PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Neal Diaz (ranked 2016 p4p, 58 weight class) and Chiku Maneno (ranked 967 p4p, 26 weight class). Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Diaz
vs
Maneno

183 cm
33
159 lbs
16 - 11 - 1

178 cm
43
177 lbs
48 - 32 - 4

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Powerful

Hardcore Nutrition 160Q ($150)

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 16 - 11 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Neal Diaz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 48 - 32 - 4, fighting out of Las Vegas, Chiku Maneno!
The judges for this bout are Matheus Silva, Daniel Cesar and Emerson Jorge.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Maneno just misses with a punch to the body.
Maneno tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Diaz was well out of range. Poor timing from Maneno.

Diaz clinches up with Maneno and pushes him back against the cage.
Maneno has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.

Diaz successfully pulls guard.
Maneno would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.

Maneno decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Diaz, up you get!

Diaz drives through and clinches with Maneno against the cage.
Maneno tries to circle away but Diaz has him pinned against the cage.

Diaz has clasped his hands together around Maneno's back... aaand, he's got a takedown into side control. Nicely done.
Diaz moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.

Diaz tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Maneno is trying to escape and get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Diaz is looking to finish here, going for an Americana. Maneno knows the correct defense though, so he's OK.

Maneno throws his opponent off and manages to get back to his feet! Nicely done!

Diaz moves into range and clinches up with Maneno.

Diaz escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Diaz uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Maneno.

Diaz moves into the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Diaz lands with a short shot to the head.
Diaz misses with a knee to the head.
Diaz has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Maneno is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Maneno wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
A frustrated look appears on Maneno's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Diaz with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Maneno takes an elbow to the temple.
Maneno is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.

Diaz gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Diaz seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Maneno is trying to stand back up but Diaz is controlling him
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Maneno is refusing to be controlled, as Diaz sits in half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maneno won't allow Diaz to pass to mount.

Diaz is working for a submission of some sort.
The fighters are going at a pretty good pace and they're both starting to sweat now.
Diaz thows a huge punch but Maneno dodges it nicely.
Diaz stops Maneno from getting back to his feet.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

Diaz has taken the fight to the clinch.
Maneno is defending well against a takedown attempt.
Diaz keeps control of Maneno as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Maneno wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Maneno wants to break free but Diaz has control.
Maneno tries to circle away but Diaz has him pinned against the cage.
Maneno tries to circle away but Diaz has him pinned against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
Diaz makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.

Maneno breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
A looping hook to the body misses from Maneno. Diaz does a little dance to reset his feet.

Diaz is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Maneno's half guard.

Maneno has managed to escape just enough to sneak back to his feet but Diaz is on him like a limpet, forcing Maneno back against the cage.

Maneno breaks the clinch.
Maneno takes a swing at Diaz's ribcage but misses.
Maneno misses with an uppercut. Diaz saw that one coming.
Diaz dives in and grabs Maneno's left leg, looking for a takedown. Maneno pushes down on Diaz's head and hops out.
Maneno looks like he wants to counter punch here.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Neal Diaz. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Diaz closes the distance and clinches.
Diaz wants to take the fight to the mat but Maneno manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Diaz drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Maneno wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Diaz has him pressed against the cage.
Diaz tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Neal Diaz dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Diaz tries to clinch there but Maneno circles away.

Diaz closes the distance and clinches.

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

Maneno makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!
Maneno keeps the fight on the outside.
Maneno has been working on his striking defense in training and it's paying off as Diaz is landing a low percentage of strikes.
Maneno throws a body shot but no joy.
Maneno misses with an uppercut. Diaz saw that one coming.
Diaz fails to land the takedown.
Diaz wants to clinch but Maneno slips to the side
and Maneno counters with a straight right hand.
This has been an exciting period of action!
A jab from Maneno misses.
Diaz looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Diaz wants to clinch up but Maneno keeps it at a distance.
Diaz doesn't manage to clinch there - Maneno circles away.
Diaz moves in looking to clinch but Maneno pushes him off.
Maneno lands a glancing blow to the side of Diaz's head.
Maneno throws a hook but Diaz blocks it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Diaz throws a jab when Maneno was well out of range.
Maneno looks to land a right hand but Diaz moved out of range.
Diaz wants to clinch.
Maneno throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

Diaz closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Diaz lands in his opponent's guard.
Maneno keeping moving, preventing Diaz from controlling successfully.

Maneno has managed to wall walk up one of the corner posts to get back to his feet. Diaz is pushing him up against the cage, looking to control the position.
Maneno is looking to break free of the clinch but Diaz has double underhooks.

