PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Abraham Alcantara (ranked 4597 p4p, 3467 weight class) and Jun Liu (ranked 497 p4p, 406 weight class). Abraham Alcantara has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Alcantara
vs
Liu

180 cm
33
200
11 - 16 - 0

192 cm
25
199
5 - 7 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Great elbows
Granite chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Good gas tank

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 11 - 16 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Abraham Alcantara!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Jun Liu!
The judges for this bout are George Francis, Gwen Towbar and Cecil Peabody.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Alcantara looks for the body kick but Liu saw that one coming.
Liu smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Liu fails to land with a series of punches.
Well, he's not going to score with shots like that. A lazy body kick attempt from Liu.
Liu throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Alcantara attempts a counter takedown but Liu avoids it well and moves away.
Liu throws a body shot but no joy.
Alcantara was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Liu swats away the attempt to clinch by Alcantara.
Alcantara 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 decent looking cross lands there for Liu.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Liu throws a right and a left that both miss.
A little feinted left hand from Alcantara on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Liu punishes Alcantara's body with a nice straight punch.
Liu's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Liu duly obliges.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Liu avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Liu works over Alcantara's head and body with a nice combination.
Liu goes for a spinning back kick but it misses.
Liu throws a body kick that misses

and Alcantara counters by moving into the clinch.

Liu breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Jun Liu seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Nice body kick there by Liu.
Liu swinging wildly here.
Liu smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Alcantara tries to clinch but Liu moves out of range.
Alcantara misses with a hook. Liu ducked under it nicely.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Alcantara moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
Alcantara throws a half hearted mid kick.
Liu lunges in with swinging rights and lefts but Alcantara circles away quickly and effectively.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Liu throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Alcantara misses with a straight right.
Liu swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Alcantara half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Liu lands with a nice body kick.

Alcantara instigates a clinch.
With the two fighters working up against the cage, Alcantara just misses with a elbow thrown towards Liu's brow.
Liu lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
Alcantara creates a bit of space for himself and sneaks an elbow through Liu's defenses.

It looks like Jun Liu has been cut.

Liu breaks the clinch.
Liu scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Liu scores with a jab to the jaw.
Alcantara misses with a right hand
and Liu counters nicely by changing levels and landing a hook to the body.
Liu lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.
Liu throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Alcantara stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
Liu misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Alcantara half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Liu fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
Alcantara half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.
Liu throws a body kick but he was well out of range there.
Alcantara changes levels looking for a counter takedown but doesn't commit.
Liu blocks a low kick nicely.
Liu slips under a jab from Alcantara.
Crunch! Liu slams his shin into Alcantara's torso.
A punch combination from Liu misses.
Liu slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Liu lands a nice looking body kick.
Liu lands a nice looking body shot.
Liu has been working his punching technique in the buildup to the fight and it appears to be paying off.
Alcantara lands a body shot.
A nice combination there by Liu.
Liu scores with a nice looking left hook and follows it up with an uppercut!
Alcantara steps to his left, right into the path of a big body kick from Liu. That one must have hurt.
Liu throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Alcantara on the wrong end of a nice jab.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Liu throws a left and a right that both miss

so Alcantara counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Alcantara is in close to Liu's body, working some short punches and elbows.

