PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Markus Raffo (ranked 4967 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ferguso Bambangan (ranked 2960 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Raffo
vs
Bambangan

171 cm
18
175 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

178 cm
25
181 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Very strong

Good wrestler
Brawler
Granite chin

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 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Markus Raffo!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of The Island, Ferguso Bambangan!
The judges for this bout are Santiago Holmes, Bart Greer and Peter Branson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Raffo fails with a takedown attempt.
Bambangan stuns Raffo with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Bambangan pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Raffo throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Raffo jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Bambangan scores with a hook to the body. Raffo takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Bambangan ducks under a wild hook from Raffo.
Bambangan looks like he wants to counter punch here.

Bambangan tries to sprawl but Raffo drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Raffo is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Bambangan preventing any damage for now, controlling his opponent's head.
Bambangan gets full guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Raffo stopping the sweep attempt from Bambangan.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bambangan utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Bambangan working a defensive guard here.
Raffo wants to control from the top but Bambangan keeps moving.
Raffo passes Bambangan's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Bambangan is looking for a sweep. Raffo is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
Raffo stops Bambangan from getting back to his feet.
Raffo is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Raffo thows a wild elbow that connects with the canvas.
Bambangan is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
Bambangan keeps trying to improve his position.
Raffo stalling.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bambangan is looking for a sweep. Raffo is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Raffo with a momentary lay and pray from half guard.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Raffo moves away from the strike by Bambangan.
Markus Raffo seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Bambangan steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Raffo.
Raffo moves away from the strike by Bambangan.
Raffo swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Bambangan lands a head shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A slow jab from Raffo misses its intended target.
Raffo throws a hook but Bambangan avoids it easily.
Raffo swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Raffo tries to land a leg kick but Bambangan saw it coming and moves away.
Bambangan throws out a counter right but Raffo avoids it with no problem.
Raffo looks to land a right hand but Bambangan moved out of range.
Raffo missing with a left hand there. Bambangan was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Raffo misses with a low kick.
Bambangan throws a body shot but no joy.
Raffo looks to land a right hand but Bambangan moved out of range.
Raffo shoots in looking for a takedown but Bambangan manages to keep the fight standing, pushing Raffo's face into the canvas for good measure before circling away.
Bambangan uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Raffo.
A looping hook to the body misses from Raffo. Bambangan does a little dance to reset his feet.
Raffo throws a hook but Bambangan avoids it easily.
Raffo closes this distance looking for a takedown but Bambangan circles away.
Bambangan let fly with a counter punch to the body but it didn't land.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Markus Raffo. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Raffo misses with a looping right.
A swing and a miss from Raffo.
The fighters are starting to get sweaty, which will make takedowns a bit more tricky.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Raffo looks to throw the jab but Bambangan is out of range.
Bambangan lunges at Raffo with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Raffo's hand.
Bambangan scores with a hook.
A big right from Raffo misses.
Raffo throws a hook but Bambangan blocks it.
Raffo uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Bambangan.
Raffo looks to throw the jab but Bambangan is out of range.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Raffo looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Bambangan is fending him off so far but Raffo persists. Nope, Bambangan circles away and we're back to standing.
Raffo misses with a body shot.
This fight brought to you by 5M nutrition - it's mmmmm tasty. Nice jab by Bambangan.
Bambangan scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Raffo is really struggling to find his range with his punches. Bambangan's reach advantage is clearly causing him problems.
Bambangan stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Raffo staying out of range there.
Raffo tries to counter with a takedown but Bambangan is quick to defend against it.
Raffo slips under a jab from Bambangan.
Raffo shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Bambangan pinned against the cage. Bambangan gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
It seemed like Bambangan was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Ferguso Bambangan will probably get the nod.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Raffo misses with a body kick.
Raffo throws a body shot but no joy.
Raffo walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Raffo avoids the body shot from Bambangan.
Raffo throws a hook but Bambangan avoids it easily.
Bambangan uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Raffo.
Raffo uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Bambangan.
Raffo tries to counter with a takedown but Bambangan is quick to defend against it.
A jab from Bambangan does it's job there.
Raffo takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Bambangan misses with an uppercut. Raffo saw that one coming.
Raffo thows a left - swing and a miss!
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Raffo throws a lazy right hand but Bambangan sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Raffo looks to throw the jab but Bambangan is out of range.
Bambangan thows a left - swing and a miss!
Raffo looks for a takedown but Bambangan sprawls well.
Bambangan swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Nice defenses there by Bambangan.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bambangan slips a straight right by Raffo.
Raffo misses with a takedown attempt. He shot from a bit too far out.
The fighters circling - Raffo throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Raffo dives in and grabs Bambangan's left leg, looking for a takedown. Bambangan pushes down on Raffo's head and hops out.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Markus Raffo. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Bambangan swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Bambangan stooping low to avoid any incoming strikes and then lunges in with an uppercut come cross that lands flush.
Bambangan with a hook.
Raffo throws the left hand but Bambangan avoids the punch easily.
Ferguso Bambangan seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Raffo throws a hook but Bambangan blocks it.
Bambangan swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.

