PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Melvin Manhoef (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Peter Zezel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Melvin Manhoef could well score a knockout today. He has the power to get to Peter Zezel's chin.

Manhoef
vs
Zezel

175 cm
24
200 lbs
8 - 0 - 0

180 cm
23
192 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Good kicks
Powerful

Canadian Fighter Clothing
Knock Out Artistry

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the middleweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Melvin Manhoef!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Peter Zezel!
The judges for this bout are Gregory Folan, Dillan Fox and Yves DeLean.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Zezel tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Zezel connects with a solid leg kick.
Manhoef lands a head shot.

It looks like Peter Zezel has been cut.
Zezel needs to keep his hands up - Manhoef had a free shot at his head there.
Zezel has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Zezel there as he acknowledges the shot.
Zezel tries to clinch up but Manhoef circles away and keeps his distance.
Manhoef fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Zezel scores with a head kick.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Manhoef scores with a jab to the jaw.
Manhoef throws a jab but it's blocked by Zezel.

Zezel fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Manhoef, pushing him back against the cage.
Zezel tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Zezel throws a knee to the head but misses.
Zezel effectively controlling the action here.
The crowd are getting on Zezel's back here. They're not happy about his lack of aggression in the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Manhoef takes an elbow to the forehead.

Manhoef manages to break the clinch.
Manhoef throws a body punch but Zezel moves out of range.

Zezel forces Manhoef back against the cage and clinches.
Zezel stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.

Manhoef breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Manhoef drops Zezel with a beautiful combination! Zezel stares up at his opponent, who ushers him back to his feet - Manhoef is looking for the KO!

Zezel is rocked!
Manhoef swats away the attempt to clinch by Zezel.
Zezel is still on wobbly legs! Can Manhoef finish him?
Manhoef has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Zezel.
Manhoef throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Zezel seems to have recovered his senses.
Manhoef fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zezel moves in looking to clinch but Manhoef pushes him off.
Zezel moves in looking to clinch but Manhoef pushes him off.
Zezel misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Zezel thumps Manhoef with a low kick.
Manhoef will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Manhoef swings for the body but Zezel moves out of range.
Manhoef tries to bum rush Zezel with a series of wild strikes but Zezel uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Zezel moves in looking to clinch but Manhoef pushes him off.
Zezel pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Manhoef misses with a hook.
Manhoef throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Zezel sees it coming and avoids it easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Zezel pushes Manhoef up against the cage in a clinch.
Manhoef wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Zezel has him pressed against the cage.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Manhoef wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Zezel has him pressed against the cage.
Kneeeeees! The crowd are calling for knees to the body. Zezel obliges.
Zezel looking to throw knees to the head but Manhoef is blocking nicely.
Manhoef is trying to break the clinch but Zezel has him pressed against the cage.
Zezel controlling the action here for a moment.
Zezel with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Zezel throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Manhoef blocks it with crossed arms.
Manhoef is trying to maintain a safe position but Zezel gets an underhook and turns Manhoef into the cage.
Zezel prevents Manhoef from breaking the clinch.
Zezel holding his opponent close, against the cage.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zezel prevents Manhoef from breaking the clinch.
Zezel with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Manhoef is trying to force a seperation but Zezel has the dominant position.
A knee to the head by Zezel.
Zezel landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Zezel stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Zezel lands a good knee to the midsection. Manhoef won't want to take too many of those.
Zezel with a knee to the head.
Zezel tries a knee to the head but Manhoef blocks it.
Zezel trying to land knees to the body.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Manhoef tries to circle away but Zezel has him pinned against the cage.
Zezel tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Manhoef avoids it.
Zezel unloads a knee to the mid-section. Manhoef lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Manhoef is breathing heavily.
Zezel unloads a knee to the mid-section.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Peter Zezel dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Peter Zezel's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Zezel tries to close the distance and clinch up but Manhoef swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Manhoef looks to score with a jab to the body but Zezel is just out of range.

Zezel closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Zezel is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Manhoef wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Zezel tries a knee to the head but Manhoef blocks it.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Manhoef is stalling here.
Zezel looking to throw knees to the head but Manhoef is blocking nicely.
Manhoef trying to stall but Zezel improves his position.
Zezel tries a knee to the head but Manhoef blocks it.
Zezel tries to land a knee to the head but Manhoef blocks with his arms.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zezel stalling the fight.

Manhoef breaks the clinch.
Zezel bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Zezel gets cracked there but stands up to it.

That has opened up Peter Zezel's cut even more.
Manhoef throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Manhoef blocks a head kick by Zezel.
Zezel dodges the punch combination from Manhoef.
Manhoef lands with a nice body punch.
Zezel tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Manhoef paws at him with a jab and circles away.

