PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Danylo Belenuik (ranked 4795 p4p, 2864 weight class) and Frank Rizzo (ranked 352 p4p, 242 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?

Belenuik
vs
Rizzo

160 cm
21
135
3 - 5 - 0

172 cm
21
149
5 - 3 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter fighter
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Great elbows
Granite chin

Groove Gear
NARCOS

Conviction

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 3 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Danylo Belenuik!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Frank Rizzo!
The judges for this bout are Gregory Folan, Ian Loll and Elvis Blanc.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rizzo bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Rizzo throws a low kick, looking for Belenuik's leg but Belenuik calmly moves out of range.
Rizzo lands with a good body shot.
Rizzo fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Belenuik checks it well.
Belenuik tries to counter by clinching up but Rizzo breaks away and moves out of range.
A chopping leg kick lands by Rizzo.
Rizzo tries a low kick but Belenuik avoids it.
Rizzo throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Belenuik sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Rizzo fakes with the hands and throws a leg kick but Belenuik is out of range.
Belenuik tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Belenuik looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Rizzo scores with a push kick.
Rizzo tries to clinch but Belenuik moves out of range.

Rizzo clinches up against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rizzo scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Rizzo misses with a body punch.
Rizzo with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Rizzo lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Belenuik backwards.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Rizzo creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Belenuik's defenses.

Belenuik jumps guard and drags Rizzo to the mat. He's obviously going to be looking for submissions off his back.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Belenuik is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Rizzo throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Rizzo must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Rizzo trying to control the position from guard on top but Belenuik is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Rizzo pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Belenuik is keeping the position for now.
Belenuik is trying to keep Rizzo in close.
Belenuik might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Rizzo sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Rizzo stopping the sweep attempt from Belenuik.
Rizzo wants to control from the top but Belenuik keeps moving.
Belenuik being controlled here, momentarily.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Rizzo throws the kick towards the body but Belenuik avoids it.
Belenuik is looking to counter the offense by Rizzo and move into the clinch.
Belenuik tries to close the distance and clinch up but Rizzo swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Belenuik gets a clinch.
Rizzo creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Belenuik's defenses.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Rizzo.
Belenuik can't find room to land a body shot as Rizzo controls the action.
Belenuik is trying to pull guard but Rizzo has him pressed against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rizzo scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Rizzo throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Rizzo lands a damaging elbow.
Rizzo misses with an elbow strike.
Rizzo lands with a right to the head.
Belenuik avoids the elbow strike from Rizzo, against the cage.
Belenuik tries to pull guard but Rizzo forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Rizzo goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Belenuik tries to pull guard but Rizzo holds him up against the cage and eventually Belenuik drops back down to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Danylo Belenuik. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Belenuik avoids a wild elbow strike from Rizzo.
Rizzo lands a body punch.
Rizzo prevents a body shot from Belenuik.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Rizzo.
Belenuik blocks the elbow strike.
Rizzo misses with an elbow strike.
Belenuik doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Rizzo pushes off an throws an elbow but Belenuik leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Belenuik softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Belenuik takes an elbow to the forehead.
Rizzo misses with an elbow strike.
Rizzo misses with a hook from the clinch.
Belenuik tries to work over Rizzo's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Belenuik lands with a right to the head.
Rizzo lands an elbow inside.

It looks like Danylo Belenuik has been cut.
Rizzo lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Rizzo gets an overhook and lands an elbow to the side of the head.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Rizzo just misses with a elbow thrown towards Belenuik's brow.
Rizzo throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Rizzo throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Belenuiks head.
Rizzo misses with a punch on the inside.
Rizzo lands a nice elbow from the clinch.
Belenuik is working Rizzo over against the cage.
Rizzo looking to throw knees to the head but Belenuik is blocking nicely.
Rizzo pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.

