PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Howard Duck (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Donnie Holnick (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Duck
vs
Holnick

188 cm
23
215 lbs
12 - 5 - 0

180 cm
23
217 lbs
10 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Great elbows
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Good low kicks
Good gas tank

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 12 - 5 - 0, fighting out of London, Howard Duck!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Donnie Holnick!
The judges for this bout are Albert Achterberg, Wagner Zegers and Paulsen Ambrosius.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Duck swings widly with a right hand
and Holnick makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Duck throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped

and Holnick counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Duck's guard now.
Holnick is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Duck 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.
Holnick slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Donnie Holnick.
The crowd cheers as Duck lands an impressive looking overhand right. Holnick doesn't seem phased though.
Good exchange - Duck coming out on top.
Holnick pivots as if he's going to throw a leg kick but stops half way.
Holnick fails with a takedown attempt.
Duck is looking to clinch but Holnick is avoiding it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Holnick shoots in but Duck avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Duck misses with a lunging right hand
and Holnick counters with a good low kick that Duck was not able to check.
Duck attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Duck checks a leg kick.
Duck shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Holnick as he avoids it easily.
Duck misses with a double jab
and Holnick counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Duck thows a body shot but no joy.
Duck walks into a stiff left hand from Holnick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Duck cracks Holnick with a right hand to the side of the head.
Duck misses with a hook
and Holnick counters with a straight right hand.
Duck slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
Holnick circles away from the clinch attempt.
Duck misses with a hook
and Holnick counters with a nice leg kick.

Duck gets caught flat footed, as Holnick shoots in with a quick takedown into guard.
Holnick slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Duck managing to control the position.

We're going to have a standup here because Howard Duck wasn't active enough for the referee's liking.
Holnick jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Duck swings for the body but Holnick moves out of range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Horrible takedown by Holnick or perhaps it was just good defense by Duck which made him look bad.
Duck lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Holnick fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Duck misses the shot to the body.
Duck checks the leg kick nicely there.
Duck throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Holnick.
Holnick catches Duck with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Duck tries to close the distance and clinch up but Holnick swats him away and circles back towards the center.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Holnick misses with a takedown attempt
and Duck counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Duck misses with a combination
and Holnick counters with an outside leg kick.
Duck is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
An inside leg kick lands from Holnick.
Duck lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Duck shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Holnick counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Duck tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Holnick was well out of range. Poor timing from Duck.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Duck throws an off balance right hand
and Holnick finishes the little exchange by landing a big kick to the body.
Duck thows a body shot but no joy.
Duck on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Holnick keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Holnick takes one to the side of the head.
Duck misses with an uppercut
letting Holnick counter with a right hand.
Duck lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Duck.
Duck misses with a jab to the body
and Holnick counters with a leg kick.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Holnick steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Duck. That one must have hurt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Holnick defending well as Duck loads up on a big left hand.
Nice straight punches there by Holnick. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Holnick.
Duck scores with a decent looking hook.
Holnick ducks under a wild hook from Duck.
Duck misses with a straight right.
Duck misses with a jab, cross combination.
Holnick throws a shot from downtown. Duck moves away and avoids it.
Duck closes the distance and clinches up with Holnick, looking for a takedown. Duck pushes Holnick against the cage but Holnick circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Holnick tried to score with a low kick but Duck checks it.
Duck swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Holnick misses with a body kick.
Holnick moves out of range of the strikes.
Duck misses with a lunging right hand
and Holnick counters with a leg kick.
Duck lands with a shot to the body.
Duck misses with a wild body shot.
Duck misses with an uppercut
and Holnick counters with a slapping leg kick.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Howard Duck will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Duck stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Duck wants it to stay on the feet.
Holnick thumps Duck with a low kick.
Holnick throws a left and a right that both miss

and Duck counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Holnick digs a right hand underneath Duck's ribcage. Duck let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Holnick pressing his opponent against the cage.
Duck is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Holnick blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Duck lands a nice knee to the body.
Holnick tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Holnick lands a damaging elbow.

It looks like Howard Duck has been cut.
Duck comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Duck missing with knees to the body.
Holnick avoids the elbow strike from Duck, against the cage.
Holnick avoids the elbow strike from Duck, against the cage.
Duck pushes off an throws an elbow but Holnick leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Duck is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Holnick is keeping busy.
Duck tries a knee to the head but Holnick blocks it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Duck tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Duck creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
With the fighters up against the cage, Duck throws an elbow but misses.
Holnick avoids the elbow strike from Duck, against the cage.
Nice elbow from Holnick.
Holnick lands a right hand that snaps the head of Duck backwards.
Holnick misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Duck.
Duck comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.

Holnick breaks the clinch.
Duck throws an off balance right hand
and Holnick cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Holnick tries to move into range but Duck moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Duck lands a really nice looking cross but Holnick seems unphased.
Nice uppercut lands for Holnick. That snapped Duck's head back.
Holnick scores with a jab to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Duck lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Holnick circles away from the clinch attempt
and Holnick counters with a left to the body.
Howard Duck is winning the standup battle so far.
Duck misses with an uppercut. Holnick saw that one coming.
Duck throws a lazy uppercut

so Holnick counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Holnick throws a strike but Duck rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Duck wants to control from the top but Holnick keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Duck throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Holnick works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Holnick trying to keep a closed guard but Duck is proving a slippery customer.
Duck wants to control from the top but Holnick keeps moving.
Duck working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.
Holnick keeping moving, preventing Duck from controlling successfully.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Holnick looking to control.

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.
Duck misses with a hook to the body

and Holnick counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Duck is trying to keep Holnick in close.
Holnick's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Duck keeping moving, preventing Holnick from controlling successfully.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Holnick controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.

And that's the end of the fight!
Donnie Holnick comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Holnick 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 Albert Achterberg scores the fight 27:30
Judge Wagner Zegers scores the fight 28:29
Judge Paulsen Ambrosius scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Donnie Holnick!