PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Mo Kendo (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rocky Balboa (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Balboa has chosen Eye of the Tiger as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Kendo
vs
Balboa

189 cm
22
185 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

182 cm
18
185 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Cuts easily

BJJ White Belt
Brawler
Granite chin

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Mo Kendo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Rocky Balboa!
The judges for this bout are Gwen Towbar, Stewart Dunkirk and Alan Glass.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Balboa shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Kendo as he avoids it easily.

Kendo changes levels and drives through with a really nice takedown into side control. Balboa looks really pissed at himself for not defending that better.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.

Kendo decides to stand back up. Kendo steps back and let's Balboa get back to his feet.
Balboa looks gassed!
Balboa throws the left hand but Kendo avoids the punch easily.
Kendo takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
Kendo tries to close the distance and clinch but Balboa swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Kendo tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Balboa paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Balboa swinging wilding here.
A head kick misses from Balboa.

Kendo looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Kendo is keen to just control but Balboa is a slippery customer.
Kendo sitting in half guard, looking to land shots. Balboa defending well though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kendo is trying to control the action in half guard but Balboa is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Kendo is just sitting in half guard, waiting for something to happen.
Balboa keeping his head moving to avoid the ground and pound.
Still in half guard, Kendo seems content to control.
Kendo works his way into full mount!
Balboa is squirming around, avoiding Kendo's attempts to control the action.
Balboa is in a horrible position here. Kendo smacks him with another shot as he tries to escape the position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Balboa is trying desperately to improve position.

Kendo stands up from the dominant position, so we're back on the feet.
Kendo misses with a takedown attempt

and Balboa counters with a nice single leg takedown and he's in Kendo's guard now.

Kendo working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Balboa doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Balboa manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Kendo is doing well to control the posture of his opponent and prevent any damage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kendo thows some rabbit punches from the bottom but they don't do any damage.
Kendo throwing strikes off his back to little effect.
Balboa prevents Kendo from getting back to his feet.
Balboa won't allow Kendo to sweep him here.
Kendo is adopting a defensive guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Kendo not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.

Kendo closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Kendo lands in his opponent's guard.
Balboa really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Kendo. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
Balboa wants to sweep but no luck.
Kendo seems content to control from guard here. He's going to have to remain active though if he doesn't want to get stood back up.
Kendo trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mo Kendo dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare eachother down, ready to get back to the action.

Balboa throws a sloppy head kick and Kendo moves out of range easily.

Kendo closes the distance and pushes Balboa back into the cage.
Balboa prevents the takedown attempt.
Kendo wants a takedown but no success here.
Kendo tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Balboa just stands there and leans against the cage.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Mo Kendo. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Kendo pulls guard.
Kendo is working the butterfly guard. He manages to land a nice scissor sweep and is now in half guard on the top. Nice move.
Balboa wants to improve his position but Kendo is controlling well.
Balboa throws a strike from the bottom that misses.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Balboa can do anything to dispel that myth.
Well, if Kendo is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kendo seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Balboa for as long as he can get away with.
Balboa is trying to control but Kendo passes into side control!
Kendo controls the position.
Balboa is trying to improve his position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Kendo remains in side control and seems content to stay there. It's a versatile position from which he can work both strikes and submissions, whilst maintaining that control, so maybe he'll sit here for a while.
Kendo is looking to take a break and control but Balboa is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
A lull in the action here as Kendo stalls from top position.
Balboa is trying to control Kendo's posture but Kendo avoids it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Kendo is moving around in side control but his primary objective seems to be to maintain the position.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Mo Kendo just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.

Kendo closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Kendo lands in his opponent's guard.
Balboa can't keep his opponent in guard - Kendo advances to half guard, no doubt looking to mount.
Mo Kendo overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Still in half guard, Kendo seems content to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Balboa trying to hold on to Kendo's head to control him but Kendo postures up.
Kendo prevents Balboa from standing back up.
Balboa trying to control here.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Kendo passes the guard and advances to mount!
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Mo Kendo dominated that second round.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Kendo moves in looking to clinch but Balboa pushes him off.
Kendo fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

Kendo gets a takedown into half guard.
Balboa is not content to let Kendo control the position.
Kendo not doing much here.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Kendo wants to take a breather but Balboa is having none of it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kendo passes the guard and advances to mount!
Kendo controlling from the full mount.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Kendo lands a nice shot to the head.
Kendo controlling his opponent.
Balboa is wriggling around here but as he tries to escape, Kendo has taken his back.
Kendo biding his time, looking for the opening.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

The referee stands the fighters back up. Mo Kendo just wasn't active enough from the dominant position.
Kendo tries to close the distance and clinch up but Balboa swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Balboa takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Kendo closes this distance looking for a takedown but Balboa circles away.

Kendo shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Oh and he's advanced to full mount straight away.
Balboa is writhing around trying to get back to his feet.
Balboa is trying to escape the mount.
Kendo can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Balboa is looking to escape.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Kendo controlling the pace for now.
Kendo tries to control but Balboa wriggling away.
Balboa really trying hard to get back to half guard here.
Rocky Balboa has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Mo Kendo is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Kendo can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Balboa is looking to escape.

And that's the end of the fight!
Mo Kendo showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Kendo, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. 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 Gwen Towbar scores the fight 30:27
Judge Stewart Dunkirk scores the fight 30:27
Judge Alan Glass scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Mo Kendo!