PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Frank Karuso (ranked 1870 p4p, 2951 weight class) and Sam Barnes (ranked 271 p4p, 412 weight class). Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Karuso
vs
Barnes

190 cm
22
195
7 - 2 - 0

187 cm
23
194
6 - 7 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Excellent MT
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
Excellent MT
Granite chin

EFC Threads
Urban Fighter

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 7 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Frank Karuso!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 6 - 7 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Sam Barnes!
The judges for this bout are Frank Dennis, Chris Downing and George Francis.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Karuso misses with an uppercut.
Karuso scores with a hook to the body. Barnes takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Barnes throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Karuso darts in trying to clinch
and Barnes counters with a three punch combination, finished off with a leg kick. Nice work.
Barnes punishes Karuso's body with a nice straight punch.
Karuso swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Karuso lands a body shot.
Karuso tries to clinch but Barnes is having none of it.
Karuso misses with an uppercut. Barnes saw that one coming.
Barnes looking to land some kicks to the body here.
Barnes moves out of range of the strikes.
Karuso drops his hands and takes a jab to the jaw for his troubles.
Karuso moves away from the strike by Barnes.
Barnes has been spending a lot of time sparring his boxing in the run up to the fight, trying to sharpen up those hands and look for a knockout.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Karuso tries to grapple but his opponent circles
enabling Barnes to counter with a crisp jab.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Karuso is looking to clinch but Barnes is avoiding it.
The fight stays on the outside here - Karuso looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Barnes lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.

Karuso clinches with his opponent.
Karuso presses Barnes against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Karuso prevents a body shot from Barnes.
Barnes wants to break free but Karuso has control.
Karuso pushes Barnes back against the cage and lands a hook to the side of the head.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Karuso lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of Barnes backwards.
Karuso working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.

Barnes pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
A jab from Karuso does it's job there.
Barnes closes the distance and takes a jab right on the nose as he does so.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Barnes lands a body shot.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Barnes circles away from the clinch attempt.
Karuso fails in his attempt to clinch.
Karuso tries to clinch up.
A nice side step and Barnes releases a counter shot to the body, but it doesn't find it's home.
Karuso dodges the punch combination from Barnes.
Barnes bobs and weaves and throws out a fast jab that snaps Karuso's head backwards.
Barnes looks to land a combination but Karuso avoids it well.
Barnes buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Barnes swings away with a leg kick that misses.
Karuso waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Barnes.
Barnes throws out a loose jab but Karuso uses good head movement to avoid it.
A shot to the liver by Karuso. Beautiful body shot.
Karuso misses with a lunging right hand
and Barnes counters with an inside leg kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barnes connects with a body shot that sends Karuso's belly button to the back.
Karuso throws a looping overhand right but Barnes ducks down to avoid it.
Barnes looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Karuso uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Barnes.
Karuso closes the distance but Barnes moves to the side
and Barnes cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Barnes throws a series of punches but Karuso avoids them all with ease.
Karuso tries to clinch there but Barnes circles away.
Barnes throws a counter combo.
Karuso darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Karuso misses with an uppercut.
Barnes misses with a hook.
A little feinted left hand from Karuso on the counter but he doesn't commit to it.
Karuso jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Barnes scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Karuso fails with an attempt to clinch.
Barnes connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Barnes moves away from the strike by Karuso.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Karuso thows a left - swing and a miss!
Karuso keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Karuso ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Barnes moves away.

Karuso moves into the clinch.
Barnes wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.

Barnes pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Barnes falls off balance throwing a combination
and Karuso cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Frank Karuso seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Karuso fails with an attempt to clinch.
Barnes looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Karuso looks to be in better condition than last time we saw him fight. Obviously he's been working hard on his cardio.
Barnes connects with a hook to the side of his opponent's head.
Karuso looks to score with a jab to the body but Barnes is just out of range.
Barnes pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Barnes swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Karuso.
Barnes misses with a body punch
and Karuso counters with a nice uppercut.
Karuso digs a good body shot into Barnes's ribs.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Sam Barnes will probably get the nod.
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.

Barnes throws a quick inside leg kick.
Barnes uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Karuso.
Barnes misses with a jab, cross combination.
Karuso tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Barnes counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Karuso throws a jab to the body, straight down the pipe. Boom. That sent Barnes stumbling backwards but he manages to regain his composure quickly.

Barnes tries to keep at a distance but Karuso has taken the fight into the clinch.
Barnes misses with a punch on the inside.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Karuso.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Barnes misses with a punch to the body.
Karuso tries a body shot but Barnes blocks it.
Good body shot from Karuso.
Barnes misses with a body punch.
Barnes wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Karuso blocking some punches.
Barnes misses with a short punch on the inside.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Karuso keeps control of Barnes as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.
Barnes misses with a punch on the inside.

Barnes breaks the clinch.
Barnes throws out a powerful jab.
Karuso tries to clinch up
and Barnes counters with a stiff right hand.
Karuso throws a series of punches but Barnes avoids them all with ease.
Barnes is loading up here, looking for a big counter of his own.
The fighters circling - Barnes throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Barnes's hands are dropping dangerously low here and Karuso connects clean with a right hook that sends him down to one knee! Barnes scrambles back to his feet.
Karuso checks a leg kick.
Karuso stalks Barnes and leaps in with a furious combination of punches. Uppercuts and crosses smash into Barnes's face. Barnes staggers backwards, shaken.
Karuso tries to close the distance and clinch but Barnes swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Karuso scores with a jab to the body.

