PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Maxwell Green (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Zani Halabaz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Green
vs
Halabaz

175 cm
20
154 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

169 cm
19
145 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Tends to cut

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Maxwell Green!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Zani Halabaz!
The judges for this bout are Chris Downing, Cecil Peabody and George Francis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Halabaz is defended easily by Green.
Maxwell Green seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Sloppy strikes from Green. Those never looked like landing.
Halabaz misses with a series of wild punches.
Green keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Green dives in and grabs Halabaz's left leg, looking for a takedown. Halabaz pushes down on Green's head and hops out.

Halabaz clinches with his opponent.
Green tries to land a knee to the head but misses.

Halabaz breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Green darts in trying to clinch

and Halabaz moves into the clinch.
Halabaz pushes off an throws an elbow but Green leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Green working hard to break the clinch.
Green is working for a takedown up against the cage. He can't get it on this occasion though.
Green tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Halabaz avoids it.

Green's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Halabaz shoots in but no luck this time.
Maxwell Green has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Zani Halabaz.

Halabaz clinches up against the cage.

Halabaz's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Halabaz shoots for a double leg takedown but Green sprawls well. He's pushed Halabaz's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Green tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Green.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Halabaz.
Halabaz lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Green circles away quickly and effectively.
Green fails with the takedown.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nice takedown defense from Green. No joy for Halabaz on that attempt.
Halabaz throws a nice looking combination but Green bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.

Green has closed the distance and engaged Halabaz in a clinch.
Halabaz misses with a knee strike.
Green is trying to drag Halabaz to the mat but Halabaz just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Green takes a knee right on the jaw!
Halabaz misses with an elbow over the top.
Halabaz lands an elbow that stopped Green in his tracks for a moment.

Halabaz's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Halabaz tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Halabaz looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Green misses with a takedown attempt - Halabaz sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Halabaz misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Halabaz looks gassed!
Green shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Halabaz sprawls well. Halabaz wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Green gets slowly back to his feet.
Halabaz is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Halabaz wants to clinch up but Green keeps it at a distance.
Halabaz fails with a takedown attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Green fails with the takedown
and Halabaz counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Halabaz is trying hard to land a takedown here. Green sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.

Halabaz closes the distance and clinches.
Halabaz wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Halabaz fails to pull guard.
Green has had enough of the clinch but Halabaz keeps him there for the moment.
Green is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
Green has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Halabaz avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Halabaz is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Halabaz's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Green connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Halabaz scrambles back to his feet.
Green shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Halabaz as he avoids it easily.
Halabaz fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Green shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Halabaz pinned against the cage. Halabaz gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Green tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Halabaz counters with a two punch combo.
Halabaz is trying hard to land a takedown here. Green sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Halabaz displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Green.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Maxwell Green. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Halabaz shoots in for a takedown but Green shows good takedown defense.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Halabaz fails with the takedown.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Halabaz just misses with a punch to the body.
Green misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Halabaz avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Halabaz fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Green avoids it really well and circles away.
Zani Halabaz seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Halabaz slaps away a takedown attempt from Green, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Halabaz fails to land the takedown.
Green closes this distance looking for a takedown but Halabaz circles away.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Green tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Green shoots in and gets a takedown into Halabaz's guard.
Green throws and elbow that misses. Halabaz uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Green's guard. Nice move by Halabaz!
Green has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Halabaz throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Halabaz trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Green is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.

Halabaz avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Halabaz forces his way into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Halabaz is taking a breather. Green says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.

Halabaz is looking for a kimura but Green is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Halabaz to get the leverage.
Green is pressing down on Halabaz's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
Halabaz wants to control from the top but Green keeps moving.
Green controlling Halabaz's posture.
Green's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Halabaz won't allow Green to get back to his feet.
Halabaz stays in close to Green's body and controls the position.

Zani Halabaz has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Green avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
A head kick misses from Green.
Halabaz shoots in looking for a takedown. Green tries to sprawl out of it but Halabaz keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Green manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Green looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Halabaz is fending him off so far but Green persists. Nope, Halabaz circles away and we're back to standing.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Maxwell Green will probably get the nod.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Green lands a nice looking body shot.
Halabaz throws a low kick, looking for Green's leg but Green calmly moves out of range.
No luck for Green with that takedown attempt.
No luck for Green with that takedown attempt.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Halabaz.
Green leaves Halabaz with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Halabaz feints and then cracks Green's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Green down.

Halabaz shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Green napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Green is not content to let Halabaz control the position.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Green tries to bench press Halabaz off him but Halabaz keeps the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Halabaz throws an elbow but Green slips to the side and avoids it well.
Halabaz is pausing for a moment. What's he doing? It looks like he's clearing his nose. Oh dude! He's shot a load of snot all down Green's shoulder. That is not cool.
Green manages to work his way to half guard, despite Halabaz's best efforts.
Halabaz is thwarting Green's attempts to control the position.
Halabaz works his way into side control.
Halabaz trying to control the action but Green is working from the bottom.

Halabaz wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Green, who protects the arm well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Green tries to bench press Halabaz off him but Halabaz keeps the position.
Halabaz controls the position.
Green is trying to get back to half guard.
Green can't do much from the bottom here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Green is looking for a sweep.

Halabaz stands up and beckons Green to his feet.

Halabaz closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Green to the mat! Green manages to get full guard.
Halabaz has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Green is proving hard to escape from.
Green keeping full guard, as Halabaz tries to pass.
Green wants to stand but Halabaz is controlling the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Halabaz throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Green works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Halabaz must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Halabaz preventing the sweep.
Halabaz throws a big right hand that misses.
Green is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Halabaz's corner is telling him to maintain position.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Halabaz moves into the clinch.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Halabaz wants a takedown.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Green taking a breather.
Maybe Green would be better served going for some more strikes rather than trying to control so much.
Halabaz fails to pull the fight into his guard.

And that's the end of the fight!
Zani Halabaz comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Halabaz 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 Chris Downing scores the fight 28:29
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 28:29
Judge George Francis scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Zani Halabaz!