Zezel drives through and clinches with Manhoef against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zezel using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Manhoef has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Zezel content to slow the pace in the clinch.
Zezel tries a knee to the head but Manhoef blocks it.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Zezel takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Zezel keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Manhoef's efforts to push away.
Zezel's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Zezel stalling the fight.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Manhoef can't break the clinch.
Zezel manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Peter Zezel.
Manhoef fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Zezel manages to avoid it.
Manhoef checks a low kick from Zezel.
Manhoef misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Nice body kick from Zezel.
Zezel walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Melvin Manhoef is winning the standup battle so far.
Zezel ducks under a wild hook from Manhoef.
Zezel scores with a push kick.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Manhoef takes a head kick and shrugs it off.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Zezel!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Manhoef misses with a double jab
and Zezel counters with a head kick. That will keep Manhoef thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
Zezel moves in looking to clinch but Manhoef pushes him off.

Zezel has closed the distance and engaged Manhoef in a clinch.
Manhoef takes an elbow to the temple.
Zezel blocks a body shot from Manhoef.
Zezel with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Manhoef working hard to break the clinch.
Zezel tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Zezel tries to land a knee to the head but Manhoef blocks with his arms.
Zezel is pushing Manhoef up against the cage, for a bit of lean and pray action. Action being used the in the loosest possible sense of the word.
Zezel trying to land knees to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Peter Zezel showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Peter Zezel's cut.
That's time! Manhoef's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Manhoef misses with a wild combination.
Manhoef misses with a combination
and Zezel counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Melvin Manhoef is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Zezel lands with a nice body kick.
Manhoef will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Zezel tries to close the distance and clinch but Manhoef swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Some bone on bone action there as Manhoef checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Zezel throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Manhoef just misses with a punch to the body.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
A jab from Manhoef misses.
Zezel throws a wild body kick that Manhoef sees coming a mile off.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zezel tries a head kick but it misses.
Zezel lands with a nice body kick.
Zezel throws a nice head kick!
Manhoef circles away from the clinch attempt.

Zezel has managed to clinch.
Zezel throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Manhoef blocks it with crossed arms.
Zezel tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Zezel pressing his opponent against the cage.
Zezel throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Manhoef blocks it with crossed arms.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Zezel just misses with a elbow thrown towards Manhoef's brow.
Zezel tries a knee to the head but he's missed.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Zezel slowing the pace effectively.
Zezel tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Zezel throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Zezel tries to land a knee to the head but Manhoef blocks with his arms.
Zezel looking to throw knees to the head but Manhoef is blocking nicely.
Zezel is struggling to control the position.
Zezel wants to stall.
Zezel using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Manhoef has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

Manhoef breaks the clinch.
Manhoef misses with a wild body shot.
Zezel avoids the body shot from Manhoef.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Manhoef tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Zezel was well out of range. Poor timing from Manhoef.
Zezel throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Zezel throws a head kick but Manhoef moves out of range.
Zezel avoids a punch combination nicely.
The fighters circling - Manhoef throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
A kick lands to the mid section there for Zezel.
Zezel throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Zezel lands a nice leg kick that just misses Manhoef's sensitive parts.
Manhoef throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Zezel sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Manhoef pushing out the jab but it's not landing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Zezel throws a head kick that looked like it stung.
Zezel bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Manhoef's head.
Zezel slips a jab and a cross from Manhoef.
Manhoef scores with a one two! Zezel had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Zezel connects with the punch.
Zezel tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Manhoef paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Manhoef looks to score with a jab to the body but Zezel is just out of range.
Zezel throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Manhoef just misses with a punch to the body.
Manhoef throws a right and a left that both miss.
Manhoef keeps the fight on the outside.
Zezel throws a head kick but Manhoef moves out of range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Peter Zezel really dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Peter Zezel's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

