PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Manny Pacquiao (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Siduri Rafter (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Pacquiao
vs
Rafter

169 cm
33
149 lbs
24 - 8 - 2

168 cm
33
158 lbs
17 - 9 - 0

Good wrestling
Lethal high kicks
Very quick

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

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 24 - 8 - 2, fighting out of Los Angeles, Manny Pacquiao!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 17 - 9 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Siduri Rafter!
The judges for this bout are Jeff Smith, Ryoma Takatsuka and Chris Saunders.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pacquiao slips under a jab from Rafter.
Pacquiao throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Pacquiao.
A left and a right from Pacquiao both land. Nice combination.
Rafter misses with an uppercut. Pacquiao saw that one coming.
Manny Pacquiao seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Pacquiao fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Rafter misses with a body shot.
A looping hook to the body misses from Pacquiao. Rafter does a little dance to reset his feet.
Pacquiao comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Pacquiao throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Rafter connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Rafter connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Pacquiao momentarily.
Pacquiao throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

Pacquiao gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Rafter to score an easy takedown into full guard.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Rafter's corner. There ya go! There ya go!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pacquiao keeping full guard, as Rafter tries to pass.
Pacquiao is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Rafter wants to control from the top but Pacquiao keeps moving.
Pacquiao trying to control the position here.
Rafter forces his way into half guard.
Pacquiao wants to control but Rafter is keeping busy.
Rafter throws a strike but Pacquiao avoids it easily and moves to full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Pacquiao controls Rafter momentarily but Rafter frees himself.
Rafter distracts Pacquiao with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Rafter looking to sit in guard and control but Pacquiao gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.
Pacquiao preventing the sweep.
Rafter avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Pacquiao sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Pacquiao wants to control from the top but Rafter keeps moving.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pacquiao is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Rafter is controlling Pacquiao's posture.

The ref stands the fighters back up because Manny Pacquiao just wasn't active enough.
Nice jab there from Pacquiao.
Pacquiao fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Rafter has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Pacquiao looks to score with a jab to the body but Rafter is just out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pacquiao getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Pacquiao misses with a body shot.
Pacquiao ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Rafter throws a lazy right hand but Pacquiao sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Rafter throws a shot from downtown. Pacquiao moves away and avoids it.
Pacquiao throws a series of punches but Rafter avoids them all with ease.
Rafter swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Pacquiao walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Rafter checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Rafter misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Pacquiao.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rafter looks to land a right hand but Pacquiao moved out of range.
Rafter fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Pacquiao manages to avoid it.
Pacquiao shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
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 Manny Pacquiao will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Pacquiao fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Rafter lands a right hook to the body.
Pacquiao connects with an inside leg kick.
Rafter rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
enabling Pacquiao to counter with a crisp jab.
Rafter swings and misses with a hook to the body.
A big right from Rafter misses.
Rafter swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Pacquiao tries for a takedown but Rafter circles away easily
and Rafter counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Pacquiao misses the shot to the body.

Pacquiao shoots in for a takedown and gets it.
Rafter is holding on to half guard well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pacquiao with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
Pacquiao trying to control from half guard but Rafter is working away.
Pacquiao missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.
Pacquiao trying to mount his opponent but Rafter defends it.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Pacquiao wants to lay and pray for a moment but Rafter keeps working.

Manny Pacquiao has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
An inside leg kick lands from Pacquiao.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Pacquiao.
Rafter shoots for a takedown but Pacquiao saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
The fighters circling - Rafter throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Rafter throws a jab but it's blocked by Pacquiao.
Rafter throws a hook but Pacquiao avoids it easily.
Pacquiao misses with a hook. Rafter ducked under it nicely.
Pacquiao scores with a leg kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Pacquiao is defended easily by Rafter.

Pacquiao scores a takedown into full mount!
Rafter wants to hold on but Pacquiao pushes him away.
Pacquiao controlling the position easily from mount.
Rafter is looking to improve his position but Pacquiao isn't that keen on the idea.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rafter avoids a series of strikes thrown by Pacquiao.
Pacquiao trying to control but he's not successful this time.
Rafter keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Manny Pacquiao overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Pacquiao sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Manny Pacquiao dominated that second round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Rafter takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
Pacquiao connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Rafter throws a hook but Pacquiao blocks it.
Rafter throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Pacquiao's waist but Pacquiao gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Rafter off to one side.
Rafter throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Rafter ducks right into an uppercut from Pacquiao.
Pacquiao takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Pacquiao ducks under a wild hook from Rafter.
Pacquiao throws a decent looking leg kick but it doesn't land clean.
Rafter thows a left - swing and a miss!
Rafter fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Pacquiao manages to avoid it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pacquiao fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Rafter manages to avoid it.
Pacquiao is looking to wear down Rafter with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Rafter thows a left - swing and a miss!
Rafter blocks a leg kick.
Pacquiao dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Rafter. That did some damage!
Rafter avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Pacquiao buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Manny Pacquiao is winning the standup battle so far.
Pacquiao scores with a hook to the body. Rafter takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Rafter throws a poor cross that misses
and Pacquiao counters with a left to the body.
Pacquiao rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Rafter moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Pacquiao connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Pacquiao slips a jab from Rafter.
A good leg kick by Pacquiao.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rafter throws an overhand right that lands on Pacquiao's shoulder, as Pacquiao tries to avoid the shot.
Rafter fails with the takedown.
Rafter defending well as Pacquiao loads up on a big left hand.
Rafter connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Pacquiao's hands.
The fighters circling - Rafter throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Pacquiao takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Rafter takes one to the chin there.
Rafter walks into a stiff left hand from Pacquiao.
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!

Rafter looking to score a takedown here. Pacquiao is defending well but Rafter drives through and ends up in Pacquiao's guard.
A real slowdown in the pace of the fight for a moment, as Pacquiao holds on and takes a little breather.

Pacquiao looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pacquiao working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Rafter.
Rafter preventing the sweep.
Rafter wants to pass the guard but Pacquiao is keeping the position.
Rafter missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Pacquiao is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Pacquiao preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Rafter pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Pacquiao is keeping the position for now.
Rafter trying to control but Pacquiao is working from the bottom.

Pacquiao working for a triangle but Rafter defends it easily.
Siduri Rafter has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rafter wants to pass the guard but Pacquiao is keeping the position.
Rafter stopping the sweep attempt from Pacquiao.
Pacquiao wants to get back to his feet but Rafter is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Manny Pacquiao is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Rafter throws an elbow that misses. Pacquiao uses the momentum to reverse the position. He's now in Rafter's guard. Nice move by Pacquiao!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Rafter keeping full guard, as Pacquiao tries to pass.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Manny Pacquiao.
Well Pacquiao 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 Jeff Smith scores the fight 30:27
Judge Ryoma Takatsuka scores the fight 28:29
Judge Chris Saunders scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Siduri Rafter!