PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Greg Bickford (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Derrick Salvato (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Salvato has a pretty significant injury - he really shouldn't be fighting right now but he's a warrior and he's here none the less! Derrick Salvato is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Bickford
vs
Salvato

188 cm
22
230 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

191 cm
19
228 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Improved boxing
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight 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, Greg Bickford!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Derrick Salvato!
The judges for this bout are Alan Glass, Frank Dennis and Daniel Franklin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Salvato moves out of range of the body kick.
Salvato looks really tired already! That doesn't bode well for a good, competitive fight!
Bickford looking to land some kicks to the body here.

Bickford gets a takedown into half guard.
Bickford slips a nice elbow through Salvato's hands, connecting with Salvato's forehead.
Bickford tries to stand but his hand is stuck under Salvato.
Bickford looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bickford tries to pass the half guard into mount. Salvato knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Bickford is figuring out what he wants to do next.

Bickford stands up from half guard.

Bickford scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.
Salvato is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Bickford asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Bickford creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bickford lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Salvato down.
Bickford controlling the position.
Salvato takes a big shot right to the temple there but he's taken it well.
Bickford just content to control the position.
Bickford seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Salvato for as long as he can get away with.
Bickford'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 three minutes gone in the round.

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

Bickford closes the distance and clinches.
Bickford has had enough of the clinch but Salvato keeps him there for the moment.
Bickford has had enough of the clinch but Salvato keeps him there for the moment.
Salvato managing to block the knees to the body from Bickford.

Bickford jumps into guard, dragging Salvato to the mat.
Bickford throws a couple of shots from the bottom but they don't land.
Bickford wants to sweep here but Salvato controlling him for the moment.
Bickford is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Bickford pulls Salvato in close to prevent any damage.
Bickford looking to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Bickford wants to stand but Salvato is controlling the position.

Bickford looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Salvato is looking to stand up but Bickford won't let him.

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

Bickford closes the distance and clinches up, looking for a takedown. He shifts his weight and gets a nice trip into half guard.
Bickford stalling.

Bickford stands up from half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Greg Bickford dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Bickford drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Bickford slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Salvato keeping moving, preventing Bickford from controlling successfully.

Bickford gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.

Bickford drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Bickford wants to stand but Salvato is controlling his posture from full guard.
Bickford sitting in guard here, content to control.
Bickford tries to free his leg and advance position but Salvato is retaining full guard.
Salvato is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bickford trying to control but Salvato is working from the bottom.
Salvato wants to stand up but Bickford is controlling him.
Bickford landing with the ground and pound.
Salvato keeping full guard, as Bickford tries to pass.

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

Bickford scores a takedown into full mount!
Salvato is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Bickford controlling his opponent.
Salvato is trying to escape the mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Bickford is standing up out of mount! Strange tactic there - he must really want this one on the feet!
Bickford throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Salvato's waist but Salvato gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Bickford off to one side.
Salvato throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.

Bickford shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Bickford showed some decent athleticism there.
Bickford wants to control but Salvato is keeping him busy.
Bickford keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Bickford is looking to advance position but Salvato won't allow it.
Bickford working over Salvato with some ground and pound. Salvato looks like he wants out of this position, which is understandable.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bickford content to control rather than advance.
Bickford lands strikes from half guard.
Bickford trying to pass the guard but Salvato defending well.
Bickford keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Bickford prevents Salvato from improving his position.
Bickford knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Salvato on the ground.
Bickford scores with a couple of good hammerfists.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bickford controlling the action here.
Salvato won't allow Bickford to pass to mount.
Bickford slips a nice elbow through Salvato's hands, connecting with Salvato's forehead.
Bickford content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.
Bickford trying to control the action but Salvato is working from the bottom.
Bickford drops an elbow to the side of Salvato's head.
Bickford is trying to control the action in half guard but Salvato is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Greg Bickford dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Bickford clinches with his opponent.
Bickford drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Bickford taking a break, stalling in the clinch.

Bickford breaks the clinch.

Bickford instigates a clinch.

Bickford turns his back and goes for a hip toss. It's a bit messy but it gets the job done and Bickford manages to end up in side control.
Salvato struggling a bit here.
Salvato being controlled for a moment.

Bickford working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Salvato is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Bickford's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bickford controlling the action here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Salvato is trying to stand back up but Bickford is controlling him
Salvato is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Bickford's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Bickford's back!
Bickford is trying to break free.
Bickford trying to control but he's just got himself in more trouble.
Bickford is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Bickford is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Greg Bickford just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Bickford fails with a takedown attempt.

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.
Salvato checks a low kick from Bickford.
Bickford throws a nice looking combination but Salvato bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
BOOM! Bickford lands a beautiful left hook that drops Salvato. Salvato tries to recover but Bickford is having none of it, landing more punishing shots from mount. One final crushing shot and Salvato lies motionless on the canvas. The fight is over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:22 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Greg Bickford!