PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Uli Kunkel (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Frank Rizzo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Kunkel comes into the arena with Bubbles - Bidibodi Bidibu blaring out of the sound system. Rizzo comes into a darkened arena with his song building. Alice In Chains - Get Born Again kicks in, the lights come on and the crowd goes wild! What a showman! The key to victory for Uli Kunkel has got to be keeping the fight on the feet.

Kunkel
vs
Rizzo

191 cm
27
185 lbs
6 - 8 - 0

190 cm
27
185 lbs
5 - 5 - 0

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Big right hand

Good wrestler
Brawler
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 6 - 8 - 0, fighting out of London, Uli Kunkel!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 5 - 0, fighting out of London, Frank Rizzo!
The judges for this bout are Yukihiro Shimada, Taro Takaoka and Shigeki Fujiwara.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kunkel looks to clinch
enabling Rizzo to counter with a crisp jab.
Rizzo waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Kunkel.
Rizzo throws a body punch but Kunkel moves out of range.
Kunkel is looking to clinch.
Kunkel takes one on the chin but keeps coming.

It looks like Uli Kunkel has been cut.
Rizzo throws out a powerful jab.
Rizzo shoots in but no luck this time.
Kunkel tries to clinch but Rizzo moves away
and Rizzo counters with a nice uppercut.
Uli Kunkel seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Rizzo ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Kunkel moves away.

Kunkel gets tackled into the cage by Rizzo. Rizzo maintains the clinch.
Rizzo is stalling here.
Rizzo tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
The pace really dropping off here, momentarily.
Rizzo lands a hook that snaps the head of Kunkel backwards.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rizzo being controlled against the cage.
Rizzo can't find room to land a body shot as Kunkel controls the action.
Rizzo scores with a nice hook to the head.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Kunkel wants to stall.
Kunkel seems a little flustered. He's come in with the intention of controlling the clinch but Rizzo is preventing him from doing so, at least for the moment.
Rizzo letting Kunkel take a breather here.
Rizzo can't find room to land a body shot as Kunkel controls the action.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Rizzo pushes Kunkel back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Good body shot from Rizzo.
Rizzo lands a left hand.
Kunkel blocks an uppercut.
Kunkel prevents a body shot from Rizzo.
Kunkel trying to stall but Rizzo improves his position.
Kunkel blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Rizzo.
Rizzo scores with a shoulder strike.
Rizzo controlling the action here for a moment.
Rizzo tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Kunkel's elbow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rizzo tries to work over Kunkel's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Rizzo misses with a punch to the body.
Rizzo misses with a punch on the inside.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Rizzo.
Rizzo stalling against the cage.
Rizzo misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Kunkel blocks a punch to the side of the head.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Rizzo.
Kunkel trying to stall but Rizzo improves his position.
Rizzo misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Kunkel prevents a body shot from Rizzo.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
Kunkel is trying to maintain a safe position but Rizzo gets an underhook and turns Kunkel into the cage.

Rizzo breaks the clinch.

Kunkel clinches.
Nice body punch from Rizzo.

Rizzo escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.

Kunkel moves into the clinch successfully.
Rizzo lands a body punch.
Rizzo has a couple of punches blocked by Kunkel.
Rizzo has Kunkel pushed against the cage.
Kunkel wants to stall.
Rizzo manages to get underhooks and slows down the pace for a moment.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Frank Rizzo dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Uli Kunkel's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Rizzo looks for a takedown but Kunkel sprawls well.
Kunkel is looking to clinch but Rizzo is avoiding it.
Kunkel looks to clinch
and Rizzo cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Kunkel tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Rizzo manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Rizzo throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Kunkel blocks a low kick nicely.
Kunkel moves in looking to clinch but Rizzo pushes him off.
Kunkel is looking to clinch but Rizzo is avoiding it.
Rizzo misses with a double jab

and Kunkel counters by moving into the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rizzo tries to land knees in the clinch but Kunkel avoids the damage to the body.
Rizzo goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Rizzo is leaning against Kunkel and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
Kunkel slowing the pace effectively.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Still in the clinch, Rizzo scores with a nice short uppercut.
Rizzo stalling.
Rizzo doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Rizzo swings wildly with an uppercut but Kunkel uses good head movement to avoid it.
Rizzo misses with a punch to the body.
A short uppercut from Rizzo.
A bit of stalling here from Kunkel.
Kunkel stalls.
Rizzo misses with a short punch on the inside.
Rizzo swings away with an uppercut that misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A right hook to the body lands for Rizzo.
Rizzo can't find room to land a body shot as Kunkel controls the action.
Kunkel taking a breather.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.

