PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Kyle Long (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rich Piana (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Long
vs
Piana

184 cm
27
219 lbs
12 - 4 - 0

192 cm
26
204 lbs
14 - 2 - 0

Good wrestling
Solid Muay Thai
Very quick

Decent wrestler
Decent boxing
Good gas tank

Leviathan Clothing

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 12 - 4 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Kyle Long!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 14 - 2 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Rich Piana!
The judges for this bout are Peter Branson, Daniel Franklin and Dirk Anderson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Long gets in close and instigates a clinch.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Long.
Long has a couple of punches blocked by Piana.
Piana fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Long blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Long tries to land knees in the clinch but Piana avoids the damage to the body.
Piana lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Piana avoids a wild elbow strike from Long.
Piana tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Long throws a punch but it's blocked by Piana.
Piana throws a punch but it's blocked by Long.
Piana misses with a punch to the body.
Piana tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Long's elbow.
Piana fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Long using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Piana misses with a hook from the clinch.
Long prevents a body shot from Piana.
Piana can't find room to land a body shot as Long controls the action.
Piana lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Long goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Piana lands a nice uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Long creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Piana's defenses.
A frustrated look appears on Piana's face as he tries to break the clinch.
A hook to the body from Piana.
Piana misses with a body punch.
Piana scores with a hook to the body.
Piana pushes Long back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Piana's coach down at Rabid Dog was telling us pre-fight that they have been working on Piana's balance. Obviously they view that as a key factor in the outcome of this fight.
Long looking to throw knees to the head but Piana is blocking nicely.
Piana misses with the head strike.
Long misses with the head strike.
A short right from Piana.
Piana misses with a hook from the clinch.
Piana misses with the head strike.
Piana misses with some punches.
Piana lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Long or not.
Long is breathing heavily.
Piana blocks an elbow strike.
Piana misses with a hook to the ribs.
Piana scores with a shot to the side of Long's head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Long tries a body shot but Piana blocks it.
Nice body punch from Piana - that landed with a thud.
Piana lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Long backwards.
Long blocking some punches.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Piana lands a nice uppercut.
Piana lands with a right to the head.
Piana throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Longs head.
A short left from Piana.
Long takes a shot to the head.
Long lands a damaging elbow.
Piana lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
A head punch on the inside from Piana fails to land.
A frustrated look appears on Piana's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Piana blocking some punches.
The referee is keeping an eye on Piana - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Long throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Piana blocks it with crossed arms.
Piana misses with a body punch.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Piana misses with a body punch.
Long blocks an uppercut.
Piana working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Piana blocks an elbow strike from Long.
Long swings wildly with an uppercut but Piana uses good head movement to avoid it.
Piana lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Long tries a knee to the head but Piana blocks it.
Piana scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Piana working aggressively here.
Long scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Piana misses with a body punch.
Piana throws a head punch that misses.
Piana blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Piana misses with a body punch.
Long missing with knees to the body.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Long.
Piana pushes Long back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Piana lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Piana throws a head punch that misses.
Piana blocks an elbow strike.
Piana misses with a hook to the ribs.
Long fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Piana struggles to land a body shot inside as Long controls his hands.
Piana lands a body shot in the clinch.
Long misses with an elbow strike.
Long prevents a body shot from Piana.
Long blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Long pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Piana fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Long has Piana pressed against the cage, preventing Piana from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Piana on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Piana tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Long's elbow.
Piana blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Piana prevents a body shot from Long.
Long struggles to land a body shot inside as Piana controls his hands.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rich Piana dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Piana connects with a body shot that sends Long's belly button to the back.
Long fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Piana manages to avoid it.

Long instigates a clinch.
Long has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
A right handed body shot lands from Piana.
A right handed body shot lands from Piana.
Piana lands with a short punch from the clinch.
A hook to the body from Piana.
Piana misses with a punch to the body.
Piana blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Piana scores with an uppercut up the middle.
A short right from Piana on the inside.
Rich Piana seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
A short right from Piana.
Piana lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Long misses with a short punch on the inside.
Piana lands a shot to the body.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Long with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Long misses with some punches.
Long throws a knee to the head but misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Piana lands with a right to the head.
Piana wants to break the clinch but can't.
Long misses with a punch to the body.
Long misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Piana scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Piana's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Stalling in the clinch from Piana.
Piana is leaning against Long and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Piana lands a right hand.
The referee is keeping an eye on Piana - much more stalling and he will separate the fighters.
Long's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
Long goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Piana doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
A body shot lands from Piana.
Piana working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Piana blocks a punch to the side of the head.
A right hook to the body lands for Long.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Piana is working Long over against the cage.
Piana lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Piana lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Long swings wildly with an uppercut but Piana uses good head movement to avoid it.
Long throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Piana blocks it with crossed arms.
Piana has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Piana lands a shot to the body.
Piana scores with a nice hook to the head.
Piana is working Long over against the cage.
Piana pushes Long back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.

Long is rocked!
Piana lands a right hand that snaps the head of Long backwards.
Oh Long is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Piana lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.
A left hand lands to the body for Piana.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Piana creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Piana unloads with a big right hand that wobbles Long! He's leaning against the cage trying to keep his feet but Piana is unloading with more strikes now! Long drops to his knees and the referee stops the fight for a TKO!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:56 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Rich Piana!
During a confident post fight interview, Rich Piana thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.