PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Derek Diaz (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Arturo Gatti (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.

Diaz
vs
Gatti

180 cm
22
170 lbs
4 - 3 - 0

176 cm
28
170 lbs
8 - 10 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Excellent boxer
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

BioPharm Nutrition

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 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of New York, Derek Diaz!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 8 - 10 - 0, fighting out of New York, Arturo Gatti!
The judges for this bout are Joseph Jones, Eddie Farnsworth and Franklyn Lucas.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Diaz avoids the head kick by Gatti.
Gatti misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Diaz misses with a series of wild punches.
Gatti tries to bum rush Diaz with a series of wild strikes but Diaz uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Diaz fails to land with a series of punches.
Diaz misses with a series of wild punches.
Gatti throws a sloppy head kick and Diaz moves out of range easily.
Diaz throws a series of punches but Gatti moves out of range.
Diaz scores with a hook to the body. Gatti takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gatti throws a hook but Diaz avoids it easily.
Diaz scores with a nice head shot.
Gatti misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Gatti lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Diaz circles away quickly and effectively.
Gatti avoids a punch combination nicely.
Diaz avoids the head kick by Gatti.
Diaz tries to clinch up but Gatti circles away and keeps his distance.
A punch combination from Gatti misses.
Diaz looks to land a combination but Gatti avoids it well.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gatti throws a series of punches but Diaz avoids them all with ease.
Diaz fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Good standup being displayed there by Diaz as he connects with a hook.
Arturo Gatti seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Gatti throws a big shot that misses.
Diaz keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Diaz misses with a double jab.
Gatti moves out of range of the strikes.
Gatti showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Diaz.
Gatti swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gatti throws a nice looking combination but Diaz bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Gatti tries to bum rush Diaz with a series of wild strikes but Diaz uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Gatti misses with the combination.
Arturo Gatti is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Diaz gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily
and Gatti counters with a series of strikes. Diaz will be more careful next time no doubt.
A combination from Gatti does no damage.
Diaz throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Gatti.
Diaz misses with a wild combination.
Diaz misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gatti throws a left and a right that both miss
and Diaz connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Diaz throws a right hand that Gatti ducks under and follows up with a left that Gatti also avoids with ease.
Diaz misses with a few strikes there.
A left and a right from Gatti both land. Nice combination.
Gatti misses with a head kick.
Gatti misses with a few strikes there.
Gatti showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Diaz.
Gatti throws a nice looking combination but Diaz bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Derek Diaz will probably get the nod.
That's time! Diaz's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Gatti jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Diaz showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Gatti.
Diaz lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Gatti circles away quickly and effectively.
Gatti tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
A looping hook to the body misses from Gatti. Diaz does a little dance to reset his feet.
Diaz swinging wildly here.
Derek Diaz is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Diaz avoids the head kick by Gatti.
Gatti throws out a loose jab but Diaz uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Diaz misses with a jab, cross combination.
Diaz throws a series of punches but Gatti moves out of range.
Diaz avoids a punch combination nicely.
Gatti throws a body kick that digs right into the meat.
Gatti throws a low kick but Diaz avoids it.
Gatti feints a jab promting Diaz to slip. Gatti then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Diaz slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.
Diaz showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Gatti.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Diaz throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Gatti throws a combination that misses
and Diaz counters with a nice body shot.

Diaz has closed the distance and engaged Gatti in a clinch.
Diaz prevents Gatti from breaking the clinch.
Gatti wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

Diaz manages to break the clinch.
Diaz misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
A telegraphed right hand from Diaz misses the target.
Diaz moves out of range of the body kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Some wild striking there from Diaz.
Gatti throws a sloppy head kick and Diaz moves out of range easily.
Gatti lands a high kick!
Gatti throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Diaz throws a right and a left that Gatti avoids nicely.
Diaz moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.

It looks like Arturo Gatti has been cut.
Diaz throws a nice looking combination but Gatti bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Gatti steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Diaz.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gatti throws a series of punches but Diaz avoids them all with ease.
Gatti throws a half hearted mid kick.
Diaz's corner calls for a 1-2. Diaz obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Gatti misses with a few strikes there.
Gatti throws a right and a left that both miss.
Gatti uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Diaz.
Diaz swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Gatti counters with a one-two to the body.
Gatti throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Derek Diaz is winning the standup battle so far.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Gatti throws a left and a right that both miss
and Diaz counters with a three punch combo that has Gatti backing up. Gatti nods at Diaz to acknowledge the strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Derek Diaz will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Arturo Gatti's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Diaz scores with a three punch combo!
Gatti misses with a double jab
and Diaz cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Diaz wants to clinch but Gatti slips to the side
and Gatti counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Gatti misses with an attempted mid kick.
Diaz fails to land with a series of punches.
Gatti misses with a wild combination.
Gatti throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Diaz.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gatti misses with a two punch combination.
Gatti looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Diaz throws a right hand that Gatti ducks under and follows up with a left that Gatti also avoids with ease.
A punch combination from Diaz misses.
Gatti keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Diaz.
Sloppy strikes from Diaz. Those never looked like landing.
Gatti gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
No joy there for Gatti, who threw a few shots but didn't land.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gatti looks to land a combination but Diaz avoids it well.
Gatti misses with a wild body shot.
Gatti swings away with a body shot that misses
and Diaz counters with a one-two to the body.
Diaz fails to land with a series of punches.
Gatti throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Diaz counters with a one-two to the body.
Diaz lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Gatti tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Gatti throws a head kick that misses
and Diaz counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Gatti throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Gatti takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gatti misses with a head kick.
Gatti misses with an attempted mid kick.
Some bone on bone action there as Gatti checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Gatti keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Diaz is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Diaz tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Gatti was well out of range. Poor timing from Diaz.
Gatti misses with an attempted mid kick.
Gatti misses with the combination.
Gatti throws a head kick but Diaz moves out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Diaz swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Gatti throws a combination. Diaz tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
Gatti slips a jab and a cross from Diaz.
Gatti misses with a combination
and Diaz counters with a nice uppercut.
Diaz rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Gatti moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
A combination from Gatti does no damage.
Arturo Gatti has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Diaz fails with a takedown attempt.
Derek Diaz is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
A punch combination from Gatti misses.

And that's the end of the fight!
Derek Diaz showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Diaz has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Joseph Jones scores the fight 30:27
Judge Eddie Farnsworth scores the fight 30:28
Judge Franklyn Lucas scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Derek Diaz!