PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Arturo Gatti (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Vincent Escargesa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Escargesa has chosen Just click it and listen already as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Gatti
vs
Escargesa

176 cm
33
185 lbs
13 - 21 - 1

189 cm
22
197 lbs
6 - 3 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

BJJ Brown Belt
Excellent boxer
Heavy handed

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 13 - 21 - 1, fighting out of Amsterdam, Arturo Gatti!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 3 - 0, fighting out of London, Vincent Escargesa!
The judges for this bout are Patrick Alders, Radbod Blank and Albert Achterberg.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Escargesa dodges the punch combination from Gatti.
Gatti throws a body punch but Escargesa moves out of range.
Escargesa lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Escargesa.
Gatti will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Arturo Gatti seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Gatti pivots, looking for a leg kick but Escargesa is out of range and Gatti settles back down.
Gatti throws a head kick that misses.
A combination from Gatti does no damage.
Gatti fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Gatti ducks right into an uppercut from Escargesa.
Escargesa throws a series of punches but Gatti avoids them all with ease.
Gatti dodges the punch combination from Escargesa.
Escargesa punishes Gatti's body with a nice straight punch.
Escargesa thuds his right hand into Gatti's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Gatti throws a series of punches but Escargesa avoids them all with ease.
Escargesa connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Gatti momentarily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gatti looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Escargesa fails to land with a series of punches.
Escargesa shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Gatti eats them both and turns towards Escargesa to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.

It looks like Arturo Gatti has been cut.
A combination from Escargesa does no damage.
Escargesa takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Escargesa steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Gatti.
Gatti walks into a straight right hand from Escargesa.
Escargesa misses with a jab, cross combination.
Escargesa misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Gatti.
Gatti scores with a leg kick.
Gatti misses with a wild combination.
Gatti ducks under a wild hook from Escargesa.
Escargesa changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Gatti throws a right and a left that Escargesa avoids nicely.
Escargesa has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Gatti throws a lazy right hand but Escargesa sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gatti feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Escargesa's calf.
Gatti lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Escargesa circles away quickly and effectively.
Gatti swats away the attempt to clinch by Escargesa.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Escargesa fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Gatti on the side of the head.
Escargesa throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Escargesa misses with an uppercut. Gatti saw that one coming.
Gatti throws a nice looking combination but Escargesa bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Escargesa throws the left hand but Gatti avoids the punch easily.
Gatti misses with a series of wild punches.
A telegraphed right hand from Escargesa misses the target.
Escargesa cracks Gatti with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Gatti throws a series of punches but Escargesa moves out of range.
Escargesa scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Escargesa takes a head kick and keeps coming.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gatti slips under a jab from Escargesa.
Gatti throws a hook but Escargesa blocks it.
Gatti throws a jab when Escargesa was well out of range.
Escargesa dips to his left and cracks Gatti with an uppercut!

Escargesa pushes Gatti up against the ropes in a clinch.
Escargesa keeps control of Gatti as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Gatti tries to throw a body punch but Escargesa avoids it by throwing Gatti back against the ropes.

Escargesa manages to pull guard.

Escargesa is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Gatti loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Gatti wants to get up but he can't break Escargesa's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Escargesa looking to control the pace of the fight rather than finish it.
Gatti has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Escargesa is proving hard to escape from.
Gatti trying to control the position from guard on top but Escargesa is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Escargesa is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
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!

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Escargesa fails with an attempt to clinch.
Escargesa is landing a lot of head punches in this opening round! Gatti had better start moving his head a bit unless he wants his face to turn into pâté.
Escargesa tries to bum rush Gatti with a series of wild strikes but Gatti uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Escargesa lands a nice hook to Gatti's body. Gatti takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
A right-left combo lands from Gatti.
Gatti showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Escargesa.
Escargesa misses with a wild body shot.
Escargesa throws a shot to the body.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Escargesa looks to land a right hand but Gatti moved out of range.
Gatti tries a head kick but it misses.
Gatti swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Escargesa throws a poor cross that misses
and Gatti counters with a kick to the head that grazes his opponent. Escargesa is lucky that one didn't land flush.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vincent Escargesa dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Arturo Gatti's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Nice uppercut lands for Escargesa. That snapped Gatti's head back.
Gatti fails to land with a series of punches.
Escargesa swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Gatti ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Escargesa moves away.
Escargesa lands an overhand right.
Escargesa moves forwards but Gatti connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Gatti takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Gatti misses with a wild body shot.
Escargesa misses with a wild body shot.
Gatti throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Gatti misses with a wild combination.
Escargesa looks to land a right hand but Gatti moved out of range.
Gatti misses with a few strikes there.
Escargesa misses with the combination.
Gatti throws a sloppy head kick and Escargesa moves out of range easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gatti misses with a double jab
and Escargesa counters with a two punch combo.
Gatti throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Good leg kick by Gatti there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Gatti throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Gatti throws a right and a left that both miss.
Gatti feints a jab promting Escargesa to slip. Gatti then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Escargesa slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.
Gatti swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Escargesa throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Gatti.
Gatti throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Escargesa.
Escargesa lands with a shot to the body.
Escargesa moves into range and throws a combination. A nice jab followed by a hook to the body.
Gatti misses with a few strikes there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gatti dodges the punch combination from Escargesa.
Escargesa ducks under a wild hook from Gatti.
Escargesa loads up on a big right hand but Gatti slips the punch.
Escargesa scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Gatti stuns Escargesa with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Gatti throws a series of punches but Escargesa moves out of range.
Escargesa misses with a looping left.
Gatti thumps Escargesa with a low kick.
Gatti tries a head kick but it misses.
No joy there for Escargesa, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Gatti throws a series of punches but Escargesa moves out of range.
A combination from Gatti does no damage.
Escargesa misses with the combination.
Escargesa dodges the punch combination from Gatti.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gatti keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Escargesa.
Escargesa tries to clinch but Gatti moves out of range.
Arturo Gatti is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Gatti throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Escargesa.
Gatti swats away the attempt to clinch by Escargesa.
Gatti is looking to score with low kicks.
Gatti misses with a double jab.
Some wild striking there from Gatti.
Gatti plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!
Escargesa lands a lovely overhand right.
Gatti fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gatti takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.

