PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Manol Josifov (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Cracker Barrel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Josifov comes to the cage accompanied by Bone Thugs N Harmony - Foe Tha Love of Money. Manol Josifov has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Josifov
vs
Barrel

198 cm
26
270 lbs
6 - 0 - 0

196 cm
26
254 lbs
4 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Experienced

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

Sully's Bar & Grill
Urban Fighter

MayheM sportswear

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, Manol Josifov!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Cracker Barrel!
The judges for this bout are Paul Gruel, Roger Salmon and Jeff Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Barrel cracks Josifov with a right hand to the side of the head.
Barrel checks the leg kick nicely there.

Barrel clinches up against the cage.
Nice body punch from Josifov.
Barrel swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Barrel tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Barrel doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Josifov lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Josifov throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Barrels head.

Josifov breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Josifov misses with a low kick.
A nice side step and Barrel releases a counter shot to the body, but it doesn't find it's home.
Barrel throws a predictable looking body shot
and Josifov cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Barrel scores with the left hand. Josifov knows he should have avoided that one.
Barrel lands a nice shot to the body.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A looping hook to the body misses from Barrel. Josifov does a little dance to reset his feet.
Josifov feinted there with a counter leg kick.
Cracker Barrel seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Barrel lands with a good body shot.
Barrel thows a left - swing and a miss!
Barrel cracks Josifov with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Barrel fails in his attempt to clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Josifov has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Josifov there as he acknowledges the shot.
Barrel misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Josifov.
Barrel ducks down and throws a hook to the body.
Barrel uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Josifov has time to react.
Barrel is looking to clinch.
Josifov throws a nice inside leg kick.
Barrel lands a nice shot that snaps Josifov's head back.
Josifov defending well as Barrel loads up on a big left hand.
Barrel is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Barrel lands a body shot.

Barrel darts in and clinches Josifov up against the cage.
Josifov tries a body shot but Barrel blocks it.
Josifov blocking some punches.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Barrel has a couple of punches blocked by Josifov.
Josifov misses with a punch on the inside.
Josifov misses with a hook to the ribs.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Josifov pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
A big left from Josifov misses.
Josifov lands a nice leg kick that just misses Barrel's sensitive parts.
Barrel scores with a nice right hand.
Josifov lands a really nice looking cross but Barrel seems unphased.
Josifov's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Barrel connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Josifov scrambles back to his feet.
A left lands for Barrel.
Josifov on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Barrel punishes Josifov's body with a nice straight punch.
Barrel looks to score with a jab to the body but Josifov is just out of range.
It looked like Josifov was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.
Barrel tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Josifov paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Josifov throwing a counter right hand but Barrel manages to avoid it.
Josifov looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.

Barrel rushes Josifov and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Barrel tries to work over Josifov's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
A short left from Josifov.
Barrel digs a right hand underneath Josifov's ribcage. Josifov let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Barrel doesn't land with the attempted body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Josifov blocks an uppercut.
Barrel tries a body shot but Josifov blocks it.
Josifov working aggressively here.
Barrel misses with a punch on the inside.
Barrel misses with a body punch.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Barrel.
Barrel tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Josifov's elbow.
Barrel lands with a short head shot on the inside.

Josifov breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Barrel listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Barrel doesn't manage to clinch there - Josifov circles away.

Barrel moves into the clinch successfully.
Josifov tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Barrel's elbow.
Barrel swings wildly with an uppercut but Josifov uses good head movement to avoid it.

Josifov escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Barrel misses with a body shot.
Barrel with a body punch. A glancing blow.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Josifov misses with an attempted mid kick.
Barrel tries to clinch but Josifov moves out of range.

Barrel drives through and clinches with Josifov against the cage.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Barrel lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Josifov backwards.

It looks like Manol Josifov has been cut.
A short right from Josifov.
Barrel misses with a body punch.
A short right from Josifov.
Good body shot from Barrel.
Josifov is breathing heavily.

Josifov breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Josifov is looking to slow Barrel down with leg kicks.
Josifov defending well as Barrel loads up on a big left hand.
Nice defenses there by Josifov.
Barrel avoids the body shot from Josifov.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Josifov throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Barrel counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Josifov shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
Barrel is landing a lot of head punches in this opening round! Josifov had better start moving his head a bit unless he wants his face to turn into pâté.
Barrel misses with a looping left.
Barrel tries to close the distance and clinch up but Josifov swats him away and circles back towards the center.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Cracker Barrel dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Manol Josifov's cut.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Barrel closes the distance and pushes Josifov back into the cage.
Josifov blocks an uppercut.
A body shot lands from Barrel.
A shot in the inside from Barrel.
Barrel tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Josifov swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Nice body punch from Barrel.
The step up in weight doesn't seem to be a problem for Barrel. He's performing admirably here against the bigger man.
Barrel lands a nice uppercut.
Barrel tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Barrel.
Barrel misses with a short punch on the inside.
A short left from Barrel.
Barrel can't find room to land a body shot as Josifov controls the action.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Barrel pushes Josifov back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Cracker Barrel seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Barrel misses with a hook to the ribs.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Barrel makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Barrel working some nice short punches in the clinch.
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!
Barrel tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Barrel has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Barrel makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
A short right from Barrel on the inside.

Manol Josifov's cut is getting worse.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Barrel digs a right hand underneath Josifov's ribcage. Josifov let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Barrel creates a bit of space for himself and rocks Josifov with a big uppercut! Josifov tries to clinch up but Barrel pushes him back against the cage and lands another monster strike that crumples Josifov to the mat! Josifov covers up and Barrel unloads with more strikes until the referee steps in to end the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:14 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Punches). Cracker Barrel!
Cracker Barrel is the new heavyweight champion!
Cracker Barrel managed to slip a mention for his sponsors, SiTech Clothing™, into his post fight interview.