PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Stacey Taylor (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Johnny Bad (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Bad has chosen Rusty Cage by Johnny Cash as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. I'm sure you'll be fascinated to know that I was talking to some pointless Z list celebrity before the fight and he thought that Johnny Bad was going to win. Let's see if he was right.

Taylor
vs
Bad

183 cm
22
180 lbs
8 - 3 - 0

190 cm
21
183 lbs
8 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Very strong

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Powerful

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 8 - 3 - 0, fighting out of New York, Stacey Taylor!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Johnny Bad!
The judges for this bout are Patrick Alders, Paul Aken and Radbod Blank.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A jab from Taylor misses.
Taylor drops his hands momentarily and Bad takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Bad fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Taylor avoids it really well and circles away.
A looping hook to the body misses from Taylor. Bad does a little dance to reset his feet.
Taylor keeps the fight on the outside.
Taylor thows a body shot but no joy.
Bad is looking to clinch.
Bad fails with a takedown attempt.
Bad slips under a jab from Taylor.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Taylor fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Bad is out of range.
Taylor swinging wildly here.
Bad wants to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A jab from Taylor misses.
Bad avoids the body shot from Taylor.
Taylor moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.

Bad darts in and clinches Taylor up against the cage.

Bad is trying to trip Taylor. He has hold of a leg but Taylor is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Bad persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Bad is looking to work some ground and pound but Taylor has wrist control.
Bad is working Taylor over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Bad with a flurry of punches that miss.
Bad keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Taylor's head.
Taylor seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Bad wants to control from the top but Taylor keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Taylor utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Bad wants to pass the guard but Taylor is keeping the position.
Taylor is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Taylor has Bad pulled in close to control his posture.
Bad trying to control but Taylor is working from the bottom.
Bad loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Taylor throws a looping overhand right but Bad ducks down to avoid it.
Taylor throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taylor displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Bad.
Stacey Taylor has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Johnny Bad.
Taylor missing with a left hand there. Bad was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Bad fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Taylor manages to avoid it.
Bad fails to land the takedown.
A nice combination there by Taylor.
The fighters circling - Taylor throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Stacey Taylor seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Bad blocks the body kick.
Bad shoots in but Taylor avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Bad fails with an attempt to clinch.
Taylor throws a looping overhand right but Bad ducks down to avoid it.
Some wild striking there from Taylor.
Stacey Taylor is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Taylor swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Bad.
Taylor lands an overhand right.
Taylor checks the leg kick nicely there.
Bad has a takedown stuffed.
Bad throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Bad defending well as Taylor loads up on a big left hand.
Taylor throws a right and a left that Bad avoids nicely.
Bad tries to clinch up but Taylor circles away and keeps his distance.
Taylor missing with a left hand there. Bad was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Taylor lands with a shot to the body.

Bad closes the distance and clinches.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Stacey Taylor dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Bad looks for a takedown but Taylor sprawls well.
Taylor throws a nice looking combination but Bad bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Taylor swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Bad wants to clinch.
Bad blocks a leg kick.
Bad tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Taylor swivels and escapes.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
The fight stays on the outside here - Bad looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Taylor throws a jab but it's blocked by Bad.
Taylor throws a body punch but Bad moves out of range.
Taylor misses with a body punch
letting Bad counter with a right hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bad slips a jab from Taylor.
Bad just misses with a punch to the body.
Taylor misses with a double jab

and Bad counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Bad.
Taylor prevents the takedown attempt.
Stacey Taylor has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Johnny Bad.
Taylor looking to slow down the pace here.
Taylor lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Taylor managing to block the knees to the body from Bad.
Bad tries to throw a body punch but Taylor avoids it by throwing Bad back against the cage.
Taylor lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Bad letting Taylor take a breather here.
Taylor is looking to control Bad's arms but Bad gets an underhook and turns him. Now Taylor has his back to the cage.
Taylor lands a body shot in the clinch.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Bad as Taylor tries to tie him up.
Bad lands a left hand that snaps the head of Taylor backwards.
Taylor prevents the takedown attempt.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bad tries for a takedown but Taylor manages to get underhooks.
Bad is breathing heavily.
Bad struggles to land a body shot inside as Taylor controls his hands.
Bad tries for a takedown but Taylor manages to get underhooks.
Bad drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Taylor gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Taylor leaning against his opponent.
Taylor digs a right hand underneath Bad's ribcage. Bad let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Taylor slowing the pace effectively.
Taylor blocks an uppercut.
Good body shot from Taylor.

