PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Rocky Marciano (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Knuckle Stone (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Marciano comes to the cage accompanied by lets dance. Stone is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Gimme Shelter. Well, the cameraman is lingering on a pretty young lady for a bit too long there. Keep your eyes on the prize buddy or you'll miss the fighter intros!

Marciano
vs
Stone

180 cm
34
146 lbs
33 - 12 - 0

166 cm
29
147 lbs
19 - 11 - 2

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Granite chin

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 33 - 12 - 0, fighting out of London, Rocky Marciano!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 19 - 11 - 2, fighting out of London, Knuckle Stone!
The judges for this bout are James Atkins, Colin Fotheringham and James Ackerman.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Stone staying out of range there.
Nice sprawl there from Stone as Marciano shoots in.
Marciano throws a head kick but Stone moves out of range.
Good shot there by Stone.
Marciano moves into range and connects with a jab.
Stone turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Stone slips a jab from Marciano.
A shot to the body from Stone misses
and Marciano connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Marciano throws a shot from downtown. Stone moves away and avoids it.
Stone misses with a low kick.
Stone gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Some bone on bone action there as Stone checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Stone displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Marciano.
Marciano slips a straight right by Stone.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Marciano lands with a good body shot.
Marciano throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Marciano takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Stone's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Marciano connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Stone scrambles back to his feet.
Marciano throws a chopping leg kick but Stone manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Stone dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Marciano. That did some damage!
Marciano takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.
Marciano moves out of range of the leg kick from Stone.
Knuckle Stone is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Stone takes one on the button.
Marciano avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Stone moves out of range as Marciano throws a body kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Marciano drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Stone wants to slow Marciano down by chopping away at his legs.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Marciano tries to score with a low kick but Stone moves his leg out of the way.
Marciano ducks under a wild hook from Stone.
Marciano lands a high kick!
Stone throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Marciano is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
A head kick misses from Stone.
Stone steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Marciano. That one must have hurt.
Marciano throws out a leg kick but Stone moves out of range and Marciano only half commits.
A chopping leg kick lands by Stone.
Stone tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
A jab from Marciano does it's job there.
Stone waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Marciano.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marciano throws a jab but it's blocked by Stone.
Marciano lands with a kick to the temple. Stone shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Stone looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
Stone fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Marciano manages to avoid it.
Nice body kick from Marciano.
Stone cracks Marciano with a good jab.
Marciano checks a low kick from Stone.
Stone attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Stone doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Stone fakes a couple of low kicks, before throwing one on the third attempt. It connects and Marciano has to reset his feet before getting ready to engage.
Rocky Marciano seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Stone scores with a shot to the body.
Stone scores with a nice strike.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Stone throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Marciano looks to throw the jab but Stone is out of range.
Marciano really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Stone throws a low kick but Marciano avoids it.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
A low kick from Marciano misses
and Stone counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Marciano thinking.
Stone misses with a hook.

Stone tries to keep at a distance but Marciano has taken the fight into the clinch.
Stone keeps control of Marciano as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Marciano scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Marciano is trying to push Stone away but Stone has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Marciano throws a punch but it's blocked by Stone.
Stone blocks a body shot from Marciano.
A nice left hand lands by Marciano.

Stone breaks the clinch.
Marciano fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Knuckle Stone will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action!

Stone misses with a shot to the body
and Marciano counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Stone throws a hook to the side of Marciano's head but Marciano sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Marciano lands a body shot.
Marciano throws a jab when Stone was well out of range.
Marciano lands a jab.
Marciano throws a jab but it's blocked by Stone.
Marciano throws a shot from downtown. Stone moves away and avoids it.
Marciano throws a low kick but Stone moves out of range easily.
Marciano checks a low kick from Stone.
Stone throws a jab when Marciano was well out of range.
Marciano misses with a left hand
and Stone counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Stone tries a low kick but Marciano avoids it.
Knuckle Stone seems to be getting the better of the standup.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Stone buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Marciano stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Stone.
Marciano throws a hook but Stone blocks it.

