PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Kasey Ballard (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Shane Blankenship (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Ballard comes to the cage accompanied by Eye of the Tiger. Blankenship has chosen Crazy Train as his entrance music. Kasey Ballard is staring across the cage at his opponent, tweaking his nipples... Tweaking his own nipples that is.

Ballard
vs
Blankenship

193 cm
18
215 lbs
5 - 4 - 0

183 cm
18
210 lbs
1 - 9 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Very strong

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Nature's Edge Nutrition

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 5 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Kasey Ballard!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Shane Blankenship!
The judges for this bout are Hugh Johnson, Donatello Bradman and Steve Erwin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Ballard fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Ballard fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Blankenship misses with a jab, cross combination.

Blankenship moves into the clinch.

Ballard breaks from the clinch.
Blankenship blocks a leg kick.
Ballard shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Kasey Ballard. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Ballard stuffs the takedown attempt from Blankenship. Blankenship gets slowly back to his feet.

Ballard takes the fight into the clinch.
A short right from Ballard on the inside.
Ballard comes over the top with an elbow. That landed flush.
Ballard missing with knees to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Blankenship gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
Ballard keeping moving, preventing Blankenship from controlling successfully.
Blankenship wants to stand but Ballard is controlling his posture from full guard.
Ballard keeping moving, preventing Blankenship from controlling successfully.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Blankenship looking to sit in guard and control but Ballard gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Ballard stands and steps away. Blankenship gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Blankenship throws a sloppy head kick and Ballard moves out of range easily.

Ballard clinches up with Blankenship and pushes him back against the cage.
Ballard is trying to break the clinch but Blankenship is controlling him.
Ballard taking a breather.
Blankenship lands an elbow inside that Ballard shrugs off.

It looks like Kasey Ballard has been cut.

Blankenship jumps into guard, dragging Ballard to the mat.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Blankenship is trying to control the position but Ballard postures up.
Ballard wants to control from the top but Blankenship keeps moving.
Ballard controlling from the guard. I say controlling but really, he's stalling.
Blankenship pulls Ballard in to control the position.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Blankenship misses with a takedown attempt - Ballard sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Ballard is looking to clinch.
Ballard defends well against a solid takedown attempt from Blankenship.
Ballard fails to land the takedown.
Blankenship closes the distance and clinches up with Ballard, looking for a takedown. Blankenship pushes Ballard against the cage but Ballard circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
A jab from Blankenship misses.
Ballard gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Blankenship counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Ballard's guard now.
Blankenship looks gassed!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Blankenship trying to control but Ballard is working from the bottom.

Ballard has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Blankenship can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
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!

Ballard has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Blankenship off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Blankenship has closed the distance and engaged Ballard in a clinch.
Ballard trying to control the position but instead, Blankenship has worked for underhooks and has pushed Ballard into the cage.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Shane Blankenship will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Kasey Ballard's cut.
That's time! Ballard's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Blankenship throws a series of punches but Ballard moves out of range.
Nice sprawl there from Blankenship as Ballard shoots in.
Blankenship misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
A leg kick checked by Ballard.
Blankenship closes this distance looking for a takedown but Ballard circles away.
Blankenship stuffs the takedown.
Blankenship is trying hard to land a takedown here. Ballard sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Kasey Ballard has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Shane Blankenship.
Ballard will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Blankenship stuffs the takedown attempt from Ballard. Ballard gets slowly back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Ballard tries to clinch up.
Blankenship tries to clinch up.
Ballard fails in his attempt to clinch.

Ballard clinches up against the cage.
Blankenship content to slow the pace in the clinch.

Blankenship drags the fight down to the ground.
Ballard is stalling in the full guard.
Ballard trying to control but Blankenship is working from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ballard stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Blankenship swivels though and keeps the full guard.
Blankenship working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Ballard.

Blankenship is looking for a triangle but Ballard pushes his legs off easily.
Blankenship really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Ballard. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Blankenship trying to strike off his back.
Ballard tries to free his leg and advance position but Blankenship is retaining full guard.

Blankenship has his foot on Ballard's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Ballard works his way back into a safe position though.
Blankenship is breathing heavily.
Ballard trying to control the position from guard on top but Blankenship is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Blankenship has momentary wrist control but Ballard slips an elbow through the middle.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Ballard trying to control the position from guard on top but Blankenship is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Ballard pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Blankenship is keeping the position for now.
Blankenship is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Blankenship is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Blankenship lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Ballard connecting with a few gentle strikes.
Blankenship throws a strike but Ballard avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
Ballard throws a couple of weedy looking strikes off his back.
Blankenship missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Ballard controlling the position.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kasey Ballard dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Kasey Ballard's cut.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Blankenship tries a head kick but it misses.
Blankenship misses with a takedown attempt - Ballard sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Ballard lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.

It looks like Shane Blankenship has been cut.
Blankenship is looking to clinch.
Blankenship misses with a takedown attempt - Ballard sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Ballard closes the distance and clinches.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.

Blankenship breaks from the clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Blankenship misses with a takedown attempt - Ballard sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Kasey Ballard has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Shane Blankenship.
Blankenship takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Blankenship shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Kasey Ballard is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Donk. Ballard catches Blankenship right on the button with a cross.

Ballard takes the fight into the clinch.
A short uppercut from Blankenship.
Blankenship prevents the takedown attempt.
Blankenship trying to stall but Ballard improves his position.
Ballard drops down looking for an ankle pick but Blankenship pulls his leg out and moves away.
Blankenship closes the distance and clinches up with Ballard, looking for a takedown. Blankenship pushes Ballard against the cage but Ballard circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Ballard fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Ballard tries to clinch but Blankenship moves out of range.

Ballard fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Blankenship to the ground. Ballard is now in Blankenship's guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Blankenship looking for a sweep. Not yet Blankenship, not yet.
Blankenship is looking to stand up but Ballard isn't so interested in that idea.

Blankenship working for submissions but it's allowed Ballard to get to half guard.
Ballard is looking to take a break and control but Blankenship is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Ballard is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Blankenship is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Ballard passes to full mount!
Ballard sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Blankenship is trying to stand.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ballard mounts Blankenship! Really nice guard pass there!
Blankenship is working to get back to half guard.
Ballard cracks Blankenship with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Ballard scoring with some good ground and pound from mount here. Will he manage to finish Blankenship?
Ballard can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Blankenship is looking to escape.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Ballard controlling his opponent.

And that's the end of the fight!
Kasey Ballard showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Ballard 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 Hugh Johnson scores the fight 29:28
Judge Donatello Bradman scores the fight 29:28
Judge Steve Erwin scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Kasey Ballard!
Kasey Ballard really struggled to get his t-shirt on before his hand was raised. Making sure that Nature's Edge Nutrition logo gets some air time is pretty tricky when you're all sweaty.