PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Vinny Patenza (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Aaron Rai (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Patenza comes to the cage accompanied by W.Peace, custom entrance music. Aaron Rai will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Patenza
vs
Rai

176 cm
24
216 lbs
7 - 1 - 0

189 cm
23
210 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter striker
Very quick

Good wrestler
Counter striker
Very confident

BLKOUT Clothing
StarDust. Cosmic Creations.

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 7 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Vinny Patenza!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Aaron Rai!
The judges for this bout are William Peck, Steve Smith and Robert Douchet.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Patenza slips under a jab from Rai.
Rai misses with a low kick.
Rai is looking to clinch.
Patenza fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Patenza fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rai moves in looking to clinch but Patenza pushes him off.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Patenza checks a low kick from Rai.
Patenza fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Rai is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Rai thows a left - swing and a miss!
Rai throws a hook but Patenza blocks it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Rai looks to land a right hand but Patenza moved out of range.
Rai is looking to chop away at Patenza's legs.
Rai tries to clinch but Patenza moves out of range.
Aaron Rai seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rai misses with an uppercut.
Patenza stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Patenza wants it to stay on the feet.
Rai misses with a takedown

and Patenza counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Patenza.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rai wants to sweep but no luck.
Rai trying to keep a closed guard but Patenza is proving a slippery customer.
Patenza trying to control but Rai is working from the bottom.
Rai utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Rai wants to sweep here but Patenza controlling him for the moment.
Patenza has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Patenza works over Rai with some ground and pound from guard.
Rai looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Patenza postures up.
Rai tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Rai not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

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.
Rai looking to hit a scissor sweep but Patenza is one step ahead there.
Patenza trying to control the position from guard on top but Rai is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Patenza with a poor takedown
and Rai counters with a lovely straight right hand!
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Vinny Patenza. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rai walks into a jab.
Rai misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Patenza.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!

Patenza throws the overhand right but ducks down into a quick takedown attempt. Rai was covering up waiting for the punch and Patenza finishes the takedown easily into guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vinny Patenza dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Patenza gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Rai counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Patenza on his back here. We all know that wrestlers don't like being on their back so let's see if Patenza tries to get out of the position.
Rai thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Patenza's head.
Patenza might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Rai trying to control the action but Patenza is working from the bottom.
Rai thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Rai prevents Patenza from improving his position.
Rai has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Rai is thwarting Patenza's attempts to control the position.
Rai not landing any meaningful shots this time.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The fighters are battling for position here. Patenza manages to regain full guard. Nice work.
Rai passes Patenza's left leg - he's now in half guard.
Patenza trying to control here.
Patenza blocking the ground and pound attempt from Rai.
Rai thows a huge punch but Patenza dodges it nicely.
Rai is pressing down on Patenza's thigh, looking to free his foot. Patenza is holding on for now.
Rai thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Patenza gets full guard.
Rai in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Rai looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rai thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Patenza's head.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Rai connects with a nice short shot to Patenza's temple.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rai trying to mount his opponent but Patenza defends it.
Rai not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Patenza is concentrating on defense, preventing Rai from advancing position.
Patenza won't allow Rai to pass to mount.
Rai scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Rai scoring with strikes to the body and head.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Patenza keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Rai sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Patenza defending well though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Patenza trying to control from the bottom.
Patenza moves into full guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Rai wants to control from the top but Patenza keeps moving.
Patenza seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Rai is looking to work some ground and pound but Patenza has wrist control.
Rai trying to control but Patenza is working from the bottom.
Rai is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
Rai postures up in Patenza's guard and throws a big left but Patenza blocks it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Patenza holds on and takes a little breather.
Rai pushes down on Patenza's leg and manages to get into half guard.
Patenza is doing well to control the position and prevent Rai from advancing to side control.
Patenza is refusing to be controlled, as Rai sits in half guard.
Rai looks to land a strike but Patenza avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
Patenza is controlling Rai's posture.
Patenza manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Patenza lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Aaron Rai showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's time! Patenza's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Rai misses with a straight left.
Rai with a poor takedown

and Patenza counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Rai utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Rai wants to sweep here but Patenza controlling him for the moment.
Rai is pulling down on Patenza's head. It's preventing any offense from Patenza, at least for the moment.
Patenza looking to sit in guard and control but Rai gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Vinny Patenza overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Rai postures up in Patenza's guard and throws a big left but Patenza blocks it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rai postures up.
Rai postures up in Patenza's guard and throws a big left but Patenza blocks it.
Rai looking to pass the guard.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
A slow jab from Patenza misses its intended target.
Rai doesn't manage to clinch there - Patenza circles away.
Patenza shoots and misses

and Rai counters with a nice double leg into half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rai with the ground and pound but Patenza uses the opportunity to regain guard.
Rai working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Patenza manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Rai in a bad spot here, taking shots to the head.
Patenza putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Rai bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
This has been an exciting period of action!
Rai stopping the sweep attempt from Patenza.
Patenza preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Rai trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Patenza looking to control.
Rai in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Rai wants to control from the top but Patenza keeps moving.
Rai throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Patenza manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Rai manages to get himself to full guard.
Rai looking to control.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Rai is on top in guard.
Rai stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Patenza swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Patenza is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Rai is working Patenza over from the guard. He should look to pass the guard and do a little more damage with these strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Patenza working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Rai.
Patenza wants to sweep here but Rai controlling him for the moment.
Rai tries to free his leg and advance position but Patenza is retaining full guard.
Rai throws a big right hand that misses.
Patenza is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Rai throws a right hand that Patenza ducks under and follows up with a left that Patenza also avoids with ease.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Vinny Patenza.
Well Patenza 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 William Peck scores the fight 29:28
Judge Steve Smith scores the fight 29:28
Judge Robert Douchet scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Vinny Patenza!