PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Kari Tapio (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kingston Bartholemeaux (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). I'm sure you'll be fascinated to know that I was talking to some pointless Z list celebrity before the fight and he thought that Kingston Bartholemeaux was going to win. Let's see if he was right.

Tapio
vs
Bartholemeaux

188 cm
27
220 lbs
12 - 10 - 0

187 cm
25
220 lbs
11 - 6 - 0

Good wrestling
Lethal high kicks
KO power

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Granite chin

Fossington & Blythe: Gentlemen's Fight Attire
Fossington & Blythe: Gentlemen's Fight Attire

Zentrope Fighting Universe
Zentrope Fighting Universe

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the light heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 10 - 0, fighting out of London, Kari Tapio!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 6 - 0, fighting out of London, Kingston Bartholemeaux!
The judges for this bout are James Ackerman, James Glass and Andrew Berry.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Tapio connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
A punch combination from Bartholemeaux misses.
Bartholemeaux throws a head kick but Tapio moves out of range.
Tapio cracks the inside of Bartholemeaux's front leg.
Bartholemeaux misses with a shot to the body
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Bartholemeaux misses with a straight right.
Bartholemeaux misses with a few strikes there.
Tapio shoots for a takedown but Bartholemeaux saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

Tapio shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Bartholemeaux's guard.
Tapio throwing strikes but missing.
Tapio has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

Bartholemeaux kicks Tapio off and gets to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tapio slips a straight right by Bartholemeaux.
Kingston Bartholemeaux seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Bartholemeaux throws a right and a left that both miss.
Tapio shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Bartholemeaux but Bartholemeaux pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Bartholemeaux scores with a shot to the body.
Bartholemeaux throws a sloppy head kick
and Tapio counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Tapio fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Bartholemeaux has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Bartholemeaux throws a series of punches but Tapio avoids them all with ease.
Tapio takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Bartholemeaux throws an off balance right hand
and Tapio counters with a straight right hand.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tapio digs a good body shot into Bartholemeaux's ribs.
Sloppy strikes from Bartholemeaux. Those never looked like landing.
Sloppy strikes from Bartholemeaux. Those never looked like landing.
Bartholemeaux on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Bartholemeaux looks gassed!
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Bartholemeaux stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Bartholemeaux wants it to stay on the feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Kari Tapio. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Tapio takes one on the button.
Bartholemeaux throws a hook but Tapio avoids it easily.
Bartholemeaux wants to clinch
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tapio throws a nice head kick!

It looks like Kingston Bartholemeaux has been cut.
Tapio keeps the fight on the outside.
A big left from Tapio misses.
Tapio gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Tapio misses with a head kick.
Bartholemeaux throws a lazy head kick
enabling Tapio to counter with a crisp jab.
Tapio lands with a nice body punch.
Bartholemeaux throws a head kick that misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bartholemeaux gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Bartholemeaux looks to clinch
and Tapio counters with a stiff right hand.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Bartholemeaux avoids a kick to the body.
Bartholemeaux is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Tapio swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Bartholemeaux tries to clinch up but Tapio circles away and keeps his distance.
Tapio misses with a head kick.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Bartholemeaux throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Tapio.
Tapio dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Some wild striking there from Bartholemeaux.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kari Tapio dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Kingston Bartholemeaux's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Bartholemeaux misses with an uppercut
and Tapio finishes the little exchange by landing a big kick to the body.
Tapio connects with a solid leg kick.
Tapio misses with a few strikes there.
Bartholemeaux rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Tapio counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Bartholemeaux swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Tapio delivers a nice body kick.
Bartholemeaux darts in trying to clinch
and Tapio counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Bartholemeaux gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Tapio.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tapio takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Bartholemeaux steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Tapio.
Bartholemeaux throws out a loose jab but Tapio uses good head movement to avoid it.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Tapio keeps control of Bartholemeaux as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Tapio tries for a takedown but Bartholemeaux manages to get underhooks.
Bartholemeaux gets double underhooks to prevent a takedown attempt from Tapio.
Tapio tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Bartholemeaux is pressed up against the cage. Tapio has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Bartholemeaux down to the mat. Bartholemeaux avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Kari Tapio. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tapio ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Bartholemeaux moves away.
Bartholemeaux showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Tapio.
Bartholemeaux blocks a head kick by Tapio.
Bartholemeaux misses the body punch
and Tapio counters with a left to the body.
Bartholemeaux fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Bartholemeaux scores with a punch to the head.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Bartholemeaux connects with a body shot.
Tapio misses with a head kick.
Bartholemeaux misses with an uppercut. Tapio saw that one coming.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bartholemeaux tries to clinch there but Tapio circles away.
Bartholemeaux connects with the punch.

Bartholemeaux closes the distance and clinches.
Tapio is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Bartholemeaux gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.

Tapio breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Bartholemeaux avoids the body shot from Tapio.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Tapio thows a body shot but no joy.
Bartholemeaux swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Tapio counters with a right hand to the body.
Bartholemeaux lands an overhand right.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tapio tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Tapio's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Bartholemeaux connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Tapio scrambles back to his feet.
Tapio fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Tapio throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Bartholemeaux throws a series of punches but Tapio moves out of range.
Bartholemeaux throws a looping overhand right but Tapio ducks down to avoid it.
Bartholemeaux misses with a combination
enabling Tapio to counter with a crisp jab.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Tapio throws a right hand that Bartholemeaux ducks under and follows up with a left that Bartholemeaux also avoids with ease.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Kingston Bartholemeaux will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Kingston Bartholemeaux's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Bartholemeaux cracks Tapio with a hook to the temple - Tapio is on wobbly legs here! Bartholemeaux swarms him with hook after hook, landing with each one! Tapio falls to the canvas face first and the referee dives in to stop the fight! Bartholemeaux wins by TKO!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:05 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Punches). Kingston Bartholemeaux! Kingston Bartholemeaux retains his light heavyweight title!