PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Juaquin Bartolo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Vincent Villanova (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The fight MMA fans around the world have waited their entire lives for!

Bartolo
vs
Villanova

187 cm
21
184 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

185 cm
23
180 lbs
1 - 4 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Juaquin Bartolo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Vincent Villanova!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nice sprawl there from Villanova as Bartolo shoots in.
Villanova lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Villanova keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Bartolo looks for a takedown but Villanova sprawls well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Juaquin Bartolo. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Bartolo throws a head kick that misses.
Bartolo circles away from the clinch attempt.

Villanova rushes Bartolo and presses him up against the cage.
Bartolo gets underhooks to prevent Villanova's takedown attempt.

Villanova manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Bartolo prevents Villanova from getting back to his feet.

Villanova is edging up against the cage. He's using the cage to get back to his feet. Nice work there - the fighters are clinched.
Bartolo jumps guard but Villanova stands there with Bartolo around his waist. Bartolo gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
Bartolo fails to pull the fight into his guard.
Villanova wants a takedown.
Bartolo gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Villanova.
Bartolo tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Villanova smiles and moves away.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Villanova fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Bartolo on the side of the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bartolo tries for a takedown but Villanova sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Bartolo is breathing heavily.
Bartolo tries to clinch but Villanova moves away

so Villanova counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Villanova wants to pass the guard but Bartolo is keeping the position.

Villanova is holding a leg here, probably looking for an ankle lock - he drops back and goes for it! Bartolo is in trouble! Is it all over??? No! Bartolo has escaped and now he's on top!
Bartolo postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Villanova bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Bartolo's guard.
Villanova throws and elbow that misses. Bartolo uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Villanova's guard. Nice move by Bartolo!
Villanova utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Villanova is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Villanova tries to pass to full mount but Bartolo defends it.
Villanova controlling the pace.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Villanova trying to control the action but Bartolo is working from the bottom.

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.
Villanova with the ground and pound but Bartolo uses the opportunity to regain guard.
Bartolo knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Villanova on the ground.
Bartolo working a defensive guard here.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Bartolo being controlled here, momentarily.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Villanova looking to sit in guard and control but Bartolo gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vincent Villanova dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Bartolo fails with the takedown
and Villanova counters with a leg kick.

Villanova shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Villanova showed some decent athleticism there.
It looks like Villanova is going to stand back up.
Villanova wants to take a breather but Bartolo is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Villanova passes into side control, despite Bartolo's attempt to control the position.
You can see the frustration on Bartolo's face as Villanova controls the position.

Despite being in the dominant position, Vincent Villanova just isn't active enough and the referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Villanova changes levels and looks for a double leg takedown. Bartolo tries to avoid it but Villanova manages to keep hold of a leg and drag Bartolo to the ground. Bartolo escapes though and pops straight back up to his feet.
Villanova is breathing heavily.
Villanova displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Bartolo.
Bartolo misses with a takedown
and Villanova counters with a nice body kick.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Juaquin Bartolo. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Villanova shoots in for a double leg but Bartolo sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Villanova shoots in but Bartolo avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Bartolo fails with the takedown
and Villanova counters with a series of strikes. Bartolo will be more careful next time no doubt.
Bartolo looks to land a combination but Villanova avoids it well.

Villanova closes the distance and clinches.
A bit of stalling here from Villanova.

Bartolo decides to pull guard.

Villanova decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Bartolo, up you get!

Bartolo shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Bartolo was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Bartolo has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Villanova's face.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bartolo landing strikes from the mount.
Bartolo landing strikes from the mount.
Villanova regains half guard.
Bartolo throwing shots but Villanova is blocking nicely.
Villanova regains full guard, whilst avoiding punches from Bartolo.
Bartolo trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Bartolo with a couple of shots to the head there. Not particularly brutal.
Bartolo working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Villanova's head.
Bartolo with a nice head shot there.

Villanova working for a triangle but Bartolo defends it easily.

Villanova is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Villanova avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Bartolo throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Villanova works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Bartolo avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Juaquin Bartolo is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Villanova shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Bartolo napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Villanova wants to lay and pray for a moment but Bartolo keeps working.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vincent Villanova showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

A kick lands to the mid section there for Villanova.
Villanova lands with a slapping head kick.

Villanova moves into range and clinches up with Bartolo.
Bartolo tries to take the fight to the ground by pulling guard but can't manage it.

Villanova breaks the clinch.
Bartolo stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Bartolo wants it to stay on the feet.
Villanova will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.

Bartolo closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Vincent Villanova has got the better of the ground game so far.
Bartolo working the body and head with strikes.
Bartolo working the ground and pound.
Bartolo working the ground and pound.
Bartolo working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Villanova can't do much from the bottom here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bartolo throwing ground and pound but whilst doing so, he forgets to control position and Villanova works his way back to half guard. Good composure under pressure.
Villanova manages to get to full guard.
Villanova trying to control the position.
Bartolo connects with a couple of short punches.
Bartolo postures up.
Bartolo throws a big right hand that misses.
Bartolo has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Bartolo's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

That's two 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.
Bartolo with a flurry of punches that miss.
Bartolo scoring with punches to the head and body.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Bartolo.
Villanova clinches but Bartolo breaks the clinch

and Bartolo counters with a single leg into guard. Villanova didn't expect that.
Bartolo is looking to work some ground and pound but Villanova has wrist control.
Bartolo postures up and lands a big shot to Villanova's brow.
Bartolo trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Bartolo preventing the sweep.
Bartolo is in close to Villanova's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Bartolo content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Bartolo stands up over Villanova, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Bartolo scores with a decent looking elbow strike.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bartolo throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Villanova utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Bartolo tries to grapple but his opponent circles

and Villanova holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Bartolo tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Villanova smiles and moves away.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Juaquin Bartolo. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Villanova has his takedown stuffed

and Bartolo counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Villanova!
Villanova is trying desperately to improve position.
The referee warns Villanova that he has to improve his position here as he takes two more clean shots to the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bartolo punishing his opponent with strikes.
Bartolo has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Villanova's face.
Villanova keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Bartolo cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Villanova is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Bartolo raining down shots from the mount!
Juaquin Bartolo has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Villanova is in a horrible position here. Bartolo smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Bartolo with good strikes from the mount here!
Vincent Villanova is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Bartolo avoids the attempt from Villanova to control.

And that's the end of the fight!
Juaquin Bartolo showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Villanova 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 Andi Peters scores the fight 28:29
Judge Gordon Ramsey scores the fight 28:29
Judge Frank Skinner scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Vincent Villanova!