PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Sam Rinaldi (ranked 1888 p4p, 241 weight class) and Chief Tomahawk (ranked 2675 p4p, 320 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Rinaldi
vs
Tomahawk

187 cm
32
195 lbs
14 - 4 - 0

185 cm
26
184 lbs
7 - 1 - 1

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Dangerous knees
Good gas tank

Urban Fighter

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 14 - 4 - 0, fighting out of London, Sam Rinaldi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 7 - 1 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Chief Tomahawk!
The judges for this bout are Konstantin Menshow, Fedor Mirinova and Sergei Dronov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rinaldi looks to score with a jab to the body but Tomahawk is just out of range.
Tomahawk tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Rinaldi paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Tomahawk has taken the fight to the clinch.

Rinaldi pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Tomahawk doesn't manage to clinch there - Rinaldi circles away.

Tomahawk clinches.
A battle for position here, against the cage.

Rinaldi's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Tomahawk fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Rinaldi sprawls well initially but Tomahawk persists and gets the takedown into half guard.

Tomahawk gets to his feet - back to striking we go!
Tomahawk tries to close the distance and clinch but Rinaldi swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.

Tomahawk moves into the clinch.
Rinaldi misses with a punch on the inside.
Tomahawk lands an elbow that stopped Rinaldi in his tracks for a moment.

It looks like Sam Rinaldi has been cut.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!

Rinaldi is trying to trip Tomahawk. He has hold of a leg but Tomahawk is hopping around, keeping his balance for the moment. Rinaldi persists though and gets the takedown into guard.
Tomahawk wants to stand but Rinaldi is controlling the position.
Tomahawk told us pre-fight that he has been working on his escapes in training. Let's see if he can call on some of his new skills to get back to his feet.
Tomahawk is trying to keep Rinaldi in close.
Rinaldi controls from within his opponent's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rinaldi is looking to work some ground and pound but Tomahawk has wrist control.
Rinaldi trying to control but Tomahawk is working from the bottom.
Rinaldi has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Tomahawk utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Tomahawk wants to stand and escape but Rinaldi is having none of it.
Rinaldi throws a big right hand that misses.
Rinaldi in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rinaldi stops Tomahawk from standing up.
We've been hearing that Rinaldi has been drilling a lot of ground and pound in training, so let's see if he get the finish.
Tomahawk is using up a lot of energy trying to get back to his feet. Perhaps he should improve his position first.

That's two 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.
Rinaldi throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Rinaldi pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Tomahawk is keeping the position for now.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rinaldi wants to control from the top but Tomahawk keeps moving.
Rinaldi throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Rinaldi wants to control from the top but Tomahawk keeps moving.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Chief Tomahawk seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Tomahawk pushes Rinaldi up against the cage in a clinch.
Rinaldi is trying to drag Tomahawk to the mat but Tomahawk just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Tomahawk lands an elbow just above Rinaldi 's eye.
Tomahawk looks to throw an elbow but misses.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Tomahawk just misses with a elbow thrown towards Rinaldi's brow.
Rinaldi is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Tomahawk creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Rinaldi's defenses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tomahawk pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Rinaldi wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Rinaldi blocks the elbow strike.

Rinaldi has hold of one of Tomahawk's legs. Tomahawk is fighting the takedown attempt but Rinaldi gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
Tomahawk working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Rinaldi.
Tomahawk wants to stand but Rinaldi is controlling the position.
Rinaldi trying to control but Tomahawk is working from the bottom.
Rinaldi stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Tomahawk swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Rinaldi won't allow Tomahawk to get back to his feet.
Tomahawk preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Rinaldi wants to control from the top but Tomahawk keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rinaldi is stalling in the full guard.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Rinaldi lands a glancing blow to the side of Tomahawk's head.

It looks like Chief Tomahawk has been cut.
Tomahawk ducks under a wild hook from Rinaldi.
Tomahawk walks into a jab.

Tomahawk clinches up with Rinaldi and pushes him back against the cage.

Rinaldi has picked Tomahawk up - he's going for a ride! Rinaldi dumps his opponent to the mat with a thud and settles into half guard.

Tomahawk manages to create a bit of space in order to work his way back to his feet. Rinaldi keeps hold of his opponent and drives him back against the cage.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Rinaldi has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Tomahawk is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Rinaldi can't break the clinch.
Rinaldi prevents the takedown attempt.
Tomahawk is defending well against a takedown attempt.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Sam Rinaldi. That's going to take a lot out of him.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Tomahawk.

Sam Rinaldi's cut is getting worse.
Tomahawk lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.
Rinaldi wants to get back to striking at distance but Tomahawk won't allow it.
Tomahawk will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Rinaldi up against the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Chief Tomahawk dominated that round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Rinaldi lands a body shot.
Tomahawk moves in looking to clinch but Rinaldi pushes him off.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Rinaldi, as that shot connected.
Rinaldi scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Tomahawk doesn't seem bothered though.

Tomahawk rushes Rinaldi and presses him up against the cage.
Rinaldi swings wildly with an uppercut but Tomahawk uses good head movement to avoid it.

Tomahawk manages to break the clinch.
Rinaldi cracks Tomahawk with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Rinaldi works Tomahawk's body with a nice hook.
Tomahawk walks into a jab.
Tomahawk moves in looking to clinch but Rinaldi pushes him off.
Rinaldi circles away from the clinch attempt.
Rinaldi scores with a punch to the head.

Tomahawk is rocked!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Tomahawk tries to clinch there but Rinaldi circles away.
Tomahawk is still on wobbly legs! Can Rinaldi finish him?
Rinaldi swinging wildly here.
Rinaldi throws an overhand right that drops Tomahawk like a sack of potatoes! Rinaldi dives in to finish the fight with more strikes and this one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:56 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Sam Rinaldi!
Sam Rinaldi seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.