PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Tane Te Rauparaha (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gunnar Strom (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Te Rauparaha comes to the cage accompanied by Get Ready - Concord Dawn ft Scribe. Strom is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: I Need a Hero. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Te Rauparaha
vs
Strom

190 cm
22
190 lbs
6 - 2 - 0

182 cm
24
198 lbs
6 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Granite chin

Decent wrestler
Decent boxing
Granite chin

Ka-POW Clothing

Knock Out Artistry

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Tane Te Rauparaha!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Gunnar Strom!
The judges for this bout are Summer Carpenter, Winston Howard and Damien Edna.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Te Rauparaha looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Te Rauparaha misses with a double jab.
Te Rauparaha throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Strom throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Te Rauparaha sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Te Rauparaha throws a sloppy head kick and Strom moves out of range easily.
Strom looks to land a combination but Te Rauparaha avoids it well.
A clash of legs there as Strom blocks the low kick.
Strom thows a body shot but no joy.
Strom swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Te Rauparaha tries to close the distance and clinch up but Strom swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Strom moves out of range of the strikes.
The fighters circling - Strom throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Strom takes a head kick and keeps coming.

It looks like Gunnar Strom has been cut.
Strom scores with a jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Te Rauparaha misses with a hook.
Te Rauparaha uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Strom.
Strom staying out of range there.
Te Rauparaha throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Te Rauparaha ducks under a wild hook from Strom.
Strom looks to score with a jab to the body but Te Rauparaha is just out of range.
Te Rauparaha slips under a jab from Strom.
Te Rauparaha throws a chopping leg kick but Strom manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Strom lands with an uppercut that bounces Te Rauparaha off the cage and back into rage.
A punch combination from Strom misses.
Strom avoids the head kick by Te Rauparaha.
Strom works over Te Rauparaha's head and body with a nice combination.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Te Rauparaha is looking to land body kicks.
Strom jabs Te Rauparaha right on the nose. Te Rauparaha blinks but takes it well.
Strom misses the shot to the body.
Te Rauparaha avoids a punch combination nicely.
A slow jab from Strom misses its intended target.
Strom misses with a straight right.
A looping hook to the body misses from Strom. Te Rauparaha does a little dance to reset his feet.
Nice defenses there by Te Rauparaha.
Strom jabs at Te Rauparaha's body.
Te Rauparaha misses with the combination.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Te Rauparaha throws a nice looking combination but Strom bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Strom tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Te Rauparaha was well out of range. Poor timing from Strom.
Strom looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Strom jabs away that one connects to the head of his opponent.
Strom avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Strom just misses with a punch to the body.
Te Rauparaha wants to land a leg kick but Strom is out of range.
Te Rauparaha lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Te Rauparaha.
Strom loads up on a big right hand but Te Rauparaha slips the punch.
Strom takes a head kick and shrugs it off.
Te Rauparaha slips a jab from Strom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Te Rauparaha is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Te Rauparaha uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Strom.
Strom misses with a few strikes there.
Strom avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Te Rauparaha tries to land a front kick but Strom steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Strom sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Gunnar Strom seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Strom misses with a hook.
Te Rauparaha lands a head kick!
Strom throws a big shot that misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Gunnar Strom will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Gunnar Strom's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Strom looks to score with a jab to the body but Te Rauparaha is just out of range.
The fighters circling - Te Rauparaha throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Te Rauparaha ducks under a wild hook from Strom.
Strom swings for the body but Te Rauparaha moves out of range.
Strom closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Strom misses with a body shot.
Strom fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Te Rauparaha looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Strom swats away the attempt to clinch by Te Rauparaha.
Strom takes a kick to the side of the head.
Te Rauparaha blocks a jab.
Te Rauparaha throws a quick inside leg kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Te Rauparaha tries to clinch there but Strom circles away.
Strom pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
A slow jab from Te Rauparaha misses its intended target.
Tane Te Rauparaha is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Strom connects with a crisp jab.
Strom with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Strom looks to throw the jab but Te Rauparaha is out of range.
Strom takes a swing at Te Rauparaha's ribcage but misses.
Strom throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Strom swinging wildly here.
Te Rauparaha goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Te Rauparaha fails with an attempt to clinch.
Strom throws a shot to the body.
Strom takes a swing at Te Rauparaha's ribcage but misses.
Strom keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Strom throws a right and a left that Te Rauparaha avoids nicely.
Strom looks to score with a jab to the body but Te Rauparaha is just out of range.
Te Rauparaha moves in looking to clinch but Strom pushes him off.
Te Rauparaha tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Strom thows a left - swing and a miss!
Te Rauparaha shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Te Rauparaha tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Strom circles away from the clinch attempt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Te Rauparaha moves away from the strike by Strom.
Te Rauparaha avoids a punch combination nicely.
Te Rauparaha misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Te Rauparaha tries to clinch there but Strom circles away.
Strom cracks Te Rauparaha with a right hand to the side of the head.
Te Rauparaha throws a right hand that Strom ducks under and follows up with a left that Strom also avoids with ease.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Te Rauparaha, right into the meat.
Strom misses with a body shot.
Gunnar Strom seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Te Rauparaha looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Te Rauparaha throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Te Rauparaha takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Both fighters circling a little - Te Rauparaha finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
A head kick misses from Te Rauparaha.
Strom swings for the body but Te Rauparaha moves out of range.
Te Rauparaha fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Te Rauparaha throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Strom.
Te Rauparaha thows a left - swing and a miss!
Strom takes a swing at Te Rauparaha's ribcage but misses.
Strom swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Te Rauparaha counters with a body kick.
Strom blocks a jab.
Strom falls off balance throwing a combination
and Te Rauparaha counters with a flying knee. Nice.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Gunnar Strom will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Gunnar Strom'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. 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.

