PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Barry Balls (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ben Gray (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Barry Balls has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Balls
vs
Gray

203 cm
24
275 lbs
6 - 7 - 0

188 cm
31
280 lbs
2 - 2 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Solid boxing
Very quick

BJJ Brown Belt
Counter fighter
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Barry Balls!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Ben Gray!
The judges for this bout are Leandro Rodrigues, Daniel Cesar and Alexandre Firmino.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Balls misses with a body shot.
Gray has a takedown stuffed.
Balls scores with a nice strike.
Balls scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!

It looks like Ben Gray has been cut.
Gray wants to clinch but Balls slips to the side
and Balls counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Balls scores with a shot to the body.
Balls connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Gray looks to land a left hand but Balls moved out of range nicely.
Balls shoots in looking for a takedown but Gray manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Balls's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Gray will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Gray is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Balls takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Balls shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Gray's guard.
Gray looking to control.
Gray is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Balls has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

Gray looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.
Gray trying to keep a closed guard but Balls is proving a slippery customer.
Gray wants to sweep here but Balls controlling him for the moment.
Gray manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Balls manages to get himself to full guard.
Gray has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Balls is proving hard to escape from.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gray wants to control from the top but Balls keeps moving.
Gray has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Balls is proving hard to escape from.
Gray scores with a decent looking elbow strike.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balls not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Gray throws a big elbow that misses.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gray wants to get up but he can't break Balls's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Gray's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Gray stopping the sweep attempt from Balls.
Gray controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gray trying to control but Balls is working from the bottom.
Gray throwing strikes but missing.
Balls keeping moving, preventing Gray from controlling successfully.
Gray wants to stand but Balls has a closed guard, so he can't escape.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Ben Gray.
Gray takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Gray wants to clinch up but Balls keeps it at a distance.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Barry Balls will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Ben Gray's cut.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Gray shoots in looking for a takedown but Balls manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Gray's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Balls is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
Balls lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
A jab from Balls finds it's way through Gray's defenses.

Balls bobs and weaves into range and then changes levels and scores with a nice takedown into side control.
Gray tries to escape but Balls is in control.
Gray is trying to work for a sweep but Balls has mounted him!
Balls tries to control but Gray wriggling away.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gray is trying desperately to improve position.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Balls wants to control the pace but Gray is squirming around nicely.
Balls throwing sloppy strikes, which aren't doing any damage.
Balls throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Balls prevents Gray from getting the reversal.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Balls throwing sloppy strikes here. Perhaps if he tightened up his striking from such a dominant position, he'd be able to finish easier.
Gray working to try and regain half guard.
Gray bucks up and manages to get a nice reversal! He's in guard on the top - nicely done!
Gray missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Balls will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Balls wants to sweep here but Gray controlling him for the moment.
Gray is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balls keeping moving, preventing Gray from controlling successfully.
Balls is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Gray not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.

The ref calls for a clean break and stands the fighters back up. Ben Gray wasn't active enough on the ground.
Gray with a poor takedown
and Balls counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Balls clobbers Gray with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Barry Balls seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Balls connects with the punch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Balls is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
Balls scores with a jab. Gray acknowledges it with a nod of the head.
Gray tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Balls manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Balls just misses with a punch to the body.
Gray tries to clinch but Balls is having none of it.
Balls is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Gray shoots in for a takedown but Balls shows good takedown defense there and keeps this one on the feet.
Barry Balls has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Ben Gray.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Balls scores with a decent looking hook.
Balls throws a combination. Gray tries to block but a couple of punches get through.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Gray drops his hands momentarily and Balls takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Gray displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Balls.
Balls throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Barry Balls dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Ben Gray's cut.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Gray is looking to clinch.
Gray moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
The fighters circling - Gray throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Balls lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Balls bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Gray's head backwards.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Balls is defended easily by Gray.
Balls lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Gray fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Balls connects with a body shot.
Balls lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balls thuds his right hand into Gray's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Gray moves out of range of the strikes.
Balls misses with a wild body shot.
Balls circles away from the clinch attempt
and Balls cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

Gray closes the distance and scores a nice trip takedown into half guard. Balls did well to prevent Gray getting side control.

Gray decides to stand up.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Gray ducks right into an uppercut from Balls.
Balls throws out a powerful jab.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Gray tries to clinch up.
Gray with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Balls to score with a decent uppercut.
Balls avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Balls ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Balls takes a swing at Gray's ribcage but misses.
The fight stays on the outside here - Gray looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Good standup being displayed there by Balls as he connects with a hook.
Balls misses the shot to the body.
Balls with a hook.
Balls shoots in looking for a takedown but Gray manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Balls's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Gray takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Barry Balls is winning the standup battle so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balls lands with a right hand.
Balls throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Gray misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Balls.
Barry Balls is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Gray has a pretty nasty looking mouse under his right eye.
Gray wants to clinch up but Balls keeps it at a distance.
Gray avoids a punch combination nicely.
Balls swings for the body but Gray moves out of range.
Gray on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Balls throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Balls throws the left hand but Gray avoids the punch easily.
Balls scores with a nice head shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Balls cracks Gray with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Gray keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Gray takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Gray bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Gray doesn't manage to clinch there - Balls circles away.
A telegraphed right hand from Balls misses the target.
Gray tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Balls paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Balls lands a jab.

Gray shoots in with a lovely double leg takedown. Balls manages to land in full guard to minimise the damage.
Ben Gray has got the better of the ground game so far.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Gray pushing down on Balls's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.

And that's the end of the fight!
Barry Balls showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Balls, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Leandro Rodrigues scores the fight 30:27
Judge Daniel Cesar scores the fight 30:27
Judge Alexandre Firmino scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Barry Balls!