PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Darragh Kelly (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Salvatore Giuliano (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The atmosphere really building for this one as we go over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Kelly
vs
Giuliano

168 cm
18
162 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

168 cm
19
168 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter fighter
Granite chin

Good wrestler
Counter fighter
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Darragh Kelly!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Salvatore Giuliano!
The judges for this bout are Paul Gruel, Josh West and Roger Salmon.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kelly scores with a nice strike.

Giuliano shoots in for a takedown! He's got it and he's managed to land in side control! That's better than Giuliano was expecting from the takedown attempt, I'm sure!
Giuliano connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Kelly some visible discomfort.
Kelly gets one leg under and gets the fight to half guard.
Giuliano with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
My spies in Gracie Barra Hilo inform me that Giuliano has been getting involved in the gym's BJJ sparring sessions. Let's see whether that pays dividends!

Kelly is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Giuliano pulls his head out easily.

Kelly looking for submissions from an awkward position here.
Giuliano lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Still in half guard, Giuliano seems content to control.

Kelly actively working from the bottom here.
Giuliano lands with a punch from half guard.
Giuliano is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Giuliano looks to score some points with some ground and pound.
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. Giuliano connects with a nice short shot to Kelly's temple.

Kelly is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Giuliano pulls his head out easily.
Kelly has hold of Giuliano's hands but Giuliano slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Giuliano really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Kelly. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Giuliano perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Let's hope that Giuliano has the urge to step up the pace any second now because for the last 15 or 20 seconds he's just been holding on tight.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Giuliano wants to pass to mount but Kelly is defending the position.
Giuliano drops an elbow to the side of Kelly's head.

Kelly is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Giuliano pulls his head out easily.
Giuliano slips a nice elbow through Kelly's hands, connecting with Kelly's forehead.

Kelly looking for submissions off his back.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Kelly looking for submissions off his back.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Giuliano lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Giuliano keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.

Kelly is looking to sinch up a guillotine here but Giuliano pulls his head out easily.
Giuliano controlling the action here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kelly is looking for a sweep. Giuliano is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Kelly trying to control but Giuliano postures up.
Giuliano with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
It looks like Giuliano might be adopting somewhat of a lay and pray gameplan here, which I'm sure won't go down too well with the paying fans in attendance... Or the ring announcers come to think of it.
Giuliano tries to pass to full mount but Kelly defends it.
Giuliano landing with strikes to the body and head, softening up his opponent.

Kelly actively working from the bottom here.
Giuliano wants to free his trapped foot but Kelly is holding on for dear life with his legs.
Giuliano is taking a breather. Kelly says something to him but it's hard to make out. Perhaps he's telling him to get on with it and actually do something.
Giuliano prevents Kelly from improving his position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Giuliano perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.
Kelly tries to get to full guard but Giuliano has control of the leg.
Well, if Giuliano is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Kelly is striking from the bottom but he's now found himself mounted! Oh dear - not enough focus on defense there.
Giuliano looking to ground and pound his opponent to a finish here.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Kelly flailing away with punches but nothing is landing.
Giuliano with good strikes from the mount here!
Kelly really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Salvatore Giuliano dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Giuliano closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Kelly can't do much from the bottom here.
Kelly tries to control but end up mounted... ooooh, that's bad.
Salvatore Giuliano has got the better of the ground game so far.
Kelly is trying desperately to improve position.
Giuliano content just to control the position here.
Kelly is trying desperately to improve position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Giuliano looking to control and managing it successfully.
Giuliano punishing his opponent with strikes.
Giuliano controlling the position easily from mount.
Kelly is working to get back to half guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Giuliano pausing momentarily but resumes with a couple of decent strikes that do a bit of damage.
Giuliano sitting in mount, just looking to control for the moment.
Giuliano working Kelly over with strikes here.
Giuliano controlling the position easily from mount.
Kelly takes a big shot to the head but keeps on trying to improve his position.
Giuliano with a couple of short strikes.
Kelly is trying desperately to improve position.
Giuliano avoids the attempt from Kelly to control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kelly is in all sorts of trouble here.
Kelly regains half guard.

Kelly actively working from the bottom here.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

Kelly actively working from the bottom here.
Nice strikes from Giuliano there.
Giuliano working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Giuliano lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Giuliano lands a nice short elbow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Kelly looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Giuliano is working hard to pass the guard. He's done it - he's now in full mount! Trouble for Kelly!
Giuliano lands a nice shot to the head.
Giuliano has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Giuliano scores with a couple of good head shots there.
Giuliano controlling the pace for now.
Giuliano cracks Kelly with a nasty head shot there - the crowd let out an audible gasp there, as the noise reverberated around the arena.
Kelly taking shots to the head.
Kelly tries to hold on but Giuliano pushes him away.
Kelly is looking to get to half guard.
Kelly is working hard here to advance position.
Giuliano lands a couple of nice shots there from mount.

Kelly is rocked!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Giuliano unloads with some vicious shots from mount and Kelly wants out - he looks towards the referee who steps in to save him! Giuliano celebrates on the cage and the crowd goes wild!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:22 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Salvatore Giuliano!