PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between michael shanks (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rico Carandang (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Carandang has a pretty significant injury - he really shouldn't be fighting right now but he's a warrior and he's here none the less! Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

shanks
vs
Carandang

185 cm
23
280 lbs
3 - 3 - 0

195 cm
22
240 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Great elbows
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, michael shanks!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Rico Carandang!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, Frank Antenori and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

shanks feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.
Carandang looks really tired already! That doesn't bode well for a good, competitive fight!
shanks is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
shanks trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
shanks trying to control but Carandang is working from the bottom.

shanks gets to his feet - Carandang follows without any prompting.

shanks looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Carandang being controlled here, momentarily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
shanks has controlled the position for a good 20 seconds, which will no doubt be starting to frustrate his opponent.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
shanks throwing strikes from guard but Carandang blocks nicely.
shanks preventing the sweep.
shanks controlling from the top position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
shanks's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
shanks wants to pass the guard but Carandang is keeping the position.

shanks stands up from Carandang's guard - shanks perhaps looking for a knockout.

shanks pushes Carandang up against the cage in a clinch.
Knees in the clinch landing for shanks.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

shanks escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
shanks tries to clinch up but Carandang circles away and keeps his distance.

shanks closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.

shanks stands up.
shanks swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Carandang avoids a punch combination nicely.
shanks scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Rico Carandang seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Carandang avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

shanks darts in and clinches Carandang up against the cage.

shanks's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
A right-left combo lands from shanks.

shanks gets to the clinch - let's see what his plan is here.
Carandang lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Carandang lands a damaging elbow.
Carandang working aggressively here.
shanks goes for a takedown attempt but Carandang pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
shanks shoots in but no luck this time.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

shanks closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Carandang avoids any damage from the ground and pound of shanks.
shanks remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
shanks trying to control the position but Carandang is working away.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
shanks tries to advance to mount but Carandang denies him.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

michael shanks dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

shanks is looking to clinch but Carandang is avoiding it.
shanks misses with a few strikes there.
Carandang misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
shanks swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Carandang.

shanks drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.

shanks stands and steps away. Carandang gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
shanks misses with a few strikes there.

Carandang gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
shanks trying to control but Carandang is working from the bottom.
shanks lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
shanks prevents Carandang from getting back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Carandang keeping moving, preventing shanks from controlling successfully.
Carandang is trying to keep shanks in close.
shanks is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Carandang keeping moving, preventing shanks from controlling successfully.

shanks decides to stand up and beckons his opponent to follow.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
shanks shoots in but Carandang avoids the takedown attempt easily.
shanks throws a combination. Carandang tries to block but a couple of punches get through.

shanks rushes Carandang and presses him up against the cage.
Carandang tried to land a shot to the body but connects with shanks's elbow.
Carandang digs a right hand underneath shanks's ribcage. shanks let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Carandang misses with a knee strike.
shanks can't break the clinch.
Carandang lands a nice uppercut.
Carandang gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
Carandang tries a body shot but shanks blocks it.
shanks takes a knee right on the jaw!
shanks blocks a body shot from Carandang.
Carandang landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Knees in the clinch landing for Carandang.
shanks fails to pull guard.
Carandang on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Carandang prevents shanks from breaking the clinch.

shanks escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Carandang slips a jab and a cross from shanks.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Carandang misses with a head kick.
shanks fails to land with a series of punches.
shanks bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Carandang's head.
shanks tries to clinch up.
shanks is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Carandang misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!

shanks closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
shanks trying to control the action but Carandang is working from the bottom.
A lull in the action here as shanks stalls from top position.
shanks in side control, throwing shots but Carandang defends.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
shanks has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for Carandang!
shanks controlling from the full mount.
shanks unloading with bombs!
shanks looking to control but Carandang is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

michael shanks dominated that second round.
That's time! shanks's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Carandang misses with a wild combination.

shanks moves into the clinch.
shanks drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.
shanks misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Carandang.
shanks wants a takedown but no success here.
Carandang prevents shanks from breaking the clinch.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Carandang.
Carandang swings wildly with an uppercut but shanks uses good head movement to avoid it.

shanks breaks the clinch.
shanks connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
A left and a right from shanks both land. Nice combination.
shanks scores with a three punch combo!
shanks shoots for a takedown but Carandang saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for michael shanks. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
shanks shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Carandang but Carandang pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Carandang misses with a double jab
and shanks counters with a two punch combo.
shanks throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Carandang lands a head kick!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Carandang thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on shanks if he has to take too many more of those.
Carandang falls off balance throwing a combination
and shanks counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

shanks moves into the clinch successfully.
Carandang blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
shanks is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
shanks works on Carandang's body with a couple of short punches.
shanks is working hard here but doesn't seem to be able to control effectively, up against the cage.
shanks tries to break the clinch but Carandang is controlling the position.
shanks managing to block the knees to the body from Carandang.
A right hook to the body lands for Carandang.

shanks pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
shanks shoots in and drives through. Carandang sprawls well.
shanks blocks a head kick by Carandang.
Carandang misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Carandang tries to bum rush shanks with a series of wild strikes but shanks uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
The fight stays on the outside here - shanks looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
shanks lands a really nice looking cross but Carandang seems unphased.
shanks looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Carandang keeps the fight on the outside.
Rico Carandang is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

shanks instigates a clinch.
shanks is looking to break free of the clinch but Carandang has double underhooks.

shanks's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Carandang misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Carandang turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
shanks looks to land a combination but Carandang avoids it well.

shanks changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Carandang looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
shanks has knee on belly and now moves to full mount! Trouble for Carandang!
shanks trying to control but Carandang is having none of it.
A nice elbow there by shanks.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
shanks controlling the position easily from mount.
shanks wants to control the pace but Carandang is squirming around nicely.
shanks looking to control and managing it successfully.
shanks can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Carandang is looking to escape.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
shanks is really struggling to control Carandang but he's trying to hold on to the position.
michael shanks overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
shanks takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
shanks trying to control but he's not successful this time.

And that's the end of the fight!
michael shanks showed his dominance in that final round.
Well shanks has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Jack Bonds scores the fight 30:27
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 30:27
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 30:26

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... michael shanks!