PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Raul Michael (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Frank Cri (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Buckle up people - heeeeeeeeeere we go!

Michael
vs
Cri

198 cm
18
214 lbs
1 - 1 - 0

185 cm
18
200 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter fighter
Cuts easily

BJJ Brown Belt
Basic striking
Experienced

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Raul Michael!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Frank Cri!
The judges for this bout are Roger Salmon, Chris Saunders and Colin Fray.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Michael fakes a head punch and goes low to the body. Nicely done.
Cri shoots in looking for a takedown but Michael manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Cri's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Cri has his takedown stuffed

and Michael counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
Michael sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Cri defending well though.
Michael landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.
Michael misses with a head shot. Cri uses the momentum to regain guard.
Cri controlling the position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Michael chips away with some ground and pound.
Cri preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Michael lands a nice shot whilst sitting in his opponent's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Michael postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Cri looking to control.
Michael will need to keep those long limbs tucked in whilst he's on the ground, to prevent any submissions.
Michael throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Cri works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Michael trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Michael with a flurry of punches that miss.
Cri not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Michael throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Cri works some decent striking defense from the bottom.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Cri misses with a takedown
and Michael counters with a nice body shot.
Raul Michael has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Frank Cri.
Cri looks winded!
A telegraphed takedown attempt from Cri is defended easily by Michael.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Michael throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Cri lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Michael works Cri's body with a nice hook.
Michael stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Michael wants it to stay on the feet.
Michael stuns Cri with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Michael's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Michael duly obliges.
Michael goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Frank Cri seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Michael lands a jab. Then a cross. Then finally a nice hook to the body. Good work there by Michael.
Left hook, right uppercut from Michael.
Michael stuns Cri with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Michael misses with the combination.
Cri slips a jab and a cross from Michael.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Michael throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Cri.
Cri unleashes a big counter combination but Michael bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.

Cri shoots in and bounces Michael off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.

Michael pushes Cri off for just long enough to get back to his feet. Very athletic spring there.

Michael fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Cri, pushing him back against the cage.
Cri is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Michael is defending well.
Michael lands a knee to the head there! That was nasty!

Michael has hold of one of Cri's legs. Cri is fighting the takedown attempt but Michael gets the trip and lands the takedown into guard.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Michael sitting in guard, not really doing much.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Michael stands up from guard. Let's bang!
Michael comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.

Cri gets a takedown into half guard.

Michael kicks Cri off and gets back to his feet.
Michael scores with a one two! Cri had his feet all tangled up there and couldn't avoid the strikes.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Raul Michael dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Cri shoots and misses

and Michael counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Michael.
Michael managing to block the knees to the body from Cri.

Michael is working on a single leg takedown against the cage. Cri can't fight it off and eventually Michael manages to take the fight to the floor. Cri looks annoyed but at least he's managed to land in guard.
Michael trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Cri wants to sweep here but Michael controlling him for the moment.
Michael trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.
Cri is breathing heavily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Michael loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Cri not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Michael loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Cri utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Michael throws a right hand that Cri ducks under and follows up with a left that Cri also avoids with ease.
Cri shoots in and drives through. Michael sprawls well.
Cri misses with a takedown
and Michael counters with a right hand to the body.
Raul Michael has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Frank Cri.
Michael throws a series of punches but Cri avoids them all with ease.
Michael fails to land with a series of punches.
Michael lands a jab-cross combination.
Michael throws a nice looking combination but Cri bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Cri doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Michael throws a right and a left that Cri avoids nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Michael throws a right and a left that both miss.
Michael throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Michael displaying good standup as he scores with a three punch combination.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Cri shoots in for a takedown. He's persisting with it as Michael sprawls well. Michael wins this battle and keeps the fight standing. Cri gets slowly back to his feet.
As Cri tries to get set, Michael tries to push him back and clinch up but Cri manages to avoid the attempt.
A right-left combo lands from Michael.
Cri with a poor takedown
and Michael counters with a left and a right that stings Cri.
Cri misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Michael throws a big counter combination but Cri scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.
Michael throws a series of strikes that have Cri backpedaling.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Cri tries to keep at a distance but Michael has taken the fight into the clinch.

Michael gets double underhooks and manages to take the fight to the ground.
Michael postures up.
Michael sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Michael content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Michael distracts Cri with his right hand and drops a big elbow with his other arm.
Michael is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Cri can do to turn this around?

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Michael connects with a couple of short punches.
Michael postures up and lands a big shot to Cri's brow.
Cri preventing the ground and pound from doing any damage.
Michael sitting in guard, not really doing much.
Michael content to strike from guard, landing some decent shots.
Michael postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Raul Michael dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Cri doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Michael counters with a one-two to the body.
Raul Michael is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Horrible takedown attempt by Cri or perhaps it was just good defense by Michael, which made it look bad.
Michael tries to counter by moving into the clinch but Cri manages to circle out of the way.
Michael with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Cri with a lazy takedown attempt
and Michael counters with a nice body shot.
Raul Michael has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Frank Cri.
Cri swings wildly with a couple of big hooks

and Michael counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.

Michael seems to be working for a kimura but Cri defends the submission attempt.
Cri on the receiving end of some nice ground and pound.
Cri takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Michael lands with a punch from half guard.
Michael looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
Michael is nestled in close to Cri, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Michael drops an elbow to the side of Cri's head.
Michael looks over to his corner - he wants some instructions but his corner are not responding.
Michael thows a huge punch but Cri dodges it nicely.
Michael throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Michael drops an elbow to the side of Cri's head.
Raul Michael overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Cri keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Cri avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Michael.
Michael not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Michael slows the pace down in half guard.
We must be close to a standup if these guys don't pick up the pace.
Michael lands strikes from half guard.
Cri taking some punishment here, with Michael in his half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Cri has hold of Michael's hands but Michael slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.

Michael is working for a kimura but Cri is defending it quite comfortably.
Michael is thwarting Cri's attempts to control the position.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Michael misses with a jab, cross combination.
Cri gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Michael counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Michael lands a body punch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Michael connects with a knee to the head.
Michael utilising his Muay Thai to score with a knee to the body.

Cri is fighting off a takedown attempt but Michael is just too persistent for him and manages to trip Cri to the mat. Cri regains guard as soon as the fighters hit the mat.
Michael chips away with some ground and pound.
Michael looking to control the position here, rather than advance.
Michael chips away with some ground and pound.

And that's the end of the fight!
Raul Michael showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Michael has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Roger Salmon scores the fight 30:25
Judge Chris Saunders scores the fight 30:25
Judge Colin Fray scores the fight 30:25

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Raul Michael!