Diaz drags the fight down to the ground.
Diaz is trying to keep Maneno in close.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Diaz throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Diaz is looking for a triangle but Maneno pushes his legs off easily.
Maneno has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Diaz is proving hard to escape from.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Diaz is looking for a triangle but Maneno pushes his legs off easily.
Maneno wants to stand but Diaz is controlling his posture from full guard.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
Maneno swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Diaz staying out of range there.
Diaz defending well as Maneno loads up on a big left hand.
Maneno throws a shot to the body.
Maneno scores with a sloppy right hand. Diaz should have avoided that one.
No luck for Diaz with that takedown attempt.
Maneno misses the shot to the body.
Maneno darts in and out, connecting with a jab.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Diaz tries to clinch but Maneno moves out of range.
Chiku Maneno is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Maneno misses with a body shot.
Diaz uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Maneno.
Maneno misses with an uppercut. Diaz saw that one coming.
Diaz tries a head kick but it misses.
Maneno throws a body shot but no joy.
Maneno throws a shot to the body.
Maneno misses the shot to the body.
Maneno lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Diaz forces Maneno back against the cage and clinches.

Maneno breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Maneno swats away the attempt to clinch by Diaz.
Diaz wants to clinch up but Maneno keeps it at a distance.
Maneno stuffs the takedown attempt from Diaz. Diaz gets slowly back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Chiku Maneno 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! 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.

Maneno swings for the body but Diaz moves out of range.
Maneno misses with an uppercut.
Maneno has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Diaz tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Diaz with a poor takedown
and Maneno counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Maneno just misses with a punch to the body.
Diaz misses with a hook to the body
and Maneno counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Diaz ducks under a wild hook from Maneno.
Diaz is looking to counter punch.
Diaz tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Maneno manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Maneno connects with a single shot there.
Maneno throws a good cross that connects.
Maneno swings for the body but Diaz moves out of range.
Diaz is looking to counter punch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Maneno displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Diaz.
Diaz takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Chiku Maneno seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Diaz avoids the body shot from Maneno.
Diaz tries to counter with a takedown but Maneno is quick to defend against it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Diaz pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Maneno is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Diaz with a body shot.
Maneno lands with a straight right. Diaz didn't see that one coming.
Neal Diaz seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Diaz shoots in for a double leg but Maneno sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Neal Diaz. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
The fight stays on the outside here - Diaz looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Maneno misses with a wild body shot.
It appears Diaz was looking to counter with a kick there.
Maneno jabs Diaz to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Maneno tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Diaz was well out of range. Poor timing from Maneno.
Maneno misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Diaz.
Diaz tries to clinch up.
Maneno swats away the attempt to clinch by Diaz.
Maneno just misses with a punch to the body.
Maneno scores with a body shot.
Maneno is throwing a lot of body shots here, looking to wear down Diaz rather than just go for the knockout.
A left and a right from Diaz both land. Nice combination.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Maneno lands with a right hand.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Maneno connects with a body shot.
Diaz walks into a stiff left hand from Maneno.
Maneno misses with a looping right.
Maneno swings away with a body shot that misses
and Diaz counters with a straight right hand.
A looping hook to the body misses from Maneno. Diaz does a little dance to reset his feet.
Diaz tries to clinch but Maneno is having none of it.
Maneno lands a nice hook to Diaz's body. Diaz takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
Maneno throws a body punch but Diaz moves out of range.
Maneno fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Diaz manages to avoid it.

Diaz gets a clinch.
Diaz prevents Maneno from breaking the clinch.
Maneno prevents the takedown attempt.

Maneno's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Maneno throws a lazy right hand but Diaz sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Diaz takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Maneno throws a predictable looking body shot
and Diaz counters with a series of strikes. Maneno will be more careful next time no doubt.
Diaz paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.

Diaz shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Diaz was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!

Maneno is wriggling around trying to escape but Diaz has hooked up a rear naked choke! Is it over??? Is it... you're damn right it is! Maneno taps out and Diaz picks up the big win! Great work there by Diaz!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:21 of round 3, we have a winner by way of Submission (RNC). Neal Diaz!
In his post fight interview, Neal Diaz gave a big smile as he said 'Savage Goon, you’re taking everything I work for, motherfucker. I’m gonna fight your fucking ass. You know what the real fight—the real money fight—is: Me. Not these clowns that you already punked at the press conference. Don’t no one want to see that. You know you beat them already. Th'.