PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Hank Armstrong (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Billy Rumble (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Armstrong's ring entrance music is that housewives' favourite, Iron Man by Black Sabbath. Billy Rumble will no doubt be looking to use his reach advantage to good effect.

Armstrong
vs
Rumble

185 cm
18
200 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

210 cm
24
185 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Decent boxing
Enjoys gardening

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Hank Armstrong!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Billy Rumble!
The judges for this bout are Ron Honeybunn, Hugh Johnson and Winston Howard.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Rumble throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.

Rumble fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Armstrong, pushing him back against the cage.

Rumble's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Rumble fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Rumble wants to clinch up but Armstrong keeps it at a distance.
Rumble avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Rumble has a takedown stuffed.
No luck for Armstrong with that takedown attempt.
Armstrong will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Rumble.
Hank Armstrong has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Billy Rumble.
Armstrong displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Rumble.
Armstrong misses with a body shot
and Rumble counters with a head kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
No joy there for Armstrong, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Rumble takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Armstrong tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Rumble paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Armstrong dives in for a single leg takedown but Rumble sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Armstrong tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Rumble's elbow.
Rumble landing some nice looking knees to the body.

Rumble pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Armstrong misses with a body punch
and Rumble counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Rumble is looking to clinch but Armstrong is avoiding it.
Rumble shoots for a takedown but Armstrong saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.
Armstrong fails with a takedown attempt.
Rumble ducks right into an uppercut from Armstrong.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Armstrong displays good takedown defense there as he swats away a double leg from Rumble.
Armstrong shoots in looking for a takedown. Rumble tries to sprawl out of it but Armstrong keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Rumble manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Armstrong is looking to break free of the clinch but Rumble has double underhooks.
Rumble misses with a hook to the ribs.
Rumble lands an elbow that stopped Armstrong in his tracks for a moment.

Rumble manages to break the clinch.
Rumble gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rumble lands with a kick to the ribs.
Rumble displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Armstrong fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Rumble avoids it really well and circles away.
Armstrong looks to clinch

and Rumble holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Armstrong tries to circle away but Rumble has him pinned against the cage.
Armstrong throws a punch but it's blocked by Rumble.
Armstrong has a couple of punches blocked by Rumble.
Rumble prevents a body shot from Armstrong.
Armstrong is trying to break the clinch but Rumble is controlling him.
Armstrong lands with a light punch inside.
Rumble prevents Armstrong from breaking the clinch.

Rumble manages to break the clinch.
Armstrong misses with a body shot.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Armstrong fails with a takedown attempt.
Armstrong misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Armstrong misses with a double jab.

Rumble forces Armstrong back against the cage and clinches.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Rumble's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.

Rumble breaks the clinch.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Armstrong fails with a takedown attempt.
Rumble is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Rumble is trying hard to land a takedown here. Armstrong sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Armstrong on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Armstrong stuffs the takedown.
Rumble stuffs the takedown attempt from Armstrong. Armstrong gets slowly back to his feet.
Armstrong doesn't succeed with the takedown
letting Rumble counter with a right hand.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Rumble.
Armstrong tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Rumble swivels and escapes.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Hank Armstrong. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Armstrong swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Armstrong leaves Rumble with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Rumble shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Armstrong sprawls well. Armstrong wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Rumble gets slowly back to his feet.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rumble throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Armstrong's waist but Armstrong gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Rumble off to one side.
Rumble is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Armstrong stuffs the takedown attempt from Rumble. Rumble gets slowly back to his feet.
Rumble shoots in looking for a takedown but Armstrong manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Rumble's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Rumble is breathing heavily.
Rumble darts in looking for a takedown but Armstrong gets double underhooks and turns Rumble into the cage.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Armstrong blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Armstrong is trying to break the clinch but Rumble is controlling him.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Armstrong can't break the clinch.
Rumble keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Armstrong's efforts to push away.

