PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Burak Buraczany (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Fernando Balestra (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Fernando Balestra will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Buraczany
vs
Balestra

150 cm
26
130 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

177 cm
27
135 lbs
4 - 4 - 0

BJJ Brown Belt
Brawler
Good chin

BJJ Brown Belt
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 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Burak Buraczany!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Fernando Balestra!
The judges for this bout are Seu Braga, Alexandre Firmino and Mauricio Rocha.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Balestra scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Buraczany closes the distance but Balestra moves to the side
and Balestra counters with a one-two to the body.
Balestra shoots in for a double leg but Buraczany sprawls well. That's going to sap some energy.
Buraczany misses with a combination
and Balestra makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Buraczany throws a combination that misses

and Balestra counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Buraczany tries to stall but Balestra uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Buraczany seems a little flustered. He's come in with the intention of controlling the clinch but Balestra is preventing him from doing so, at least for the moment.
Buraczany is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Balestra is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Buraczany tries to break free but Balestra pushes him back against the cage.
Buraczany wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Buraczany wants to break the clinch but can't.
Buraczany stops a takedown attempt from Balestra.

Balestra breaks the clinch.

Balestra shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
Buraczany wants to get back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balestra wants to lay and pray for a moment but Buraczany keeps working.
Buraczany wants to get back to his feet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Fernando Balestra wasn't active enough on the ground.
Balestra shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Buraczany as he avoids it easily.
Burak Buraczany has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Fernando Balestra.
Buraczany swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Burak Buraczany seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Buraczany swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Balestra counters with a left and a right that stings Buraczany.
Buraczany tries to clinch but Balestra moves away

and Balestra holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Buraczany could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Buraczany can't break the clinch.
Buraczany takes a knee right on the jaw!

It looks like Burak Buraczany has been cut.

Balestra jumps guard.
Balestra seems keen to control rather than go for a submission, at least for now.
Buraczany wants to stand and escape but instead Balestra has hit a sweep and he's now on top in guard.
Balestra has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Buraczany is proving hard to escape from.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balestra pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Buraczany is keeping the position for now.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Fernando Balestra.
Buraczany is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Buraczany tries to close the distance and clinch up but Balestra swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Buraczany lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Balestra circles away quickly and effectively.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Balestra.
Buraczany fails in his attempt to clinch.
Buraczany throws a right and a left that both miss.
Buraczany stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Buraczany wants it to stay on the feet.
Buraczany tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Buraczany doesn't manage to clinch there - Balestra circles away.
Nice takedown defense from Buraczany. No joy for Balestra on that attempt.
Balestra looks winded!
Buraczany tries to close the distance and clinch but Balestra swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Buraczany fails with an attempt to clinch.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Buraczany throws a right hand that Balestra ducks under and follows up with a left that Balestra also avoids with ease.
Balestra avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Buraczany tries to clinch up but Balestra circles away and keeps his distance.
Buraczany swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
enabling Balestra to counter with a crisp jab.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Fernando Balestra dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Burak Buraczany's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

A punch combination from Buraczany misses.

Buraczany gets taken down but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Buraczany wants to stand and escape but Balestra is having none of it.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Buraczany throws a combination that misses

and Balestra counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
Balestra tries to stand but Buraczany is controlling from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balestra won't allow Buraczany to get back to his feet.

Well, the referee has seen enough. Neither fighter is active enough on the ground so he's stood them back up.
Buraczany misses with a combination
and Balestra counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Buraczany thinking.
Buraczany fails with an attempt to clinch.
Buraczany fails with an attempt to clinch.
Buraczany tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Balestra manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Buraczany tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Balestra manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Buraczany fails with an attempt to clinch.

Balestra darts in and clinches Buraczany up against the cage.
Buraczany trying to control the position but instead, Balestra has worked for underhooks and has pushed Buraczany into the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Balestra is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Balestra receives a warning from the referee for stalling.
Buraczany tries to stall but Balestra uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Buraczany is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
A frustrated look appears on Buraczany's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Buraczany is looking to control Balestra's arms but Balestra gets an underhook and turns him. Now Buraczany has his back to the cage.
Balestra prevents Buraczany from breaking the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.

