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PBP Commentary |
Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between George Steve (ranked 2158 p4p, 214 weight class) and Zain Retherford (ranked 2996 p4p, 269 weight class). Steve's entrance music is Justin Bieber ft. Ariana Grande - Let Me Think Bout You. A fine choice. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!
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| 170 cm
22
150 lbs
6 - 4 - 0 |
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175 cm
19
150 lbs
1 - 1 - 0 |
Good wrestling
World class MT
Cardio machine |
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Good wrestler
Basic striking
Powerful |
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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
6 - 4 - 0, fighting out of London, George Steve!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of
1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Zain Retherford!
The judges for this bout are Igor Prikhodko, Aleksei Zolotukhin and Dmitry Maklakov.
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Retherford fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Steve uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Retherford.
Retherford throws a shot to the body.
Steve looks to land a left hand but Retherford moved out of range nicely.
Steve throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Retherford counters with a takedown into side control! That could mean trouble for Steve!
Steve is putting a lot of effort into getting back to his feet here.
Retherford cracks Steve with a big right hand but Steve just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
You can see the frustration on Steve's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Steve controls the position for a moment.
Steve is trying to control Retherford's posture but Retherford avoids it.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Retherford cracks Steve with a big right hand but Steve just smiles back at him and invites him to have another go.
You can see the frustration on Steve's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Retherford sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Steve is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.
Retherford scoring with punches from side control.
Retherford throwing strikes but Steve manages to buck up and roll into a nice reversal - now he's on top in side control!
Retherford tries to bench press Steve off him but Steve keeps the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Steve working the ground and pound from side control.
Retherford is looking to reverse the position.
Retherford can't do much from the bottom here.
Retherford tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Steve wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Steve wants to control but Retherford is keeping him busy.
Retherford dodges the ground and pound from Steve.
Retherford is looking to reverse the position.
Retherford wants to control but Steve postures up.
Steve trying to control the action but Retherford is working from the bottom.
Retherford is looking to reverse the position.
Steve fails to land a wild elbow strike.
Steve moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Retherford is looking to reverse the position.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Retherford is being controlled here.
Retherford manages to get back to half guard.
Retherford is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Retherford wants to control but Steve is keeping busy and won't allow it.
Steve trying to control the action but Retherford is working from the bottom.
Steve is pressing down on Retherford's thigh, looking to free his foot. Retherford is holding on for now.
Retherford slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Retherford keeping moving, preventing Steve from controlling successfully.
Retherford has his foot on Steve's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Steve works his way back into a safe position though.
Retherford looking for a sweep. Not yet Retherford, not yet.
The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Steve gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Steve gets through Retherford's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Retherford can't find room to land a body shot as Steve controls the action.
Steve tries to land a knee to the head but Retherford blocks with his arms.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Steve jumps guard but Retherford turns him against the cage and keeps the fight standing.
Steve working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Retherford wants to take the fight to the mat but Steve manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.
A close round but Zain Retherford will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.
Nice defenses there by Retherford.
Steve misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Steve is looking to clinch but Retherford is avoiding it.
Retherford misses with a hook.
No joy there for Retherford, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Steve lands with a hook. Retherford tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Steve scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Steve tries to clinch but Retherford moves out of range.
Retherford shoots in and gets a takedown into Steve's guard.
Steve throws some sloppy strikes off his back.
Steve keeping moving, preventing Retherford from controlling successfully.
Retherford tries to free his leg and advance position but Steve is retaining full guard.
Steve on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Steve tries to get out of the position.
Steve is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Retherford is aware though and is defending well.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Steve wants to sweep but no luck.
Retherford is looking to work some ground and pound but Steve has wrist control.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Retherford accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Retherford throws a big right hand that misses.
Steve looking to control.
Steve is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Steve looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Steve trying to control from half guard but Retherford is working away.
Retherford is looking to improve his position.
Retherford is pressing down on Steve's left leg trying to get back to full guard. He's managed it.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Retherford looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Steve trying to control but Retherford is working from the bottom.
Retherford looking to hit a scissor sweep but Steve is one step ahead there.
