PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between david byrd (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Drew Byrd (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The crowd seem to be enjoying Byrd's choice of entrance music: false pretense. We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

byrd
vs
Byrd

187 cm
18
189 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

173 cm
18
196 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Basic striking
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Basic striking
Solid chin

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, david byrd!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Drew Byrd!
The judges for this bout are , and Jack Bonds.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The fight stays on the outside here - byrd looks like he's thinking about clinching though.

byrd closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
byrd wants to lay and pray for a moment but Byrd keeps working.
The referee asks byrd politely if he wouldn't mind getting on with it and actually doing something. byrd prefers to stall for the moment though.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Byrd is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on byrd's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Byrd tries to roll over but byrd keeps him under control.
Byrd throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
byrd looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Byrd has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. byrd is working away from the top position though.
byrd trying to control the action but Byrd is working from the bottom.
byrd performing his best blanket impression for a moment.
Byrd 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.
byrd is keen to just control but Byrd is a slippery customer.
Byrd blocking the ground and pound attempt from byrd.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.

Byrd instigates a clinch.
Byrd cracks byrd with a nice body shot.
A head punch on the inside from Byrd fails to land.

Byrd breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Byrd closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Byrd lands in his opponent's guard.
byrd looking for a sweep. Not yet byrd, not yet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Byrd with a flurry of punches that miss.
Byrd trying to control but byrd is working from the bottom.
byrd trying to keep a closed guard but Byrd is proving a slippery customer.
Byrd has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of byrd is proving hard to escape from.
byrd wants to stand and escape but Byrd is having none of it.
Byrd with a nice head shot there.
Byrd makes a bit of distance and scores with some ground and pound, still in guard.
byrd is breathing heavily.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
A slapping body kick lands there for byrd.

That's three minutes gone in the 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!
Byrd is in the full mount, landing strikes.
byrd tries to hold on but Byrd postures up.
byrd is looking to get to half guard.
byrd wants to hold on but Byrd pushes him away.
byrd is working to get back to half guard.
byrd slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The fighters are battling for position here. byrd manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
byrd wants to sweep but no luck.

byrd looking for a guillotine here but Byrd defends easily.
byrd working a defensive guard here.
Byrd postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
byrd not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Byrd looks to land a right hand but byrd moved out of range.
byrd fails with the takedown

and Byrd moves into the clinch.

Byrd manages to break the clinch.
Byrd fails with the takedown

and byrd moves into the clinch.
byrd drops down looking for an ankle pick but Byrd pulls his leg out and moves away.
byrd with a poor takedown

and Byrd counters with a nice double leg into side control. byrd won't be happy with that.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for david byrd. That's going to take a lot out of him.
byrd tries to get back to half guard but can't.
byrd struggling a bit here.
byrd is looking to regain half guard here but Byrd keeps moving and retains side control.
Byrd working away.
byrd taking punishment in the form of punches.
byrd tries to strike but it doesn't land.

That's one minute gone in the round.
byrd is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Byrd is looking to take a break and control but byrd is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Byrd fails with the takedown

and byrd counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

byrd has picked Byrd up - he's going for a ride! byrd dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.
Byrd controlling the position for now.
Byrd has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Byrd works his way to full guard. Good work.

Byrd kicks byrd off and gets to his feet.

Byrd gets a takedown into half guard.
Byrd thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed byrd's head.
Byrd controlling the action here.
byrd works his way to full guard. Good work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
byrd wants to control but Byrd passes easily into half guard.
byrd wants to control but Byrd is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Byrd is pressing down on byrd's thigh, looking to free his foot. byrd is holding on for now.

Byrd is working for a submission of some sort.
byrd trying to control here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Byrd misses with a takedown attempt

and byrd counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Byrd is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

byrd manages to break the clinch.

byrd scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Byrd striking from the bottom but nothing landed.
byrd wants to control for a moment but Byrd uses the opportunity to move back to half guard.
byrd is looking to escape.
byrd trying to control from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
byrd trying to get back to full guard but Byrd takes advantage of the position and moves to full mount!
byrd keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
byrd is working hard here to advance position.
Byrd in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
byrd working to try and regain half guard.
byrd is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
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.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Byrd shoots and misses

and byrd counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Byrd is refusing to be controlled, as byrd sits in half guard.
byrd stalling away here and it's allowed Byrd to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Byrd keeping moving, preventing byrd from controlling successfully.
Byrd takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

The referee stands the fighters back up. david byrd just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.

byrd shoots in for a takedown and gets it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
byrd is trying to control the action in half guard but Byrd is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Byrd wants to get back to his feet.
byrd trying to control the action but Byrd is working from the bottom.
Byrd wants to get back to full guard.
Byrd is trying to maintain the position but byrd is very close to passing his half guard.
Byrd is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Byrd fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with byrd, pushing him back against the cage.

Byrd jumps into guard, dragging byrd to the mat.
Byrd has byrd pulled in close to control his posture.
Byrd keeping moving, preventing byrd from controlling successfully.
Byrd striking from the bottom.
byrd tries to free his leg and advance position but Byrd is retaining full guard.
Drew Byrd has got the better of the ground game so far.
Byrd keeping moving, preventing byrd from controlling successfully.

Byrd kicks byrd off and gets to his feet.
byrd wants to clinch.

byrd drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
byrd trying to control but Byrd is working from the bottom.
byrd is really struggling to control Byrd but he's trying to hold on to the position.
byrd slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
byrd in side control, just content to control the action for now.
Byrd prevents byrd from moving into mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Byrd is trying to buck byrd off.
david byrd has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
byrd working the strikes but Byrd uses the opportunity to regain half guard.
Byrd wants to improve his position but byrd is controlling well.
Byrd is refusing to be controlled, as byrd sits in half guard.
Byrd wants to improve his position but byrd is controlling well.

byrd looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Byrd scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.

And that's the end of the fight!
david byrd showed his dominance in that final round.
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 Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 28:29
Judge Suge Night scores the fight 28:29
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 28:29

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