Taylor manages to break the clinch.
Taylor swings for the body but Bad moves out of range.
Taylor throws a body punch but Bad moves out of range.
Taylor fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Taylor misses with a two punch combination.
Bad showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Taylor.
Taylor is really struggling to find his range with his punches. Bad's reach advantage is clearly causing him problems.
Taylor is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Bad.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taylor misses with a combination

and Bad counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Good anti-grappling being displayed by Bad as Taylor tries to tie him up.
Taylor gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Bad.
Taylor pushes Bad back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Bad keeps control of Taylor as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Bad being controlled against the cage.
Bad managing to block the knees to the body from Taylor.
Taylor tries to circle away but Bad has him pinned against the cage.
Taylor takes a shot to the head.
Taylor cracks Bad with a nice body shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Taylor takes a shot to the head.
Taylor lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Bad misses with a punch to the body.
Bad letting Taylor take a breather here.
Nice body punch from Taylor - that landed with a thud.
Bad misses with a punch to the body.
Bad tries for a takedown but Taylor manages to get underhooks.
Taylor lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Bad or not.
Taylor is stalling here.
Taylor gets underhooks to prevent Bad's takedown attempt.
Taylor is looking to break free of the clinch but Bad has double underhooks.
Nice body punch from Taylor - that landed with a thud.
Taylor taking a break, stalling in the clinch.

Taylor escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Bad uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Taylor.
Taylor swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Stacey Taylor dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Bad has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Taylor finds it's way round the side to connect with Bad's head.
Taylor throws a right and a left that Bad avoids nicely.
Taylor fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Bad is out of range.
Bad tries to clinch up but Taylor circles away and keeps his distance.
Bad tries to close the distance and clinch but Taylor swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Taylor pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Taylor misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Bad.
Taylor pivots, looking for a leg kick but Bad is out of range and Taylor settles back down.
Taylor lands a head shot.
Bad takes one to the side of the head.
A telegraphed right hand from Taylor misses the target.

Bad has taken the fight to the clinch.
Taylor gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Bad.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Taylor is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
Taylor throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Bad takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Bad being controlled against the cage.
Taylor has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Bad avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Taylor prevents a body shot from Bad.
Bad goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Taylor lands a body shot in the clinch.
Bad is working for takedown but Taylor is calmly controlling the position for now.
Taylor is pushing Bad up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Taylor tries to land knees in the clinch but Bad avoids the damage to the body.
Bad has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Taylor is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Stacey Taylor has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Johnny Bad.
Bad using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Taylor has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Bad wants a takedown but no success here.
Taylor misses with an elbow strike.
Johnny Bad has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A short right from Taylor on the inside.
Taylor is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Taylor.
Taylor stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Taylor gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Bad.

Taylor gets control of Bad's arms and successfully pulls guard. Taylor will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Bad postures up in Taylor's guard and throws a big left but Taylor blocks it.
Bad loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Taylor manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Bad manages to get himself to full guard.
Taylor trying to control the position from guard on top but Bad is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Taylor lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

Taylor drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Bad manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Taylor has Bad in his guard.
Stacey Taylor is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Bad lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Taylor keeping moving, preventing Bad from controlling successfully.
Taylor not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's four 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.
Taylor is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Taylor lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Taylor trying to control the pace.
Bad is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Bad is looking to control Taylor's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Bad avoid being mounted?
Bad is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Still in half guard, Taylor seems content to control.

And that's the end of the fight!
Stacey Taylor showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Taylor, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Patrick Alders scores the fight 30:27
Judge Paul Aken scores the fight 30:27
Judge Radbod Blank scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Stacey Taylor!