Belenuik pulls Rizzo into guard.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Frank Rizzo dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Danylo Belenuik's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Good work by Belenuik as he checks the leg kick.
Rizzo tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Belenuik paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Rizzo feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Belenuiks jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Belenuik on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Rizzo. Rizzo obviously looking to wear him down.
Rizzo fakes a jab and throws a low kick but Belenuik checks it well.
Rizzo thuds his right hand into Belenuik's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Rizzo does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
Belenuik seemed to be looking to counter by closing the distance.
Rizzo gets off balance looking for a body kick

and Belenuik counters with a takedown into side control.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rizzo is letting Belenuik control him for a moment.

Belenuik wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Rizzo, who protects the arm well.
Rizzo tries to improve position but can't.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Belenuik taking a breather here.
Rizzo is looking for a sweep.
Rizzo struggling a bit here.
Rizzo might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Belenuik haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Belenuik is maintaining the dominant position - no doubt Rizzo will start to get frustrated soon if he's not already.
Rizzo is looking to slip a leg under and get half guard but Belenuik is one step ahead and moves to full mount!

Rizzo defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Belenuik.

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.
Belenuik tries to control but Rizzo wriggling away.
Rizzo wants to control but Belenuik is having none of it.
Belenuik can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Rizzo is looking to escape.
Rizzo is working to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Belenuik tries to control but Rizzo wriggling away.

Belenuik is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Rizzo has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Rizzo!
Belenuik keeping moving, preventing Rizzo from controlling successfully.

Belenuik looking for a guillotine here but Rizzo defends easily.
Belenuik keeping moving, preventing Rizzo from controlling successfully.
Rizzo stopping the sweep attempt from Belenuik.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rizzo wants to control from the top but Belenuik keeps moving.

Belenuik is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.

Belenuik working for a triangle but Rizzo defends it easily.
Belenuik looking for a sweep. Not yet Belenuik, not yet.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Belenuik is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Danylo Belenuik dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Danylo Belenuik's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Rizzo swings for the body but Belenuik moves out of range.
Rizzo digs a good hook to Belenuik's body.
Belenuik uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Rizzo.
Rizzo thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Belenuik if he has to take too many more of those.
Rizzo avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Rizzo lands the left hand.
Rizzo takes a swing at Belenuik's ribcage but misses.
Rizzo lands with an uppercut that bounces Belenuik off the cage and back into range.
The fight stays on the outside here - Belenuik looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Belenuik wants to clinch.
Frank Rizzo seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Rizzo lands a front kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rizzo pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Rizzo throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Rizzo moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Rizzo throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Belenuik on the side of the head.
Rizzo misses with a leg kick

and Belenuik counters with a nice double leg into side control. Rizzo won't be happy with that.

Belenuik wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Rizzo, who protects the arm well.

Belenuik tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Belenuik has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Rizzo gets back to half guard.
Rizzo regains full guard. Nicely done.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Belenuik wants to control from the top but Rizzo keeps moving.

Rizzo has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Belenuik is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Rizzo.

Belenuik wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Rizzo, who protects the arm well.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Belenuik trying to control the action but Rizzo is working from the bottom.

Belenuik is trying to get an arm triangle but Rizzo is defending well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rizzo sneaks a leg under to get back to half guard.

Belenuik is working for a kimura but Rizzo is defending it quite comfortably.
Belenuik is figuring out what he wants to do next.

Belenuik is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Rizzo defends it well.

Belenuik is working for a submission of some sort.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Rizzo trying to control from the bottom.
Rizzo keeping control of the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Belenuik wants to control but Rizzo is keeping him busy.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Belenuik is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Rizzo wants to control but Belenuik is keeping busy and won't allow it.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.

And that's the end of the fight!
Frank Rizzo comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Rizzo 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 Gregory Folan scores the fight 28:29
Judge Ian Loll scores the fight 28:29
Judge Elvis Blanc scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Frank Rizzo!
During a confident post fight interview, Frank Rizzo thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.