PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Vitor Belfort (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Mario Balotelli (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Belfort
vs
Balotelli

186 cm
25
210 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

190 cm
22
204 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent boxer
Big heart

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Vitor Belfort!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Amsterdam, Mario Balotelli!
The judges for this bout are Albert Achterberg, Radbod Blank and Nard Betker.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Belfort misses with a hook.
Belfort misses with a straight left.
Belfort cracks Balotelli with a good jab.
Balotelli tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Belfort gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Belfort doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
Balotelli postures up.

Belfort has an omoplata and is looking to use it perhaps as a submission or perhaps to transition. Balotelli is in a bit of discomfort here, but he's managed to free himself and has dived into side control! That didn't work out too well for Belfort.
Balotelli wants to lay and pray for a moment but Belfort keeps working.
Belfort wants to control but Balotelli postures up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Belfort is looking for a sweep.
Balotelli really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Belfort. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Belfort can't do much from the bottom here.
Belfort tries to improve position but can't.
Balotelli working the ground and pound from side control.
Belfort manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Belfort trying to control the action but Balotelli is working from the bottom.
Belfort stalling away here and it's allowed Balotelli to slip out his trapped foot and regain full guard.
Balotelli keeping moving, preventing Belfort from controlling successfully.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Balotelli wants to stand and escape but Belfort is having none of it.
Balotelli trying to keep a closed guard but Belfort is proving a slippery customer.

Balotelli has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Belfort can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Balotelli has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Belfort sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Balotelli's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Belfort tries to stand and escape but Balotelli is controlling the position.
Belfort trying to mount his opponent but Balotelli defends it.
Belfort trying to control from Balotelli's half guard. Balotelli has other ideas though and has regained full guard.
Belfort trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Belfort pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Balotelli is keeping the position for now.
Balotelli keeping moving, preventing Belfort from controlling successfully.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Balotelli manages to escape and get back to his feet.
Belfort throws out a loose jab but Balotelli uses good head movement to avoid it.
Belfort throws an overhand right that lands on Balotelli's shoulder, as Balotelli tries to avoid the shot.

Balotelli fakes an overhand right and shoots for a takedown. Belfort sprawls well initially but Balotelli persists and gets the takedown into half guard.
Balotelli controlling the pace.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

Belfort is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Balotelli pulls his head out easily.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Balotelli wants to advance to full mount but Belfort doesn't think that's going to happen and regains full guard instead.
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 Vitor Belfort will probably get the nod.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Balotelli throws a shot from downtown. Belfort moves away and avoids it.
Balotelli steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Belfort.
Balotelli avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Belfort enables Balotelli to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Belfort manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Belfort trying to control the position here.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Balotelli accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Belfort avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.
Balotelli must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Balotelli sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Belfort looking to control.

That's one minute gone in the round.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Vitor Belfort wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Balotelli slips a straight right by Belfort.
Balotelli is looking to clinch.
Belfort connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Balotelli's hands.
Balotelli moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Balotelli takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Belfort thows a left - swing and a miss!
Belfort lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Vitor Belfort seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Belfort misses with a hook. Balotelli ducked under it nicely.
Mario Balotelli is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Belfort tries to sprawl but Balotelli drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Belfort is looking for a sweep. Balotelli is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Balotelli is looking for a kimura here.

Balotelli decides to stand up.
Balotelli is breathing heavily.

Balotelli gets a double leg takedown into Belfort's guard.
Belfort wants to get back to his feet but Balotelli is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Balotelli wants to control from the top but Belfort keeps moving.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Belfort trying to keep a closed guard but Balotelli is proving a slippery customer.
Belfort keeping moving, preventing Balotelli from controlling successfully.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Belfort is trying to control the position but Balotelli postures up.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Balotelli defending well as Belfort loads up on a big left hand.
Belfort with a nice cross.
Balotelli moves out of range of the strikes.
Belfort wants to clinch.
Belfort waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Balotelli.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Belfort scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Balotelli moves in looking to clinch but Belfort pushes him off.
Jab, jab by Belfort - just one landing.
Belfort uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Belfort moves in looking to clinch but Balotelli pushes him off.
Balotelli takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Belfort is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.

Balotelli closes the distance and pushes Belfort back into the cage.
Belfort misses with some punches.
Balotelli tries to pull guard but Belfort forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Belfort lands a right hand.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!

Belfort gets control of Balotelli's arms and successfully pulls guard. Belfort will no doubt be looking for submissions off his back.
Belfort is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
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 Vitor Belfort will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business. This is the final round!

Belfort connects with a looping right hand.
Belfort slips a jab and a cross from Balotelli.
Balotelli tries to clinch there but Belfort circles away.
Belfort scores with a hook.
Belfort listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Balotelli misses with a double jab.
Good shot there by Belfort.

Balotelli decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Belfort has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Balotelli is working away from the top position though.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Balotelli throwing shots but Belfort is blocking nicely.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Belfort wants to control but Balotelli is keeping busy and won't allow it.

Balotelli stands up out of the half guard.
Balotelli takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Belfort tries to clinch but Balotelli moves out of range.
Belfort moves in looking to clinch but Balotelli pushes him off.
A jab lands there for Belfort.
Belfort misses with a looping right.
Belfort lands a jab to the nose.
Belfort uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.
Balotelli keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Belfort.
Belfort bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Balotelli's head.

Balotelli closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A lull in the action here as Balotelli stalls from top position.
Belfort regains half guard there - taking advantage of Balotelli's attempt to lay and pray for a moment.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Belfort moves his hips nicely and gets into full guard.
Balotelli won't allow Belfort to sweep him here.
Balotelli wants to control from the top but Belfort keeps moving.
Balotelli stopping the sweep attempt from Belfort.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Belfort wants to stand but Balotelli is controlling the position.
Balotelli won't allow Belfort to sweep him here.
Belfort is trying to control the position from the bottom.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Belfort wants to clinch
and Balotelli counters with a head kick. That will keep Belfort thinking before he tries any more sloppy attacks!

Balotelli looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Balotelli trying to control the position from guard on top but Belfort is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Balotelli trying to stand up but can't free himself from Belfort's guard.
Belfort working a defensive guard here.
Mario Balotelli has got the better of the ground game so far.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Belfort doesn't do any damage with a couple of strikes from the bottom.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Balotelli trying to control but Belfort is working from the bottom.
Mario Balotelli has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Mario Balotelli wasn't active enough on the ground.
Balotelli on the wrong end of a nice jab.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Mario Balotelli.
I think Belfort has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Albert Achterberg scores the fight 30:27
Judge Radbod Blank scores the fight 30:27
Judge Nard Betker scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Vitor Belfort!