PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Ezzard Charles (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Drew Byrd (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Byrd has chosen false pretense as his entrance music. The key to victory for Ezzard Charles has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Charles
vs
Byrd

178 cm
25
210 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

173 cm
21
196 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Big heart

BJJ White Belt
Basic striking
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Ezzard Charles!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Drew Byrd!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, Frank Antenori and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Byrd shoots in but no luck this time.
Charles throws a nice looking combination but Byrd bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Charles stuffs the takedown attempt from Byrd. Byrd gets slowly back to his feet.
Charles misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Charles connects with a looping right hand.

It looks like Drew Byrd has been cut.

Charles shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Byrd wants to get back to his feet.
Byrd is staying active underneath Charles, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Byrd wants to improve his position but Charles is controlling well.
Charles wants to stand but his hand is trapped. Byrd uses the opportunity to regain full guard.
Charles prevents Byrd from getting back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Byrd will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.
Charles trying to control the position from guard on top but Byrd is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Byrd will have to put a bit more behind his punches if he's going to do any damage from this position.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Charles looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Charles shoots in for a takedown but Byrd shows good takedown defense.
Charles throws a series of punches but Byrd avoids them all with ease.
Charles is breathing heavily.

Byrd drives through with a takedown into guard.
Byrd trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Charles is trying to control the position from the bottom.

Charles is working an open guard so Byrd takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Charles lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Byrd shoots in and drives through. Charles sprawls well.
Ezzard Charles has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Drew Byrd.
Charles fails with the takedown

and Byrd counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Byrd.
Charles wants to stand but Byrd is controlling the position.
Charles is looking to sweep but instead, Byrd has passed into half guard.
Charles wants to improve his position but Byrd is controlling well.
Charles trying to control from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Charles works his way to full guard. Good work.

Byrd gets to his feet - Charles follows without any prompting.
Charles throws a right and a left that both miss.
Charles looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Byrd looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

Byrd clinches with his opponent.
Charles blocks a body shot from Byrd.
Charles keeps control of Byrd as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Byrd misses with a shot to the kidneys.
The referee calls for Charles to work.

Byrd manages to break the clinch.
Charles connects with a nice looking jab.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Byrd.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Charles stuffs the takedown attempt from Byrd. Byrd gets slowly back to his feet.

Charles shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Byrd is trying to defend but Charles finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Charles trying to mount his opponent but Byrd defends it.
Charles wants to stand but his hand is trapped. Byrd uses the opportunity to regain full guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Charles stands up from guard. Let's bang!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Ezzard Charles will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Drew Byrd's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Charles fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Charles misses with a takedown attempt

and Byrd counters with a single leg into guard. Charles didn't expect that.
Byrd pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Charles is keeping the position for now.
Charles is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Byrd is controlling him.
Charles controls Byrd momentarily but Byrd frees himself.

Byrd stands up from Charles's guard - Byrd perhaps looking for a knockout.
Charles tries to bum rush Byrd with a series of wild strikes but Byrd uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Byrd feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Charles manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Byrd manages to get himself to full guard.
Byrd throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Charles postures up.
Byrd is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

Charles stands up and waves to Byrd to follow him.
Byrd shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Charles sprawls well. Charles wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Byrd gets slowly back to his feet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Charles misses with a wild combination.

Byrd clinches up with Charles and pushes him back against the cage.
Byrd is pressed up against the cage. Charles has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Byrd down to the mat. Byrd avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Ezzard Charles is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Byrd tries to score a power double leg takedown but Charles sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Byrd somewhat.
Charles gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Byrd counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Charles!
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ezzard Charles. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Charles is really trying hard to get back to his feet.
Charles wants to control but Byrd is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Charles tries to buck Byrd off but he can't manage it.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Charles is wriggling around trying to escape.
Charles wants to get back to his feet.
The step up in weight doesn't seem to be a problem for Byrd. He's performing admirably here against the bigger man.
Byrd avoids the attempt from Charles to control.
Byrd postures up and cracks his opponent a couple of times before moving back into close ground control. Charles looks a forlorn figure.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Charles tries to hold on but Byrd pushes him away.
Byrd has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Charles's face.
Charles is in a horrible position here. Byrd smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Charles tries to reverse the position but Byrd maintains control.
Charles is not a happy chappy… he wants out of there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Drew Byrd showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Drew Byrd's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Byrd shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Byrd was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Charles is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Charles is really trying hard to get back to his feet.

Byrd looking for an armbar but decides to keep the dominant position instead.
Byrd thowing strikes but they're hitting the gloves, not doing any damage.
Charles can't escape the position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
You get the feeling that Charles really doesn't like being in this position too much.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Charles wants to hold on but Byrd pushes him away.
Charles tries to reverse the position but Byrd maintains control.
Byrd controlling from the full mount.

Byrd looks like he's working for a submission but he's not found anything just yet.
Byrd punishing his opponent with strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Charles working to try and regain half guard.
Byrd landing shots from mount.
Charles really wants to buck Byrd off and get back to his feet.
Charles tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Byrd landing punches.
Byrd prevents Charles from getting the reversal.
Charles trying desperately to get to his feet.
Charles could do with loosing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Drew Byrd has got the better of the ground game so far.
Charles tries to hold on but Byrd postures up.
Charles keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Byrd with the ground and pound from mount.
Byrd scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Charles?
Charles trying desperately to get to his feet.

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.
Charles wants to hold on but Byrd pushes him away.
Charles wants to try and get back to his feet.
Charles wants to control but Byrd is having none of it.
Charles really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Byrd avoids the attempt from Charles to control.

And that's the end of the fight!
Drew Byrd comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Byrd 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 Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 28:29
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 28:29
Judge Suge Night scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Drew Byrd!