PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Tafari Mengestu (ranked 2790 p4p, 0 weight class) and Billy Butcher (ranked 2531 p4p, 0 weight class). Mengestu kept the crowd waiting but all that was forgotten when his ring entrance music started. The incomparable musical genius that is Stephen Marley ft. Capleton, Sizzla - Rock Stone. Butcher has chosen Won't Back Down as his entrance music. Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Mengestu
vs
Butcher

190 cm
29
207 lbs
7 - 1 - 0

188 cm
38
210 lbs
20 - 18 - 0

Great wrestler
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Lethal high kicks
Heavy handed

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 7 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Tafari Mengestu!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 20 - 18 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Billy Butcher!
The judges for this bout are Daniel Franklin, George Francis and Tiny Johnson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Butcher throws a body shot but no joy.
Nice uppercut lands for Butcher. That snapped Mengestu's head back.
Butcher on the wrong end of a decent looking cross there.
Mengestu 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.
A big left from Butcher misses.
Butcher throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Butcher takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Mengestu tries to move into range but Butcher moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
Mengestu lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Mengestu looks to land a right hand but Butcher moved out of range.
Butcher throws out a loose jab but Mengestu uses good head movement to avoid it.
Butcher moves out of range as Mengestu strikes.
Mengestu throws a hook to the side of Butcher's head but Butcher sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Butcher tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
A jab lands there for Mengestu.
Butcher stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Mengestu.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mengestu goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Mengestu ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Mengestu lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Butcher throws a jab when Mengestu was well out of range.
Butcher tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Mengestu manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Tafari Mengestu seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Mengestu connects with a single shot there.
Jab by Mengestu.
Mengestu throws a body punch but Butcher moves out of range.
Mengestu blocks a low kick nicely.
Mengestu is looking to counter with a body kick.
Butcher blocks a jab.
Butcher defending well as Mengestu loads up on a big left hand.
Mengestu misses with a low kick as Butcher jumps back.
Butcher swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Mengestu throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Nice defenses there by Mengestu.
Mengestu gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Butcher misses with an uppercut
and Mengestu counters with a nice low kick that buckles Butcher's knee momentarily.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Mengestu listening to his corner there, landing a nice uppercut.
Mengestu throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Mengestu misses with an uppercut
and Butcher counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
A big left from Butcher misses.
Butcher attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
Butcher ducks under a wild hook from Mengestu.
Butcher jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Butcher misses with a hook. Mengestu ducked under it nicely.
Mengestu throws a right and a left that both miss.
Butcher tries a quick counter leg kick but Mengestu is wise to it.
Good leg kick by Mengestu there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Mengestu takes a swing at Butcher's ribcage but misses.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Butcher thows a left - swing and a miss!
Butcher missing with a left hand there. Mengestu was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
A looping hook to the body misses from Mengestu. Butcher does a little dance to reset his feet.
Mengestu throws a chopping leg kick but Butcher manages to avoid taking any serious damage.
Butcher missing with a left hand there. Mengestu was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Butcher throws a big shot that misses.
Butcher on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Butcher scores with a big left there. The judges will like that one.
Mengestu throws a leg kick but Butcher checks it.
Butcher tries to score with a low kick but Mengestu moves his leg out of the way.
Mengestu turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Butcher tries to clinch but Mengestu moves out of range.
Butcher is looking to chop away at Mengestu's legs.
Mengestu slips under a jab from Butcher.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Butcher swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Mengestu uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Butcher.
Mengestu swung with a counter punch to the body but it didn't connect.
Butcher checks a leg kick.
Mengestu ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Butcher fails with an attempt to clinch.
Mengestu scores with a leg kick.
We've been informed that Butcher has been working hard on his conditioning in the buildup to the fight.
Mengestu defending well as Butcher loads up on a big left hand.
Mengestu throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Butcher stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Mengestu keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Butcher.
Butcher throws a quick inside leg kick.
Mengestu with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Butcher to score with a decent uppercut.
Butcher looks to land a right hand but Mengestu moved out of range.
An attempted straight right counter from Mengestu misses the target.
Butcher misses with a looping left.
Butcher with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Mengestu to score with a decent uppercut.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tafari Mengestu dominated that round.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Mengestu throws a leg kick that misses.
Butcher throws a right and a left that Mengestu avoids nicely.
Mengestu swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Mengestu walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. Butcher checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
Butcher blocks a low kick nicely.
Butcher looks for the body kick but Mengestu saw that one coming.
Tafari Mengestu is winning the standup battle so far.
Butcher tries to clinch there but Mengestu circles away.
Boom, another hit is landed. "You're gunna get knocked out" taunts Mengestu, as that shot connected.
Butcher misses with an uppercut.
Mengestu is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Butcher can do to turn this around?
Mengestu misses with a body punch
and Mengestu takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Butcher bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Butcher throws a looping overhand right but Mengestu ducks down to avoid it.
Mengestu swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
An inside leg kick from Mengestu misses.
Butcher takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mengestu waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Butcher.
It seemed like Butcher was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
A thudding body kick lands there by Mengestu!
Mengestu uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Butcher.
An attempted straight right counter from Mengestu misses the target.
Butcher doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Mengestu throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Butcher sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Butcher takes a swing at Mengestu's ribcage but misses.
Butcher moves out of range of the strikes.
Mengestu fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Butcher manages to avoid it.
Mengestu slips under a jab.
Mengestu chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Mengestu throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Butcher.
Butcher on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Mengestu avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Jab from Mengestu.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mengestu misses with a looping left.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Mengestu lands a head shot.
Butcher on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Mengestu misses the jab.
Decent striking displayed by Butcher there.
Butcher uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Mengestu.
Mengestu just misses with a punch to the body.
Mengestu throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
It seemed like Butcher was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Mengestu slips under a jab from Butcher.
Mengestu scores with a hook.
Butcher throws a body punch but Mengestu moves out of range.
Mengestu misses with a wild body shot.
Butcher throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mengestu throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Nice defenses there by Mengestu.
A decent looking cross lands there for Mengestu.
Mengestu pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Butcher steps in looking to clinch after the strikes miss from Mengestu.
Butcher takes one on the button.
Mengestu misses with a looping left.
Mengestu misses with a low kick.
Mengestu lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Mengestu bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Mengestu keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Butcher.
Butcher throws a right hand that misses
and Mengestu counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Mengestu throws a quick inside leg kick.
Mengestu lands a jab to Butcher's midsection.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Butcher throws a hook to the side of Mengestu's head but Mengestu sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Mengestu lands with a nice body punch.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Mengestu lands a jab to the nose.
Butcher throws a head kick but Mengestu moves out of range.
Mengestu lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Butcher circles away quickly and effectively.
Mengestu tests Butcher's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Mengestu uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Butcher.
Mengestu lands with a cross.
Mengestu looks to score with a jab to the body but Butcher is just out of range.
A little jabbing left from Butcher on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Mengestu slips a straight right by Butcher.
Mengestu misses with a hook.
Butcher chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Mengestu can pounce on him.
Mengestu lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Tafari Mengestu dominated that second round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

