PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Chuk Morris (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rocky Balboa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Balboa is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Linkin Park - Bleed It Out . We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Morris
vs
Balboa

200 cm
19
225 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

191 cm
20
240 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Determined

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Chuk Morris!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Rocky Balboa!
The judges for this bout are Thiago Cunha, Paulo Santos and Felipe Paraventi.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Balboa gets a takedown into half guard.

Balboa looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.
Morris is trying to stand up here but Balboa is controlling him well.

Balboa is looking for a kimura here.
Morris is staying active underneath Balboa, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Morris gets full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Morris looking to hit a scissor sweep but Balboa is one step ahead there.

Balboa is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.
Balboa looks gassed!
Morris trying to control the position.

That's one minute gone in the round.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Balboa closes this distance looking for a takedown but Morris circles away.
Balboa throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Morris doesn't manage to clinch there - Balboa circles away.

Morris has managed to clinch.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.

Balboa successfully pulls guard.
Morris scoring with punches to the head and body.
Balboa keeping full guard, as Morris tries to pass.

Balboa looking for submissions from the bottom but instead Morris passes into half guard.
Morris is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Morris trying to control the action but Balboa is working from the bottom.
Morris scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Morris slips a nice elbow through Balboa's hands, connecting with Balboa's forehead.
Morris missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Balboa has hold of Morris's hands but Morris slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Morris is keen to just control but Balboa is a slippery customer.
Morris working Balboa over with strikes.
Morris wants to stand up but Balboa has a hold of him and won't allow it.

Balboa is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Morris pulls his head out easily.
Morris wants to lay and pray for a moment but Balboa keeps working.

Morris is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Morris plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!

It looks like Rocky Balboa has been cut.

Morris takes the fight into the clinch.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Balboa is pressed up against the cage. Morris has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Balboa down to the mat. Balboa avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Balboa rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Morris moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Morris throws a sloppy head kick and Balboa moves out of range easily.
Morris fails with the takedown.

Balboa takes the fight into the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Balboa pulls guard successfully.

Balboa working for a triangle but Morris defends it easily.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Balboa keeping full guard, as Morris tries to pass.
Morris wants to stand but Balboa has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

Balboa looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

Morris avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Morris has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Morris thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Balboa is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

Balboa is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Morris is just riding it out for now. Balboa eventually gives up the hold.
Morris moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.

Morris working for a triangle but Balboa defends it easily.
Balboa slips nicely into half guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Morris flails away from the bottom but he's not doing any damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Chuk Morris will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Rocky Balboa's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Balboa closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Morris can't do much from the bottom here.
Morris tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Balboa wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.

Balboa is trying to get an arm triangle but Morris is defending well.
Balboa tries to advance to mount but can't.
Morris manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!

Balboa actively working from the bottom here.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Morris is trying to control the action in half guard but Balboa is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Morris lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Morris trying to control from half guard but Balboa is working away.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balboa trying to control but Morris postures up.

Balboa looking for submissions from an awkward position here.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Balboa stuffs the takedown.
Morris throws a sloppy head kick and Balboa moves out of range easily.

Balboa is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Morris's half guard.
Balboa is keen to just control but Morris is a slippery customer.
Morris is looking for a sweep. Balboa is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Morris wants to get back to his feet.
Balboa wants to control but Morris is keeping him busy.
Morris is trying to control but can't.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Balboa is trying to work for a kimura but Morris is defending well.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Morris stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Morris wants it to stay on the feet.

Balboa changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Morris looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Balboa tries to move into full mount but can't pass Morris's legs.
Morris is trying to control Balboa's posture but Balboa avoids it.

Balboa thinks about going for a far side armbar but bails out and retains the dominant position instead.
Morris is working to avoid the ground and pound but Balboa connects with a decent elbow.
Morris struggling a bit here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Balboa looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Balboa takes a little break here. Morris wants to take advantage but he is being controlled well.

Balboa is trying to get an arm triangle but Morris is defending well.
Rocky Balboa has got the better of the ground game so far.
Morris wants to control but Balboa postures up.

Balboa tries for a kimura but Morris is defending well.

Balboa looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Morris can't do much from the bottom here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Morris is trying to stand back up. He's worked his way up against the cage but Balboa has just dragged him back down to the mat.
Morris is trying to control Balboa's posture but Balboa avoids it.

Balboa tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
Morris wants to control but Balboa postures up.
Morris is in a bad position, trying to hold on for dear life but he is really struggling to maintain any sort of control.
Balboa lands a decent elbow from side control.
Morris is looking to regain half guard here but Balboa keeps moving and retains side control.

Balboa is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Morris has escaped the position, nice work there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rocky Balboa showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Rocky Balboa's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Morris defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Balboa.
A nice combination there by Morris.

Balboa gets caught flat footed, as Morris shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.

Balboa is looking for a triangle but Morris pushes his legs off easily.

Balboa looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Balboa manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Morris working to try and regain half guard.

Balboa with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.

Balboa is working for a guillotine from mount but Morris frees his head quite easily.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Morris defends a decent attempt at a guillotine from Balboa.

Balboa stands up from mount. Strange move.
Morris is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Balboa clinches up with Morris and pushes him back against the cage.

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

Balboa shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Morris is trying to defend but Balboa finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.

Balboa is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Morris is just riding it out for now. Balboa eventually gives up the hold.
Morris has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Balboa is working away from the top position though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Morris is defending against the submission attempts here by Balboa.
Balboa is looking to take a break and control but Morris is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Balboa prevents Morris from standing back up.

Balboa is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Morris defends it well.
Balboa seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Morris does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Balboa looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.

Balboa is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Morris has managed to free his arm - good work.

Balboa is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Morris is just riding it out for now. Balboa eventually gives up the hold.
Morris tries to get to full guard but Balboa has control of the leg.

That's four 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.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.

Balboa drives through and clinches with Morris against the cage.
Balboa changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Morris fights it off and pushes away nicely.

Balboa gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.

Balboa is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Morris is aware though and is defending well.
Balboa keeping moving, preventing Morris from controlling successfully.

Balboa has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Morris can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

Balboa working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Morris doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Morris manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Balboa wants to sweep but no luck.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rocky Balboa comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Balboa 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 Thiago Cunha scores the fight 27:30
Judge Paulo Santos scores the fight 27:30
Judge Felipe Paraventi scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rocky Balboa!