PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Iosef Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Michael Balboa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Dzhugashvili kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Gosudarstvenniy Gimn SSSR . Balboa has chosen Eye Of The Tiger as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Michael Balboa is the more experienced fighter, so let's see if that makes a difference tonight.

Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili
vs
Balboa

187 cm
20
212 lbs
3 - 2 - 0

187 cm
31
221 lbs
14 - 12 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
World class boxer
Powerful

Doom Fightwear & Laundry Service
Charlie Wang's Nutrition and 95 % Laundry

SPARTA FIGHTWARE-GTI
SPARTA FIGHTWARE-GTI

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 3 - 2 - 0, fighting out of New York, Iosef Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 14 - 12 - 0, fighting out of New York, Michael Balboa!
The judges for this bout are Steve Montenegro, Jorge Garcia and Franklyn Lucas.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Dzhugashvili takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.

It looks like Michael Balboa has been cut.
Dzhugashvili throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Balboa sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Balboa lands with a hook. Dzhugashvili tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Dzhugashvili moves away from the strike by Balboa.
Dzhugashvili throws a right hand that Balboa ducks under and follows up with a left that Balboa also avoids with ease.
Balboa jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Balboa jabs at Dzhugashvili's body.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Balboa throws out a loose jab but Dzhugashvili uses good head movement to avoid it.
Balboa bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Dzhugashvili's head backwards.
Dzhugashvili lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Balboa lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Dzhugashvili thuds his right hand into Balboa's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Dzhugashvili throws a big shot that misses.
Balboa scores with a body shot.
Balboa misses with an uppercut. Dzhugashvili saw that one coming.
Dzhugashvili rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Balboa moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Dzhugashvili thows a left - swing and a miss!
Balboa lands a jab to Dzhugashvili's midsection.
Dzhugashvili throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Balboa.
Balboa lands with a good body shot.
Balboa connects with a good right hand that stumbles Dzhugashvili. Dzhugashvili circles away out of range and recomposes himself.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dzhugashvili takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Balboa connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
A right-left combo lands from Balboa.
Dzhugashvili looks to land a combination. Balboa sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.

That has opened up Michael Balboa's cut even more.
Iosef Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Balboa connects with a nice looking jab.
A punch combination from Dzhugashvili misses.
A punch combination from Balboa misses.
Balboa drops his hands momentarily and Dzhugashvili takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.

The cut above Michael Balboa's eye is starting to cause him problems now.
Dzhugashvili swings widly with a right hand
letting Balboa counter with a right hand.
Balboa misses with a straight right.
Balboa misses with a wild combination.
Balboa looks gassed!
Dzhugashvili takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Good exchange - Dzhugashvili coming out on top.
Balboa misses with an uppercut.
Dzhugashvili throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
No joy there for Dzhugashvili, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Dzhugashvili misses with a few strikes there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Balboa swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Dzhugashvili.
Dzhugashvili misses with a hook.
Dzhugashvili throws a big shot that misses.
Balboa lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Dzhugashvili misses with a wild combination.
Dzhugashvili takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Dzhugashvili throws a jab but it's blocked by Balboa.
Dzhugashvili throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Balboa tests Dzhugashvili's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Balboa jabs away that one connects to the head of his opponent.
Dzhugashvili swings widly with a right hand
and Balboa counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Balboa misses with a hook. Dzhugashvili ducked under it nicely.
Balboa walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Dzhugashvili misses with a right hand
and Balboa connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Balboa connects with a body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dzhugashvili uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Balboa.
Dzhugashvili misses with a double jab
and Balboa counters with a three punch combo that has Dzhugashvili backing up. Dzhugashvili nods at Balboa to acknowledge the strikes.
Dzhugashvili drops his hands momentarily and Balboa takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Dzhugashvili lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Balboa circles away quickly and effectively.
Balboa will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Dzhugashvili rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
enabling Balboa to counter with a crisp jab.
Dzhugashvili on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Dzhugashvili walks into a left hand.
Balboa connects with a right hand. Dzhugashvili shakes it off.
Dzhugashvili throws a series of punches but Balboa avoids them all with ease.
Dzhugashvili swinging wildly here.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Balboa slips a jab and a cross from Dzhugashvili.
Dzhugashvili takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.
Dzhugashvili throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Balboa.
Dzhugashvili throws a right hand that Balboa ducks under and follows up with a left that Balboa also avoids with ease.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Balboa scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
Balboa lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Dzhugashvili throws a hook but Balboa avoids it easily.
Dzhugashvili throws a shot from downtown. Balboa moves away and avoids it.
Balboa lands an overhand right.
Dzhugashvili looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Balboa catches Dzhugashvili with a nice straight right. He seems pissed - ooooh, it's on now! On like donkey kong!
Balboa avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Dzhugashvili misses with a double jab.
Dzhugashvili throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Nice cross by Balboa.

Dzhugashvili is rocked!
Dzhugashvili takes one to the side of the head.
Oh Dzhugashvili is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Balboa cracks Dzhugashvili on the jaw with a powerful right hand and Dzhugashvili falls backwards against the cage. Balboa follows up with more strikes that drop Dzhugashvili to his knees. Balboa keeps the pressure on and the referee jumps in to save Dzhugashvili! This one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:45 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Michael Balboa!
Michael Balboa managed to slip a mention for his sponsors, SPARTA FIGHTWARE-GTI, into his post fight interview.