PBP Commentary

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

Pierce
vs
Balboa

216 cm
24
279 lbs
1 - 5 - 0

192 cm
25
240 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Experienced

BJJ Blue Belt
Decent boxing
Determined

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 1 - 5 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Mikel Pierce!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Rocky Balboa!
The judges for this bout are Aleksei Zolotukhin, Vladimir Khabensky and Sergei Dronov.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pierce fails to land with a series of punches.
Balboa wants to counter with a clinch but Pierce pushes him away.
Balboa misses with a double jab.
Pierce tries to counter with a takedown but Balboa is quick to defend against it.
Pierce fails with the takedown

and Balboa counters by moving into the clinch.

Balboa turns his hips and lands a very nice judo throw into side control!

Balboa decides to stand back up.
Balboa misses with a head kick.
Pierce wants to take advantage of his opponent's missed offense by moving into the clinch.
Balboa misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

Balboa instigates a clinch.

Pierce ties up his opponent against the cage and manages to drag the fight down to the ground. Pierce no doubt will be looking to work submissions from his guard.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Pierce has his foot on Balboa's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Balboa works his way back into a safe position though.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

Pierce is active off his back here, looking for submissions.
Balboa stands and throws Pierce's legs to the side, diving into side control.
Balboa looks winded!
Pierce is looking for a sweep.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Pierce is moving his hips around well on the bottom and has managed to get back to half guard.
Balboa throws a big elbow that misses, also allowing Pierce to regain full guard.
Balboa postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

Pierce is active off his back here, looking for submissions.

Pierce working for a triangle but Balboa defends it easily.
Balboa wants to control from the top but Pierce keeps moving.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Balboa with a flurry of punches that miss.
Pierce preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.

Pierce looks to be working for a triangle here. Oh, it looks like he might have it! Balboa has picked Pierce up and slammed him! Pierce can't keep hold of the triangle and Balboa manages to pass to side control!
Pierce defending against the ground and pound.
Balboa tries to score with some ground and pound. Pierce controls his posture well this time though and the shots don't do any damage.

Balboa is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Pierce has escaped the position, nice work there.
Balboa trying to control the position but Pierce is working away.
Balboa looking to punish the body of his opponent here but Pierce is avoiding damage well.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balboa passes to full mount! That's big trouble for Pierce!
Balboa thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
Poor strikes thrown by Balboa there. More accuracy and less frantic strikes would help!
Balboa thowing shots but they're missing.
Balboa fakes a shot to the body and cracks his opponent in the head. Nice ground and pound there!
Pierce manages to regain half guard. Good work.
Balboa with the ground and pound but Pierce uses the opportunity to regain guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Balboa stands up and waves to Pierce to follow him.
Pierce will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pierce throws a low kick but Balboa moves out of range easily.

Balboa closes the distance and gets a double leg, slamming Pierce to the mat! Pierce manages to get full guard.

Pierce throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.
Balboa throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Pierce works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Balboa tries to stand but Pierce is controlling from the bottom.
Pierce working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from Balboa.
Pierce utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rocky Balboa dominated that round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Pierce tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Balboa was well out of range. Poor timing from Pierce.
Balboa lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Balboa.

It looks like Mikel Pierce has been cut.
Balboa takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Pierce looks to land a combination but Balboa avoids it well.

Pierce gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Balboa to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Balboa has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

Balboa avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Balboa stopping the sweep attempt from Pierce.
Balboa is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Pierce escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Balboa gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Balboa accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.
Pierce keeping full guard, as Balboa tries to pass.

Pierce escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Balboa gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Balboa's corner is telling him to maintain position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are hurling abuse towards the fighters... You can hardly blame them though because there isn't a lot going on in the fight.
Balboa postures up in Pierce's guard and throws a big left but Pierce blocks it.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.

Balboa decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Balboa thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Pierce's head.
Pierce wants to improve his position but Balboa is controlling well.
Pierce keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Balboa wants to take a breather but Pierce is having none of it.
Pierce blocking the ground and pound attempt from Balboa.
Balboa controlling the action here.
Pierce avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Balboa.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pierce won't allow Balboa to pass to mount.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.

Balboa moves into range and clinches up with Pierce.

Balboa tightens his grip and picks Pierce up, before dumping him to the ground. Pierce manages to land in guard.

Pierce has his foot on Balboa's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Balboa works his way back into a safe position though.
Balboa throwing strikes from guard but Pierce blocks nicely.

Balboa drops back for a leg but he's not going to get it - he lets go and Pierce dives on top into guard.

Pierce trying to control but Balboa is working from the bottom.
The step up in weight doesn't seem to be a problem for Balboa. He's performing admirably here against the bigger man.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pierce is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Balboa trying to keep a closed guard but Pierce is proving a slippery customer.

Pierce got a little sloppy there for a moment and Balboa has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Pierce has managed to get both his arms back between Balboa's legs - danger averted.
Rocky Balboa has got the better of the ground game so far.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Balboa is looking to get back to his feet but can't, whilst Pierce is controlling him.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rocky Balboa showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Mikel Pierce's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Balboa clinches with his opponent.
Pierce is looking to control Balboa's arms but Balboa gets an underhook and turns him. Now Pierce has his back to the cage.
Pierce can't break the clinch.
Balboa pushes off an throws an elbow but Pierce leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Balboa tries to land a knee to the head but Pierce blocks with his arms.
Balboa wants to get back to striking at distance but Pierce won't allow it.
Balboa has Pierce pressed against the cage, preventing Pierce from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Pierce keeps the fight in the clinch, despite Balboa's efforts to push away.
Balboa looking to throw knees to the head but Pierce is blocking nicely.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Pierce managing to block the knees to the body from Balboa.
Balboa is trying to break the clinch but Pierce is controlling him.
Pierce drops down looking for an ankle pick but Balboa pulls his leg out and moves away.
Balboa takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Balboa gets a double leg takedown into Pierce's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Pierce working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Balboa doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Balboa manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

Pierce has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Balboa can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.

Pierce is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Balboa is aware though and is defending well.
Balboa with a flurry of punches that miss.

Pierce is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Balboa is aware though and is defending well.
Balboa loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Balboa throws a big elbow that misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.

Balboa decides he's had enough of playing guard and decides to stand. Come on Pierce, up you get!
Balboa tried to score with a low kick but Pierce checks it.
Pierce appeared to be looking to counter that last move with a leg kick.
Crunch! Pierce slams his shin into Balboa's torso.
A big left from Pierce misses.

Balboa decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.

Pierce looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.

Pierce actively working from the bottom here.

Pierce looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
Balboa has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pierce wants to improve his position but Balboa is controlling well.

Pierce looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Balboa throwing shots but Pierce is blocking nicely.

Balboa is working for a kimura but Pierce is defending it quite comfortably.
Balboa missing with some ground and pound from the half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Pierce avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Balboa.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Rocky Balboa is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Balboa fakes a strike and closes the distance, dragging Pierce to the ground. Balboa is now in Pierce's guard.

Pierce has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Balboa can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Pierce preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Balboa stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Pierce swivels though and keeps the full guard.

Pierce is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Balboa is aware though and is defending well.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rocky Balboa comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Balboa 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 Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 27:30
Judge Vladimir Khabensky scores the fight 27:30
Judge Sergei Dronov scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rocky Balboa!