PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Baraka Simengwa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ray Finkle (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Simengwa comes to the cage accompanied by Afande Sele feat Ditto - Darubini kali. These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Simengwa
vs
Finkle

185 cm
32
195 lbs
23 - 23 - 0

193 cm
32
203 lbs
27 - 14 - 1

BJJ Red Belt
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class MT
Granite chin

Humanoid Nutrition

Milwaukee's Best Nutrition

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 23 - 23 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Baraka Simengwa!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 27 - 14 - 1, fighting out of New York, Ray Finkle!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Jack Bonds and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Simengwa fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Finkle, pushing him back against the cage.
Simengwa wants to take the fight to the mat but Finkle manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.

Simengwa gets a nice trip takedown into half guard.
Finkle is looking for a sweep. Simengwa is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Simengwa passes to full mount!
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Finkle tries to lock up and control but Simengwa gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.

Simengwa is working for a guillotine from mount but Finkle frees his head quite easily.

Simengwa is looking to secure an arm. He's managed it! He's pivoting for an armbar - that looks tight! But Finkle has managed to get out of it and now he's in a dominant position. Nice work from Finkle!
Simengwa looking to hit a scissor sweep but Finkle is one step ahead there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Simengwa has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.
Simengwa not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

Finkle got a little sloppy there for a moment and Simengwa has worked his way into a loose triangle - can he finish it?! No, Finkle has managed to get both his arms back between Simengwa's legs - danger averted.

Finkle avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Finkle wants to control from the top but Simengwa keeps moving.
Simengwa lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Simengwa trying to control but Finkle is working from the bottom.
Finkle is adopting a defensive guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Simengwa won't allow Finkle to sweep him here.
Finkle managing to control the position.
Simengwa pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Finkle is keeping the position for now.
Simengwa trying to control but Finkle is working from the bottom.
Simengwa pushing down on Finkle's thigh, trying to pass to half guard. He's managed it... Nice work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Finkle works his way to full guard. Good work.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Finkle looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Simengwa pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Finkle is keeping the position for now.
Finkle is pulling down on Simengwa's head to control his posture.
Finkle looking to sweep here. No luck so far.
Simengwa trying to control the position from guard on top but Finkle is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Simengwa trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Finkle keeping moving, preventing Simengwa from controlling successfully.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Simengwa stuns Finkle with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.

Simengwa tries to keep at a distance but Finkle has taken the fight into the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Simengwa avoiding damage as Finkle throws knees to the body.
Finkle tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Finkle throws a punch but it's blocked by Simengwa.
Finkle throws an elbow that misses.
Finkle lands a right hand.
Simengwa avoids a wild elbow strike from Finkle.
Finkle creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
Finkle throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Simengwa blocks it with crossed arms.
Finkle misses with a knee to the head.
Finkle misses with a knee strike.
Finkle tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Simengwa's elbow.
Finkle unloads a knee to the mid-section. Simengwa lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Simengwa fails to pull guard.
Finkle tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Finkle lands a damaging elbow.
Finkle struggles to land a body shot inside as Simengwa controls his hands.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Simengwa rushes Finkle and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.

Simengwa pulls Finkle into guard.

Simengwa working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Finkle has passed into half guard!
Simengwa is trying to maintain the position but Finkle is very close to passing his half guard.
Simengwa is looking for a sweep. Finkle is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Finkle content to sit in half guard and control for a moment.

Simengwa looking for submissions off his back.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Simengwa trying to get back to full guard but Finkle takes advantage of the position and moves to full mount!

That's one minute gone in the round.
Simengwa is looking to get to half guard.
Finkle tries to control but Simengwa wriggling away.
Baraka Simengwa overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Finkle throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Simengwa because Finkle loaded up on that one.
The crowd growing excited in anticipation of a finish here! Right on cue, Finkle cracks his opponent with a massive right hand that draws loud cheers!
Simengwa wriggling around on the bottom manages to avoid the strikes thrown by Finkle.
Finkle controlling from mount.
Simengwa keeping his composure momentarily, calmly looking to get back to half guard.
Finkle misses with a head shot.
Simengwa is desperately trying to get back to half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Simengwa wants to control but Finkle is having none of it.
Simengwa is looking to improve his position but Finkle isn't that keen on the idea.
Finkle content just to control the position here.
Finkle thuds his fist into the canvas! Oooouch!
Finkle is in the full mount, landing strikes.
Simengwa tries to hold on but Finkle pushes him away.
Simengwa is trying desperately to improve position.
Finkle takes a little breather and maintains the position. The referee will be looking for him to stay active from such a dominant position though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Finkle lands a shot to the body, followed up by a shot to the exposed head of his trapped opponent.
Finkle throwing shots from mount but they're not landing.
Finkle landing shots from mount.
Finkle prevents Simengwa from getting the reversal.
Simengwa tries to lock up and control but Finkle gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
Simengwa really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Finkle punching from mount but Simengwa doing a good job of avoiding damage.
Finkle looking to control but Simengwa is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.
Simengwa can't escape the position.
Finkle with the ground and pound from mount.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Simengwa can't escape the position.
Simengwa is working hard here to advance position.
Finkle tries to control but Simengwa wriggling away.
Finkle throws an elbow from mount that misses. Lucky escape for Simengwa because Finkle loaded up on that one.
Finkle landing punches.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Finkle controlling from the full mount.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ray Finkle showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Simengwa tries to clinch but Finkle is having none of it.
Simengwa moves out of the way of the counter high kick fromFinkle.
Simengwa wants to clinch.

Simengwa darts in and clinches Finkle up against the cage.
Finkle goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Finkle lands a glancing elbow in the clinch.

It looks like Baraka Simengwa has been cut.
Simengwa jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Finkle walks away with a smile on his face. Simengwa gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.
Finkle lunges at Simengwa with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Simengwa's hand.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Finkle feints and then cracks Simengwa's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Simengwa down.
Simengwa tries to close the distance and clinch but Finkle swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Simengwa misses the jab.
Finkle lands a nice shot to the body.
Finkle misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Finkle misses with a head kick.
Simengwa takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Simengwa tries to clinch but Finkle moves out of range.
Simengwa doesn't manage to clinch there - Finkle circles away.
A little jabbing left from Finkle on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Simengwa blocks a low kick nicely.
Finkle connects with a looping right hand.
Simengwa is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Simengwa tries to move into range but Finkle moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Ray Finkle seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Simengwa shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Finkle but Finkle pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Ray Finkle is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Simengwa takes a hook to the side of the head. I wonder if that's got his ears ringing.

Simengwa is rocked!
Finkle has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Finkle scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Oh Simengwa is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Finkle is looking to slow Simengwa down with leg kicks.
Finkle throws a lazy right hand but Simengwa sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Simengwa tries to close the distance and clinch up but Finkle swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Simengwa seems to have got his legs back now.
Finkle attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Finkle pounces like a tiger and cracks Simengwa with a vicious hook! Simengwa is down but not out! Finkle follows up with more strikes forcing the ref to jump in and stop it!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:24 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Punches). Ray Finkle!
A relieved looking Ray Finkle thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.