Rizzo breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Kunkel fails with an attempt to clinch.
Kunkel moves out of range as Rizzo strikes.
Kunkel tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Rizzo lands a body shot.
Kunkel is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Rizzo circles away from the clinch attempt.
Kunkel tries to close the distance and clinch but Rizzo swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Rizzo is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Kunkel with a body shot.
Frank Rizzo seems to be getting the better of the standup.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kunkel tries to clinch up.
Rizzo looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Kunkel tries to clinch but Rizzo moves out of range.
Rizzo let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.
Rizzo dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Rizzo swats away the attempt to clinch by Kunkel.
Kunkel tries to clinch up but Rizzo circles away and keeps his distance.
Rizzo throws a shot from downtown. Kunkel moves away and avoids it.
The fight stays on the outside here - Kunkel looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Rizzo is clearly trying to counter these attacks from Kunkel with a body shot.
Rizzo circles away from the clinch attempt.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.
Rizzo thows a left - swing and a miss!
Rizzo throws a hook to the side of Kunkel's head but Kunkel sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Rizzo keeps the fight on the outside.
Rizzo swinging wildly here.
Kunkel tries to counter by clinching up but Rizzo breaks away and moves out of range.
Rizzo has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rizzo fails to land with a series of punches.
Kunkel tries to clinch but Rizzo moves out of range.
Rizzo throws an overhand right that lands on Kunkel's shoulder, as Kunkel tries to avoid the shot.

Kunkel gets a clinch.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
A nice left hand lands by Rizzo.
Rizzo lands a hook that snaps the head of Kunkel backwards.
Rizzo tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Kunkel's elbow.
Rizzo lands a body punch.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Rizzo trying to land knees to the body.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Kunkel blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Kunkel leaning against his opponent.
Rizzo lands a body punch in the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Frank Rizzo showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Uli Kunkel's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action. This is the final round!

Kunkel wants to clinch.
Rizzo misses with a body shot.
Kunkel tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Rizzo let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.
Kunkel is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
A countering left hand to the body from Rizzo misses.
Kunkel tries to close the distance and clinch but Rizzo swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Kunkel tries to clinch there but Rizzo circles away.
It seemed like Rizzo was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Kunkel tries to close the distance and clinch but Rizzo swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Rizzo throws a nice looking combination but Kunkel bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Kunkel wants to clinch up but Rizzo keeps it at a distance.
Kunkel fails in his attempt to clinch.
Rizzo lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Kunkel backs up against the cage.

Rizzo rushes Kunkel and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Kunkel is trying to stall.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rizzo pushes off and fires off an elbow that misses, before clinching up again, against the cage.
Rizzo lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Rizzo throws a punch but it's blocked by Kunkel.
Rizzo misses with a hook from the clinch.
Rizzo is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Kunkel is defending well for now.
Rizzo looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Rizzo swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Rizzo lands a body punch in the clinch.
Rizzo slows down the pace here.
Frank Rizzo seems to be working more effectively in the clinch in the fight so far.
Still in the clinch, Rizzo scores with a nice short uppercut.
Frank Rizzo is fighting for a decision - hopefully he's judged it right and he's actually winning the fight.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rizzo lands a nice uppercut.
Rizzo doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
Rizzo struggles to land a body shot inside as Kunkel controls his hands.
Kunkel stalling the fight.
Kunkel wants to stall.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kunkel trying to stall but Rizzo improves his position.
Rizzo doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
The pace slowing considerably in the clinch, as Rizzo takes a break from that fighting nonsense to think about the finer things in life.
Kunkel prevents a body shot from Rizzo.
Kunkel stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Nice body punch from Rizzo.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.
Rizzo misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Kunkel.
Uli Kunkel has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Kunkel stalling.
Kunkel misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Kunkel is looking to control Rizzo's arms but Rizzo gets an underhook and turns him. Now Kunkel has his back to the cage.
The ref breaks the fighters up, due to lack of action by Uli Kunkel.
Kunkel tries to close the distance and clinch but Rizzo swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Rizzo lands with a good body shot.
Rizzo lands with a good body shot.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
Rizzo scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Kunkel doesn't seem bothered though.

Rizzo has taken the fight to the clinch.
Rizzo is struggling to control the position.
Rizzo tries a body shot but Kunkel blocks it.

And that's the end of the fight!
Frank Rizzo comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Rizzo has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Yukihiro Shimada scores the fight 26:30
Judge Taro Takaoka scores the fight 26:30
Judge Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Frank Rizzo!
An out of breath and clearly excited Frank Rizzo thanked Hellraiser FightGear for their help and support (and free stuff they sent him).
Uli Kunkel spoke after the fight, saying 'no comment guys'.