brien walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Bridger throws a front kick aimed at O Brien's knee but O Brien avoids it well.
Ed Bridger seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Jab by O Brien.
Bridger motions for O Brien to come forward. Bridger throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from O Brien.
O Brien lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.

O Brien clinches up with Bridger and pushes him back against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bridger is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. O Brien is defending well for now.

O Brien breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
O Brien uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Bridger.
An attempted straight right counter from O Brien misses the target.
Bridger lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but O Brien circles away quickly and effectively.
O Brien fails with an attempt to clinch.
O Brien is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
O Brien fails with an attempt to clinch.
Bridger is looking for the big counter here.

O Brien pushes Bridger up against the cage in a clinch.
Bridger lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Bridger tries a body shot but O Brien blocks it.
O Brien fails to pull guard.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Miles O Brien. That's going to take a lot out of him.

O Brien escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bridger darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Bridger throws a body kick, spinning off balance
and O Brien cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Bridger jabbing away but nothing is landing.

Bridger darts in and clinches O Brien up against the cage.
Bridger trying to land knees to the body.
Bridger trying to land knees to the body.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
O Brien fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Bridger tries to land knees in the clinch but O Brien avoids the damage to the body.
Bridger landing knees to the body.
A short left from O Brien.
Bridger with an attempt at a knee that misses.
O Brien managing to block the knees to the body from Bridger.
O Brien fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Bridger throws a punch but it's blocked by O Brien.
Bridger tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

O Brien breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Bridger slips a straight right by O Brien.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Miles O Brien will probably get the nod.
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.

O Brien tries to close the distance and clinch up but Bridger swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Bridger lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
O Brien tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Bridger paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Bridger throws a fast counter high kick but O Brien manages to duck under it in time.
Bridger misses with a hook
letting O Brien counter with a right hand.
Donk. O Brien catches Bridger right on the button with a cross.
O Brien misses with a two punch combination.
O Brien shoots in and drives through. Bridger sprawls well.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
O Brien wants to clinch.
O Brien with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Bridger to score with a decent uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bridger turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
O Brien tries to clinch up.
Bridger takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Bridger swats away the attempt to clinch by O Brien.
Bridger swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Bridger throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Bridger misses with a body punch
and O Brien cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
O Brien is looking to clinch but Bridger is avoiding it.
Bridger appeared to try and counter that last move with a leg kick.
Bridger circles away from the clinch attempt
and Bridger counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Ed Bridger seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Bridger blocks a head kick by O Brien.
O Brien throws a head kick but Bridger moves out of range.
Bridger swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Bridger throws a hook but O Brien avoids it easily.
O Brien tries to close the distance and clinch up but Bridger swats him away and circles back towards the center.
O Brien fails with an attempt to clinch.
Bridger was about to counter that last move with a leg kick but changes his mind.
Bridger looking to land some kicks to the body here.

O Brien has managed to clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bridger using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.

O Brien breaks the clinch.
O Brien shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Bridger defends it nicely.
Bridger lands with a good body shot.
Bridger misses with an uppercut
and Bridger takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Bridger misses with a body shot.

Bridger has O Brien up against the cage in a clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
O Brien avoiding damage as Bridger throws knees to the body.
Bridger lands with a left to the head.
Ed Bridger seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
A short uppercut from O Brien.
Bridger misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from O Brien.
Bridger misses with some punches.
O Brien scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Bridger's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
This has been an exciting period of action!
O Brien lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Bridger backwards.
O Brien tries to break free but Bridger pushes him back against the cage.
O Brien jumps guard but Bridger turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Miles O Brien. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Bridger scores with a nice hook to the head.
O Brien misses with the head strike.

O Brien pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
O Brien paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.

O Brien tries to keep at a distance but Bridger has taken the fight into the clinch.
O Brien avoiding damage as Bridger throws knees to the body.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Ed Bridger will probably get the nod - 10:9.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. And we move into the final round!

Bridger moves in looking to clinch but O Brien pushes him off.
O Brien wants to clinch but Bridger slips to the side
and Bridger counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Bridger scores with a head kick.

O Brien gets in close and instigates a clinch.
A shot in the inside from O Brien.
O Brien misses with a punch on the inside.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Still in the clinch, Bridger scores with a nice short uppercut.
A head punch on the inside from O Brien fails to land.
I was talking to O Brien's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
O Brien on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
O Brien lands a hook to the side of the head.
O Brien blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Bridger tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

O Brien breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
O Brien ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Bridger is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by O Brien.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bridger throws a leg kick
and O Brien counters with a straight right hand.
Bridger misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Nice cross by O Brien.
Bridger looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
O Brien throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Bridger counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps O Brien thinking.
Bridger circles away from the clinch attempt.
O Brien tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

O Brien gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
O Brien has a couple of punches blocked by Bridger.
Bridger blocking some punches.
Bridger misses with a hook from the clinch.
We are yet to see a takedown attempt from Bridger in the fight. On paper you would think he is the more dominant ground fighter so let's see if these unusual tactics pay off.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bridger tries a knee to the head but O Brien blocks it.
O Brien swings wildly with an uppercut but Bridger uses good head movement to avoid it.
O Brien lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Bridger lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
A short right from Bridger.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
O Brien is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Bridger to keep the fight standing.
O Brien lands a hook that snaps the head of Bridger backwards.
A short right hand to the side of the head by O Brien.
Bridger lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
O Brien misses with a punch on the inside.
O Brien misses with the head strike.
Bridger softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
O Brien lands a hook that snaps the head of Bridger backwards.
A nice left hand lands by O Brien.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Bridger.

O Brien pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
O Brien tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Bridger paws at him with a jab and circles away.
O Brien tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Bridger manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Bridger! But no joy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bridger swats away the attempt to clinch by O Brien.
Bridger appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
O Brien shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Bridger misses with a right hand
and O Brien cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Bridger avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Bridger misses with a head kick.
O Brien wants to clinch.
Bridger is clearly looking to counter with head kicks.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bridger misses with a jab to the body
letting O Brien counter with a right hand.
Bridger moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Bridger's jab looks to have found its range, popping O Brien under the eye.
Bridger throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
O Brien swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
O Brien walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Bridger looks to land a body kick but O Brien moved away.
O Brien wants to clinch up but Bridger keeps it at a distance.
Bridger throws a jab when O Brien was well out of range.
O Brien wants to clinch.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Ed Bridger.
I think Bridger has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Richard Clark scores the fight 28:30
Judge Chris Edwards scores the fight 29:29
Judge James Glass scores the fight 28:30

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Ed Bridger!
Ed Bridger seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.