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PBP Commentary |
Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Blaine Mathis (ranked 2714 p4p, 2728 weight class) and Rashad Bird (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.
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| 150 cm
18
130
0 - 0 - 0 |
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150 cm
18
130
0 - 0 - 0 |
Good takedowns
Excellent boxer
Inexperienced |
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BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Tends to cut |
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Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Blaine Mathis!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Rashad Bird!
The judges for this bout are William Gold, Donald Grub and Paul Tew.
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Mathis tries to close the distance and clinch up but Bird swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Mathis closes the distance and gets a trip takedown into side control. Bird quickly recovers to half guard.
Bird kicks Mathis off and gets back to his feet.
Mathis closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Bird did well to prevent Mathis getting side control.
Bird manages to escape and get back to his feet!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Bird tries a head kick but it misses.
Mathis scores with a takedown into Bird's guard.
Bird wants to get back to his feet but Mathis passes into half guard.
Mathis wants to lay and pray for a moment but Bird keeps working.
Bird kicks Mathis off and gets back to his feet.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Bird looks for a takedown but Mathis sprawls well.
Mathis is looking for a counter combo.
Bird throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Bird shoots for a double leg takedown but Mathis sprawls well. He's pushed Bird's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Bird misses with a double jab.
Bird shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Mathis defends it nicely.
Blaine Mathis has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rashad Bird.
Bird tries to sprawl but Mathis drives through with a takedown into half guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Bird is trying to maintain the position but Mathis is very close to passing his half guard.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mathis wants to lay and pray for a moment but Bird keeps working.
Bird keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Mathis is looking to take a break and control but Bird is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Bird is looking for a sweep. Mathis is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Mathis is trying to work for a kimura but Bird is defending well.
Mathis passes the half guard and he's now in mount! Big trouble for Bird!
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mathis has hold of Bird's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Bird manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Bird tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Bird gets back to half guard.
Mathis wants to stand but Bird has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Bird is defending against the submission attempts here by Mathis.
Mathis could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Mathis seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Bird does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Bird is doing well to avoid being mounted. He's controlling the position at the moment.
Bird is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Bird trying to hold on to Mathis's head to control him but Mathis postures up.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.
Rashad Bird dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!
Bird shoots in looking for a takedown but Mathis manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Bird's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Bird looks for a takedown but Mathis sprawls well.
Mathis throws a big counter combination but Bird scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.
Mathis fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Bird avoids it really well and circles away.
Mathis throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Mathis has closed the distance and engaged Bird in a clinch.
Mathis fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Bird jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Mathis walks away with a smile on his face. Bird gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Blaine Mathis has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rashad Bird.
Mathis shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Mathis showed some decent athleticism there.
Bird manages to create a bit of space in order to work his way back to his feet. Mathis keeps hold of his opponent and drives him back against the cage.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Bird wants a takedown but no success here.
Mathis leaning against his opponent.
Mathis tries to throw a body punch but Bird avoids it by throwing Mathis back against the cage.
Bird is trying to push Mathis away but Mathis has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Bird pulls guard effortlessly.
Bird is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.
Mathis tries to free his leg and advance position but Bird is retaining full guard.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bird keeping moving, preventing Mathis from controlling successfully.
Mathis stopping the sweep attempt from Bird.
Mathis wanted to stand there but Bird had control of the position.
Bird wants to sweep but no luck.
The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Mathis closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Mathis throwing shots but missing, from side control.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bird is looking to reverse the position.
Bird has one of Mathis's arms on lockdown, trying to prevent him from doing any damage.
Bird is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Mathis's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Mathis wants to take a breather but Bird is having none of it.
Bird trying to control from the bottom.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Bird actively working from the bottom here.
Bird trying to hold on to Mathis's head to control him but Mathis postures up.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Mathis wants to stand but Bird has hold of a leg and an arm, so he's trapped for now.
Mathis decides to return to a standing position.
Bird misses with a head kick.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Mathis has managed to clinch.
Bird has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Mathis lands with a short punch from the clinch.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.
That was a close second round but I would say that Blaine Mathis will probably get the nod.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!
Mathis fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Bird sprawls well initially but Mathis persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Bird makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!
Bird clinches with his opponent.
Bird has Mathis pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Mathis manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Bird decides to pull guard.
Mathis preventing the sweep.
Mathis trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Mathis wants to get up but he can't break Bird's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Mathis stopping the sweep attempt from Bird.
Bird working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Mathis.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Bird managing to control the position.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Mathis preventing the sweep.
Mathis trying to control the position from guard on top but Bird is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up.
Mathis is trying hard to land a takedown here. Bird sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Bird misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Bird takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Mathis looks to throw the jab but Bird is out of range.
Mathis shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Mathis fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Bird, pushing him back against the cage.
Bird landing knees to the head.
Mathis tries a knee to the head but Bird blocks it.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bird breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Mathis instigates a clinch.
Bird tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Mathis is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Bird is defending well for now.
Mathis breaks from the clinch.
Mathis lands with an uppercut that bounces Bird off the cage and back into range.
Mathis fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Blaine Mathis. That's going to take a lot out of him.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Mathis with a poor takedown
and Bird counters with a nice body shot.
Mathis throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Mathis moves out of the way of the counter high kick fromBird.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Mathis slaps away a takedown attempt from Bird, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Mathis is looking to counter the offense by Bird and move into the clinch.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bird keeps the fight on the outside.
Bird scores to the head and body with a nice combination!
Bird fails with the takedown.
Mathis attempts a counter takedown but Bird avoids it well and moves away.
Bird fails with a takedown attempt.
Mathis lands a jab-cross combination.
Bird is looking to clinch.
Bird fails with a takedown attempt.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bird shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Mathis defends it nicely.
Mathis stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Mathis wants it to stay on the feet.
Mathis decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Mathis thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Bird avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Mathis.
Mathis wants to control but Bird is keeping him busy.
Mathis trying to mount his opponent but Bird defends it.
Bird is looking to escape.
And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Blaine Mathis.
I think Mathis has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 William Gold scores the fight for Rashad Bird!
Judge Donald Grub scores the fight for Blaine Mathis!
Judge Paul Tew scores the fight for Rashad Bird!
Rashad Bird wins by split decision!
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| S |
C
A |
G |
S |
C
B |
G |
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S |
C |
G |
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energy
A | B |
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hype
A | B |
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pop
A | B |
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mgr
A | B |
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FIGHT
RATING
46% |
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