PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Gregorio Leonard (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gianluigi Balotelli (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Leonard
vs
Balotelli

183 cm
24
279 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

195 cm
25
250 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

Good takedowns
Brawler
Experienced

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 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Gregorio Leonard!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Gianluigi Balotelli!
The judges for this bout are Chris Edwards, Phil Schofield and William Gold.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Balotelli looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Leonard is fending him off so far but Balotelli persists. Nope, Leonard circles away and we're back to standing.
Leonard stuffs the takedown attempt from Balotelli. Balotelli gets slowly back to his feet.
Balotelli misses with a double jab
and Leonard cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
A cross from Leonard lands.

Leonard tries to keep at a distance but Balotelli has taken the fight into the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Balotelli pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.

Balotelli moves into the clinch.

Balotelli ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Balotelli no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Leonard throws a strike but Balotelli rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

Leonard wants to sweep here but Balotelli controlling him for the moment.
Leonard has Balotelli pulled in close to control his posture.
Leonard could do with losing a few pounds - he looks very soft around the mid section, to put it politely.
Balotelli wants to pass the guard but Leonard is keeping the position.
Leonard lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Leonard knows he needs to get back to his feet asap. He's simply no match for Balotelli on the ground.
Balotelli controlling the position.
Leonard lands a couple of decent looking shots.
Leonard postures up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Leonard postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Balotelli is trying to keep Leonard in close.
Leonard won't allow Balotelli to sweep him here.
Leonard lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.
Leonard tries to stand but Balotelli is controlling from the bottom.
Balotelli looking to control.

Balotelli is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Leonard defends well.
Leonard might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Balotelli is looking for a triangle but Leonard pushes his legs off easily.
Balotelli is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Balotelli is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
Leonard working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Balotelli's head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Leonard postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Balotelli thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Balotelli throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Balotelli doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Leonard counters with a nice uppercut.
Gregorio Leonard has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Gianluigi Balotelli.
Balotelli looks winded!

Leonard scores with a takedown into Balotelli's guard.
Balotelli working a defensive guard but Leonard passes into half guard.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Balotelli tries to push off, looking to stand up, but Leonard manages to move to mount!
Balotelli takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gregorio Leonard dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Leonard tries for a takedown but Balotelli sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Balotelli tries a counter takedown but it's more of a dummy move, and he uses it to push himself away.
Leonard is trying hard to land a takedown here. Balotelli sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.

Balotelli drives through and clinches with Leonard against the cage.

Leonard pulls guard effortlessly.
Balotelli trying to control the position from guard on top but Leonard is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Leonard is trying to control the position from the bottom.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Balotelli looking to sit in guard and control but Leonard gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Balotelli looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balotelli throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Leonard has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
Leonard loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

Balotelli looking for a guillotine here but Leonard defends easily.
Balotelli lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Leonard looking to control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Leonard is controlling Balotelli's posture.
Leonard can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Balotelli controls the pace.
Leonard trying to control the position.
Leonard keeping moving, preventing Balotelli from controlling successfully.
Leonard trying to control the position.
Leonard being controlled here, momentarily.
Balotelli looking to pass the guard.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balotelli content to stall in guard here.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Balotelli throws a lazy body kick
and Leonard counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Balotelli tries for a takedown but Leonard circles away easily

and Leonard decides to take the opportunity to score a takedown. He's landed in Balotelli's guard.
Leonard works over Balotelli with some ground and pound from guard.
Balotelli 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.
Leonard wants to stand but Balotelli has a closed guard, so he can't escape.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Leonard with a nice head shot there.
Balotelli working a defensive guard here.
Leonard with a flurry of punches that miss.
We've had a lack of effective grappling in the last minute or so, which could well see a referee standup.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Leonard lands a couple of elbows.
Leonard postures up in Balotelli's guard and throws a big left but Balotelli blocks it.
Leonard chips away with some ground and pound.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gregorio Leonard dominated that second round.
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. The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Balotelli misses with a body shot.
Balotelli with a poor takedown
and Leonard counters with a nice uppercut.

Balotelli closes the distance and clinches.
Balotelli taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Leonard is looking for a takedown up against the cage. Balotelli gets underhooks though and prevents the takedown attempt.

Balotelli breaks from the clinch.
Balotelli throws a hook to the side of Leonard's head but Leonard sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Balotelli clinches up with Leonard and pushes him back against the cage.

Leonard ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Leonard no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
Balotelli trying to control but Leonard is working from the bottom.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Leonard is looking to sweep but instead, Balotelli has passed into half guard.
Balotelli passes into side control, despite Leonard's attempt to control the position.
Leonard is trying to improve his position.

Balotelli stands up.

Balotelli rushes Leonard and presses him up against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Balotelli tries to break the clinch but Leonard is controlling the position.
Leonard is trying to drag Balotelli to the mat but Balotelli just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Leonard is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Balotelli pulls him back up using the underhooks.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Gregorio Leonard. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Leonard has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Balotelli is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Balotelli drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Balotelli lands a nice trip takedown into half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The two fighters exchange a few words. I couldn't hear what they were saying but maybe it's more fun if you make it up yourself. Balotelli connects with a nice short shot to Leonard's temple.
Leonard is staying active underneath Balotelli, who seems content to just control the action from this position.
Balotelli is thwarting Leonard's attempts to control the position.
Balotelli trying to control the action but Leonard is working from the bottom.
Leonard holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.
Balotelli wants to stand up but Leonard is controlling the position.
Balotelli missing with the ground and pound from half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Leonard slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Leonard is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.
Leonard controlling Balotelli's posture.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Balotelli looks for a takedown but Leonard sprawls well.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Leonard shoots in looking for a takedown. Balotelli tries to sprawl out of it but Leonard keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Balotelli manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

And that's the end of the fight!
Gianluigi Balotelli comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Leonard 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 Chris Edwards scores the fight 29:28
Judge Phil Schofield scores the fight 29:28
Judge William Gold scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Gregorio Leonard!