PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Aaron Pheonix (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Werner Arber (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Pheonix comes into the arena with World Is Not Enough blaring out of the sound system. Arber has chosen Pink Floyd - Money as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Pheonix
vs
Arber

172 cm
21
150 lbs
5 - 2 - 0

191 cm
21
159 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Very strong

ADCC Champion
Decent boxing
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Aaron Pheonix!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Werner Arber!
The judges for this bout are Anthony Taglia, Steve Montenegro and Reed Andrews.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Arber lunges at Pheonix with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Pheonix's hand.
Arber misses with a low kick.
Arber has a takedown stuffed.
Arber lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Pheonix backs up against the cage.
Arber throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
The fighters circling - Arber throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Arber throws the left hand but Pheonix avoids the punch easily.
Arber fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Pheonix ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Pheonix tries a head kick but it misses.
Pheonix avoids the body shot from Arber.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Arber throws a nice looking combination but Pheonix bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Pheonix pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Arber throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Arber connects with a good right hand that stumbles Pheonix. Pheonix circles away out of range and recomposes himself.
Arber avoids the head kick by Pheonix.
Arber scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Arber cracks Pheonix with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Arber misses with a leg kick
and Pheonix makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. Arber really felt that one!
Aaron Pheonix is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Nice shot lands for Arber.
Arber is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Arber throws a jab when Pheonix was well out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Arber lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Pheonix circles away quickly and effectively.
Arber has a takedown stuffed.
Arber misses the shot to the body.
A jab from Arber misses.
Pheonix keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Arber avoids the head kick by Pheonix.
Pheonix misses with a body kick.
Arber looks to land a left hand but Pheonix moved out of range nicely.
Arber fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Pheonix looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pheonix tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Arber connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Pheonix moves away from the strike by Arber.
Arber thows a body shot but no joy.
Arber jabs at Pheonix's body.
Pheonix slips a jab from Arber.
Arber lands a nice shot to the body.
Arber throws a lazy right hand but Pheonix sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Arber catches Pheonix with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Good exchange - Arber coming out on top.
A low kick from Arber is predictable there
and Pheonix makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. Arber really felt that one!
Arber looks gassed!
Arber lands a lovely overhand right.
Arber just misses with a punch to the body.
Arber avoids the head kick by Pheonix.
Pheonix tries a low kick but Arber avoids it.
Arber is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.
Pheonix staying out of range there.
Pheonix walks into a left hand.
Werner Arber seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Arber swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Arber throws a hook but Pheonix blocks it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Werner Arber dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Pheonix has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Arber misses with an uppercut. Pheonix saw that one coming.
Pheonix ducks under a wild hook from Arber.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Arber.
Arber looks to score with a jab to the body but Pheonix is just out of range.
Pheonix throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Arber fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Pheonix manages to avoid it.
Pheonix uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Arber.
A lazy left from Arber finds it's target.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Arber shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Pheonix defends it nicely.
Pheonix throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Arber dives in and grabs Pheonix's left leg, looking for a takedown. Pheonix pushes down on Arber's head and hops out.
Aaron Pheonix has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Werner Arber.
Arber misses with a wild combination.
Arber misses the jab.
Arber lands with a shot to the body.
Arber swings and misses with a hook to the body.

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.
Pheonix uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Arber.
Pheonix slips under a jab from Arber.
Pheonix throws a sloppy head kick and Arber moves out of range easily.
Arber wants to slow Pheonix down by chopping away at his legs.
Arber just misses with a punch to the body.
Arber blocks the body kick.

Arber shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Arber throwing punches and elbows but they're not doing any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Arber thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Pheonix's head.
Arber missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Arber throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Pheonix is trying to control but can't.
Arber thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Pheonix's head.
Arber throwing shots but Pheonix is blocking nicely.
Arber lands with a punch from half guard.
Pheonix might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Arber uses his free foot to push down on Pheonix's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Pheonix.
Pheonix holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Arber tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Arber pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Arber unloads with some shots from mount but Pheonix bucks and avoids them well.
Pheonix taking shots to the head.
Pheonix in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Arber with shots to the head and body - Pheonix looks very uncomfortable down there.
Arber working Pheonix over with strikes here.
Arber unloads with some shots from mount but Pheonix bucks and avoids them well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Werner Arber showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! And we move into the final round!

No luck for Arber with that takedown attempt.
Arber fails with the takedown.
Pheonix tries to land a leg kick but Arber saw it coming and moves away.
Pheonix throws out a leg kick but Arber moves out of range and Pheonix only half commits.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Pheonix throws a head kick that misses.
A punch combination from Arber misses.
Arber fails to land with a series of punches.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A combination from Arber does no damage.
Arber with a nice cross.
Pheonix misses with a head kick.
Pheonix bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Arber tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Pheonix was well out of range. Poor timing from Arber.
Pheonix tries a head kick but it misses.
Arber sizes up Pheonix with a pawing jab and scores with a straight right down the middle.
Pheonix walks into a straight right hand from Arber.
Arber blocks a head kick by Pheonix.

Arber looking to shoot here. He's gone for it and he's landed a takedown into mount! Oh, that's bad for Pheonix!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Arber connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Arber unloads with some shots from mount but Pheonix bucks and avoids them well.
Werner Arber is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Arber controlling the pace for now.
Pheonix is working to get back to half guard.
Aaron Pheonix has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Arber content just to control the position here.
Arber lands a heavy elbow.
Arber controlling from mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.

And that's the end of the fight!
Werner Arber comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Arber has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Anthony Taglia scores the fight 27:30
Judge Steve Montenegro scores the fight 27:30
Judge Reed Andrews scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Werner Arber!