PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Finn Balor (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Liquid Gold (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Balor comes to the cage accompanied by Monster. Fingers crossed for an exciting fight - I'm sure both fighters are looking for a nice under the table bonus!

Balor
vs
Gold

172 cm
40
152 lbs
32 - 16 - 1

179 cm
30
158 lbs
16 - 11 - 1

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
KO power

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Zenith Nutrition (160q/225$)

Milwaukee's Best Nutrition

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 32 - 16 - 1, fighting out of St Petersburg, Finn Balor!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 16 - 11 - 1, fighting out of New York, Liquid Gold!
The judges for this bout are Jack Bonds, and Don Winkell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Balor rushes Gold and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Balor prevents a body shot from Gold.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Balor.
Gold lands a nice uppercut.
Gold throws a punch but it's blocked by Balor.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Gold takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Balor is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the cage.
Gold misses with a body punch.
Gold blocks an uppercut.
Gold blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
A nice right hand lands inside from Gold.
We've been informed that Gold has been sparring a lot of Muay Thai in the buildup to this fight so let's see if that has an impact on the result.
Gold has Balor pressed against the cage, preventing Balor from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Balor blocks an uppercut.
Gold blocks an uppercut.
Gold scores with a shot to the side of Balor's head.

Balor manages to break the clinch.
Balor avoids the body shot from Gold.
That's a knee to de groin and it's over and out! Balor crumples to the ground after an illegal strike from Gold - the referee stops the clock and Balor gets 5 minutes to recover from that one. "I'm sorry" says Gold. Balor manages to get back to his feet and the fight resumes.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balor misses with a body shot.
Gold unleashes a big counter combination but Balor bobs and weaves and avoids any damage.
Balor has been talking about how he's improved his wrestling in the run up to the fight so let's see if that's enough to sway the balance.
Balor is looking to slow Gold down with leg kicks.
A decent looking body kick lands there for Gold.
Gold misses with a hook
and Balor connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Balor bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Balor tried to counter with a leg kick but Gold avoided it.
Good leg kick by Gold there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Gold swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Balor pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Gold scores with a leg kick.
Balor is looking to clinch.
Gold throws a low kick, looking for Balor's leg but Balor calmly moves out of range.
Balor bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Balor throws a leg kick but Gold sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Balor tries to land a front kick but Gold steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
Gold only half commits to the counter leg kick.
Balor throws a nice inside leg kick.
Gold tries to land a leg kick but Balor saw it coming and moves away.
Gold just misses with a punch to the body.
An attempted straight right counter from Balor misses the target.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gold throws a sloppy body shot
and Balor counters with a nice low kick that buckles Gold's knee momentarily.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Balor with a hook.
Gold missing with a left hand there. Balor was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Balor misses the shot to the body.
Gold tries to counter with a clinch but Balor shakes him off and moves away.
Balor takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
Balor sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Balor moves out of range of the strikes.
Gold throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Balor counters with a nice kick to the body.
Gold keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Gold misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Balor.
Gold chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Gold ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Balor ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Gold moves away.
Nice straight punches there by Gold. You know Roy Jones Jr respects the hands of Gold.

It looks like Finn Balor has been cut.
Balor clobbers Gold with an overhand right that has the crowd gasping. That made a horrendous noise.
Balor lands a jab.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gold slips under a jab.
Gold throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
A clash of legs there as Gold blocks the low kick.
Gold connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Nice body kick from Balor.
Gold uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Balor.
Balor lands a head shot.
Gold moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Gold goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
An inside leg kick lands from Gold.
Liquid Gold seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

Gold tries to sprawl but Balor drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Balor is working for submissions here but there's nothing on.
Balor is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Gold is holding on to half guard well.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Balor throwing shots but Gold is blocking nicely.
Balor not throwing his punches with enough precision this time.
Balor seems very keen to just sit and control from half guard but Gold does not like that idea so much and is remaining active off his back.
Balor prevents Gold from improving his position.
Gold is trying to maintain the position but Balor is very close to passing his half guard.
Gold slips a foot under and gets full guard. Nice work.
Balor stands up and looks to throw the legs aside to pass to side control. Gold swivels though and keeps the full guard.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Liquid Gold will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Finn Balor's cut.
That's time! Back to the action!

