PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Ryo Kenzhen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Jay Burch (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The key to victory for Ryo Kenzhen has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Kenzhen
vs
Burch

177 cm
18
157 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

164 cm
23
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Ryo Kenzhen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Jay Burch!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kenzhen tries to clinch but Burch moves away

and Burch decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Kenzhen's guard.
Burch trying to control but Kenzhen is working from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Kenzhen not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Burch wants to pass the guard but Kenzhen is keeping the position.
Kenzhen keeping moving, preventing Burch from controlling successfully.
Kenzhen trying to control the position.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Kenzhen throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Burch takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Burch throws a chopping leg kick but Kenzhen manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Kenzhen shoots in and drives through. Burch sprawls well.
Kenzhen fails with the takedown

and Burch counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Burch.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Burch successfully pulls guard.

Burch is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

Kenzhen got a little sloppy there for a moment and Burch has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Kenzhen has managed to get both his arms back between Burch's legs - danger averted.
Burch looks gassed!
Burch keeping full guard, as Kenzhen tries to pass.
Kenzhen will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Burch keeping moving, preventing Kenzhen from controlling successfully.

Kenzhen drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Kenzhen jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Kenzhen wants to control from the top but Burch keeps moving.

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.
Burch controls Kenzhen momentarily but Kenzhen frees himself.
Burch working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Kenzhen.

Kenzhen thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Burch has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Kenzhen wants to control from the top but Burch keeps moving.
Burch looking for a sweep. Not yet Burch, not yet.
Burch keeping moving, preventing Kenzhen from controlling successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
It looks like the ref is thinking about a standup.
Kenzhen is looking to work some ground and pound but Burch has wrist control.
Burch keeping moving, preventing Kenzhen from controlling successfully.

Ryo Kenzhen has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Kenzhen stalks Burch and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Burch's face. Burch staggers backwards, shaken.
Kenzhen fails with an attempt to clinch.
Kenzhen fails to land the takedown.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Ryo Kenzhen. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Burch doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Kenzhen throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Burch stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Kenzhen tries to close the distance and clinch up but Burch swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Kenzhen tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Burch manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Burch moves out of range of the body kick from Kenzhen.
Kenzhen tries to clinch but Burch is having none of it.
Kenzhen fails in his attempt to clinch.
Burch moves out of range as Kenzhen throws a body kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kenzhen keeps the fight on the outside.
Kenzhen misses with a jab, cross combination.
Burch checks a leg kick nicely.
Kenzhen moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Kenzhen tries to close the distance and clinch but Burch swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Kenzhen tries to clinch up.
Kenzhen feints a jab promting Burch to slip. Kenzhen then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Burch slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.
Ryo Kenzhen seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Kenzhen shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Burch sprawls well. Burch wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Kenzhen gets slowly back to his feet.
Kenzhen misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Kenzhen is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Kenzhen tries to clinch up.
Decent striking displayed by Kenzhen there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Jay Burch will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Kenzhen tries for a takedown but Burch sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Kenzhen tries to land a leg kick but Burch saw it coming and moves away.
Burch takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Kenzhen with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Kenzhen tries to clinch up.
Kenzhen is looking to clinch but Burch is avoiding it.
Kenzhen misses with an attempted mid kick.

Burch closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Kenzhen wants to improve his position but Burch is controlling well.

Kenzhen looking for submissions off his back.
Kenzhen is trying to control but can't.
Burch is breathing heavily.

Kenzhen is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Burch pulls his head out easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The fighters are battling for position here. Kenzhen manages to regain full guard. Nice work.

Kenzhen has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Burch off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Kenzhen misses with a low kick.

Burch dives in and scores a takedown into Kenzhen's guard.
Kenzhen manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Kenzhen trying to control but Burch is having none of it.
Burch blocking the ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kenzhen misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Kenzhen trying to control but he's not successful this time.

Kenzhen is thinking about an arm triangle here, looking to tighten it up before moving to side control. Burch can see it coming though and defends well with a couple of strikes to the head and some good arm positioning.
Kenzhen content just to control the position here.
Kenzhen trying to control but Burch is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kenzhen punching from mount but Burch doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Burch is in a horrible position here. Kenzhen smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Kenzhen misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Kenzhen looking to control but Burch is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Kenzhen tries to stand up but he's trapped just for the moment.

Kenzhen working for a submission here. He's tucked his head under his opponent's arm, looking for an arm triangle. He's hopped off into side control, looking to tighten the submission... is it going to work? He's given up a good position looking for it. Burch looks OK. Oh, I spoke too soon, he's out! That must have been tighter than I thought! Excellent work there by Kenzhen! Submission of the night perhaps?

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:18 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Arm Triangle). Ryo Kenzhen!