PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Karl Denke (ranked 285 p4p, 41 weight class) and El Misterioso Damballah (ranked 500 p4p, 67 weight class). El Misterioso Damballah has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Denke
vs
Misterioso Damballah

175 cm
30
180 lbs
26 - 16 - 0

179 cm
31
180 lbs
21 - 24 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 26 - 16 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Karl Denke!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 21 - 24 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, El Misterioso Damballah!
The judges for this bout are Trevor Gratis, Alec Ball and Gregory Folan.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Denke rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Damballah moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Damballah takes a punch right to his stomach. That took the wind out of him momentarily.
Denke ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
El Misterioso Damballah seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Damballah wings a very wild body shot but it does the job and lands to the midsection.
Denke bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Jab, jab by Damballah - just one landing.

It looks like Karl Denke has been cut.
Denke throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Damballah throws a nice outside leg kick.
Damballah swings for the body but Denke moves out of range.
Denke slips a straight right by Damballah.
Damballah bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.
Denke steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Damballah.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Damballah misses with a looping left.
Damballah rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Denke counters with a straight punch to the midsection.
Damballah lands a really nice looking cross but Denke seems unphased.
Damballah pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Damballah misses with a body punch
and Denke counters with a nice uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Damballah throws a poor cross that misses
enabling Denke to counter with a crisp jab.

Denke has Damballah up against the cage in a clinch.
Denke tries to throw a body punch but Damballah avoids it by throwing Denke back against the cage.
Damballah scores with a nice hook to the head.
Denke lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Damballah misses with a body punch.
Denke tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Damballah's elbow.
Damballah misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Denke.
Damballah fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Denke misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Damballah 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.
Denke blocks an uppercut.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Denke.
Denke struggles to land a body shot inside as Damballah controls his hands.
A right hand to the body from Denke.
Damballah prevents a body shot from Denke.
Nice elbow from Denke.
Damballah takes a shot to the head.
Damballah prevents a body shot from Denke.
Denke scores with a hook to the body.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Denke pushes off an throws an elbow but Damballah leans to the side and avoids it. We're back to clinching against the cage.
Denke managing to block the knees to the body from Damballah.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Denke lands a right hand that snaps the head of Damballah backwards.
Denke misses with a hook to the ribs.
Denke blocks a body shot from Damballah.
Damballah can't find room to land a body shot as Denke controls the action.
A right hand to the body from Denke.
Damballah looks winded!
Denke tries a body shot but Damballah blocks it.
I was talking to Denke's coach per-fight and he was telling me that they'd been working on the clinch in the runup to this fight.
Denke lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Damballah swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Damballah takes an elbow to the forehead.
Damballah doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Denke lands an elbow that stopped Damballah in his tracks for a moment.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Damballah.
Denke lands an elbow inside that Damballah shrugs off.
Denke is leaning against Damballah and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
A short right from Denke on the inside.
Damballah prevents a body shot from Denke.
Damballah misses with a short punch on the inside.
Damballah throws a punch but it's blocked by Denke.
Denke blocks an uppercut.
Denke lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Denke lands with a light punch inside.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Damballah.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Damballah tries to throw a body punch but Denke avoids it by throwing Damballah back against the cage.
Denke tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Damballah's elbow.
Denke goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Damballah misses with the head strike.
Denke blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Good body shot from Denke.
Denke lands a body shot.
A right hand to the body from Denke.
Denke lands a shoulder strike that jolts his opponent's head backwards.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Damballah.
Denke prevents a body shot from Damballah.
Denke lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Denke digs a right hand underneath Damballah's ribcage. Damballah let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Denke scores with a hook to the body.
A nice glancing elbow lands by Denke.

It looks like El Misterioso Damballah has been cut.
Denke can't find room to land a body shot as Damballah controls the action.
Denke stalling in the clinch.
Denke lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Denke softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.

Damballah is rocked!
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Damballah takes a shot to the head.
Damballah is still on wobbly legs! Can Denke finish him?
A short left from Denke.
Denke tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Denke lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Damballah.
Denke pushes Damballah back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Denke lands an elbow that stopped Damballah in his tracks for a moment.
Denke lands a body punch in the clinch.
Denke throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Damballahs head.
Denke creates a bit of space for himself and rocks Damballah with a big uppercut! Damballah tries to clinch up but Denke pushes him back against the cage and lands another monster strike that crumples Damballah to the mat! Damballah covers up and Denke unloads with more strikes until the referee steps in to end the bout!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:22 of round 1, we have a winner by way of TKO (Punches). Karl Denke!
Karl Denke bigged himself up after the win. The crowd seemed to love it.