PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between How Long (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Yhiro Zabu (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). On his way into the cage it seems that How Long has been attacked by a crazed fan! It looks like it might have been the just bleed guy! Luckily How Long seems to be OK! I thought that lunatic was in prison!?

Long
vs
Zabu

166 cm
21
150 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

168 cm
18
151 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Good chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Determined

Syndicate Drugs

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 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, How Long!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Yhiro Zabu!
The judges for this bout are , Timothy Bukovac and Jack Bonds.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Zabu wants to clinch up but Long keeps it at a distance.
Zabu tries to bum rush Long with a series of wild strikes but Long uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Long tries to clinch but Zabu moves out of range.
Zabu darts in trying to clinch

and Long counters by moving into the clinch.
Long tries to land knees in the clinch but Zabu avoids the damage to the body.
Zabu blocks the elbow strike.
Long tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Zabu takes a knee right on the jaw!

It looks like Yhiro Zabu has been cut.
Zabu missing with knees to the body.
Long connects with a knee to the head.
Long landing knees to the head.

Zabu is rocked!
Zabu is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Long is keeping busy.
Long with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Zabu is still on wobbly legs! Can Long finish him?
Knees to the body from Zabu.
Zabu seems to have recovered his senses.
Zabu is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Zabu is trying to maintain a safe position but Long gets an underhook and turns Zabu into the cage.
Long throws an elbow that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Long throws a knee to the head but misses.
Long tries to land a knee to the head but Zabu blocks with his arms.
Long lands an elbow that stopped Zabu in his tracks for a moment.
Long looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Long landing knees to the head.

That has opened up Yhiro Zabu's cut even more.
Long with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Zabu blocks the elbow strike.
Zabu avoiding damage as Long throws knees to the body.
Zabu changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Long fights it off and pushes away nicely.

Zabu shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Long is breathing heavily.

Long is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but Zabu pulls his head out easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Long wants to improve his position but Zabu is controlling well.
Long wants to control but Zabu is keeping busy.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Long is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Zabu is keen to just control but Long is a slippery customer.
Long tries to roll over but Zabu keeps him under control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Long strikes from the bottom but Zabu passes into mount!
Long really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Long throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
Long is squirming around, avoiding Zabu's attempts to control the action.
Long is desperately trying to improve his position but Zabu has a good base and remains in mount.
Long is working hard here to advance position.
Zabu working Long over with strikes here.
Long wants to hold on but Zabu pushes him away.

That's four 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.
Long keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Zabu is landing with some decent strikes but Long is trying to advance his position so the referee is letting the fight continue.
Zabu prevents Long from getting the reversal.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

How Long dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Yhiro Zabu's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Long wants to clinch but Zabu slips to the side
and Zabu counters with a leg kick.
Long tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Zabu misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Long tries to clinch up.

Zabu rushes Long and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Long misses with an elbow strike.
Long lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Long with an attempt at a knee that misses.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Zabu misses with a knee to the head.
Zabu using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Long has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Long tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Long lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Long lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Long throws a knee to the head but misses.
Long gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Long lands an elbow that stopped Zabu in his tracks for a moment.
Zabu blocks an elbow strike from Long.
Long throws an elbow that misses.
Zabu blocks an elbow strike from Long.
Long misses with a knee to the head.
Long misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Zabu.
Long throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Zabu blocks it with crossed arms.
Zabu wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Long has him pressed against the cage.
Long throws an elbow that misses.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Long just misses with a elbow thrown towards Zabu's brow.
Long using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Zabu has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Zabu tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Zabu stalling in the clinch but Long improves position.
Long stops a takedown attempt from Zabu.
Long throws an elbow but it's blocked.
Zabu stalling in the clinch but Long improves position.
Zabu blocks an elbow strike from Long.
With the fighters up against the cage, Long throws an elbow but misses.
Long misses with a knee strike.
Long avoiding damage as Zabu throws knees to the body.
Zabu looking to stall.

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.
Long tries to land a knee to the head but Zabu blocks with his arms.
Long looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Zabu is looking to control Long's arms but Long gets an underhook and turns him. Now Zabu has his back to the cage.
Long with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Zabu looking to slow down the pace here.
Long misses with a knee strike.
Zabu is looking to control Long's arms but Long gets an underhook and turns him. Now Zabu has his back to the cage.
Long looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Long throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Zabu blocks it with crossed arms.
Zabu missing with knees to the body.
Zabu lands an elbow inside.
Long tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Zabu wants to stall.
Long connects with a knee to the head.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
With the fighters up against the cage, Long throws an elbow but misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Long misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Zabu.
Long looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Zabu is trying to stall.
Long tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Long on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Long looking to throw knees to the head but Zabu is blocking nicely.
Zabu missing with knees to the body.
Zabu is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Long is keeping busy.
Zabu blocks the elbow strike.
Long connects with a knee to the head.
Zabu trying to land knees to the body.
Long misses with an elbow over the top.
Long throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Zabu blocks it with crossed arms.
Zabu wants to break the clinch but can't.
Zabu blocks an elbow strike.
Long using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Zabu has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Zabu is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Zabu blocks an elbow strike.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Long tries a knee to the head but Zabu blocks it.
Zabu managing to block the knees to the body from Long.
Long tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Long pushes off an throws an elbow but Zabu leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Long just misses with a elbow thrown towards Zabu's brow.
Long misses with an elbow over the top.
Zabu is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Long is keeping busy.
Long misses with a knee strike.
Nice elbow from Zabu.
Long throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Zabu blocks it with crossed arms.
Long tries a knee to the head but Zabu blocks it.
Zabu is trying to stall.
Zabu throws a knee to the head but misses.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Nice elbow from Long.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Long just misses with a elbow thrown towards Zabu's brow.
Zabu tries to pull guard but Long won't allow it.
How Long has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Yhiro Zabu.
Long throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Zabu blocks it with crossed arms.

Zabu breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Yhiro Zabu will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Yhiro Zabu's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Zabu fails with a takedown attempt.
Zabu wants to clinch but Long slips to the side

and Long counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Long lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Long not doing much here.
Long not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.

Long is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Long thows a huge punch but Zabu dodges it nicely.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zabu wants to control but Long is keeping busy.
Long throws a strike but Zabu avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Zabu keeping moving, preventing Long from controlling successfully.
Long is working Zabu over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.

Long gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.
Zabu tries for a takedown but Long circles away easily

and Long holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zabu is looking to control Long's arms but Long gets an underhook and turns him. Now Zabu has his back to the cage.
Long with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Zabu stalling in the clinch but Long improves position.
Long throws a knee to the head but misses.
Long lands a knee to the head.
Zabu looking to stall.
Long landing knees to the head.
Long landing knees to the head.
Long with a knee to the head.

Zabu manages to pull guard.
Long trying to control the position from guard on top but Zabu is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Long works over Zabu with some ground and pound from guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Long won't allow Zabu to get back to his feet.
Long lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Long trying to control the position from guard on top but Zabu is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Long postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Long with a flurry of punches that miss.
Long is working Zabu over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.
Long throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Long stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Zabu swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Long is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Long works over Zabu with some ground and pound from guard.
Long postures up and lands some nice ground and pound.
Zabu trying to keep a closed guard but Long is proving a slippery customer.
Long is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Long throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Long lands a couple of elbows.
Long pushing down on Zabu's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.

Zabu is defending against the submission attempts here by Long.

And that's the end of the fight!
How Long showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Long has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 30:27
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 30:28
Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... How Long!