PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Drake Durant (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Lionel Messi (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.

Durant
vs
Messi

195 cm
26
270 lbs
4 - 3 - 0

195 cm
24
250 lbs
10 - 6 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid boxing
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 4 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Drake Durant!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 10 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Lionel Messi!
The judges for this bout are Jeff Smith, Micheangelo Fripello and Josh West.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Messi throws a right hand that Durant ducks under and follows up with a left that Durant also avoids with ease.
Durant misses with a hook. Messi ducked under it nicely.
Durant throws a right and a left that Messi avoids nicely.
Durant avoids a punch combination nicely.
Nice shot lands for Durant.
Messi swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Durant counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Messi looks gassed!
Messi misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Lionel Messi seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Messi ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Messi defending well as Durant loads up on a big left hand.
Durant throws a big shot that misses.
Durant thows a left - swing and a miss!
Messi slips a straight right by Durant.
A jab from Durant misses.
Messi throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Durant counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
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!
Messi lands with a nice combination. Durant backs away looking to recover.

It looks like Drake Durant has been cut.
Durant fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Durant cracks Messi with a good jab.
Messi looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Messi throws a right and a left that Durant avoids nicely.
Durant throws out a token jab with nothing on it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Durant throws a right hand that Messi ducks under and follows up with a left that Messi also avoids with ease.
Messi throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Durant lands a glancing blow to the side of Messi's head.
Messi uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Durant.
Messi dodges the punch combination from Durant.
Messi fails to land with a series of punches.
Durant fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Messi manages to avoid it.
Durant lands a jab to the head.
Durant lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Messi will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Durant swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Durant digs a good hook to Messi's body.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Durant waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Messi.
Messi takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Durant scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
The fighters circling - Durant throws out the jab but it was never going to land.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Durant misses with a double jab.
Durant scores with a nice head shot.
Durant feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Messis jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Messi takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Durant avoids a punch combination nicely.
Durant throws a series of punches but Messi moves out of range.
Durant tests Messi's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Messi avoids the body shot from Durant.
Messi throws a right and a left that both miss.
Durant throws a hook but Messi blocks it.
Durant is really peppering his opponent's head with punches.
No joy there for Durant, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
A jab from Durant misses.
Durant connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Messi misses with a combination
and Durant counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Durant cracks Messi with a good jab.
Messi moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Messi lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
A jab from Durant misses.
Durant lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Messi backs up against the ropes.
Messi showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Durant.
Decent striking displayed by Durant there.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Durant swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Durant throws a series of punches but Messi moves out of range.
Messi moves out of range as Durant strikes.
Messi fails to land with a series of punches.
Durant misses with a body shot.
Messi throws a series of punches but Durant moves out of range.
Durant swings for the body but Messi moves out of range.
Messi slips a jab from Durant.
Messi takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Durant stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Messi takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Durant throws a body punch but Messi moves out of range.
A big left from Durant misses.
Nice cross by Durant.
Durant scores with a shot to the body.
Durant lands a lovely overhand right.
Messi rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Durant moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Durant throws out a loose jab but Messi uses good head movement to avoid it.
Durant throws a lazy right hand but Messi sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Durant lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Durant with a jab.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Messi defending well as Durant loads up on a big left hand.
Durant throws a lazy uppercut
and Messi counters with a series of strikes. Durant will be more careful next time no doubt.
Messi walks into a straight right hand from Durant.
Durant scores with a jab to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Drake Durant dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Drake Durant's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Messi ducks under a wild hook from Durant.
Durant misses with a series of wild punches.
Durant slips a jab and a cross from Messi.
Messi takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Messi throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Durant counters with a one-two to the body.
Durant lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.

Messi is rocked!
Durant throws a looping overhand right but Messi ducks down to avoid it.
Messi uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Durant.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Messi takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Messi takes a jab right on the kisser.
Messi is still on wobbly legs! Can Durant finish him?
Durant works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.
Drake Durant is winning the standup battle so far.
Durant throws a series of punches but Messi avoids them all with ease.
Durant feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Messis jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Durant with a jab.
Durant throws an overhand right that drops Messi like a sack of potatoes! Durant dives in to finish the fight with more strikes and this one is all over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:57 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Drake Durant!
Drake Durant decided to hype himself up post fight. It was going well but he went on about it a bit too long and the crowd turned on him a little.