Zezel delivers a nice body kick.
Zezel moves into range and lands a nice body kick.
Zezel misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Zezel throws a quick inside leg kick.
Manhoef swats away the attempt to clinch by Zezel.
Zezel tries to clinch up but Manhoef circles away and keeps his distance.
Zezel tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Manhoef paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Zezel throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Manhoef's head.
It's got to the stage where if one of these guys blows hard enough, the other might fall over.
The fight stays on the outside here - Zezel looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Zezel finds nothing but air with that leg kick attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zezel tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Manhoef misses with a double jab
and Zezel counters with a thumping low kick.
Manhoef will be looking to protect his midsection after taking some solid kicks to the body.
Manhoef blocks a head kick by Zezel.
Zezel lands a front kick.
Manhoef avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Zezel throws a nice head kick!
Zezel tries to clinch up.
Zezel tries to close the distance and clinch but Manhoef swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Manhoef keeps the fight on the outside.
Zezel slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Manhoef looks to score with a jab to the body but Zezel is just out of range.
Manhoef takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Zezel throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Zezel takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Manhoef throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Manhoef throws a hook to the side of Zezel's head but Zezel sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Manhoef misses with a hook. Zezel ducked under it nicely.
Zezel cracks Manhoef with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Zezel tries to close the distance and clinch up but Manhoef swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Zezel lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Zezel misses with a head kick.
Zezel scoring well with a low kick there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Zezel moves into the clinch.
Manhoef is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Zezel has Manhoef pushed against the cage.
Manhoef avoiding damage as Zezel throws knees to the body.
Zezel stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Zezel throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Manhoef blocks it with crossed arms.
Zezel dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Peter Zezel.
Zezel tries to clinch but Manhoef is having none of it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
A right-left combo lands from Manhoef.
Zezel avoids the body shot from Manhoef.
Manhoef lands with a hook. Zezel tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Manhoef circles away from the clinch attempt.
Manhoef looks to land a left hand but Zezel moved out of range nicely.
Zezel tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Zezel keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Manhoef.
A nice inside leg kick there by Zezel. That's going to slow Manhoef down.
Zezel tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Peter Zezel dominated that fourth round.
The cut man is working on Peter Zezel's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. And we move into the final round!

Zezel clinches up against the cage.
Zezel tries to land a knee to the head but Manhoef blocks with his arms.
Zezel lands an elbow just above Manhoef 's eye.
Manhoef is trying to break the clinch but Zezel is controlling him.
Zezel misses with a knee strike.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Zezel just misses with a elbow thrown towards Manhoef's brow.

Manhoef escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Manhoef keeps the fight on the outside.
Zezel feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Manhoef's calf.
Zezel doesn't manage to clinch there - Manhoef circles away.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Manhoef looks to land a right hand but Zezel moved out of range.
Manhoef throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Zezel sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Zezel ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Both of our modern day gladiators look out of it here - an gruelling 5 rounds of action taking it's toll on them, no doubt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Manhoef fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Zezel manages to avoid it.

Zezel moves into range and clinches up with Manhoef.
Zezel misses with a knee strike.
Zezel tries to land a knee to the head but Manhoef blocks with his arms.
Zezel misses with an elbow strike.
Zezel pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Zezel throws an elbow but it misses.
Manhoef has had enough of the clinch but Zezel keeps him there for the moment.
Manhoef avoiding damage as Zezel throws knees to the body.
Zezel lands a knee to the head.
Zezel prevents Manhoef from breaking the clinch.
Manhoef blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Manhoef tries to break the clinch but Zezel is controlling the position.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Zezel.
Melvin Manhoef has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

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.
Zezel tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Manhoef avoids it.
Zezel stalling in the clinch but Manhoef improves position.

Manhoef breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Manhoef just misses with a punch to the body.
Zezel tries to clinch up.
Manhoef avoids a kick to the body.
A slow jab from Manhoef misses its intended target.
Zezel uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Manhoef.
Manhoef will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Manhoef lands with a hook. Zezel tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zezel tries to move into range but Manhoef moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Manhoef misses with a wild body shot.
Manhoef fails to land with a series of punches.
Manhoef thows a body shot but no joy.
Manhoef misses with a jab, cross combination.
Zezel tries to clinch but Manhoef is having none of it.
A kick lands to the mid section there for Zezel.
Zezel lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Manhoef avoids the head kick by Zezel.
Zezel misses with a head kick.
Manhoef circles away from the clinch attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Manhoef swings for the body but Zezel moves out of range.
Manhoef takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Manhoef takes a head kick and keeps coming.
Manhoef is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Zezel fails with an attempt to clinch.
Manhoef connects with a crisp jab.
Zezel tries to clinch there but Manhoef circles away.
Manhoef looks to land a combination but Zezel avoids it well.
Manhoef moves into range and connects with a jab.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Zezel moves in looking to clinch but Manhoef pushes him off.
Zezel chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Peter Zezel is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Manhoef misses with a wild body shot.

And that's the end of the fight!
Peter Zezel comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Zezel has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 5 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Gregory Folan scores the fight 45:50
Judge Dillan Fox scores the fight 45:50
Judge Yves DeLean scores the fight 45:50

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Peter Zezel!
Peter Zezel is the new middleweight champion!