Gold blocks a jab.
Gold takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Balor lands a high kick!
Gold falls off balance throwing a combination
and Balor connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Gold throws a quick inside leg kick.
Gold misses the jab.
Balor goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Gold takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.

Balor is looking for a takedown here. He's shot in and has managed to get it, finishing up in Gold's half guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Balor thows a huge punch but Gold dodges it nicely.
Balor throwing shots but Gold is blocking nicely.
Gold trying to hold on to Balor's head to control him but Balor postures up.
Balor thumps the canvas. Not on purpose obviously - he just missed Gold's head.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balor is looking to stall here but Gold recovers full guard.
Gold lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

Balor wants to sweep but no luck.
Gold wants to control from the top but Balor keeps moving.
Gold not doing a lot at the moment. He'll have to show some more aggression or the fight will get stood up.
Balor seems keen to control Gold's posture.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gold keeps in close for a moment and lands a decent shot to the side of Balor's head.

Gold avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Balor has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.
Balor is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Gold throws a big elbow that misses.
Gold missing there with some ground and pound from the guard.
Balor controls Gold momentarily but Gold frees himself.
If this pace continues, the referee will definitely step in and force a standup.

Balor had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Gold defends it easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Gold controlling from the top position.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Balor throws a head kick that looked like it stung.

Balor clinches up against the cage.
Gold softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Balor has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
Gold throws a punch but it's blocked by Balor.
Gold lands an uppercut.
Gold blocks a body shot from Balor.
Balor misses with an elbow over the top.
Balor wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Gold misses with a hook from the clinch.
Balor misses with a short punch on the inside.
Gold makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Gold lands an uppercut.
Balor tries a body shot but Gold blocks it.
Gold throws a head punch that misses.
Balor lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Gold backwards.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Gold blocks a body shot from Balor.
A nice left hand lands by Gold.
Gold blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Balor lands a hook that snaps the head of Gold backwards.
Gold has a couple of punches blocked by Balor.
Balor misses with some punches.
A head punch on the inside from Gold fails to land.
Gold scores with a shoulder strike.
Gold content to slow the pace in the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Finn Balor dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Finn Balor's cut.
That's time! Balor's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight. This is the final round!

Gold throws a sloppy head kick and Balor moves out of range easily.
Balor thumps Gold with a low kick.
Balor tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Gold on the wrong end of a vicious looking body shot.
Balor is looking to clinch.
Gold scores with a jab to the jaw.
Balor lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Gold at a distance.
Balor blocks a jab.
Balor throws a right hand that misses
and Gold makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Gold uses good footwork to get in and out, landing a nice hook.

Balor is rocked!
Balor misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Oh Balor is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Gold lands a body shot.
Balor displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Gold throws out the jab.
Balor checks a leg kick.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Balor throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Balor seems to have got his legs back now.
Gold looks to throw the jab but Balor is out of range.
Gold lands with a nice body kick.
Nice shot lands for Gold.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Gold misses with the combination.
Balor uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Gold.
Balor looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Gold lands a leg kick that knocks Balor off balance momentarily.
Balor will have to do better than that with his takedown attempts.
Balor takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Gold bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Balor tries to clinch but Gold is having none of it.
Gold circles and sees the opportunity to plant his feet and throw a really nice straight left hand that drops Balor to the canvas! Balor doesn't know where he is but he's trying to survive - Gold keeps piling on the pressure and forces the referee to step in! This one is aaaaaall over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:43 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Liquid Gold!
Liquid Gold gave a mention to Milwaukee's Best Nutrition in his post fight interview. That will please them (and hopefully generate some sales).