PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Rick Grimes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Frankie Russo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Grimes
vs
Russo

170 cm
24
162 lbs
3 - 1 - 0

169 cm
33
165 lbs
12 - 12 - 0

Good wrestling
Decent elbows
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Decent boxing
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 2 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Rick Grimes!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 12 - 12 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Frankie Russo!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Shimada, Hirohito Nitta and Yukihiro Yamamoto.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Russo throws a jab but it's blocked by Grimes.
Russo walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
A combination from Grimes does no damage.
A looping hook to the body misses from Russo. Grimes does a little dance to reset his feet.
Russo throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Grimes is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Russo.
Grimes avoids a punch combination nicely.
A big left from Grimes misses.
Grimes misses with a left hand
enabling Russo to counter with a crisp jab.
Nice defenses there by Russo.
Grimes closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.
Nice uppercut there from Russo.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Grimes misses with a wild body shot.
Grimes looks to land a right hand but Russo moved out of range.
Grimes waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Russo.
Grimes takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Grimes looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Russo misses with a looping left.
Grimes stuns Russo with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Grimes scores with a leg kick.
Russo showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Grimes.
A punch lands to the side of Grimes 's head but he takes it in his stride.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Russo crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Grimes - the referee stops the clock and Russo gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Grimes. Russo manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.
Russo showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Grimes.
Russo works over Grimes's head and body with a nice combination.
Rick Grimes seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Grimes lands with a nice body punch.
Russo will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Rick Grimes is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Grimes swinging wildly here.
Russo lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Grimes circles away quickly and effectively.
Russo moves away from the strike by Grimes.
Grimes stuffs the takedown attempt from Russo. Russo gets slowly back to his feet.
Russo moves away from the strike by Grimes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
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!
Grimes misses with an uppercut. Russo saw that one coming.
A nice combination there by Russo.
Russo looks to land a combination but Grimes avoids it well.
Russo throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Grimes stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Russo swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Russo throws a combination that misses
and Grimes counters with a one-two to the body.
Grimes slips under a jab.
Grimes getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Russo tries to bum rush Grimes with a series of wild strikes but Grimes uses good footwork to avoid the assault.

Russo gets a double leg takedown into Grimes's guard.
Russo prevents Grimes from getting back to his feet.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Grimes has butterfly guard. He's looking to stand up here. He pushes Russo off him and springs to his feet nicely. The crowd applauds.
Grimes misses with an uppercut.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Grimes goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Russo uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Grimes.
Some wild striking there from Russo.
Grimes missing with a left hand there. Russo was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Nice shot by Russo.
Grimes moves forwards but Russo connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Russo moves forwards but Grimes connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Grimes keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Sloppy strikes from Russo. Those never looked like landing.
Russo slips a jab from Grimes.
Russo ducks under a wild hook from Grimes.
Russo pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Grimes looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Grimes throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Russo.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Russo scores with a one two! Grimes had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
Russo misses with a jab, cross combination.
Russo misses with a two punch combination.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Grimes scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Russo doesn't seem bothered though.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Grimes.
Grimes lands a slapping body shot.
Russo rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Grimes moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Grimes connects with a single shot there.
Grimes looks to land a right hand but Russo moved out of range.
Grimes throws a right hand that Russo ducks under and follows up with a left that Russo also avoids with ease.
Grimes has his hands up protecting his head but a hook from Russo finds it's way round the side to connect with Grimes's head.
Grimes throws a sloppy head kick and Russo moves out of range easily.
Russo misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Grimes.
Grimes wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Russo walks into a straight right hand from Grimes.
Grimes throws a right and a left that Russo avoids nicely.

That's five minutes gone in the round.
Good standup being displayed there by Russo as he connects with a hook.
Grimes swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Grimes throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

Russo shoots in and bounces Grimes off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Russo trying to control but Grimes is working from the bottom.
Russo postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Russo slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.
Russo sitting in side control, looking to soften his opponent up with elbows and hammerfists but Grimes is avoiding damage well and looking to escape the position.

That's six minutes gone in the round.
Russo misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Russo tries to cartwheel into mount but he doesn't manage it.
Grimes avoids any damage from the ground and pound of Russo.
Russo throwing ground and pound but whilst doing so, he forgets to control position and Grimes works his way back to half guard. Good composure under pressure.

That's seven minutes gone in the round.
Russo looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Russo missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Grimes is not content to let Russo control the position.
Russo uses his free foot to push down on Grimes's thigh. Eventually he works his other foot free and he's advanced to mount - this is trouble for Grimes.
Grimes trying desperately to get to his feet.

That's eight minutes gone in the round.
Russo misses with a series of strikes from mount. He'll no doubt be working on his ground and pound when he gets back to the gym.
Russo thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
Russo thowing shots but they're missing.
Grimes wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Russo.
Grimes holding onto his opponent's waist for dear life, as Russo tries to land some strikes to get him to release his grip.

That's nine minutes gone in the round.
Russo trying to control but he's not successful this time.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Russo cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Russo lands a nice shot to the head.
Russo working away from the top, dropping strikes.
Russo throws some wild stikes that Grimes manages to avoid easily.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Grimes avoids a series of strikes thrown by Russo.
Russo fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Russo scores with a couple of good head shots there.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Frankie Russo dominated that round.
That's time! Grimes's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Russo cracks Grimes with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
Nice jab there from Grimes.
Grimes with a jab.
Russo moves out of range of the body kick from Grimes.
Russo connects with a combination that backs up Grimes into the cage. Russo lands a flurry of punches that gets past Grimes's guard. Grimes is down and the referee has seen enough. It is all over! Russo bursts into tears - this win obviously means a huge amount to him.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 0:20 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Frankie Russo!