PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Saiquin Raven (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rocky Balboa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Balboa has chosen Gonna Fly Now as his entrance music. The atmosphere really building for this one as we go over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Raven
vs
Balboa

170 cm
19
141 lbs
2 - 3 - 0

195 cm
22
142 lbs
3 - 6 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Brawler
Knockout power

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Saiquin Raven!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Rocky Balboa !
The judges for this bout are Donatello Bradman, Skip Squint and John Mangel.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Balboa tries to close the distance and clinch up but Raven swats him away and circles back towards the center.

Raven changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Balboa looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Raven staying calm.
Balboa pushes Raven away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Raven gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Balboa tries to buck Raven off but Raven is having none of it.
Balboa is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Raven asserts his dominance and retains side control.
Raven trying to control the position but Balboa is working away.
Balboa is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Raven fails with the takedown.
Balboa is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balboa tries to clinch but Raven moves out of range.
Raven shoots in but Balboa avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Balboa has his takedown stuffed

and Raven counters with a takedown into side control.
Raven wants to control but Balboa is keeping him busy.
Balboa is letting Raven control him for a moment.
Balboa is positioning himself to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Balboa stops Raven from passing to mount.
Raven slows the pace down.
Balboa is looking to regain half guard here but Raven keeps moving and retains side control.

Raven decides to stand back up. Raven steps back and let's Balboa get back to his feet.
Balboa shoots in but doesn't get the takedown

and Raven decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Balboa 's guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Balboa looks gassed!
Raven content to stall in guard here.
Raven stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Balboa swivels though and keeps the full guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balboa 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.
Raven is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.
Raven wants to control from the top but Balboa keeps moving.
Raven looking to pass the guard.
Raven is working hard here to advance position.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Balboa scores with a nice takedown into half guard. Let's see what he's got on the ground.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Raven is controlling Balboa 's trapped leg to prevent Balboa from advancing to side control.
Raven might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Raven gets back to full guard.
Raven trying to control the position.
Raven looking for a sweep. Not yet Raven, not yet.
Balboa lands a couple of elbows.
Balboa is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Raven is trying to control the position but Balboa postures up.
Balboa postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Balboa wants to control from the top but Raven keeps moving.
Balboa with a flurry of punches that miss.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Saiquin Raven dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Raven with a poor takedown

and Balboa counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Nice strikes from Balboa there.
Raven tries to roll over but Balboa keeps him under control.
Balboa perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Balboa is thwarting Raven's attempts to control the position.
Raven is not content to let Balboa control the position.
Balboa stalling.
Balboa is thwarting Raven's attempts to control the position.
Balboa prevents Raven from improving his position.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Balboa tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Raven stuffs the takedown.
Rocky Balboa seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Raven bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Balboa can't do much from the bottom here.
Saiquin Raven overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Balboa is trying to avoid being dragged into an even worse position than he's already in but Raven is staying active.
Raven moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.
Balboa is trying to control Raven's posture but Raven avoids it.
Raven wants to control but Balboa is keeping him busy.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Balboa is trying to control Raven's posture but Raven avoids it.
Raven trying to control the action but Balboa is working from the bottom.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.

Raven fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Balboa sprawls well initially but Raven persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Raven wants to take a breather but Balboa is having none of it.
Balboa is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Raven wants to take a breather but Balboa is having none of it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Balboa can do anything to dispel that myth.
Raven content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

Balboa looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Raven keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Balboa wants to improve his position but Raven is controlling well.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Balboa misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Raven misses with a takedown attempt

and Balboa counters with a takedown into side control.
Balboa cracks Raven with a big elbow.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Balboa tries to stand but Raven is controlling his head.
Balboa trying to control the action but Raven is working from the bottom.
Raven is trying to improve his position.
Raven can't do much from the bottom here.
Balboa trying to control the action but Raven is working from the bottom.
You can see the frustration on Raven's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.

Balboa decides to stand back up.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rocky Balboa showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Balboa clinches.
Balboa looking for a takedown.
Raven goes for a takedown attempt but Balboa pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
Raven ducks under a wild hook from Balboa .
Raven shoots and misses

and Balboa counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Raven!
Balboa tries to control but Raven wriggling away.
Raven tries to reverse the position but Balboa maintains control.
Balboa controlling the position easily from mount.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Balboa wants to finish this one by submission but Raven is holding onto his waist, trying to prevent any attacks from Balboa .
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Balboa looking to control and managing it successfully.
Raven bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Raven wants to control from the top but Balboa keeps moving.
Balboa pulls Raven in close to prevent any damage.
Raven stopping the sweep attempt from Balboa .

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Balboa keeping moving, preventing Raven from controlling successfully.
Raven won't allow Balboa to get back to his feet.
Raven wants to control from the top but Balboa keeps moving.
Balboa is looking to stand up but Raven isn't so interested in that idea.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fight is doing enough on the ground.
Balboa with a lazy takedown attempt

and Raven counters with a nice double leg into guard.
Raven won't allow Balboa to sweep him here.
Raven postures up.
Balboa keeping moving, preventing Raven from controlling successfully.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balboa seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Raven tries to free his leg and advance position but Balboa is retaining full guard.
Raven trying to control but Balboa is working from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Balboa tries to land a sweep but no joy.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Balboa tries to clinch but Raven is having none of it.
Balboa keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Saiquin Raven. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Raven fails with a takedown attempt.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Balboa stalks Raven and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Raven's face. Raven staggers backwards, shaken.
Rocky Balboa is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
No luck for Balboa with that takedown attempt.
Raven shoots and misses

and Balboa counters with a takedown into full mount! That could mean trouble for Raven!
Balboa trying to control but Raven is having none of it.

Balboa is working on an americana here. Ooh, that looks pretty nasty! Nope, Raven has managed to escape the submission attempt.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Balboa cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!

And that's the end of the fight!
Rocky Balboa comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Balboa has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Donatello Bradman scores the fight 28:29
Judge Skip Squint scores the fight 28:29
Judge John Mangel scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rocky Balboa !