Escargesa takes the fight into the clinch.
Escargesa presses Gatti against the ropes and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Gatti is trying to break free.
Escargesa tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Escargesa lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Gatti backwards.
Escargesa working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Nice body punch from Escargesa - that landed with a thud.
Escargesa gets through Gatti's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
A left hand lands to the body for Escargesa.
Gatti is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the ropes.
Gatti tries to circle away but Escargesa has him pinned against the ropes.
Escargesa works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
The crowd are going absolutely nuts as the round comes to an end - what a fantastic round of action!
Escargesa misses with a body punch.
Gatti is really struggling to find his range with his punches. Escargesa's reach advantage is clearly causing him problems.
Gatti takes a shot to the head.
Escargesa lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Gatti or not.
Escargesa lands a body punch in the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Vincent Escargesa showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Arturo Gatti's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. And we move into the final round!

Escargesa smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Gatti looks to land a combination but Escargesa avoids it well.
Gatti tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Escargesa was well out of range. Poor timing from Gatti.
Gatti misses with a series of wild punches.
Gatti keeps the fight on the outside.
Escargesa looks to score with a jab to the body but Gatti is just out of range.

Escargesa closes the distance and clinches.
Escargesa lands a nice shot to the body.
Escargesa misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Escargesa goes for a body shot but it's blocked.

Escargesa breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Escargesa swinging wildly here.
A punch lands to the side of Gatti 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Escargesa wants to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Escargesa cracks Gatti with an open hand slap.
Escargesa will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Escargesa misses with an uppercut. Gatti saw that one coming.
Gatti misses with a double jab.
Gatti swinging wildly here.
Escargesa misses with a hook. Gatti ducked under it nicely.
A punch combination from Escargesa misses.
Gatti throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Escargesa.
Gatti throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
and Escargesa counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Nice uppercut lands for Gatti. That snapped Escargesa's head back.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gatti on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Gatti misses with a few strikes there.
Escargesa tries to close the distance and clinch but Gatti swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Escargesa misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Gatti.
Escargesa slips a jab and a cross from Gatti.
Gatti ducks under a wild hook from Escargesa.
Gatti tries a head kick but it misses.
A left lands for Escargesa.
Gatti feints and then cracks Escargesa's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Escargesa down.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Gatti lands a slapping body shot.
Gatti slips a jab and a cross from Escargesa.
Gatti tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Escargesa was well out of range. Poor timing from Gatti.
Gatti throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Good leg kick by Gatti there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Some wild striking there from Gatti.
Gatti throws a head kick but Escargesa moves out of range.
Escargesa thows a body shot but no joy.
Gatti looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Gatti on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Escargesa takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Gatti is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Escargesa.
Escargesa will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Escargesa displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Gatti throws a right and a left that Escargesa avoids nicely.
Escargesa displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Escargesa moves out of range of the leg kick from Gatti.
Gatti misses with a series of wild punches.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Escargesa blocks a head kick by Gatti.
Escargesa scores with a punch to the head.
Jab, cross, leg kick. Nice combination by Gatti!
Escargesa scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Escargesa throws a series of punches but Gatti avoids them all with ease.
Escargesa misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Gatti connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Gatti slips a jab from Escargesa.
No joy there for Gatti, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
A combination from Gatti does no damage.
Arturo Gatti has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Gatti looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Sloppy strikes from Escargesa. Those never looked like landing.
A combination from Gatti does no damage.

And that's the end of the fight!
Vincent Escargesa comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Escargesa 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 Patrick Alders scores the fight 27:30
Judge Radbod Blank scores the fight 27:30
Judge Albert Achterberg scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Vincent Escargesa!
A victorious Vincent Escargesa thanked his army of followers in his post fight interview, telling people to make sure they follow him on Twitter.