PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Richard Alipio (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rafael Zanico (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Alipio
vs
Zanico

170 cm
25
153 lbs
9 - 6 - 0

173 cm
22
143 lbs
5 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid Muay Thai
Very quick

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Determined

Milwaukee's Best 159's - $75

Milwaukee's Best 159's - $75
Milwaukee's Best 159's - $75

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Richard Alipio!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Rafael Zanico!
The judges for this bout are Winston Howard, Donatello Bradman and Hugh Johnson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Zanico fails with the takedown
and Alipio counters with a head kick.
Zanico fails with the takedown
and Alipio counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Zanico thinking.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Zanico has his takedown stuffed
and Alipio counters with a series of strikes. Zanico will be more careful next time no doubt.
Richard Alipio has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rafael Zanico.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Zanico gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Alipio counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Zanico with a poor takedown
and Alipio counters with a leg kick.
Zanico has his takedown stuffed
and Alipio counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Zanico is lucky that one didn't land flush.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Alipio throws a head kick that misses.
Zanico tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Zanico shoots and misses

and Alipio counters by clinching up.

Alipio pulls guard successfully.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.
Zanico in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.
Zanico throwing strikes from guard but Alipio blocks nicely.
Zanico pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Alipio is keeping the position for now.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zanico throws a strike but Alipio rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.
Alipio looking to pass the guard.
Zanico manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
Zanico looking to land elbow strikes but Alipio uses the position to regain half guard.
Alipio tries to get to full guard but Zanico has control of the leg.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Alipio is doing well to control the position and prevent Zanico from advancing to side control.
Zanico wants to pass the guard but Alipio is defending well.

Zanico is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Alipio has managed to free his arm - good work.

Zanico is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Alipio defends it well.

Zanico is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.

Zanico is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Alipio is trying to stand up here but Zanico is controlling him well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Rafael Zanico will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Alipio misses with a head kick.
Both fighters are looking to counter, which isn't making for the most exciting fight in the world.
Zanico fails with the takedown
and Alipio counters with a thumping low kick.
Zanico has his takedown stuffed

and Alipio counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

That's one minute gone in the round.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Alipio breaks the clinch.
Zanico avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Zanico throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Zanico misses with a takedown attempt

and Alipio holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Richard Alipio has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Rafael Zanico.

Zanico is fighting off a takedown attempt but Alipio is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Zanico to the mat. Zanico regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
Alipio controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Alipio trying to control the position from guard on top but Zanico is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zanico wants to sweep but no luck.
Zanico has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Alipio trying to control the position from guard on top but Zanico is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Alipio has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Richard Alipio wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Zanico has his takedown stuffed
and Alipio counters with a nice uppercut.
Zanico misses with a takedown attempt
and Alipio counters with a leg kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zanico tries for a takedown but Alipio circles away easily
and Alipio connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Alipio tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Zanico shoots in but doesn't get the takedown
and Alipio counters with a right hand to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Alipio buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.

Alipio has managed to clinch.
Zanico drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Alipio manages to pull guard.
Zanico wants to pass the guard but Alipio is keeping the position.
Alipio manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Richard Alipio dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Alipio throws a head kick that misses.
Zanico misses with a takedown
and Alipio counters with a big head kick but Zanico shrugs it off.

That's one minute gone in the round.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Zanico misses with a takedown attempt
and Alipio counters with a big head kick but Zanico shrugs it off.
Alipio misses with a wild combination.
Alipio wants to clinch but Zanico slips to the side

and Zanico counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Zanico.
Zanico wants to pass the guard but Alipio is keeping the position.
Zanico trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Zanico stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Alipio swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Alipio pulls Zanico in close to his closed guard and prevents Zanico from doing any damage or advancing position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Zanico with a flurry of punches that miss.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Zanico working from the guard for now, landing some ground and pound.
Zanico is looking to advance position but Alipio has hit a scissor sweep - now he's on top in mount!
Alipio looking to control and managing it successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Zanico wants to hold on but Alipio pushes him away.
Alipio looking to control and managing it successfully.
Zanico wants to hold on but Alipio pushes him away.
Alipio controlling from the full mount.
Alipio looking to control but Zanico is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Zanico is wriggling around trying to escape.
Alipio works his way to his opponent's back.
Zanico breaks Alipio's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.

Zanico drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Alipio manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Zanico has Alipio in his guard.
Alipio is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Rafael Zanico.
I think Zanico 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 Winston Howard scores the fight 29:28
Judge Donatello Bradman scores the fight 28:29
Judge Hugh Johnson scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Rafael Zanico!
Rafael Zanico really struggled to get his t-shirt on before his hand was raised. Making sure that Milwaukee's Best 159's - $75 logo gets some air time is pretty tricky when you're all sweaty.