PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Bugs Bani (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rocky Savage (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Bani comes to the cage accompanied by Kiss me. Rocky Savage has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Bani
vs
Savage

183 cm
22
185 lbs
6 - 11 - 0

190 cm
23
199 lbs
5 - 4 - 0

Good wrestling
Counter fighter
Experienced

Decent wrestler
Basic striking
Powerful

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 6 - 11 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Bugs Bani!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Rocky Savage!
The judges for this bout are Anni Minnemäki, Ben Zyskovitsi and Matti Vanhoillinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Savage tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Bani manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Bani swung with a counter punch to the body but it didn't connect.
Bani fails to land the takedown.
Savage connects with a solid leg kick.

Savage moves into the clinch.
Savage misses with a punch to the body.
Bani drops to a knee looking for a takedown but Savage gets the underhooks and prevents it.
Savage is struggling to control the position.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bani prevents a body shot from Savage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Savage digs a right hand underneath Bani's ribcage. Bani let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Bani blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Bani tries to pull guard but Savage holds him up against the cage and eventually Bani drops back down to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bugs Bani. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Savage lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Bani letting Savage take a breather here.
Savage works on Bani's body with a couple of short punches.
Savage stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Bani is breathing heavily.
Savage with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Savage lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
Bani prevents a body shot from Savage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bani tries to pull guard but Savage forces him back to his feet, against the cage.
Savage trying to land knees to the body.

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

Savage has Bani up against the cage in a clinch.
Savage misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Bani.
Savage has Bani pushed against the cage.
Bani blocks a body shot from Savage.
Savage is looking to take this one to the mat.
Savage lands a left hand.

Savage's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bani goes for a double leg but Savage avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Savage continues to drive forward.
Bani keeps the fight on the outside.
Bani goes for a double leg but Savage avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Savage continues to drive forward.

Savage has managed to clinch.
Savage tries to work over Bani's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Savage struggles to land a body shot inside as Bani controls his hands.
Savage lands a body shot in the clinch.
Bani being controlled against the cage.
Savage misses with some punches.
Bani goes for a takedown in the clinch but Savage prevents it.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Savage misses with a knee to the head.
Savage goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Savage lands an uppercut.
Savage jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Bani walks away with a smile on his face. Savage gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.

Savage instigates a clinch.
Savage lands on the inside with an uppercut.

Savage breaks the clinch.
Bani avoids the body shot from Savage.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Savage misses with a series of wild punches.
Savage throws a right and a left that Bani avoids nicely.
Bani is looking to counter punch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

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

Bani avoids the clinch attempt nicely.

Savage closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Savage wants a takedown.
Savage misses with some punches.
Savage stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.

Savage breaks the clinch.

A momentary lapse in concentration from Savage enables Bani to shoot in and score with a neat double leg. Savage manages to secure a closed guard as the fighters hit the mat.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Savage looking for submissions from the bottom here. Moving his hips around, possibly looking for an armbar.
Savage can't keep his opponent in guard - Bani advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Savage trying to control here.
Savage has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bani works his way into full mount!

Bani with some aggressive grappling here. He's looking for submissions here, rather than waiting for the opportunity to counter.
Bani connects with a couple of good shots from mount.
Bani looking to control but Savage is working nicely, looking to advance position himself.

Bani jumps to side control looking for an arm triangle but Savage manages to avoid the submission attempt.
Savage misses with a strike from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bani creates a bit of distance and throws down some hard shots.
Savage wants to control but Bani postures up.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Savage can do anything to dispel that myth.

Bani looking for an arm triangle but it's way too loose to do anything.
Bani cracks Savage with a big elbow.

Bani tries for a kimura but Savage is defending well.
Savage is trying to get back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Savage parries the strikes from Bani easily there. Bani is wary of posturing up too much because it might enable Savage to escape.

Bani stands up and beckons Savage to his feet.
Savage shoots in but no luck this time.
Bani was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Savage moves in looking to clinch but Bani pushes him off.

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

Bani thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Bani is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.

Bani thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

Savage looking for submissions off his back, moving his hips, looking for an opening.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bani stands and throws Savage's legs to the side, diving into side control.

Bani tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

Bani is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Savage has escaped the position, nice work there.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.

Bani swings around for an armbar but Savage sees it coming a mile off and turns beautifully into Bani's guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Bugs Bani dominated that second round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! The crowd applaud as we get ready to start the final round!

Savage closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Savage lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Bani.
Savage pushes Bani back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Savage manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
Savage trying to land knees to the body.
Bani is trying to work for a single leg takedown but Savage pulls him back up using the underhooks.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Savage trying to land knees to the body.
Savage throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
Savage is trying to drag Bani to the mat but Bani just about manages to keep his footing. He used the cage to his advantage there.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

Savage's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bani takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.

Savage pushes Bani up against the cage in a clinch.

Savage escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
A shot to the liver by Savage. Beautiful body shot.
Savage scores with a three punch combo!
Savage shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Bani pinned against the cage. Bani gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Bani shoots in for a takedown. "Ole!" shouts Savage as he jumps to the side.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Savage doesn't manage to clinch there - Bani circles away.

Savage instigates a clinch.
Knees in the clinch landing for Savage.
Bani has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Savage is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Bugs Bani. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Savage trying to land knees to the body.
The referee is keeping an eye on Savage - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Bani blocks a body shot from Savage.
Savage controlling the action here for a moment.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Savage manages to break the clinch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Savage buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Savage tries to clinch up.
Savage tries for a takedown but Bani sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Savage has been working on his striking defense in training and it's paying off as Bani is landing a low percentage of strikes.
Savage wants to clinch up but Bani keeps it at a distance.

Savage fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Bani, pushing him back against the cage.
Bani wants to take the fight to the mat but Savage manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Bani changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Savage fights it off and pushes away nicely.
No luck for Savage with that takedown attempt.
Bani was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Rocky Savage seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Bani goes for a double leg but Savage avoids the attempt and the two fighters end up clinched against the cage as Savage continues to drive forward.
Savage only half commits to the counter leg kick.
A bone on bone clash there as Bani blocks the leg kick.
Savage tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Bani pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Savage flicks out a counter leg kick but Bani steps away.
Savage tries to clinch there but Bani circles away.
Rocky Savage seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Savage cracks a nice hook into Bani's ribs.

Savage rushes Bani and presses him up against the cage.
Savage changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Bani fights it off and pushes away nicely.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Savage tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Bani paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Savage circles away from the clinch attempt.
Bani slips a straight right by Savage.
Bani went nuts there looking for a big combo counter but none of the flurry connected.

And that's the end of the fight!
Rocky Savage comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Savage has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. 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 Anni Minnemäki scores the fight 27:29
Judge Ben Zyskovitsi scores the fight 27:29
Judge Matti Vanhoillinen scores the fight 27:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rocky Savage!
Bugs Bani was interviewed post fight and said 'You had me at hello'.