PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between The Machine (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and AJ Strey (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). There are an array of beautiful celebrities at ringside tonight! I wonder if any of them paid for their tickets.

Machine
vs
Strey

178 cm
22
170 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

180 cm
20
170 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Cuts easily

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Determined

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 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, The Machine!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, AJ Strey!
The judges for this bout are Dillan Fox, Ian Loll and Gregory Folan.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Machine shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Strey regains half guard.
Strey is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Strey misses with some strikes from the bottom.
Strey wants to control but Machine is keeping busy.
Strey tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Strey won't allow Machine to pass to mount.
Strey is not content to let Machine control the position.
Strey is trying to control but can't.

Strey looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.

Machine gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Strey trying to control the position from guard on top but Machine is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Machine is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Strey trying to control but Machine is working from the bottom.
Strey lands a couple of elbows.
Machine wants to sweep here but Strey controlling him for the moment.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Strey looking to sit in guard and control but Machine gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Machine avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Machine passes Strey's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Machine stalling.
Machine missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Strey flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
Strey is looking for a sweep. Machine is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Strey is trying to stand back up but Machine is controlling him
Strey looks gassed!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Strey trying to control here.
Strey works his way to full guard. Good work.

Strey has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Machine can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Machine with a lazy takedown attempt

and Strey counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Strey trying to control the position from guard on top but Machine is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Machine looking to hit a scissor sweep but Strey is one step ahead there.

Machine pushes Strey off and scrambles back to his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Strey misses with a takedown attempt
and Machine counters with an inside leg kick.
Machine steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Strey.
Strey swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Machine counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Machine.
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!
Machine is working Strey over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Machine missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Machine stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Strey swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Strey is looking for a triangle but Machine pushes his legs off easily.
Strey looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Machine is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but AJ Strey will probably get the nod.
That's time! Machine's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Strey tries for a takedown but Machine circles away easily

and Machine counters by clinching up.
Come on Machine - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Machine changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Strey fights it off and pushes away nicely.

Strey gets the takedown into side control.
AJ Strey has got the better of the ground game so far.

Strey tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Strey has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Strey with the ground and pound but Machine regains half guard under the barage of strikes.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Strey is looking to take a break and control but Machine is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Machine actively working from the bottom here.

Machine looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Strey lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Strey slips a nice elbow through Machine's hands, connecting with Machine's forehead.
Strey lands strikes from half guard.
Machine is trying to stand.

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.
Machine is refusing to be controlled, as Strey sits in half guard.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Strey throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

Machine gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Machine wants to get back to his feet but Strey is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Machine is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

Strey gets to his feet. Machine looking to butt scoot but the ref puts an end to that. On your feet son!

Machine shoots in for a takedown and gets it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Machine passes the guard and advances to mount!
Machine content just to control the position here.
Machine can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Strey is looking to escape.
Strey is trying to stand up.

That's four 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.
Strey regains half guard.
Machine is looking to stall here but Strey recovers full guard.

Strey working for a triangle but Machine defends it easily.
Machine postures up in Strey's guard and throws a big left but Strey blocks it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

AJ Strey showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Machine's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Machine swats away the attempt to clinch by Strey.
AJ Strey seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Strey looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Machine!
Machine is trying to stand up.
Machine wants to control but Strey is having none of it.

Strey with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Strey is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Machine can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Strey landing strikes from the mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Machine manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Machine is refusing to be controlled, as Strey sits in half guard.
Strey looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Machine with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Strey prevents Machine from improving his position.
Machine is trying to maintain the position but Strey is very close to passing his half guard.

Strey is thinking about going for an arm triangle but he can't free his leg.
Strey scoring with strikes to the body and head.

That's two 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.
Strey trying to control the action but Machine is working from the bottom.
The fighters are battling for position here. Machine manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Machine throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Strey stops Machine from standing up.
Machine is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Strey is working Machine over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Strey throwing strikes but missing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Strey with a flurry of punches that miss.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Machine is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Strey tries for a takedown but Machine circles away easily
and Machine counters with a nice uppercut.
Machine wants to clinch
and Strey counters with a three punch combo that has Machine backing up. Machine nods at Strey to acknowledge the strikes.

Machine gets caught flat footed, as Strey shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Machine keeping full guard, as Strey tries to pass.
Machine bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Strey's guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Machine connects with a couple of short punches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Machine trying to control the position from guard on top but Strey is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Machine postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Machine tries to stand but Strey is controlling from the bottom.
Strey trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
Strey trying to strike from the bottom but really, it's not the best position to be doing that from!
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Machine trying to control the position from guard on top but Strey is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
The Machine has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
AJ Strey is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Strey throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Machine counters by clinching up.

And that's the end of the fight!
AJ Strey comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Strey winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 Dillan Fox scores the fight 28:30
Judge Ian Loll scores the fight 27:30
Judge Gregory Folan scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... AJ Strey!