Butcher takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Mengestu throws the left hand but Butcher avoids the punch easily.
Mengestu thows a left - swing and a miss!
A swing and a miss from Butcher.
A little feinted left hand from Mengestu on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Mengestu paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
A jab lands there for Mengestu.
Butcher changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Mengestu checks a leg kick.
Butcher walks into a straight right hand from Mengestu.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Mengestu looks to throw the jab but Butcher is out of range.
Butcher takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Butcher lands a jab to the nose.
Mengestu connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Butcher momentarily.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Mengestu throws a sloppy head kick and Butcher moves out of range easily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Mengestu dips to his left and cracks Butcher with an uppercut!
Butcher's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Mengestu jabs Butcher to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Mengestu slips under a jab.
Butcher uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Mengestu.
Mengestu misses with a hook
and Butcher counters with a lovely shot to the body.
Butcher pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Mengestu checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Butcher has a pretty nasty looking mouse under his right eye.
Mengestu tries to score with an inside leg kick but telegraphs it and Butcher is able to avoid easily.
Mengestu thumps Butcher with a low kick.
Butcher misses with an uppercut.
Butcher just manages to avoid a counter high kick fromMengestu.
Butcher missing with a left hand there. Mengestu was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Mengestu connects with the punch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Mengestu swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Butcher jabs Mengestu right on the nose. Mengestu blinks but takes it well.
Mengestu buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Mengestu throws a solid leg kick but Butcher takes the impact on his shin and smiles at Mengestu.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Mengestu.
Butcher jabbing away but nothing is landing.
A decent looking cross lands there for Mengestu.
Mengestu ducks under a wild hook from Butcher.
Mengestu throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Butcher on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Mengestu ducks under a wild hook from Butcher.
Mengestu misses with a wild body shot.
Mengestu takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Mengestu has his head snapped back a nice jab. A little nod from Mengestu there as he acknowledges the shot.
Butcher misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Butcher throws a big shot that misses.
Mengestu keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Butcher waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Mengestu.
Mengestu is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
Mengestu lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
Butcher uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Mengestu.
Mengestu ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Mengestu looked to counter that last move with a leg kick but didn't pull the trigger.
Mengestu rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Butcher moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Mengestu checks a leg kick.
Butcher throws a nice hook to the body that draws an oooh from the crowd.
Mengestu jabs Butcher to the body, keeping him at a distance.
Mengestu scores with a hook.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Butcher moves out of range as Mengestu strikes.
Butcher misses the jab.
Billy Butcher has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Butcher gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Butcher misses with a hook. Mengestu ducked under it nicely.
Mengestu fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Butcher lands with a kick to the temple. Mengestu shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"
Butcher throws a hook to the side of Mengestu's head but Mengestu sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Butcher misses with a hook. Mengestu ducked under it nicely.
Mengestu appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
Butcher jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Mengestu goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Like a baseball bat into the meat of his leg there - nice leg kick by Mengestu.
Mengestu pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Butcher misses with a low kick.
Mengestu is looking to counter with a shot to the body.

And that's the end of the fight!
Tafari Mengestu showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Mengestu has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... 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 Daniel Franklin scores the fight 30:27
Judge George Francis scores the fight 30:27
Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Tafari Mengestu!
Our winner, Tafari Mengestu, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.