PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Ryan Maia (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and James Laursen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). James Laursen is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Maia
vs
Laursen

189 cm
25
183 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

175 cm
23
193 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Counter striker
Experienced

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Ryan Maia!
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, James Laursen!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Laursen shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Maia napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Laursen in side control, throwing shots but Maia defends.
Laursen tries to stand but Maia is controlling his head.
Laursen wants to control but Maia is keeping him busy.
Maia struggling a bit here.
Laursen in the domination position with Maia hanging on.
Maia throws a couple of punches but he's in a bad position and they don't land.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Maia manages to get back to half guard.
Laursen wants to lay and pray for a moment but Maia keeps working.
Maia wants to control but Laursen is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Laursen lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Laursen wants to free his trapped foot but Maia is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Maia is trying to maintain the position but Laursen is very close to passing his half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Maia missing with punches from the bottom.
Maia wants to control but Laursen is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Laursen uses his free foot to push down on Maia's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Maia.
Laursen throws some wild stikes that Maia manages to avoid easily.
Maia in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Maia wants to hold on but Laursen pushes him away.
Laursen prevents Maia from getting the reversal.
Laursen throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Laursen avoids the attempt from Maia to control.
Maia is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Laursen is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Laursen blocks Maia's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Laursen tries to control but Maia wriggling away.
Maia wants to control but Laursen is having none of it.
Maia is desperately trying to improve his position but Laursen has a good base and remains in mount.
Laursen should think about turning a few of those tyres round his middle into muscle if he wants people to take him seriously as an athlete.
Maia regains half guard.
Maia tries to strike from the bottom but it doesn't land.
Maia slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Maia is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Maia looking for a guillotine here but Laursen defends easily.
Maia seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.

Laursen got a little sloppy there for a moment and Maia has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Laursen has managed to get both his arms back between Maia's legs - danger averted.
Maia keeping full guard, as Laursen tries to pass.

Maia working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Laursen doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Laursen manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Laursen throwing strikes from guard but Maia blocks nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Maia has his foot on Laursen's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Laursen works his way back into a safe position though.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Laursen trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Maia trying to keep a closed guard but Laursen is proving a slippery customer.
Laursen pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Maia is keeping the position for now.
Laursen wants to control from the top but Maia keeps moving.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Maia throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ryan Maia dominated that round.
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 momentary lapse in concentration from Maia enables Laursen to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Maia manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Maia keeping moving, preventing Laursen from controlling successfully.
Maia will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.

Maia has thrown up a leg looking for a triangle. Laursen doesn't defend quickly enough and Maia has managed to lock this one up! Can Laursen escape?! NO! He's tapping out! Damn, that was a quick submission - congrats to Maia on a fantastic submission victory.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:28 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Triangle). Ryan Maia!