PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a super heavyweight MMA rules bout between Hellas Pankratios (ranked 637 p4p, 1472 weight class) and Ricky Rawse (ranked 24 p4p, 59 weight class). I don't know about you partner, but I'm pumped for this one!

Pankratios
vs
Rawse

200 cm
39
291
18 - 11 - 0

193 cm
30
269
13 - 10 - 1

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Very quick

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Urban Fighter
Hardcore Alchemy

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the super heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 18 - 11 - 0, fighting out of New York, Hellas Pankratios!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 13 - 10 - 1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Ricky Rawse!
The judges for this bout are Frank Dennis, Stewart Dunkirk and Tiny Johnson.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Pankratios throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Rawse swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Pankratios throws a lazy head kick
and Rawse cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Pankratios takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.

Pankratios has Rawse up against the cage in a clinch.
Pankratios slowing the pace effectively.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Pankratios.
A short right from Pankratios.
Pankratios drops down looking for an ankle pick but Rawse pulls his leg out and moves away.
Pankratios on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Pankratios with a hook.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Rawse swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Pankratios connects with a solid leg kick.
Rawse lands a powerful looking uppercut that connected with his opponent's jaw.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Pankratios clinches with his opponent.
Pankratios pressing his opponent against the cage.
Pankratios wants to take the fight to the mat but Rawse manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Stalling in the clinch from Pankratios.
Rawse is trying to break the clinch but Pankratios has him pressed against the cage.
Pankratios tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Rawse prevents the takedown attempt.
We can't be sure of the tactics at this early stage but we have heard that Rawse has been working on his takedowns a lot in the buildup to the fight and we can only assume he's going to look to take this to the mat.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Hellas Pankratios. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rawse is looking to break free of the clinch but Pankratios has double underhooks.
Rawse avoiding damage as Pankratios throws knees to the body.
Rawse can't break the clinch.
Pankratios misses with a punch on the inside.
Rawse tries to break free but Pankratios pushes him back against the cage.
Rawse looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Pankratios lands a good knee to the midsection. Rawse won't want to take too many of those.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rawse wants to break the clinch but can't.
Pankratios throws a nice elbow but it doesn't land.
Rawse managing to block the knees to the body from Pankratios.
Pankratios lands on the inside with an uppercut.
Pankratios misses with a shot to the kidneys.

Pankratios pulls Rawse into guard.
Rawse would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Pankratios trying to keep a closed guard but Rawse is proving a slippery customer.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Pankratios wants to sweep here but Rawse controlling him for the moment.
Rawse has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Pankratios is proving hard to escape from.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Pankratios wants to sweep here but Rawse controlling him for the moment.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Pankratios bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Rawse's guard.

Pankratios stopping the sweep attempt from Rawse.
Rawse controlling the position.
Pankratios's corner is telling him to maintain position.
Pankratios throwing shots from guard but he's hitting more mat than opponent.
Rawse being controlled here, momentarily.
Rawse wants to control here, rather than go for any submissions from the bottom. At least for now.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Pankratios loading up with the ground and pound but he's missing more than he's landing in this flurry.
Pankratios wants to pass the guard but Rawse is keeping the position.
Rawse keeping moving, preventing Pankratios from controlling successfully.
Pankratios sitting in guard, not really doing much.
We may be looking at a referee standup if the pace doesn't pick up soon.
Pankratios wants to pass the guard but Rawse is keeping the position.
Pankratios sneaks a leg through and gets to half guard. That was like a knife through butter how easily he passed Rawse's guard.
Rawse is controlling Pankratios's trapped leg to prevent Pankratios from advancing to side control.
Pankratios trying to mount his opponent but Rawse defends it.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Hellas Pankratios dominated that round.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Pankratios is pinned up against the cage taking some big shots here. The referee is looking closely deciding whether he should stop the fight.
Pankratios slips a straight right by Rawse.
A jab from Pankratios misses.
Pankratios misses with a hook
and Rawse counters with a nice uppercut.
Rawse misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Pankratios.
Pankratios wants to clinch up but Rawse keeps it at a distance.
Pankratios connects with a body shot that sends Rawse's belly button to the back.

Pankratios gets a takedown into half guard.

Rawse makes some distance and scrambles quickly back to his feet. Nice work!
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Rawse throws a jab when Pankratios was well out of range.
Pankratios tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Rawse avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Pankratios tries to clinch up but Rawse circles away and keeps his distance.
Rawse looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Rawse's corner calls for a 1-2. Rawse obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Rawse throws a shot from downtown. Pankratios moves away and avoids it.
Rawse misses with a straight right.
Pankratios looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Pankratios walks into a straight right hand from Rawse.
Rawse scores with a jab to the head.
Pankratios throws a leg kick
and Rawse counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Rawse cracks Pankratios with a good shot that sees him stumbling back into the cage.
The fighters circling - Pankratios throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Pankratios lands the left hand.
Pankratios misses with a lunging right hand
and Rawse counters with a straight right hand.
Pankratios fails with a takedown attempt.
Rawse looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Rawse throws the left hand but Pankratios avoids the punch easily.
Pankratios swings away with a body shot that misses
and Rawse counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Pankratios bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Rawse throws a looping overhand right but Pankratios ducks down to avoid it.
Rawse swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Rawse ducks low and lands a nice hook to the body of his opponent.
Pankratios lands with a hook. Rawse tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Rawse avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Pankratios scores with a nice strike.
Rawse scores with a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard.
Ricky Rawse is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Rawse smiles there as he lands a nice right hand right on the button.
Pankratios throws out a powerful jab.
Pankratios misses with an uppercut
enabling Rawse to counter with a crisp jab.
Pankratios misses with a left hand
and Pankratios takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.
Pankratios wants to clinch.
Rawse 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.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rawse connects with a right that clearly hurt Pankratios. He's backed up against the cage with nowhere to go as Rawse proceeds to tee off with vicious combinations till Pankratios collapses and taps out under the pressure!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:11 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Ricky Rawse!
A relieved looking Ricky Rawse thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.