PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Nino Balducci (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Devin Wilkens (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.

Balducci
vs
Wilkens

196 cm
19
275 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

190 cm
18
240 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Self confident

BJJ White Belt
Counter striker
Solid chin

Top MMA Nutrition

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 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Nino Balducci!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of New York, Devin Wilkens!
The judges for this bout are Bruno Lombardi, Chad Campbell and Alyssa Summers.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Balducci misses with a series of wild punches.
Wilkens looks really tired already! That doesn't bode well for a good, competitive fight!
Balducci misses with a straight right.
Nino Balducci seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Wilkens swats away the attempt to clinch by Balducci.
Balducci dips down and scores with a jab to the body.

Balducci gets a clinch.

Balducci jumps guard.
Wilkens must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Balducci wants to stand but Wilkens is controlling the position.
Wilkens really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Balducci. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

Balducci has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Wilkens off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Balducci misses with the combination.
Balducci fails with an attempt to clinch.

Balducci changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Wilkens looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Balducci gets to mount! Wilkens was on the offensive and wasn't defending properly.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balducci cracks Wilkens with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Balducci looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
Wilkens is squirming around, avoiding Balducci's attempts to control the action.
Balducci lands a big elbow.
Balducci landing strikes from the mount.
Balducci working Wilkens over with strikes here.
Wilkens is squirming around, avoiding Balducci's attempts to control the action.
Wilkens throwing punches from his back but nothing is landing.
Balducci blocks Wilkens's feeble attempts to strike from the bottom.
Balducci lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Balducci punishing his opponent with strikes.
Balducci lands a nice shot to the head.
Wilkens is desperately trying to improve his position but Balducci has a good base and remains in mount.
Wilkens is in a horrible position here. Balducci smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Balducci in mount throwing good strikes here, bouncing his opponent's head off the canvas.
Balducci landing strikes from the mount.
Balducci takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.
Wilkens is trying to escape the mount.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Balducci can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Wilkens is looking to escape.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.
Wilkens keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balducci pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Balducci with the ground and pound from mount.
Balducci lands a big elbow.
Balducci has his opponent pinned against the cage, landing some nasty ground and pound that is really making a bit of a mess out of Wilkens's face.
Balducci pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Balducci looking to control and managing it successfully.
Balducci with shots to the head and body - Wilkens looks very uncomfortable down there.
A nice elbow there by Balducci.
Wilkens really trying hard to get back to half guard here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Balducci scoring with strikes but Wilkens is staying in there.
A nice elbow there by Balducci.
Wilkens is in all sorts of trouble here.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Wilkens can do anything to dispel that myth.
Balducci wants to control the pace but Wilkens is squirming around nicely.
Balducci with shots to the head and body - Wilkens looks very uncomfortable down there.
Wilkens tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Balducci fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Wilkens really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Balducci raining down shots from the mount!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nino Balducci dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Balducci shoots in but no luck this time.

Balducci takes the fight into the clinch.
Balducci lands a nice elbow.

Balducci breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Balducci tries to close the distance and clinch but Wilkens swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Balducci fails with an attempt to clinch.

Balducci shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Wilkens wants to get back to full guard but Balducci has mounted him!
Balducci looking to control and managing it successfully.
Balducci breaks from Wilkens's wrist control and lands an elbow.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Wilkens is in all sorts of trouble here.
Balducci looking to control but Wilkens is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Nino Balducci overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Wilkens can't escape the position.

Balducci has hold of Wilkens's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Wilkens manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Balducci lands a big elbow.
Balducci with shots to the head and body - Wilkens looks very uncomfortable down there.
Balducci controlling from the full mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Balducci looking to finish Wilkens with some ground and pound. This is bad for Wilkens!
Balducci scoring with strikes but Wilkens is staying in there.
Balducci is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Wilkens can't stay in a position like this for much longer.

Wilkens is rocked!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Balducci wants to control the pace but Wilkens is squirming around nicely.
Wilkens takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Wilkens is still in real trouble! Can Balducci finish him?
Wilkens is trying to escape the mount.
Wilkens seems to have recovered his senses.
Wilkens is squirming around, avoiding Balducci's attempts to control the action.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balducci lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Balducci sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Balducci dominating with strikes here.
Balducci with shots to the head and body - Wilkens looks very uncomfortable down there.
Balducci controlling the position easily from mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wilkens taking shots to the head.
Balducci working Wilkens over with strikes here.
Balducci controlling from mount.
Balducci dominating with strikes here.
Balducci looking to control but Wilkens is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Nino Balducci just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Balducci misses with a jab, cross combination.
Balducci is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Balducci tries to bum rush Wilkens with a series of wild strikes but Wilkens uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Nino Balducci is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Balducci tries to clinch but Wilkens moves out of range.
Balducci fails with an attempt to clinch.
Balducci tries to clinch but Wilkens moves out of range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Nino Balducci dominated that second round.
That's time! Balducci's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Balducci tries to clinch but Wilkens moves out of range.
Balducci wants to clinch.
Wilkens tries a head kick but it misses.
A slapping leg kick lands for Balducci.
No luck for Balducci with that takedown attempt.
Wilkens keeps the fight on the outside.
Wilkens swats away the attempt to clinch by Balducci.
Balducci looks to land a right hand but Wilkens moved out of range.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Wilkens takes a jab right on the nose. That must have hurt but he shrugs his shoulders and looks to return the favor.
Balducci connects with the punch.
Balducci throws a head kick that half lands.
Balducci closes the distance and clinches up with Wilkens, looking for a takedown. Balducci pushes Wilkens against the cage but Wilkens circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balducci tries to close the distance and clinch but Wilkens swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Balducci rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Wilkens moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Wilkens will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Crack! A monster head kick from Balducci and Wilkens falls like a tree - timbeeeeeeeeeeerrrr! A highlight reel knockout by Balducci!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:20 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Head Kick). Nino Balducci!