PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Rafael Amaral (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Virgil Keller (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Keller has chosen War Music as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. Both fighters will be looking to make this an exciting fight for the fans, I'm sure!

Amaral
vs
Keller

189 cm
36
194 lbs
30 - 13 - 0

184 cm
37
197 lbs
31 - 20 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the middleweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 30 - 13 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Rafael Amaral!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 31 - 20 - 0, fighting out of London, Virgil Keller!
The judges for this bout are Johanna Lukiainen, Tarja Halkonen and Roosa Järviläinen.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Amaral misses with a head kick.
A jab from Amaral finds it's way through Keller's defenses.

It looks like Virgil Keller has been cut.
Nice uppercut lands for Keller. That snapped Amaral's head back.
Keller displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Amaral throws out the jab.
Amaral throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Keller counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
A thudding body kick lands there by Amaral!
A big left from Amaral misses.
Keller uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Amaral.
Keller throws a lazy uppercut
and Amaral cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Amaral tries to bum rush Keller with a series of wild strikes but Keller uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Keller lands with a thumping leg kick.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Keller moves forwards but Amaral connects with a nice, crisp jab.

Keller clinches up against the cage.
Keller is trying to force a seperation but Amaral has the dominant position.
Keller swings wildly with an uppercut but Amaral uses good head movement to avoid it.
Keller has a couple of punches blocked by Amaral.
Keller stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Keller.
Keller softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.

Keller breaks from the clinch.
Amaral throws the left hand but Keller avoids the punch easily.
Amaral throws a jab when Keller was well out of range.
Keller blocks a jab.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Keller! But no joy.
Amaral throws a sloppy head kick and Keller moves out of range easily.
Amaral seems to be moving with more speed, compared to his last bout. He must have been working on that in the gym.
Amaral moves out of range of the body kick from Keller.
Keller looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Amaral thows a left - swing and a miss!
Amaral lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.
Keller lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Amaral throws an overhand right that lands on Keller's shoulder, as Keller tries to avoid the shot.
Amaral looks to land a right hand but Keller moved out of range.

Amaral clinches with his opponent.
Amaral blocking some punches.

Keller breaks the clinch.
Amaral is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Amaral doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Keller throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Amaral throws a head kick that misses
and Keller counters with a straight right hand.
Keller keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Amaral.
Keller flicks out a counter leg kick but Amaral steps away.
Keller will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Keller takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Amaral feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Kellers jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Amaral lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Keller circles away quickly and effectively.
Keller blocks a head kick by Amaral.
Keller misses with a head kick.
Amaral is trying to close the distance and clinch up, after that failed offence from Keller.
Keller lands a really nice looking cross but Amaral seems unphased.
Decent striking displayed by Amaral there.

Keller drives through and clinches with Amaral against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Keller breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Amaral pulls out of a head kick attempt.

Keller pushes Amaral up against the cage in a clinch.
Keller has a couple of punches blocked by Amaral.
Amaral trying to stall but Keller improves his position.
Keller misses with a short punch on the inside.
Keller tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
A frustrated look appears on Keller's face as he tries to break the clinch.
Amaral swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Keller blocks a couple of punches on the inside.

Keller breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
A big right from Keller misses.
Amaral scores with a three punch combo!

Keller tries to keep at a distance but Amaral has taken the fight into the clinch.
Amaral slowing the pace effectively.

Keller's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Keller's coach down at ~T~ Troid - Gym was telling us pre-fight that they have been working on Keller's balance. Obviously they view that as a key factor in the outcome of this fight.
A telegraphed right hand from Amaral misses the target.
Jab by Amaral.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Amaral takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.
Keller feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Amarals jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Amaral misses with a hook. Keller ducked under it nicely.
Keller on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.

Keller clinches up with Amaral and pushes him back against the cage.
Amaral has a couple of punches blocked by Keller.
A short right from Amaral.
Keller blocks a punch to the side of the head.
A short uppercut from Keller.
Amaral blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Amaral misses with a hook from the clinch.

Keller pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Keller fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Amaral.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Amaral throws a head kick but Keller moves out of range.
Amaral throws a lazy head kick
and Amaral takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
A head kick misses from Amaral.
Keller throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Rafael Amaral will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Virgil Keller's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Keller throws a leg kick but Amaral checks it.
Amaral tries to clinch there but Keller circles away.
Rafael Amaral is winning the standup battle so far.
Keller takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Amaral swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Amaral throws a sloppy head kick
letting Keller counter with a right hand.