Rumble breaks the clinch.
Rumble is looking to clinch but Armstrong is avoiding it.
Rumble misses with a kick to the body.
Armstrong keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Rumble lands with a nice body kick.
Rumble shoots in looking for a takedown. Armstrong tries to sprawl out of it but Rumble keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Armstrong manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Rumble tries to close the distance and clinch up but Armstrong swats him away and circles back towards the center.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Armstrong is trying hard to land a takedown here. Rumble sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Horrible takedown by Armstrong or perhaps it was just good defense by Rumble which made him look bad.
Armstrong tries to score a power double leg takedown but Rumble sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Armstrong somewhat.
Armstrong shoots in but Rumble avoids the takedown attempt easily.
Rumble leaves Armstrong with his face pressed against the mat as he sprawls beautifully, defending against a solid takedown attempt.
Rumble tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Armstrong swivels and escapes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Armstrong looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Rumble shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Armstrong defends it nicely.
Armstrong fails with a takedown attempt.
Armstrong throws a hook but Rumble avoids it easily.
Rumble tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Armstrong swivels and escapes.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Armstrong closes the distance and lands a one-two.
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 Hank Armstrong will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. This is the final round!

Armstrong is trying hard to land a takedown here. Rumble sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Armstrong shoots in for a takedown but Rumble shows good takedown defense.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Rumble.
Rumble shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Armstrong pinned against the cage. Armstrong gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Rumble throws a series of punches but Armstrong moves out of range.
Rumble shoots in for a takedown but Armstrong shows good takedown defense.
Hank Armstrong has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Billy Rumble.
Armstrong closes the distance and clinches up with Rumble, looking for a takedown. Armstrong pushes Rumble against the cage but Rumble circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Armstrong throws a jab when Rumble was well out of range.
Hank Armstrong is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Armstrong shoots for a takedown but Rumble saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rumble lands with a kick to the ribs.
Billy Rumble seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Armstrong has his takedown stuffed

and Rumble holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Armstrong tries to break free but Rumble pushes him back against the cage.
Armstrong wants to break the clinch but can't.
Armstrong has a couple of punches blocked by Rumble.
Armstrong tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

Rumble breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Rumble shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Armstrong sprawls well. Armstrong wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Rumble gets slowly back to his feet.
Armstrong shoots for a double leg takedown but Rumble sprawls well. He's pushed Armstrong's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rumble fakes high and shoots in for a takedown but Armstrong avoids it really well and circles away.
Rumble tries to clinch up.

Armstrong feints and as Rumble raises his hands in defense, Armstrong changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
Armstrong might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Rumble wants to stand but Armstrong is controlling the position.
Rumble keeping moving, preventing Armstrong from controlling successfully.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Armstrong throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Armstrong missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Rumble is looking to stand up but Armstrong isn't so interested in that idea.
Armstrong slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
Armstrong knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Rumble on the ground.

Hank Armstrong has forced the referee to step in and bring the fight back to the feet.
Armstrong throws a right and a left that both miss.
Armstrong tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Rumble manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Hank Armstrong is winning the standup battle so far.
Armstrong misses with a takedown attempt - Rumble sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Rumble looks to score with a jab to the body but Armstrong is just out of range.
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Armstrong is defended easily by Rumble.
Armstrong shoots for a takedown but Rumble saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Armstrong wants to clinch.
Rumble shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Armstrong as he avoids it easily.
Rumble throws a head kick but Armstrong moves out of range.
No luck with that takedown attempt from Armstrong.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Rumble goes for a double leg but Armstrong avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Armstrong continues to drive forward.

And that's the end of the fight!
Hank Armstrong showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Armstrong has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Ron Honeybunn scores the fight 28:29
Judge Hugh Johnson scores the fight 29:28
Judge Winston Howard scores the fight 30:28

In favor of your winner, by split decision... Hank Armstrong!
During a confident post fight interview, Hank Armstrong thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.