PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Manuel Maniac (ranked 4461 p4p, 0 weight class) and Taj Balandabad (ranked 6024 p4p, 505 weight class). Manuel Maniac could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Taj Balandabad's chin.

Maniac
vs
Balandabad

180 cm
25
188 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

190 cm
25
195 lbs
0 - 2 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Manuel Maniac!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Taj Balandabad!
The judges for this bout are Lou da Vinci, Eddie Farnsworth and John Kavanagh.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Balandabad slips a jab and a cross from Maniac.

Balandabad gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Balandabad misses with a punch to the body.

Balandabad manages to break the clinch.
Balandabad avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
A punch combination from Maniac misses.
Maniac tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Balandabad paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Manuel Maniac seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Balandabad throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Maniac.

Maniac tries to keep at a distance but Balandabad has taken the fight into the clinch.
Maniac swings wildly with an uppercut but Balandabad uses good head movement to avoid it.
Maniac working aggressively here.
Balandabad tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Maniac avoids it.
A head punch on the inside from Maniac fails to land.
Balandabad misses with a shot to the kidneys.
A right handed body shot lands from Balandabad.
Balandabad lands a shot to the body.
Balandabad throws an elbow that misses.
Maniac swings wildly with an uppercut but Balandabad uses good head movement to avoid it.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Maniac swings wildly with an uppercut but Balandabad uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Balandabad.

Balandabad escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Maniac looks to clinch
and Balandabad counters with a slapping leg kick.
Maniac tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Maniac tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Maniac moves in looking to clinch but Balandabad pushes him off.
Balandabad scores with a body shot.
Maniac avoids a punch combination nicely.
Maniac is looking to clinch.
Balandabad throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Maniac tries to clinch there but Balandabad circles away.
Balandabad circles away from the clinch attempt.
Balandabad scores with a push kick.
Maniac will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Maniac drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maniac misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Balandabad.
Maniac tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Balandabad paws at him with a jab and circles away.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Maniac doesn't manage to clinch there - Balandabad circles away.
A slapping body kick lands there for Balandabad.
Maniac tries to close the distance and clinch but Balandabad swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Maniac tries to close the distance and clinch up but Balandabad swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Maniac fails in his attempt to clinch.
Maniac misses with a double jab

and Balandabad holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Balandabad lands a nice elbow.

Balandabad escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Balandabad is looking to slow Maniac down with leg kicks.
Maniac doesn't manage to clinch there - Balandabad circles away.
Maniac is looking to clinch but Balandabad is avoiding it.
Maniac tries to bum rush Balandabad with a series of wild strikes but Balandabad uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Maniac tries to close the distance and clinch up but Balandabad swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Balandabad circles away from the clinch attempt.
Maniac lands with an overhand left.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balandabad throws a leg kick which misses Maniac's front leg but catches the back leg as Maniac tries to avoid it.
Maniac is looking to clinch.
Maniac fails in his attempt to clinch.
Balandabad misses with a straight left.
Maniac was looking to counter that last move with a shot to the body but he didn't commit.
Maniac tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Balandabad manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Balandabad is trying to counter with his kicks.
Maniac misses with a double jab
and Balandabad makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Balandabad showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Maniac.
Balandabad misses with a wild body shot.
Balandabad lands a nice looking body kick.
Balandabad lands a front kick.
Oooooooooooh, not good. A low kick from Balandabad lands where it shouldn't have, right in the... well, you know what he did? He kicked him in the penis. He's injured, injured bad. The referee sends both fighters to their corners and Maniac has 5 minutes to recover. He's OK now though... a thumbs up from Maniac and we're back underway with a touch of gloves.
Maniac slips a jab from Balandabad.
Maniac tries to clinch there but Balandabad circles away.
Maniac is looking to clinch.
Maniac tries to clinch there but Balandabad circles away.
Maniac is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Balandabad dodges the punch combination from Maniac.

Balandabad forces Maniac back against the cage and clinches.
Balandabad lands an elbow just above Maniac 's eye.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Balandabad gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Maniac misses with some punches.
Maniac has a couple of punches blocked by Balandabad.

Balandabad breaks from the clinch.
Balandabad throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
Maniac is looking to clinch.
Maniac is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Maniac wants to clinch
and Balandabad counters with a leg kick.
Maniac doesn't manage to clinch there - Balandabad circles away.
Maniac takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Taj Balandabad dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Maniac tries to clinch up.
Balandabad lands a head kick!
Maniac wants to clinch.
Maniac is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Maniac connects with a combination that backs up Balandabad into the cage. Maniac lands a flurry of punches that gets past Balandabad's guard. Balandabad is down and the referee has seen enough. It is all over! Maniac bursts into tears - this win obviously means a huge amount to him.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:29 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Manuel Maniac!