Balestra tightens his grip and picks Buraczany up, before dumping him to the ground. Buraczany manages to land in guard.
Buraczany can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Balestra controls the pace.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Fernando Balestra.
Buraczany tries to close the distance and clinch up but Balestra swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Buraczany keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Balestra shoots for a double leg takedown but Buraczany sprawls well. He's pushed Balestra's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
Balestra is breathing heavily.
Buraczany falls off balance throwing a combination
and Buraczany takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Burak Buraczany is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Buraczany tries to close the distance and clinch up but Balestra swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Buraczany is looking to clinch.
Buraczany falls off balance throwing a combination
and Balestra counters with a straight right hand.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Buraczany tries to close the distance and clinch up but Balestra swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Buraczany falls off balance throwing a combination
and Balestra counters with a one-two to the body.
Burak Buraczany is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Buraczany swings wildly with a couple of big hooks
and Balestra makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. Buraczany really felt that one!

Buraczany gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Balestra to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Balestra trying to control but Buraczany is working from the bottom.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.

Fernando Balestra has forced the referee to step in and restart the fight on the feet.
Buraczany tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in the close the distance. Balestra manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Buraczany closes the distance but Balestra moves to the side
and Balestra counters with a good low kick that Buraczany was not able to check.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Fernando Balestra showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Burak Buraczany's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! This is the final round!

Buraczany throws a series of punches but Balestra moves out of range.
Buraczany tries to close the distance and clinch but Balestra swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Buraczany moves in looking to clinch but Balestra pushes him off.

Balestra shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.

Balestra is looking for a kimura. It's going to be difficult to finish that from half guard though and Buraczany defends it well.
Balestra moves into full mount! Buraczany won't be happy about that!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balestra tries to control but Buraczany wriggling away.
Balestra is still in mount, landing shots to his trapped opponent. Buraczany can't stay in a position like this for much longer.
Balestra throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Buraczany because Balestra loaded up on that one.
Burak Buraczany has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Balestra can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Buraczany is looking to escape.
Balestra 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.
Buraczany is trying to get back to his feet but can't.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Buraczany is squirming around, avoiding Balestra's attempts to control the action.

OK we're going to have a standup here. Fernando Balestra hasn't been effective enough on the ground and the referee wants a restart.
Balestra fails with a takedown attempt.
Buraczany falls off balance throwing a combination
and Balestra counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Buraczany throws a left and a right that both miss
and Balestra counters with a big head kick but Buraczany shrugs it off.
Buraczany on the receiving end of a decent leg kick there by Balestra. Balestra obviously looking to wear him down.
Buraczany closes the distance but Balestra moves to the side

and Balestra moves into the clinch.
Balestra takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Balestra's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Buraczany throws a combination that misses
and Balestra counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Balestra showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Buraczany.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Buraczany tries to clinch but Balestra moves away
and Balestra counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Fernando Balestra seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Buraczany misses with a combination
and Balestra counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Buraczany is lucky that one didn't land flush.
Nice body kick from Balestra.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Buraczany throws a left and a right that both miss
and Balestra counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Balestra shoots in and drives through. Buraczany sprawls well.
Buraczany tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Balestra counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.

Balestra instigates a clinch.
Buraczany stalling in the clinch but Balestra improves position.

Balestra manages to break the clinch.
Buraczany swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Balestra counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

Balestra manages to break the clinch.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Buraczany tries to clinch there but Balestra circles away.
Buraczany falls off balance throwing a combination
and Balestra counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Buraczany is lucky that one didn't land flush.

And that's the end of the fight!
Fernando Balestra comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Balestra 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 Seu Braga scores the fight 27:30
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 27:30
Judge Mauricio Rocha scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Fernando Balestra!