Retherford is trying to control the position from the bottom.
The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Retherford throws a lazy uppercut
and Steve counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Retherford misses with a wild body shot.
George Steve is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Retherford just misses with a punch to the body.
Retherford throws a body shot but no joy.
Retherford misses with a left hand
and Steve cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Retherford throws a body punch but Steve moves out of range.
Steve uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Retherford.
Steve has taken the fight to the clinch.
Retherford gets a trip takedown into half guard.
Retherford has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Retherford winds up and cracks Steve with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
Retherford trying to control from half guard but Steve is working away.
Retherford slips a nice elbow through Steve's hands, connecting with Steve's forehead.
Retherford looks to land a strike but Steve avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
Retherford pushing down on Steve's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Steve trying to control from the bottom.
Retherford trying to control from half guard but Steve is working away.
Retherford working the head and body with strikes.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Steve has hold of Retherford's hands but Retherford slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Steve punching from the bottom.
Nice strikes from Retherford there.
Retherford is trying to control the action in half guard but Steve is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Retherford passes to full mount!
Steve tries to hold on but Retherford pushes him away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.
Zain Retherford showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! And we move into the final round!
Steve has closed the distance and engaged Retherford in a clinch.
Steve misses with a knee strike.
Retherford dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Steve lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Nice body punch from Steve - that landed with a thud.
Steve is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Steve tries a knee to the head but Retherford blocks it.
Retherford is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Retherford drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Steve gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Retherford has dropped down and is looking to force the takedown but it's defended by Steve after a bit of a struggle.
George Steve has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Zain Retherford.
That's one minute gone in the round.
Steve lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Retherford backwards.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Retherford.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Steve obliges.
Steve tries to throw a body punch but Retherford avoids it by throwing Steve back against the cage.
Steve blocking some punches.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Steve takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Steve tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Retherford avoids it.
Steve misses with a hook to the ribs.
Steve displaying some good clinch control by pressing Retherford up against the cage.
That's two minutes gone in the round.
Retherford goes for a takedown attempt but Steve pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Steve looks to land a left hand but Retherford moved out of range nicely.
Steve connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Retherford momentarily.
Steve misses with a looping left.
Steve avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Retherford looks to score with a jab to the body but Steve is just out of range.
Retherford misses the shot to the body.
Steve scores with a one two! Retherford had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Steve keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Steve jabs Retherford right on the nose. Retherford blinks but takes it well.
Retherford is rocked!
Retherford drives through with a takedown into guard.
Retherford is still in real trouble! Can Steve finish him?
That's three minutes gone in the round.
Retherford wants to control from the top but Steve keeps moving.
Retherford seems to have recovered his senses.
Steve looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Retherford trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
George Steve has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Steve utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Steve avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Zain Retherford has got the better of the ground game so far.
Steve working a defensive guard but Retherford passes into half guard.
Retherford slips a nice elbow through Steve's hands, connecting with Steve's forehead.
Nice strikes from Retherford there.
Steve is working for an escape here. He's hooked one of Retherford's legs and he's managed to sneak out and take Retherford's back!
That's four minutes gone in the round.
Retherford wants to escape the position.
Retherford is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Retherford turns into Steve and is now in his guard.
Steve is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Retherford working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Steve's head.
Retherford is working the ground and pound from guard. He might want to try advancing position though to get more of an impact.
Zain Retherford is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Retherford trying to control but Steve is working from the bottom.
Steve working a defensive guard here.
And that's the end of the fight!
George Steve showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Retherford has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Igor Prikhodko scores the fight 28:29
Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 28:29
Judge Dmitry Maklakov scores the fight 29:28
In favor of your winner, by split decision... Zain Retherford!
Zain Retherford decided to go for the less than humble approach in his post fight interview, telling everyone how he is going to conquer the world. The crowd seemed to like it when really that sort of approach could have gone either way.
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| S |
C
A |
G |
S |
C
B |
G |
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S |
C |
G |
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energy
A | B |
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hype
A | B |
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pop
A | B |
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mgr
A | B |
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FIGHT
RATING
40% |
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