PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Gotrek Gurnisson (ranked 514 p4p, 1063 weight class) and Tater Salad (ranked 51 p4p, 114 weight class). Gurnisson kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Pride Is The Devil - J Cole. The crowd seem to be enjoying Salad's choice of entrance music: Tater Salad. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Gurnisson
vs
Salad

170 cm
22
155
6 - 1 - 0

182 cm
21
155
6 - 2 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Dangerous GnP
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Savage Fightwear
Pulling Guard

Savage Fightwear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the featherweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Gotrek Gurnisson!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Tater Salad!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, Jack Bonds and Don Winkell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gurnisson slips under a jab from Salad.
Salad scores with a nice strike.

It looks like Gotrek Gurnisson has been cut.
Salad fails to land with a series of punches.
Gurnisson misses with a few strikes there.
The fighters circling - Salad throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Gurnisson ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Salad lands with an uppercut that bounces Gurnisson off the cage and back into range.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Salad slips a jab from Gurnisson.
Nice cross by Salad.
Salad misses with a low kick.
A counter left hand to the body from Gurnisson misses its target.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Salad lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Gurnisson scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Gurnisson slips under a jab.
Gurnisson drops down looking for a counter takedown but Salad sprawls and moves away.
Salad waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Gurnisson.
Salad throws a hook but Gurnisson avoids it easily.
Salad slips under a jab from Gurnisson.
Gurnisson throws a hook but Salad blocks it.
Salad on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Gurnisson lands a really nice looking cross but Salad seems unphased.

It looks like Tater Salad has been cut.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Salad with a nice cross.
Salad misses the jab.
Tater Salad seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Salad rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Gurnisson counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Jab by Salad.
Salad might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
Salad paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Gurnisson connects with a good right hand that stumbles Salad. Salad circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Salad lands the left hand.
Gurnisson jabs Salad to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Gurnisson moves away from the strike by Salad.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Salad jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Gurnisson rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Salad moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Salad connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Gurnisson's hands.
Salad fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Salad misses with a hook. Gurnisson ducked under it nicely.
Salad is looking to slow Gurnisson down with leg kicks.
Salad lands with a hook. Gurnisson tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Salad cracks Gurnisson with a right hand to the side of the head.
Salad is landing a lot of head punches in this opening round! Gurnisson had better start moving his head a bit unless he wants his face to turn into mush.
Gurnisson tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Salad paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Gurnisson closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Salad did well to prevent Gurnisson getting side control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Gurnisson is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Salad defends it well.
Salad is staying active underneath Gurnisson, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Salad is looking for a sweep. Gurnisson is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

Salad actively working from the bottom here.
Salad really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Gurnisson. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Gurnisson is looking to pass the guard... He's managed it - he's now in full mount!
Salad sneaks a leg under to get to half guard.
Salad looks more muscular than last time we saw him. He must have been on the weights.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Salad is refusing to be controlled, as Gurnisson sits in half guard.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Tater Salad dominated that round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Gurnisson throws out a loose jab but Salad uses good head movement to avoid it.
Salad is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Salad looks to land a combination but Gurnisson avoids it well.
Gurnisson was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
Salad doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Gurnisson fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Salad manages to avoid it.
Nice defenses there by Gurnisson.
Gurnisson looks to throw the jab but Salad is out of range.
Salad getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gurnisson fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Salad avoids it really well and circles away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gurnisson takes one to the side of the head.
Salad scores with a jab.
Gurnisson throws a body shot but no joy.
The crowd cheers as Salad lands an impressive looking overhand right. Gurnisson doesn't seem phased though.
A jab lands there for Gurnisson.
Gurnisson connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Tater Salad is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Salad throws out a loose jab but Gurnisson uses good head movement to avoid it.
Salad throws a hook but Gurnisson blocks it.
Gurnisson uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Salad.
Salad jabbing away but nothing is landing.
A jab from Salad does it's job there.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Salad takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Gurnisson ducks under a wild hook from Salad.
Salad cracks Gurnisson with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Salad is looking to chop away at Gurnisson's legs.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Salad cracks Gurnisson with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Gurnisson slips a straight right by Salad.
Gurnisson throws a lazy uppercut
and Salad counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Gurnisson ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Salad moves away.
Salad swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Gurnisson sizes up Salad with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Gurnisson lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Salad fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Gurnisson has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Gurnisson looks to score with a jab to the body but Salad is just out of range.
Salad throws out a loose jab but Gurnisson uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Salad bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Salad looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Salad, as that shot connected.
Salad has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Salad pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Gurnisson was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
Gurnisson cracks a nice hook into Salad's ribs.
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!
Salad displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Gurnisson throws out the jab.

Gurnisson closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Gurnisson lands in his opponent's guard.
Salad looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Salad keeps trying to improve his position.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Tater Salad will probably get the nod - 10:9.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

A looping hook to the body misses from Gurnisson. Salad does a little dance to reset his feet.
Salad connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Gurnisson lands with a nice body punch.
Gurnisson swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Salad will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Gurnisson changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Gurnisson darts in and lands a nice takedown into half guard.
Gurnisson takes a deep breath and rests his weight momentarily on top of his opponent, to control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gurnisson prevents Salad from improving his position.
Gotrek Gurnisson overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Gurnisson is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Salad is looking for a sweep. Gurnisson is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Gurnisson perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

Gurnisson is trying to work for a kimura but Salad is defending well.
Gurnisson seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Salad is trying to get back to full guard.
Salad is pressing down on Gurnisson's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Salad controls Gurnisson momentarily but Gurnisson frees himself.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gurnisson controls from within his opponent's guard.
Salad keeping moving, preventing Gurnisson from controlling successfully.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.
Gurnisson tests Salad's chin there with a solid looking shot.

Gurnisson shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Salad's guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Salad controls Gurnisson momentarily but Gurnisson frees himself.
Gurnisson trying to control but Salad is working from the bottom.
Gurnisson preventing the sweep.
Salad can't keep his opponent in guard - Gurnisson advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Salad is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

Gurnisson is looking for a kimura here.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Gotrek Gurnisson clearly takes that round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Salad takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Salad connects with a single shot there.
Gurnisson connects with a body shot.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Gurnisson uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Salad.
Salad scores with a punch to the head.
Gurnisson fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gurnisson jabs at Salad's body.
Gurnisson has a takedown stuffed.
Nice takedown defense from Salad. No joy for Gurnisson on that attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Gotrek Gurnisson. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Gurnisson walks into a jab.
Salad throws a jab when Gurnisson was well out of range.
Gurnisson defending well as Salad loads up on a big left hand.
Salad scores with a punch to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gurnisson avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Gurnisson ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Salad moves away.
Gurnisson throws a jab when Salad was well out of range.
Gurnisson looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Salad's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Salad duly obliges.
Gurnisson scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
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!
Salad pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Gurnisson lands with an overhand left.

Salad is rocked!
Salad doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Salad is still on wobbly legs! Can Gurnisson finish him?
Salad is absolutely dripping with sweat - he looks exhausted.
Gurnisson lands with a massive overhand right! Stick a fork in Salad - he's out cold! Ermm... I think I just mixed my metaphors but yeah... That was a nice KO! Big win for Gurnisson!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:56 of round 4, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Gotrek Gurnisson!
Gotrek Gurnisson retains his featherweight title!
Gotrek Gurnisson thanked the fans post fight for their support.