Amaral clinches up with Keller and pushes him back against the cage.
Amaral lands a right hand that snaps the head of Keller backwards.
Amaral throws a head punch that misses.
Keller tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Amaral throws a punch but it's blocked by Keller.
Keller lands with a short shot to the head.
Keller is trying to break the clinch but Amaral has him pressed against the cage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Amaral misses with the head strike.
Keller blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Amaral connects with a nasty looking knee right to Keller's face.
A short right from Amaral on the inside.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Come on Amaral - let's have some action - none of this stalling nonsense.
Keller misses with a short punch on the inside.

That's one minute gone in the round.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Amaral.
Amaral is clearly stalling here... Pick up the pace son.
A short right from Amaral.

Keller breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Keller is looking to slow Amaral down with leg kicks.
Keller throws a push kick but Amaral slaps the foot to one side.
Sloppy strikes from Amaral. Those never looked like landing.
Amaral throws a sloppy head kick
and Keller counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Keller throws a jab when Amaral was well out of range.
Amaral slips a straight right by Keller.
Keller lands the left hand.
Amaral fails in his attempt to clinch.
Amaral on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Keller drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Keller throws a quick inside leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Amaral keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Amaral doesn't manage to clinch there - Keller circles away.
Keller throws the left hand but Amaral avoids the punch easily.
Keller lands with a hook. Amaral tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Amaral fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Keller on the side of the head.
Amaral avoids the head kick by Keller.
Amaral throws a counter high kick but Keller was just alert enough to avoid it.
Keller connects with a leg kick. Amaral looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Amaral throws a head kick that misses.
Amaral throws a head kick that Keller semi-blocks.
A telegraphed right hand from Amaral misses the target.
Amaral wants to clinch
and Keller counters with a nice low kick that buckles Amaral's knee momentarily.
Keller walks into a stiff left hand from Amaral.
Amaral misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Keller.
Keller keeps Amaral at a distance using the push kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
The fighters circling - Amaral throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Keller misses with a looping right.
Keller uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Amaral.
Keller clobbers Amaral with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Amaral listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Amaral misses with a head kick.
Amaral looks to land a right hand but Keller moved out of range.
Keller lets it all go there with a big combo counter but none of the punches connected.
Amaral wants to clinch.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Keller, as that shot connected.
Amaral tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Keller connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Amaral tries a head kick but it misses.
Keller lands a nice shot to the body.
A jab from Amaral does it's job there.
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!

Amaral instigates a clinch.
Amaral trying to stall but Keller improves his position.
Keller gets through Amaral's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Amaral.
Amaral misses with some punches.

Keller breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Amaral misses with an uppercut. Keller saw that one coming.
Keller uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Amaral.
A big right from Amaral misses.
Amaral swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Keller looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.

Keller lands a jab followed by a vicious hook that sends Amaral sprawling to the canvas. Keller follows him down, looking for the kill. Can Amaral hang on?

Amaral is rocked!

It looks like Rafael Amaral has been cut.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Keller sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Amaral defending well though.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close second round but Virgil Keller will probably get the nod - 10:9.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Amaral goes for a high kick. It partially lands.
Amaral steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Keller. That one must have hurt.
Keller just misses with a punch to the body.
Amaral tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Keller throws a hook to the side of Amaral's head but Amaral sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Amaral throws a quick head kick that skims the top of Keller's head.
Keller moves out of range as Amaral strikes.
Amaral moves away from the strike by Keller.
Keller ducks under a wild hook from Amaral.
Amaral drops his hands momentarily and Keller takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Oh Amaral is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Amaral throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Keller cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Keller dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Amaral. That did some damage!
Keller swats away the attempt to clinch by Amaral.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Crunch! Keller slams his shin into Amaral's torso.
Amaral is holding his hands too far apart here. Keller throws a hard, straight punch right down the pipe and BOOM! Amaral is out! That punch landed square on the jaw - what a shot!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:55 of round 3, we have a winner by way of KO (Punch). Virgil Keller!
Virgil Keller is the new middleweight champion!
Our winner, Virgil Keller, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.
The defeated Rafael Amaral had this to say: 'I'll be back!!!!'.