PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Randy Rickford (ranked 9418 p4p, 839 weight class) and Luka Giou (ranked 5991 p4p, 698 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Rickford
vs
Giou

185 cm
25
216 lbs
1 - 2 - 0

207 cm
23
213 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

Decent wrestler
Counter fighter
KO power

Decent wrestler
Brawler
Likes musicals

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 1 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Randy Rickford!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Hilo, Luka Giou!
The judges for this bout are Roger Salmon, Josh West and Micheangelo Fripello.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Giou closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Rickford's guard.
We could do with one of the fighters taking the initiative a bit more on the ground - they're both waiting to capitalize on a mistake.
Rickford looking for a sweep. Not yet Rickford, not yet.
Giou throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Giou with a nice head shot there.
Rickford seems keen to control Giou's posture.
Giou loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Rickford wants to sweep here but Giou controlling him for the moment.
Giou with a flurry of punches that miss.
Giou wants to control from the top but Rickford keeps moving.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Rickford pulls Giou in close to prevent any damage.
Rickford might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Giou loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Giou throwing strikes but missing.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Giou scores with a decent looking elbow strike.
Giou preventing the sweep.
Giou is looking to work some ground and pound but Rickford has wrist control.
Rickford looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Giou shoots in looking for a takedown. Rickford tries to sprawl out of it but Giou keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Rickford manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Rickford is looking to counter punch.
Giou fails with the takedown.
Giou closes the distance and clinches up with Rickford, looking for a takedown. Giou pushes Rickford against the cage but Rickford circles to the side and manages to break the clinch.
Randy Rickford has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Luka Giou.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Giou told us before the fight that he's been working on his elbows. An under utilised technique these days - let's see if it can sway the outcome of the fight.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Giou manages to pull guard. Let's see whether he can land a sub off his back.
Giou keeping moving, preventing Rickford from controlling successfully.
Rickford looking to pass the guard.
Rickford wants to control from the top but Giou keeps moving.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Rickford is frustrating his opponent with some stalling tactics from top position.
Rickford wants to control from the top but Giou keeps moving.
Giou looking to hit a scissor sweep but Rickford is one step ahead there.
Rickford postures up in Giou's guard and throws a big left but Giou blocks it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Giou bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Rickford's guard.

Rickford manages to sweep nicely, so he's now on top. Giou manages to get himself to full guard.

Rickford slows down the pace of the fight, as he sits in guard.
Giou has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Giou working a defensive guard here.
Rickford forces his way into half guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter is being very active at the moment, with Rickford in particular looking to stall.
Giou is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Ground and pound from Rickford.
Rickford tries to pass to full mount but Giou defends it.
Giou has no desire to be mounted, so is trying to control. Rickford is working away from the top position though.
Giou tries to roll over but Rickford keeps him under control.
Boooooooooooooooooooo!!! God, this has been a terrible round. Come on you two, sort yourselves out!
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Giou can do anything to dispel that myth.
Rickford is nestled in close to Giou, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
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 Randy Rickford will probably get the nod.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Giou gets his takedown attempt stuffed easily

and Rickford counters with a shoot takedown. Giou fights it but they end up in guard.
Rickford stops Giou from standing up.
Giou keeping moving, preventing Rickford from controlling successfully.
Rickford postures up.
Rickford content to stall in guard here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Giou striking off his back but it's not causing Rickford any problems.
Giou is avoiding any damage by keeping wrist control.
Rickford throws a big right hand that misses.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rickford won't allow Giou to sweep him here.
Giou working a defensive guard here.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.

Rickford shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Rickford is pressing down on Giou's thigh, looking to free his foot. Giou is holding on for now.
Rickford sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Giou defending well though.
Rickford throwing shots but they're hitting the canvas more than the man.
Rickford tries to pass the half guard into mount. Giou knows what he's doing though and prevents the attempt.
Giou gets back to full guard.
Giou lands a beautiful sweep and he's now moved into his opponent's guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Giou throwing strikes from guard but Rickford blocks nicely.
Giou looking to sit in guard and control but Rickford gets the butterfly guard and sweeps. He's now in the guard on the top.

Rickford looking to pass the guard.
Rickford postures up to throw the ground and pound strikes but they don't connect.
Rickford's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Rickford throws a strike but Giou rolls with it and manages to sweep. Now he's in guard on top.

This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Hammerfist, elbow! yells Giou's corner. There ya go! There ya go!
Giou throwing elbows and punches but not connecting, as Rickford works some decent striking defense from the bottom.
Rickford trying to keep a closed guard but Giou is proving a slippery customer.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Giou drops back, looking for a kneebar! Rickford looks panicked! The fighters roll across the mat, one looking to finish, one looking to escape. Rickford looks to have wriggled free... Yes, he's got his leg free and he's dived into side control! Good work there from Rickford!

Rickford misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.
Randy Rickford overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Rickford working the head and body with strikes.
Giou is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Rickford connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Giou some visible discomfort.
Giou is not content to let Rickford control the position.
Giou is looking to reverse the position.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Rickford moving around in side mount but really he's just happy to control for now.
Rickford wants to control but Giou is keeping him busy.
Rickford working the ground and pound.
Giou is not content to let Rickford control the position.
Rickford scores with a couple of nice shots to the head there. The referee takes a look at Giou to see if he's OK.

Giou is rocked!
Giou is trying to improve his position.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Rickford cracks Giou with an elbow. That is naaassty.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Randy Rickford dominated that second round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. So, we enter the final round. Let's see if either fighter can bring us a finish, or whether we're going to the judges scorecards.

Giou closes this distance looking for a takedown but Rickford circles away.
Giou fails with the takedown.
Rickford throws a big counter combination but Giou scrambles out of danger and avoids any damage.
Giou dives in for a single leg takedown but Rickford sprawls and the fighters end up clinched against the cage.
Randy Rickford has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Luka Giou.
Giou fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Giou showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Rickford.

Rickford has closed the distance and engaged Giou in a clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Giou tries to pull guard but Rickford holds him up against the cage and eventually Giou drops back down to his feet.
Rickford stalling here - the referee won't stand for too much of that.
Giou takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Rickford breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Giou shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Rickford but Rickford pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Rickford tries to counter by clinching up but Giou breaks away and moves out of range.
Giou with a poor takedown
and Rickford counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Rickford moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Giou tries to score a power double leg takedown but Rickford sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Giou somewhat.
It looked like Rickford was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.

Rickford shoots in and bounces Giou off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Giou wants to get back to his feet but he's too absorbed in his own little project and Rickford manages to pass to side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Rickford trying to control from half guard but Giou is working away.
Rickford scores with a couple of good hammerfists.
Rickford is looking to take a break and control but Giou is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Rickford working some ground and pound from close in. He's looking to maintain this position and strike for a while by the looks of things... although he'll probably advance to full mount in a minute now I've said that.
Rickford 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.
The referee calls for the fighters to work.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Giou is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Giou wants to control but Rickford is keeping busy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rickford lands a big shot. The thud that echoes around the arena is like music to the fans' ears.
Giou is still in real trouble! Can Rickford finish him?
Rickford lands a big elbow from half guard. That looks like it's hurt Giou quite badly. Giou pulls Rickford in close trying to recover. Rickford postures up and lands two really hard shots that put Giou on queer street! The ref takes a look and decides to call an end to the fight! Possibly an early stoppage but Giou doesn't seem to be complaining too much.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:29 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Randy Rickford!