PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Jari Litmanen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rashad Byers (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.

Litmanen
vs
Byers

182 cm
25
208 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

184 cm
25
205 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Jari Litmanen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Rashad Byers!
The judges for this bout are Winston Alpacca, Dirk Anderson and Peter Branson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Byers slips under a jab.
Litmanen tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Byers was well out of range. Poor timing from Litmanen.
Litmanen tries a head kick but it misses.
Byers defending well as Litmanen loads up on a big left hand.
Litmanen slips a jab from Byers.
Byers on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Litmanen throws out a loose jab but Byers uses good head movement to avoid it.
Byers takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Byers blocks the body kick.
Litmanen fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Byers.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Litmanen looks to land a body kick but Byers moved away.
Litmanen misses with a hook. Byers ducked under it nicely.
Byers fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Litmanen manages to avoid it.
Litmanen dodges the punch combination from Byers.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Litmanen scores with a kick to the body.
Litmanen misses with a body kick.
Litmanen looks to land a right hand but Byers moved out of range.
Nice body punch from Litmanen.
Litmanen misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Byers.
Litmanen misses with a lunging right hand
and Byers counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Litmanen thinking.
Litmanen jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Jari Litmanen seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Litmanen stuns Byers with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Byers takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Litmanen lands a nice looking body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Litmanen throws a leg kick but Byers sees it coming and moves out of range.
Litmanen connects with a body shot.
Byers showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Litmanen.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Byers slips a straight right by Litmanen.
Litmanen looks for the body kick but Byers saw that one coming.
Byers jabs Litmanen to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Byers misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Byers takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Litmanen digs a good body shot into Byers's ribs.
Byers connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Litmanen momentarily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Litmanen misses with a two punch combination.
Litmanen throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
A shot to the liver by Litmanen. Beautiful body shot.
Litmanen scores with a leg kick.
Byers moves out of range of the strikes.
Litmanen throws a series of punches but Byers avoids them all with ease.

Byers rushes Litmanen and presses him up against the cage.
Litmanen tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
Byers controlling the action here for a moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Byers breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Byers uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Litmanen.
Byers throws a big shot that misses.
Litmanen is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Litmanen throws a lazy right hand but Byers sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Litmanen throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Byers.
Litmanen shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Byers eats them both and turns towards Litmanen to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Litmanen throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Whack! Litmanen lands a heavy head kick that drops Byers. The ref tackles Litmanen to stop the fight - a great save by the referee because Byers was done.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:56 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Head Kick). Jari Litmanen!