PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a bantamweight MMA rules bout between Gianluca Balotelli (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Addict Yo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Gianluca Balotelli has a significant reach advantage - let's see if he can make it count.

Balotelli
vs
Yo

175 cm
26
145 lbs
6 - 3 - 0

150 cm
26
137 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Cardio machine

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Alcatraz Apparel

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the bantamweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 3 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Gianluca Balotelli!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Addict Yo!
The judges for this bout are Bart Greer, Peter Branson and Dirk Anderson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Yo moves to clinch but Balotelli breaks away
and Balotelli counters with a thumping low kick.
Balotelli misses with a leg kick
and Yo counters with a body kick that stops Balotelli in his tracks momentarily.
Balotelli throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Yo.
Balotelli misses with a low kick.
A looping hook to the body misses from Balotelli. Yo does a little dance to reset his feet.
Yo keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Balotelli.
Yo throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
Balotelli throws a body kick that misses.
Balotelli misses with a body shot.
Yo throws the kick towards the body but Balotelli avoids it.
Balotelli is looking to counter punch.
Balotelli on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Balotelli slips a jab from Yo.
Yo throws a leg kick which misses Balotelli's front leg but catches the back leg as Balotelli tries to avoid it.
Balotelli misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Yo.
Balotelli scores with a jab to the head.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Balotelli throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
Yo scoring well with a low kick there.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Yo closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Yo throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Yo.
Balotelli misses with a hook from the clinch.
Yo avoids a wild elbow strike from Balotelli.
Yo avoiding damage as Balotelli throws knees to the body.
A right hook to the body lands for Yo.
Balotelli lands a hook to the side of the head.
Balotelli goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Balotelli swings wildly with an uppercut but Yo uses good head movement to avoid it.
Balotelli creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Balotelli.
Yo tries to land knees in the clinch but Balotelli avoids the damage to the body.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
Balotelli tries to land a knee to the head but Yo blocks with his arms.
Balotelli working hard to break the clinch.
Balotelli connects with a knee to the head.
Yo's coach down at Fitness elite 24/7 was telling us pre-fight that they have been working on Yo's balance. Obviously they view that as a key factor in the outcome of this fight.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yo looking to slow down the pace here.

Yo pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Balotelli scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Balotelli.
Yo swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Yo wants to land a leg kick but Balotelli is out of range.
Balotelli takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
Yo swings for the body but Balotelli moves out of range.
Gianluca Balotelli seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Donk. Balotelli catches Yo right on the button with a cross.
Nice body kick there by Balotelli.
Yo misses with an attempted mid kick.
Balotelli ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Yo moves away.
Yo is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Balotelli throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Balotelli connects with an inside leg kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balotelli lands a nice looking body kick.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Yo.
Good leg kick by Balotelli there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Yo throws a leg kick but Balotelli moved away.
Balotelli throws out a loose jab but Yo uses good head movement to avoid it.
Balotelli wants to slow Yo down by chopping away at his legs.
An inside leg kick from Balotelli misses.
Yo swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Balotelli has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Yo.
Yo is looking to clinch.
A punch lands to the side of Yo 's head but he takes it in his stride.
Balotelli walks forward, straight into a front kick from Yo.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Yo.
Yo throws a head kick but Balotelli moves out of range.
Yo blocks a leg kick.
Balotelli scores with a leg kick.
Yo loads up on a big right hand but Balotelli slips the punch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Yo throws a body kick that misses.
Balotelli tries to land a front kick but Yo steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Yo appeared to try and counter that last move with a leg kick.
Yo just misses with a punch to the body.
Yo wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Yo feints and then cracks Balotelli's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Balotelli down.
Balotelli throws a leg kick that is checked
and Yo counters with a stiff right hand.
Balotelli swings for the body but Yo moves out of range.
A swing and a miss from Balotelli.
Balotelli misses with an uppercut. Yo saw that one coming.
Balotelli rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Yo counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Balotelli tried to score with a low kick but Yo checks it.
Balotelli takes a kick to the body and keeps moving.
Balotelli misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Yo.
Balotelli bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Balotelli throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
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 Gianluca Balotelli will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Balotelli throws a sloppy body shot
and Yo counters with a body kick that stops Balotelli in his tracks momentarily.
Balotelli has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Yo throws a head kick but Balotelli moves out of range.
Balotelli throws a big counter combination but Yo scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.
Balotelli steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Yo.
Balotelli throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Yo scores with a kick to the body.
Balotelli scores with a nice strike.
Yo tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Balotelli manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Yo takes a jab right on the kisser.

Yo rushes Balotelli and presses him up against the cage.
Yo managing to block the knees to the body from Balotelli.
Balotelli will be looking to protect his midsection after taking some solid kicks to the body.
Yo is trying to slow down the pace of the fight but Balotelli is keeping busy.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Yo taking a break, stalling in the clinch.
Yo blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Yo lands a left hand that snaps the head of Balotelli backwards.
Balotelli tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Yo avoids it.
Yo lands a left hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yo tries to land a knee to the head but Balotelli blocks with his arms.

Yo breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.

