PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Kobe Bryant (ranked 3503 p4p, 1806 weight class) and Manny Tavares (ranked 426 p4p, 229 weight class). Manny Tavares has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Bryant
vs
Tavares

184 cm
20
195
3 - 3 - 0

183 cm
21
185
3 - 0 - 0

Good wrestling
Excellent boxer
Cardio machine

BJJ Blue 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 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Kobe Bryant!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 3 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Manny Tavares!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, Frank Antenori and Jack Bonds.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Tavares scores with a leg kick.
Tavares takes one on the chin but keeps coming.
Bryant rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Tavares moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Bryant misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Bryant misses with a hook.
A little jabbing left from Tavares on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Bryant throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
A big right from Tavares misses.
Bryant misses with a body shot.
Bryant feints a jab promting Tavares to slip. Bryant then demonstrates his capabilities by jabbing again. Tavares slips again and ducks right into an uppercut.

It looks like Manny Tavares has been cut.

Bryant drives through and clinches with Tavares against the cage.

Bryant breaks the clinch.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!

Bryant moves into the clinch.
Tavares blocks a body shot from Bryant.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tavares tries a body shot but Bryant blocks it.
Tavares swings wildly with an uppercut but Bryant uses good head movement to avoid it.

Bryant manages to break the clinch.
Bryant tries to clinch but Tavares is having none of it.
Tavares looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Bryant ducks under a wild hook from Tavares.
Bryant just misses with a punch to the body.
Bryant throws a series of punches but Tavares avoids them all with ease.
Bryant is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.
A head kick misses from Bryant.
Tavares tries a head kick but it misses.
Tavares misses with a body shot.
Bryant missing with a left hand there. Tavares was out of range so wasted energy throwing that one.
Tavares doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Bryant misses with a right hand
and Tavares counters with a left and a right that stings Bryant.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tavares swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Bryant wants to slow Tavares down by chopping away at his legs.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Bryant throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Tavares misses with a left hand
and Bryant counters with a left to the body.
Bryant blocks a head kick by Tavares.
It looked like Bryant was looking amped, ready to throw a big counter but didn't commit.

Bryant clinches up against the cage.
Bryant blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Tavares misses with a punch to the body.
Tavares scores with a shot to the side of Bryant's head.
Tavares is working Bryant over against the cage.
Bryant stalling the fight.
Tavares will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Bryant up against the cage.
Tavares lands a nice looking hook to the body, against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Tavares.
Tavares works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Tavares working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Bryant tries to throw a body punch but Tavares avoids it by throwing Bryant back against the cage.
Bryant will no doubt start fighting again in a minute but for now he's just having a little rest, leaning Tavares up against the cage.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Bryant.
Bryant's corner are urging him to control the action in the clinch for a moment, rather than mount any serious offense. I'm sure the crowd appreciate those instructions... not.
Tavares can't find room to land a body shot as Bryant controls the action.
Tavares lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Tavares lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Tavares lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Bryant backwards.
Tavares working aggressively here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A head punch on the inside from Tavares fails to land.
Tavares misses with a short punch on the inside.
Bryant being controlled against the cage.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Tavares.
Tavares has a couple of punches blocked by Bryant.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Bryant tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Tavares's elbow.
Bryant controlling the action here for a moment.
Tavares misses with a short punch on the inside.

Tavares's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Bryant's corner calls for a 1, 2 combination and Bryant duly obliges.
Bryant throws out a powerful jab.
Bryant scores with a nice one two combo and darts back out of range to avoid anything coming in the opposite direction.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Kobe Bryant will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Manny Tavares's cut.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare each other down, ready to get back to the action.

Bryant looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
Bryant misses with a series of wild punches.
Bryant swinging wildly here.
Bryant staying out of range there.
Kobe Bryant is winning the standup battle so far.
Bryant tries to close the distance and clinch but Tavares swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Bryant lands a jab to the head.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Nice shot by Bryant.
Bryant misses with a double jab.
Tavares throws out a counter right but Bryant avoids it with no problem.
Bryant closes the distance but Tavares moves to the side
letting Tavares counter with a right hand.

It looks like Kobe Bryant has been cut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Bryant fails to land with the punch combination there - jab, cross, hook, miss, miss, miss.
A little jabbing left from Tavares on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Bryant throws a predictable looking body shot
and Tavares counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.

Tavares lands a big uppercut and Bryant crumbles to the floor! The ref thinks about stopping the fight but Bryant looks OK. Tavares waves Bryant back to his feet!

Bryant is rocked!
Tavares keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Oh Bryant is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Tavares lands a jab and follows it up with a massive straight that knocks Bryant out cold! Bryant is crumpled in the corner, his head only propped up by the cage! That's one for the organiziational promos right there! Wow, what a finish!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:25 of round 2, we have a winner by way of KO (Punches). Manny Tavares!
Manny Tavares seemed lost for words in his post fight interview but he remembered to thank his fans and directed everyone to his website.