Marciano has closed the distance and engaged Stone in a clinch.
Stone is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Stone lands an uppercut.
Marciano tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Stone's elbow.
Marciano blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Marciano gets through Stone's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Stone.
Marciano lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Stone makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Marciano stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Stone working hard to break the clinch.
A right handed body shot lands from Marciano.
Stone is trying to break free.
A right hook to the body lands for Marciano.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Marciano breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Stone slips a jab from Marciano.
Marciano throws a predictable looking body shot
and Stone counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Stone lands a slapping body shot.
Stone gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Marciano.
Stone thumps Marciano with a low kick.
Stone uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Marciano.
Marciano moves out of range of the body kick.
Stone moves out of range as Marciano strikes.
Stone steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Marciano.
Stone falls off balance throwing a combination
and Marciano counters with a lovely straight right hand!

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marciano looks to throw the jab but Stone is out of range.
Stone motions for Marciano to come forward. Stone throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Marciano shoots in looking for a takedown. Stone tries to sprawl out of it but Marciano keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Stone manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Marciano lands a nice looking body kick.
Marciano is looking to clinch.
Stone ducks under a wild hook from Marciano.
Marciano uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Stone.
Stone takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Marciano checks the leg kick.
A big left from Marciano misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Marciano plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
A punch combination from Stone misses.
Stone throws a low kick but his opponent is out of range.
Marciano throws out a loose jab but Stone uses good head movement to avoid it.
Marciano throws a body kick that misses
and Stone counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Marciano thinking.
Stone connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Marciano throws an off balance right hand
and Stone counters with a thumping low kick.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Marciano has Stone up against the cage in a clinch.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Stone can't break the clinch.
Stone stops a takedown attempt from Marciano.
Marciano misses with some punches.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Marciano.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rocky Marciano 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!

Marciano throws a looping overhand right but Stone ducks down to avoid it.
Marciano takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Marciano wants to clinch.
Marciano walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Stone gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Marciano.
Marciano lands with a thumping leg kick.
Marciano is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
Marciano fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Marciano scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Stone throws a looping overhand right but Marciano ducks down to avoid it.
Stone throws a front kick aimed at Marciano's knee but Marciano avoids it well.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Stone looks to land a body kick but Marciano moved away.
Stone connects with a jab.
Marciano checks the leg kick.
A low kick from Stone is predictable there
and Marciano counters with a head kick.
Stone scores with a jab to the head.
Marciano slips a straight right by Stone.
Marciano will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Marciano misses the jab.
Nice body punch from Marciano.
Marciano misses with an uppercut. Stone saw that one coming.
Stone takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Marciano has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Marciano there as he acknowledges the shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Marciano slips under a jab.
Stone cracks Marciano with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
The fight stays on the outside here - Marciano looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
A punch lands to the side of Marciano 's head but he takes it in his stride.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Marciano misses with a wild body shot.
Stone is looking to score with low kicks.
Stone uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Marciano has time to react.
Stone shapes like he's going to throw a leg kick but settles back down.
Marciano listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Marciano staying out of range there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Marciano throws a body punch but Stone moves out of range.
Good work by Stone as he checks the leg kick.
Marciano bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Marciano is looking to clinch but Stone is avoiding it.
Stone stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Marciano.
Stone throws a shot from downtown. Marciano moves away and avoids it.
Marciano ducks under a wild hook from Stone.
Marciano dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Stone. That did some damage!
Stone avoids a kick to the body.
Marciano lands with a nice body punch.
Marciano keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Marciano misses with a few strikes there.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lazy body kick from Marciano
and Stone counters with a lovely straight right hand!
A head kick by Marciano misses
and Stone counters with an inside leg kick.
Marciano looks for a takedown but Stone sprawls well.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Rocky Marciano. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Marciano's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Stone connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Marciano scrambles back to his feet.
Stone misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Stone lands with a hook. Marciano tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Marciano gets off balance looking for a body kick
and Stone counters with a low kick, right behind Marciano 's knee.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Stone lands a nice leg kick that just misses Marciano's sensitive parts.
Stone moves into range and lands a nice leg kick.
Stone tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.

And that's the end of the fight!
Knuckle Stone comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Stone has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 James Atkins scores the fight 29:29
Judge Colin Fotheringham scores the fight 28:29
Judge James Ackerman scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by majority decision... Knuckle Stone!
A very excited looking Knuckle Stone made sure he remembered to thank all the fans both in the arena and on the internet. He said all the coolest people spend all day on MMA websites, which got a big reaction.