PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Take Down (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Daniel Larusso (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Larusso has chosen Funky Polak - Nieważne as his entrance music. Daniel Larusso told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Down
vs
Larusso

190 cm
24
182 lbs
8 - 6 - 0

184 cm
31
177 lbs
16 - 7 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid boxing
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Counter striker
Heavy handed

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Take Down!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 16 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Daniel Larusso!
The judges for this bout are , and .

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Down tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Larusso was well out of range. Poor timing from Down.
Take Down seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Down slaps away a takedown attempt from Larusso, before circling back to the center of the mat.
Larusso shoots in and drives through. Down sprawls well.
Down throws a body punch but Larusso moves out of range.
Down misses with a hook.
Down lands with a nice combination. Larusso backs away looking to recover.

It looks like Daniel Larusso has been cut.
Larusso tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Down paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Larusso shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Down pinned against the cage. Down gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Take Down has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Daniel Larusso.
Down digs a good body shot into Larusso's ribs.
Larusso avoids the body shot from Down.
Down swings away with a body shot that misses

and Larusso moves into the clinch.
Larusso is trying to break the clinch but Down has him pressed against the cage.
Larusso is trying to pull guard but being pressed up against the cage enables Down to keep the fight standing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Larusso tries to circle away but Down has him pinned against the cage.
Larusso is trying to maintain a safe position but Down gets an underhook and turns Larusso into the cage.
Larusso tries to break free but Down pushes him back against the cage.

Down breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Down swings and misses with a shot to the body

and Larusso counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Larusso looking to sit in guard and control but Down gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Down postures up in Larusso's guard and throws a big left but Larusso blocks it.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Larusso can do anything to dispel that myth.
Larusso avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Down throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Larusso works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Down prevents Larusso from getting back to his feet.
Down lands a couple of elbows.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Down landing with the ground and pound.
Down has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Down scoring with some ground and pound.
Down is stalling in the full guard.
Down lands a couple of digs.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Larusso has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Down can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Down pushes down on Larusso's leg and manages to get into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Larusso is trying to control but Down manages to pass to mount!
Larusso tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Down landing strikes, looking to finish!
Down scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Larusso keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Down putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!
Down looking to finish with strikes here!
Down putting on the heat here with some good ground and pound!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Larusso working to try and regain half guard.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Down landing shots from mount.
Down throws a strike there. Larusso manages to avoid it well and slips a leg under to get to half guard.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Down connects with a nice short shot to Larusso's temple.
Larusso is looking to improve his position.
Down is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Larusso taking some punishment here, with Down in his half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Take Down dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Daniel Larusso's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Down fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Larusso throws a body kick that misses.
Daniel Larusso is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Down wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Down swings for the body but Larusso moves out of range.
Larusso moves in looking to clinch but Down pushes him off.
Down scores with a body shot.
Larusso looks to land a combination. Down sees it coming but can only parry a couple of the shots.
Down swings for the body but Larusso moves out of range.
Down misses with a wild body shot.
Larusso fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Larusso tries to clinch up.
Down lands a nice looking body shot.
Larusso throws a head kick but Down moves out of range.
Larusso tries for a takedown but Down circles away easily
and Down counters with a right hand to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Larusso tests Down's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Larusso slips a jab and a cross from Down.
Larusso tries to close the distance and clinch but Down swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Down throws a body punch but Larusso moves out of range.
Down lands a slapping body shot.
Down misses with a body shot

and Larusso counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Larusso wants to pass the guard but Down is keeping the position.
Down keeping moving, preventing Larusso from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Daniel Larusso.

Larusso dives in and scores a takedown into Down's guard.
Take Down overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Larusso with a nice head shot there.
Larusso is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Larusso postures up and scores with a shot to the body and a follow up elbow to the head.
Larusso trying to control but Down is working from the bottom.
The referee is asking the fighters to pick up the pace.
Larusso preventing the sweep.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Daniel Larusso wasn't active enough on the ground.
Down takes a swing at Larusso's ribcage but misses.
Down ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Larusso moves away.
Down is looking to wear down Larusso with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Down dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Larusso on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Larusso uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Down.
Larusso misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
Take Down has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Daniel Larusso.
Larusso dives in and grabs Down's left leg, looking for a takedown. Down pushes down on Larusso's head and hops out.
Down getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Down!
Take Down is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Down misses with a body shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Down lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Larusso takes a shot right to the bread basket.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Down defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Larusso.
Down stuns Larusso with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Larusso is breathing heavily.
Larusso wants to clinch
and Down counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Down misses with a telegraphed body shot

and Larusso counters with a shoot takedown. Down fights it but they end up in guard.
Larusso tries to free his leg and advance position but Down is retaining full guard.
Down working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Larusso.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Larusso preventing the sweep.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Daniel Larusso will probably get the nod - 10:9.
The cut man is working on Daniel Larusso's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

A punch combination from Down misses.
Larusso fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Down misses the body punch

and Larusso counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Larusso wants to pass the guard but Down is keeping the position.
Larusso trying to control the position from guard on top but Down is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Daniel Larusso was stalling too much, according to the referee.

Larusso shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in full mount! That's better than Larusso was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Larusso throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Larusso is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Down has managed to escape the submission attempt.
Larusso landing strikes, looking to finish!
Down sneaks a leg back under and regains half guard and is working straight away to try and get back to guard. He hasn't managed just yet though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Down is refusing to be controlled, as Larusso sits in half guard.
Larusso stalling away here and it's allowed Down to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Down keeping moving, preventing Larusso from controlling successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Daniel Larusso wasn't active enough on the ground.
Larusso throws a low kick, looking for Down's leg but Down calmly moves out of range.
Down scores with a hook to the body. Larusso takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Larusso fails with the takedown
and Down counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Down tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Larusso was well out of range. Poor timing from Down.
Larusso tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Down manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Down swats away the attempt to clinch by Larusso.
Larusso takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Down rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Larusso moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Larusso shoots in and drives through. Down sprawls well.
Take Down has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Daniel Larusso.
Larusso takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Larusso will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Larusso shoots in looking for a takedown. Down tries to sprawl out of it but Larusso keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Down manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Down scores with a body shot.
Down looks to score with a jab to the body but Larusso is just out of range.
Down cracks a nice hook into Larusso's ribs.
Larusso takes a body punch but keeps moving.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Larusso takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Larusso takes a shot right to the bread basket.
Down lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Down cracks Larusso with a right hand to the side of the head.
Down dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Larusso tries to clinch up.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Daniel Larusso.
I think Larusso 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 29:29
Judge Frank Skinner scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Daniel Larusso!