Liu kicks Alcantara off and gets to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jun Liu dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Jun Liu's cut.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Liu bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Liu throws a push kick but Alcantara slaps the foot to one side.
Liu throws the kick towards the body but Alcantara avoids it.
Alcantara throws a push kick but Liu slaps the foot to one side.
Liu throws a jab when Alcantara was well out of range.
Liu checks a leg kick nicely.
Liu avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Alcantara takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Alcantara has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Liu cracks Alcantara with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Alcantara is really struggling to find his range with his punches. Liu's reach advantage is clearly causing him problems.
Alcantara rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Liu moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Liu throws a mid kick that lands with a slap.
Liu throws a series of punches but Alcantara avoids them all with ease.
Liu is using his reach advantage to land shots from outside his opponent's range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Liu lands the left hand.
Alcantara misses with a hook
and Liu counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Good exchange - Liu coming out on top.
Liu throws a head kick that misses.
Liu explodes with a nice body kick and back out of range. Nice work.
Liu has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Liu misses with a two punch combination.
Alcantara thows a left - swing and a miss!
Liu thuds his shin into the meat of Alcantara's side.
Alcantara takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Liu moves into range and lands a nice body kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Liu lands with a kick to the ribs.
Liu looking to throw a kick but he's pulled out of it.
Alcantara throws a lazy uppercut
and Liu counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Liu comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Alcantara will be looking to protect his midsection after taking some solid kicks to the body.
Liu will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Alcantara takes an uppercut right on the jaw but it doesn't phase him.
Alcantara is looking to clinch.
Liu looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
An inside leg kick from Alcantara misses.
Liu scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Alcantara doesn't seem bothered though.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Liu throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Alcantara stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.
No joy there for Liu, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Alcantara looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Liu scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Liu lands a nice shot to the body.
Liu lands with a nice body kick.
Liu with a body punch. A glancing blow.
Liu lands with a kick to the ribs.
Liu closes the distance and lands a one-two.
Liu throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Alcantara on the side of the head.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Alcantara takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
Jun Liu seems to be getting the better of the standup.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Alcantara takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Liu throws a wild body kick that Alcantara sees coming a mile off.
Liu scores with a kick to the midsection.
The fighters circling - Alcantara throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Liu lands a right hook to the body.
Liu moves out of range of the strikes.
Alcantara misses with a double jab
and Liu counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Liu moves out of range of the leg kick from Alcantara.
Liu swinging wildly here.
Alcantara appears to be looking for a counter takedown.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Jun Liu showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Jun Liu's cut.
That's time! Back to the action! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Liu scores with a jab to the head.
Alcantara takes a swing at Liu's ribcage but misses.
Alcantara looks to land a left hand but Liu moved out of range nicely.
Liu misses with a wild combination.
Liu has used his reach advantage pretty well so far tonight.
Liu lands a jab to the nose.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Liu getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Alcantara takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.
Liu misses with a double jab

so Alcantara counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Alcantara 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.

Liu manages to wriggle out and sneak his way back up to his feet, so the fighters are now clinched up against the cage.

Liu's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Liu throws a push kick but Alcantara slaps the foot to one side.
Liu lands with a two punch combination before moving back out of range.
Liu throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Alcantara feinted with a counter takedown.
Alcantara misses with a looping right.
Liu takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Abraham Alcantara has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Alcantara misses with a body punch
and Liu counters with a series of strikes. Alcantara will be more careful next time no doubt.
Liu throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Liu with a jab.
Alcantara throws a poor cross that misses
and Liu counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Alcantara looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Some bone on bone action there as Liu checks a low kick. Luckily it wasn't a particularly hard one.
Liu lands a jab followed by a nice looking cross.

Alcantara fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Liu, pushing him back against the cage.
Liu blocks the elbow strike.
Liu lands an uppercut.

Liu escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Liu lands with a nice body punch.
Liu rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Alcantara moves out of range and avoids them all easily.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Liu connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Liu cracks Alcantara with an open hand slap.
Liu fakes low and throws an overhand right that catches Alcantara on the side of the head.
Alcantara takes a nasty kick to the mid section... That should keep him thinking. Does he try and block and risk a head kick landing?
Alcantara takes a body kick right on the floating rib. Ouchie.
Liu's jab looks to have found its range, popping Alcantara under the eye.
Liu works over Alcantara's head and body with a nice combination.
Liu throws a body punch but Alcantara moves out of range.
Liu lands with a shot to the body.
Liu fails to land with a series of punches.
Alcantara half commits to a counter takedown before pushing away, out of range.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Ooooh, nice body kick lands from Liu. Alcantara shrugs it off though.
Liu scores with a nice head shot.
Alcantara is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Liu.
Liu misses with the body kick
and Alcantara counters with a stiff right hand.
Alcantara sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Liu fakes the leg kick and cracks Alcantara in the body.
Liu jabs at Alcantara's body.
Liu throws a push kick but Alcantara slaps the foot to one side.
Liu tries a head kick but it misses.
Liu lands with a nice combination. Alcantara backs away looking to recover.

And that's the end of the fight!
Jun Liu comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I've got Liu winning every round here. Surely the decision will go his way and he'll pick up a well deserved decision victory. 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 George Francis scores the fight 27:30
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight 27:30
Judge Cecil Peabody scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Jun Liu!
Jun Liu decided to hype himself up post fight. It was going well but he went on about it a bit too long and the crowd turned on him a little.