PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Craig Rave (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Uncle Rico (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.

Rave
vs
Rico

185 cm
30
193 lbs
18 - 14 - 0

174 cm
35
190 lbs
19 - 17 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent boxer
Powerful

Fenrir Fightgear - Steel Penn
Cold Blooded Kemists ↑ 5x160Q

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 18 - 14 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Craig Rave!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 19 - 17 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Uncle Rico!
The judges for this bout are Paul Gruel, Roger Salmon and Josh West.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rico tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Rave was well out of range. Poor timing from Rico.
Rico takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Rico misses with a body shot.
Rico fails with a takedown attempt.
Rico misses with a takedown attempt - Rave sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.

Rave closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Rave lands in his opponent's guard.
Rave will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Rave looking to pass the guard.
Rave slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Rave passes easily into side control. Nice work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rave working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Rave misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Rico is trying to control Rave's posture but Rave avoids it.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.
Rave working the ground and pound.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rave in side control lands a nice looking series of punches and elbows.
Rico pushes Rave away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Rave gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Rico takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Rico is looking for a sweep.
Rave has knee on belly and moves into mount.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rave looking to control but Rico is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Rave pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Rave landing strikes, looking to finish!

Rave has hold of Rico's left arm, perhaps looking for a submission. The two fighters tussle over control of the isolated limb and Rico manages to get his arm back to his side and away from danger.
Rave avoids the attempt from Rico to control.
Rico is looking to get to half guard.
Rave has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Rave lands a big elbow.
Rave lands with some vicious ground and pound - can Rico hang on?
Rave with shots to the head and body - Rico looks very uncomfortable down there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rave lands a big shot there that rocks Rico but he's holding on and managing to survive for now.
Rave with the ground and pound from mount.
Rave lands a heavy elbow.
Rave wants to control the pace but Rico is squirming around nicely.
Rave landing strikes, looking to finish!
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Rico tries to lock up and control but Rave gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Rico might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Rave haven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Rico slips a leg in and gets back to half guard.

Rave is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Rico defends it well.

Rave is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Rico defends it well.
Rico is trying to maintain the position but Rave is very close to passing his half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rico is trying to get back to full guard.
Rave wants to lay and pray for a moment but Rico keeps working.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Ground and pound from Rave.
Rave lands with a punch from half guard.
Rave working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Rico is looking to control Rave's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Rico avoid being mounted?
Rave missing with the ground and pound from half guard.
Rave lands strikes from half guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Craig Rave dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Rico tries to score a power double leg takedown but Rave sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Rico somewhat.
Rico throws a nice looking combination but Rave bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Rave showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Rico.
Rico looks for a takedown but Rave sprawls well.

Rico feints and then dives in with a takedown. That was a long way out but the feint bought him enough time to close the distance and complete the takedown. Now we'll play guard for a bit and see who can get the better of that position.

Rave working for a triangle but Rico defends it easily.

Rave looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rico stands up over Rave, holding his feet. He dives back in and lands a decent shot to the head.
Rico missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

Rave throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Rico trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Rico loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Rico trying to control but Rave is working from the bottom.

Rave looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Rave controlling the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Rico got a little sloppy there for a moment and Rave has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Rico has managed to get both his arms back between Rave's legs - danger averted.
Rave trying to keep a closed guard but Rico is proving a slippery customer.
Rico scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Rico postures up in Rave's guard and throws a big left but Rave blocks it.

Rave working for a triangle but Rico defends it easily.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Rico scoring with some ground and pound.
Rave preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

Rave is looking for a triangle but Rico pushes his legs off easily.

Rico avoids a guillotine attempt easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rave working a defensive guard here.
Rico won't allow Rave to sweep him here.
Rave not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

Rave is looking for a triangle but Rico pushes his legs off easily.
Rico scoring with some ground and pound.
Craig Rave overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Rico trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Rico trying to control but Rave is working from the bottom.
Rico throwing strikes from guard but Rave blocks nicely.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Rico drops back looking for a heel hook - he quickly realises he's not going to get it but Rave manages to dive on top of him before he can escape and now Rico has Rave in his guard.
Rico tries to land a sweep but no joy.
Rave is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Rico working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Rave.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Rave lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Rico pulls Rave in close to prevent any damage.
Rave trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
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 Craig Rave will probably get the nod.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

Rico looks for a takedown but Rave sprawls well.
Rico tries to clinch but Rave moves away
and Rave counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Rico is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Rico tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Rave manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Rave bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Rave lands an elbow.
Rico is trying to get back to half guard.

Rave wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Rico, who protects the arm well.
Rave wants to lay and pray for a moment but Rico keeps working.
Rave working the ground and pound.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rico is trying to get back to half guard.
Rave is working Rico over with some ground and pound from side control.
Rico is trying to improve his position.
Rave scoring with punches and elbows.
Rave in side control, just content to control the action for now.
Rave working away.
Rico taking punishment in the form of punches.
I wouldn't like to be where Rico is right now.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rave scores with punches from side control.
Rave working the body and head with strikes.
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!
Rave working away.

Rave working hard here to secure a kimura but he's not really in the right position for it.
Rave lands a knee to the body and follows it up with some ground and pound to the head. That will wear Rico down.
Rave scoring with punches and elbows.
Rave working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Rico is trying to control Rave's posture but Rave avoids it.
Rave scores with punches from side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rave grinds an elbow into Rico's temple.

Rave is trying to get an arm triangle but Rico is defending well.
Rave is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Rico can do to turn this around?
Rave is putting a hurting on Rico here, landing some big shots from side control.
Rico tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Rave tries to advance to mount but can't.
Rico tries to work a leg under to get back to half guard but Rave wriggles his own leg back out and remains in side control.
Rave is looking to take a break and control but Rico is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Rico is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Uncle Rico has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rico wants to control but Rave is keeping busy and won't allow it.

Rave is working for a kimura but Rico is defending it quite comfortably.
Rico tries to roll over but Rave keeps him under control.
Craig Rave is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Rave is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Rave trying to control the action but Rico is working from the bottom.
Rico throws a strike from the bottom that misses.

And that's the end of the fight!
Craig Rave showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Rave has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Paul Gruel scores the fight 30:28
Judge Roger Salmon scores the fight 30:28
Judge Josh West scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Craig Rave!
Our winner, Craig Rave, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.