PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Kostas Papadakis (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and George Friendly (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). This should be a great matchup!

Papadakis
vs
Friendly

185 cm
21
184 lbs
7 - 3 - 0

178 cm
20
184 lbs
5 - 5 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Brawler
Cardio machine

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

Atlantis - 155qR/$20 - 140qB&C/$10 - 90%L, limit -

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 7 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Kostas Papadakis!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, George Friendly !
The judges for this bout are , Timothy Bukovac and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Friendly closes the distance and pushes Papadakis back into the cage.
Friendly changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Papadakis fights it off and pushes away nicely.
We've been informed that Friendly has been sparring a lot of Muay Thai in the buildup to this fight so let's see if that has an impact on the result.
Friendly with a jab.

Friendly drives through and clinches with Papadakis against the cage.
Friendly utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.
Papadakis is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Friendly gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.
Friendly tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Friendly tries to work over Papadakis's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Friendly misses with an elbow over the top.

Friendly 's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Friendly lands a right hook to the body.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.

Friendly is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Papadakis's half guard.

Friendly is working for a kimura but Papadakis is defending it quite comfortably.

Friendly is looking for a kimura here.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Friendly is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Friendly wants to control but Papadakis is keeping him busy.

Friendly is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Papadakis is just riding it out for now. Friendly eventually gives up the hold.
Papadakis keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Papadakis is not content to let Friendly control the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Friendly is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
Friendly not landing any meaningful shots this time.

Friendly is looking for a kimura but Papadakis is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for Friendly to get the leverage.
Friendly wants to take a breather but Papadakis is having none of it.
It looks like Friendly is going to stand back up.
Friendly is keen to just control but Papadakis is a slippery customer.
Papadakis tries to get to full guard but Friendly has control of the leg.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Papadakis regains full guard. Nicely done.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Papadakis is trying to control the position but Friendly postures up.
Papadakis wants to sweep but no luck.
Friendly is looking to stand up but Papadakis won't let him.
Friendly with a flurry of punches that miss.
Papadakis controls Friendly momentarily but Friendly frees himself.
Friendly trying to control the position from guard on top but Papadakis is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Papadakis is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Friendly pushes Papadakis up against the cage in a clinch.

Papadakis pulls guard.
Friendly wanted to stand there but Papadakis had control of the position.
Friendly trying to control the position from guard on top but Papadakis is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Papadakis working a defensive guard here.
Papadakis keeping full guard, as Friendly tries to pass.
Friendly must be cautious of submissions here, given that his opponent has the superior Jiu Jitsu.
Papadakis keeping moving, preventing Friendly from controlling successfully.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

George Friendly dominated that round.
That's time! Back to the action!

Friendly changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Papadakis looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
Friendly working away diligently from side control. Landing strikes effectively there - that will score him some points on the judges scorecards.
Papadakis tries to get back to half guard but can't.
Friendly is staying tight to Papadakis's torso, preventing him from escaping.
Friendly working away.
A bit of a lull in the action. I'm sure it will pick up again soon... even if the ref has to physically pick them up and put them back on their feet.

Friendly is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Papadakis has escaped the position, nice work there.
Friendly throwing strikes but Papadakis manages to buck up and roll into a nice reversal - now he's on top in side control!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Papadakis wants to lay and pray for a moment but Friendly keeps working.
Friendly is trying to escape and get back to his feet.

Friendly throws his opponent off and manages to get back to his feet! Nicely done!
Papadakis walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.

Papadakis looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Friendly wants to stand up but Papadakis is controlling him.
Papadakis wants to control from the top but Friendly keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Papadakis prevents Friendly from getting back to his feet.
Papadakis loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Papadakis stops Friendly from standing up.
The referee must be thinking about standing these guys back up.
Friendly wants to get back to his feet but he's too absorbed in his own little project and Papadakis manages to pass to side control.
Friendly is trying to stand back up but Papadakis is controlling him

Friendly has one foot on Papadakis's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.
Papadakis is looking to clinch but Friendly is avoiding it.
Friendly lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Friendly tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Papadakis swivels and escapes.
George Friendly is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Friendly is breathing heavily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Papadakis tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Friendly manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.

Papadakis takes the fight into the clinch.
Papadakis is trying to break the clinch but Friendly has him pressed against the cage.
Papadakis stalling in the clinch but Friendly improves position.

Papadakis has Friendly pressed up against the cage. He's trying to work for a single leg takedown. Papadakis pulls back from the cage and twists to the side, sending Friendly tumbling to the mat - Papadakis dives into Friendly 's guard.
Papadakis looking to pass the guard.
Papadakis stops Friendly from standing up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Papadakis drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Papadakis jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Papadakis stops Friendly from standing up.
Friendly keeping moving, preventing Papadakis from controlling successfully.
Friendly keeping full guard, as Papadakis tries to pass.
Papadakis is standing up over Friendly . Friendly looks to escape but Papadakis dives into side control.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Friendly is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Papadakis asserts his dominance and retains side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

George Friendly showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

Friendly has taken the fight to the clinch.

Papadakis is fighting off a takedown attempt but Friendly is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Papadakis to the mat. Papadakis regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
Friendly missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Papadakis is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Papadakis prevents Friendly from standing back up.

Friendly has managed to escape just enough to sneak back to his feet but Papadakis is on him like a limpet, forcing Friendly back against the cage.
Papadakis is trying to stall.
Papadakis wants to break free but Friendly has control.
Friendly tries to break free but Papadakis pushes him back against the cage.
Papadakis looking for a takedown.
Friendly pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Friendly is trying to wear down his opponent with knees to the body.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Papadakis tries for a takedown. No joy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Friendly is trying to break the clinch but Papadakis is controlling him.
Friendly tries to land knees in the clinch but Papadakis avoids the damage to the body.
Papadakis blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Papadakis avoids a wild elbow strike from Friendly .
Papadakis goes for a takedown attempt but Friendly pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Kostas Papadakis. That's going to take a lot out of him.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Papadakis enables Friendly to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Papadakis manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
Friendly would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Friendly takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.
Friendly wants to control from the top but Papadakis keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Papadakis is pulling down on Friendly 's head. It's preventing any offense from Friendly , at least for the moment.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Friendly wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
The fight stays on the outside here - Papadakis looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Friendly scores with a jab to the head.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Friendly lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!

Friendly drops down and drives through with a powerful takedown into guard.
Friendly trying to control the position from guard on top but Papadakis is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Friendly missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.

Papadakis had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Friendly defends it easily.
Friendly postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Friendly accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Friendly loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Papadakis looking to control.
Papadakis is going to have to think about doing something other than just controlling because Friendly is managing to avoid having the position dictated to him.
Friendly is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Papadakis pulls Friendly in close to his closed guard and prevents Friendly from doing any damage or advancing position.

The ref stands the fighters back up. Kostas Papadakis wasn't doing enough on the ground.
Papadakis takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Papadakis tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Friendly defends well and Papadakis ends up having to push Friendly into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Friendly keeps control of Papadakis as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
George Friendly is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.
Friendly trying to land knees to the body.
Papadakis has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Friendly avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.

Papadakis wants the takedown. Friendly is fighting it off but Papadakis persists and manages to bring the fight to the ground, ending up in Friendly 's guard against the cage.
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.
Friendly wants to stand up but Papadakis is controlling him.

And that's the end of the fight!
George Friendly comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Friendly 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 Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 27:30
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 27:30
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... George Friendly !
George Friendly made sure to give a little speech post fight, saying 'I'd like to thank the boyz and staff at Head Hunters FIght Club here on the island'.