PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Willie Norris (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Baliayan Ibid (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Willie Norris has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Norris
vs
Ibid

195 cm
18
151 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

170 cm
18
145 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Determined

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 Amsterdam, Willie Norris!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Baliayan Ibid!
The judges for this bout are Saam Ante, Patrick Alders and Albert Achterberg.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ibid throws the left hand but Norris avoids the punch easily.
Ibid is looking to clinch.
Norris blocks a leg kick.

Ibid tries to sprawl but Norris drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Ibid is looking for a sweep. Norris is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Norris knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Ibid on the ground.
Norris seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Ibid trying to control here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Norris is taking a breather. Ibid 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.
Ibid is looking for a sweep. Norris is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Norris slows the pace down in half guard.
Norris really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Ibid pushes Norris off looking to stand but Norris dives back in and keeps control.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Norris takes a shot to the body in his stride.

Ibid gets caught napping as Norris dives in and scores a takedown. Ibid manages to retain guard.
Ibid is looking to stand back up... there's a bit of a scramble and Norris dives into side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Norris controls the position from side control.
Ibid gets back to half guard.
Ibid is trying to maintain the position but Norris is very close to passing his half guard.
Ibid tries to get to full guard but Norris has control of the leg.
Ibid gets back to full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ibid trying to control the position.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Ibid is on top in guard.

Norris is pulling down on Ibid's head. It's preventing any offense from Ibid, at least for the moment.
Norris utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Ibid preventing the sweep.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Ibid won't allow Norris to get back to his feet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Ibid wants to stand but Norris is controlling his posture from full guard.
Norris wants to sweep here but Ibid controlling him for the moment.
Norris manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Ibid manages to get himself to full guard.

Norris wants to control from the top but Ibid keeps moving.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Ibid bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Norris's guard.

And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Baliayan Ibid will probably get the nod.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Ibid misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
It looked like Norris was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.

Ibid closes the distance and clinches.
Norris tries to circle away but Ibid has him pinned against the cage.
Norris has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Norris drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Ibid manages to break the clinch.
Norris shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Ibid defends it nicely.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Norris scores a trip takedown into side control. Nice.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Norris prevents Ibid from escaping the position.
Ibid sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.
Ibid looks like he's trying to stand up.
Norris is trying to control the action in half guard but Ibid is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Norris is taking a breather. Ibid 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.
Ibid slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Ibid wants to stand and escape but Norris is having none of it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Ibid looking for a sweep. Not yet Ibid, not yet.
Ibid is trying to control the position but Norris postures up.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Ibid tries to clinch there but Norris circles away.
Baliayan Ibid seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Ibid closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Norris's guard.
Norris wants to get back to his feet but Ibid passes into half guard.

Norris is doing well to control the position and prevent Ibid from advancing to side control.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Norris is trying to stand up here but Ibid is controlling him well.
Norris is trying to maintain the position but Ibid is very close to passing his half guard.
Ibid frees up his trapped foot and advances to mount.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ibid putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Ibid controlling the position easily from mount.
Ibid avoids the attempt from Norris to control.
Ibid is trying to stand up but he's being controlled by his opponent.
Ibid trying to control but Norris is having none of it.
Norris is desperately trying to get back to half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ibid throws some wild stikes that Norris manages to avoid easily.
Ibid lands a heavy elbow.
Norris tries to control Ibid's body but Ibid pushes him off. Norris squirms to his side and now Ibid has his back!
Norris tries to break free.
Norris wants to get back to his feet.
Ibid has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

Ibid is staying calm and holding on to the back position, whilst working on a rear naked choke. Norris is defending well though. Ibid let's go of the attempt for now.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Ibid punishes Norris with strikes from the back mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Baliayan Ibid showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Norris gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Norris is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Ibid trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Norris looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Ibid tries to free his leg and advance position but Norris is retaining full guard.
Ibid showing good wrestling skills to control the position.
Norris working a defensive guard here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Ibid content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Ibid controls from within his opponent's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ibid looking to sit in guard and control but Norris gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Ibid seems keen to control Norris's posture.
Ibid looking to hit a scissor sweep but Norris is one step ahead there.
Norris slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.

Ibid throws his legs up looking for a submission but Norris uses it to pass to side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Norris just content to control the position.
Norris will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Norris looking to control but instead Ibid has slipped a leg in, to regain half guard.
Norris trying to control from half guard but Ibid is working away.
Ibid trying to control but Norris postures up.
Norris prevents Ibid from improving his position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Norris is stalling here. Ibid is in no mood to hang around though. He's locked up a kimura from the bottom! Norris seems to be keeping calm but he's forced to roll out of the hold and Ibid has ended up in side control on the top. Nice work.

Ibid stands up and we're back to a striking position.
Norris darts in looking for a takedown but Ibid gets double underhooks and turns Norris into the cage.
As Norris backs off Ibid throws a huge counter combo but Norris manages to avoid it all.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Norris misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.

Ibid gets in close and instigates a clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Ibid creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Still in the clinch, Norris scores with a nice short uppercut.

Norris manages to break the clinch.
The fight stays on the outside here - Ibid looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Ibid circles away from the clinch attempt.

Ibid shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Baliayan Ibid has got the better of the ground game so far.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Norris works his way to full guard. Good work.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Norris keeping moving, preventing Ibid from controlling successfully.
Willie Norris has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Baliayan Ibid is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Norris looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

And that's the end of the fight!
Baliayan Ibid comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Ibid 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 Saam Ante scores the fight 28:29
Judge Patrick Alders scores the fight 27:30
Judge Albert Achterberg scores the fight 28:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Baliayan Ibid!