Bambangan gets caught on his heels momentarily as he allows Raffo to score an easy takedown into full guard.
Raffo passes Bambangan's right leg, so he's now in half guard.
Raffo is figuring out what he wants to do next.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Bambangan tries to kick Raffo off but Raffo keeps his base steady and stays in half guard.
Bambangan holds on for dear life, maintaining half guard for now.
Raffo seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
Bambangan is refusing to be controlled, as Raffo sits in half guard.
Bambangan missing with punches from the bottom.
We get told so often about how wrestlers don't like to be on their backs. Let's see if Bambangan can do anything to dispel that myth.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Raffo keeping composed on the top, looking to control the action.
Raffo seems to have a rather negative gameplan on the ground. He seems keen to just score the takedown and hold down Bambangan for as long as he can get away with.

The referee has stepped in and called for a break in the action. We'll restart on the feet.
Raffo throws a jab when Bambangan was well out of range.
Raffo throws a body kick but he wasn't in range.
Raffo avoids the body shot from Bambangan.
Raffo changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Bambangan uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Raffo.
Raffo pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Raffo dives in and grabs Bambangan's left leg, looking for a takedown. Bambangan pushes down on Raffo's head and hops out.
Bambangan throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Bambangan takes a swing at Raffo's ribcage but misses.

Raffo closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Bambangan's guard.
Bambangan is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Raffo is intent on slowing down the pace of the fight, simply looking to control.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Raffo postures up.
Raffo slows down the pace of the fight for a moment. He'll need to remain active if he doesn't want to see the fight stood back up.
The referee claps his hands together and tells the fighters to work.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Raffo wants to control from the top but Bambangan keeps moving.

The referee has motioned to the fighters to stand back up. He just wasn't happy with the level of activity.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close second round but I would say that Markus Raffo will probably get the nod.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Nice uppercut lands for Bambangan. That snapped Raffo's head back.
Raffo throws a lazy uppercut
and Bambangan makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.

Raffo shoots in looking for a single leg takedown. Bambangan is trying to defend but Raffo finishes it well and ends up in half guard. Let's see if he can advance position further.
Raffo is keen to just control but Bambangan is a slippery customer.
Raffo seems content to maintain position for now, rather than mounting any offense.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Bambangan is trying to maintain the position but Raffo is very close to passing his half guard.
Raffo perhaps working for something from half guard, or maybe not. It looks like he's just sitting there.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bambangan gets back to full guard.
Raffo trying to control but Bambangan is working from the bottom.
Raffo connects with a couple of short punches.
Bambangan is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Bambangan looking to sweep here. No luck so far.

Bambangan has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Raffo can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
Raffo is fighting to break Bambangan's control of his arms but Bambangan is doing a good job of controlling the position at the moment.
The referee looks like he's ready to step in and stand the fighters back up.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Raffo pressing down on his opponent's thigh, looking to pass guard. Bambangan is keeping the position for now.

The ref stands the fighters back up due to a lack of activity.
Raffo misses with a looping left.
Bambangan misses the jab.
Bambangan tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Raffo was well out of range. Poor timing from Bambangan.
Raffo throws a lazy right hand but Bambangan sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Bambangan slips under a jab from Raffo.
Bambangan bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Bambangan throws a body punch but Raffo moves out of range.
Raffo misses with an uppercut.

Raffo closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Bambangan's guard.
Raffo controls the pace of the fight for a moment.
Markus Raffo overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Bambangan wants to sweep but no luck.
Raffo stays in close to Bambangan's body and controls the position.
Raffo trying to control the position from guard on top but Bambangan is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Bambangan is trying to keep Raffo in close.

The referee has decided to stand the fighters back up, so we'll restart on the feet.
Bambangan ducks under a wild hook from Raffo.
Bambangan scores with a body shot.
A looping hook to the body misses from Bambangan. Raffo does a little dance to reset his feet.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.
Bambangan connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Bambangan looks to score with a jab to the body but Raffo is just out of range.
Raffo looks to land a right hand but Bambangan moved out of range.
Raffo looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
Bambangan uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Raffo.
A slow jab from Raffo misses its intended target.
Raffo scores with the left hand. Bambangan knows he should have avoided that one.
Bambangan scores with a jab.
Bambangan bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Bambangan avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Bambangan has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Raffo throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
A little jabbing left from Bambangan on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Bambangan staying out of range there.
Raffo throws a hook but Bambangan avoids it easily.
Raffo avoids the body shot from Bambangan.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Markus Raffo.
I think Raffo has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. 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 Santiago Holmes scores the fight 29:28
Judge Bart Greer scores the fight 27:30
Judge Peter Branson scores the fight 29:29

The fight is ruled a draw!