Yo closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Balotelli trying to land knees to the body.
Yo throws an elbow but it misses.
Yo on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Balotelli blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Balotelli misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Yo.
Addict Yo seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Yo misses with a punch to the body.
Yo throws a knee to the head but misses.
Balotelli misses with a punch to the body.
Yo goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Balotelli pressing his opponent against the cage.
Yo scores with a shoulder strike.
Balotelli takes a shot to the head.
Balotelli has Yo pressed against the cage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Balotelli wants to break free but Yo has control.
Yo using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Balotelli has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Yo crunches a lovely knee into Balotelli's ribcage.
Balotelli is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Yo is defending well for now.
Yo on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Yo avoiding damage as Balotelli throws knees to the body.
Yo slowing the pace effectively.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Yo lands a body punch in the clinch.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Yo has Balotelli pressed against the cage, preventing Balotelli from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Yo tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Yo.
Balotelli blocks a body shot from Yo.
Balotelli working Yo over with knees to the body.
Yo on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Yo blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Balotelli tries to land a knee to the head but misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Knees to the body from Yo.
Yo lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!
Yo using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Balotelli has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Yo using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Balotelli has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Balotelli missing with knees to the body.
Yo misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Yo managing to block the knees to the body from Balotelli.
Yo goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Balotelli tries to land a knee to the head but Yo blocks with his arms.
Yo on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Yo lands an uppercut.
Yo scores a nice knee to the body.
The fighters are pressed against the cage, as the pace of the fight slows.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Balotelli trying to land knees to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Balotelli looking to stall.
Balotelli blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Balotelli has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Yo throws a punch but it's blocked by Balotelli.
Yo is trying to maintain a safe position but Balotelli gets an underhook and turns Yo into the cage.
Yo blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Balotelli.
Balotelli prevents a body shot from Yo.
Knees to the body from Yo.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Balotelli is working Yo over against the cage.
Balotelli misses with a knee strike.
Balotelli using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Yo has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Yo dodges an elbow strike from Balotelli.
Yo can't find room to land a body shot as Balotelli controls the action.
Yo misses with a body punch.
Balotelli avoiding damage as Yo throws knees to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Addict Yo showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action! This is the final round!

Yo throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Balotelli fires out a quick counter leg kick but Yo just manages to avoid it.
Yo looks to throw the jab but Balotelli is out of range.

Yo instigates a clinch.
Yo takes an elbow to the temple.
Yo taking a breather.
Yo tries to throw a body punch but Balotelli avoids it by throwing Yo back against the cage.
Balotelli throws an elbow that misses.
Balotelli looking to stall.
Yo with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Yo blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Balotelli blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Yo with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Yo wants to stall.
Balotelli can't find room to land a body shot as Yo controls the action.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yo scores with a knee to the head.
Balotelli is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Yo is defending well for now.
Balotelli lands an elbow inside.
Balotelli prevents a body shot from Yo.
Yo is really struggling to land any decent head shots against his taller opponent.

Yo breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Yo throws a leg kick
letting Balotelli counter with a right hand.
Balotelli throws a leg kick
and Yo counters with a body kick that brings a smile to the face of both fighters.
Yo avoids the head kick by Balotelli.
Yo throws out a loose jab but Balotelli uses good head movement to avoid it.
Balotelli keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Yo tries to land a body kick
and Balotelli counters with a straight right hand.
A big right from Yo misses.
Yo throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Balotelli throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Good exchange - Yo coming out on top.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Nice body punch from Balotelli.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A nice leg kick lands there from Yo.
Balotelli will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
Balotelli is using his reach advantage well here, landing the more effective single shots from range.
The fighters circling - Yo throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Yo tries to clinch but Balotelli moves out of range.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Balotelli checks a leg kick.
Yo throws an overhand right that lands on Balotelli's shoulder, as Balotelli tries to avoid the shot.
Yo scoring well with a low kick there.
Yo scores with a nice body kick.
Balotelli digs a good hook to Yo's body.
Yo bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Yo throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Balotelli is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
An inside leg kick from Balotelli misses.
Yo looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Balotelli tries a head kick but it misses.
Yo attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Yo misses with a body kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yo throws a leg kick
and Balotelli counters with a series of strikes. Yo will be more careful next time no doubt.
Yo moves in looking to clinch but Balotelli pushes him off.
Balotelli tries to work over Yo's front leg with a kick but Yo checks it.
Balotelli fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Yo.
Yo takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Yo blocks a low kick nicely.
A head kick misses from Balotelli.
Yo wants to slow Balotelli down by chopping away at his legs.
A slow jab from Balotelli misses its intended target.
Balotelli connects with a leg kick. Yo looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Balotelli swings and misses with a shot to the body
and Yo counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
Balotelli misses the shot to the body.
A little jabbing left from Yo on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Yo looks to land a body kick but Balotelli moved away.
Balotelli is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Yo lands with a thumping leg kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ooooh, nice body kick lands from Yo. Balotelli shrugs it off though.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Balotelli avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Balotelli uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Yo.
Balotelli uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Yo.
Yo misses with a body kick.
Balotelli throws a body punch but Yo moves out of range.
Balotelli will need to close the distance a bit before he attacks - that leg kick was thrown from too far away.
A jab from Yo misses.
A nice leg kick lands there from Yo.
Yo fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Balotelli misses with a leg kick
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Balotelli jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Balotelli throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Yo lands a nice leg kick that just misses Balotelli's sensitive parts.
Yo bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.

And that's the end of the fight!
I would just about give that final round to Addict Yo.
Well Yo 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 Bart Greer scores the fight 28:30
Judge Peter Branson scores the fight 28:29
Judge Dirk Anderson scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Addict Yo!