A nice inside leg kick there by Te Rauparaha. That's going to slow Strom down.
Te Rauparaha misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Strom scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Te Rauparaha doesn't seem bothered though.
Strom loads up on a big right hand but Te Rauparaha slips the punch.
Te Rauparaha slips under a jab.
The fight stays on the outside here - Te Rauparaha looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Strom, as that shot connected.
Te Rauparaha throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Strom swings for the body but Te Rauparaha moves out of range.
Te Rauparaha throws a looping overhand right but Strom ducks down to avoid it.
Te Rauparaha throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Strom tries to bum rush Te Rauparaha with a series of wild strikes but Te Rauparaha uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Te Rauparaha uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Strom.
Strom misses with a combination
and Te Rauparaha counters with a big head kick but Strom shrugs it off.
Strom scores with a sloppy right hand. Te Rauparaha should have avoided that one.
Strom looks to land a right hand but Te Rauparaha moved out of range.
Strom scores with a jab to the body.
Strom takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Te Rauparaha looks to land a left hand but Strom moved out of range nicely.
A nice leg kick lands there from Te Rauparaha.
Te Rauparaha slips under a jab from Strom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Strom is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Te Rauparaha.
Te Rauparaha scores with a head kick.
Te Rauparaha throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Strom's head.
Strom moves out of range of the body kick.
Strom swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Te Rauparaha counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Strom is lucky that one didn't land flush.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Strom fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Te Rauparaha throws a sloppy head kick and Strom moves out of range easily.
Strom throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Strom throws a left and a right that both miss
and Te Rauparaha counters with a head kick. That will keep Strom thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!
Strom jabs at Te Rauparaha's body.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nice shot lands for Strom.
Strom looks to score with a jab to the body but Te Rauparaha is just out of range.
Strom misses with a body punch
and Te Rauparaha counters with a three punch combo that has Strom backing up. Strom nods at Te Rauparaha to acknowledge the strikes.
Strom misses with an uppercut.
Te Rauparaha doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Te Rauparaha slips a straight right by Strom.
Strom throws a jab but it's blocked by Te Rauparaha.
Te Rauparaha throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Strom showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Te Rauparaha.
Strom lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Tane Te Rauparaha has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Strom lands the left hand.
Strom looks to score with a jab to the body but Te Rauparaha is just out of range.
Strom fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Te Rauparaha tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Strom paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Strom just misses with a punch to the body.
Te Rauparaha wants to clinch.
Strom throws a series of punches but Te Rauparaha avoids them all with ease.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Te Rauparaha looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Te Rauparaha throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Strom sees it coming and avoids it easily.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Gunnar Strom.
Well Strom 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 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Summer Carpenter scores the fight 28:30
Judge Winston Howard scores the fight 27:30
Judge Damien Edna scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Gunnar Strom!