Karuso closes the distance and clinches.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Karuso lands a nice uppercut.
Barnes wants to get back to striking at distance but Karuso won't allow it.
A short right from Barnes on the inside.
Barnes takes an elbow to the temple.
Karuso lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Karuso cracks Barnes with a nice body shot.
Karuso struggles to land a body shot inside as Barnes controls his hands.
A body shot lands from Karuso.
Karuso lands a nice elbow from the clinch.

It looks like Sam Barnes has been cut.
Barnes cracks Karuso with a nice body shot.

Barnes pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Karuso fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Barnes manages to avoid it.
A nice side step and Barnes releases a counter shot to the body, but it doesn't find it's home.
Barnes cracks Karuso with a hook to the jaw. Both fighters smile at eachother and high-five before getting back down to business.
Karuso takes one on the button.
No joy there for Barnes, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Danga de danga de dang - Karuso scores with a four punch combination!
Karuso throws a left and a right that both miss
and Barnes counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barnes throws a leg kick but Karuso moved away.
Karuso swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Karuso wants to clinch up but Barnes keeps it at a distance.
Karuso tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Frank Karuso is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Karuso tries to clinch up against the cage, rushing in to close the distance. Barnes manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
Barnes motions for Karuso to come forward. Barnes throws a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Barnes takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Barnes slips under a jab.
Karuso is moving around nicely and scores here with a single head shot.

Karuso forces Barnes back against the cage and clinches.
Barnes tries to throw a body punch but Karuso avoids it by throwing Barnes back against the cage.
A right hook to the body lands for Karuso.

Karuso breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Karuso tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Barnes throws a leg kick that misses.
Karuso with a hook.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Barnes misses with a left hand
letting Karuso counter with a right hand.
A looping hook to the body misses from Karuso. Barnes does a little dance to reset his feet.
Barnes dodges the punch combination from Karuso.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Barnes is looking to land body kicks.
Karuso misses with an uppercut. Barnes saw that one coming.
Frank Karuso is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Karuso tries to clinch up.
Karuso moves in looking to clinch but Barnes pushes him off.

Karuso clinches.
Karuso goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Barnes can't find room to land a body shot as Karuso controls the action.
Karuso digs a right hand into Barnes's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Barnes's gas tank.
Karuso wants to stall.
Karuso tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Barnes's elbow.
Barnes can't break the clinch.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Frank Karuso dominated that second round.
The cut man is working on Sam Barnes's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Karuso tries to clinch up.

Karuso has managed to clinch.
Karuso tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Barnes's elbow.
Barnes doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
A shot in the inside from Karuso.
Karuso lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Barnes lands on the inside with an uppercut.

Barnes breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Karuso tries to clinch but Barnes moves out of range.
Karuso throws a body shot but no joy.
Karuso connects with a looping left hand that seems like it dazed Barnes momentarily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Barnes swinging wildly here.
Barnes throws a body punch but Karuso moves out of range.
Barnes throws a right and a left that both miss.
Barnes throws a series of punches but Karuso avoids them all with ease.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A nice inside leg kick there by Barnes. That's going to slow Karuso down.
The fight stays on the outside here - Karuso looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Karuso lands an overhand left. A wild punch that just about connected.
Karuso tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Barnes paws at him with a jab and circles away.
A right-left combo lands from Karuso.
Karuso tries to clinch there but Barnes circles away.
Karuso works over Barnes's head and body with a nice combination.
Barnes keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Karuso.
Barnes is looking for the big counter here.

Karuso gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Karuso misses with a punch to the body.
Barnes tries to break the clinch but Karuso is controlling the position.
Karuso blocks an uppercut.

Barnes manages to break the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Barnes darts in looking for a takedown but Karuso gets double underhooks and turns Barnes into the cage.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Karuso tries to clinch
and Barnes makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Karuso throws a hook to the side of Barnes's head but Barnes sees it coming and ducks under it beautifully.
Karuso throws a series of punches but Barnes avoids them all with ease.
Karuso throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Barnes counters with a nice body shot.
Karuso lands a jab-cross combination.

Karuso closes the distance and pushes Barnes back into the cage.
Karuso struggles to land a body shot inside as Barnes controls his hands.
Karuso tries to work over Barnes's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
A nice right hand lands inside from Karuso.
Barnes misses with a hook from the clinch.
A frustrated look appears on Barnes's face as he tries to break the clinch.

Barnes breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Karuso scores with a nice strike.
Karuso misses with a wild combination.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Barnes misses with a series of wild punches.
Barnes slips a jab from Karuso.
A big left from Barnes misses.
Barnes fails to land with a series of punches.
Barnes fakes a jab and scores with a low kick.
Karuso misses the jab.

Karuso moves into range and clinches up with Barnes.

Karuso breaks from the clinch.
No joy there for Barnes, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Karuso jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Karuso thuds a left hand into Barnes's body.
Barnes lands a two punch combo.
Karuso tries to clinch
and Barnes counters with a stiff right hand.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Barnes circles away from the clinch attempt.
Karuso tries to clinch up.
Karuso lands with a cross to side of his opponent's head.
Barnes keeps the fight on the outside.
Barnes attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.

Karuso moves into range and clinches up with Barnes.
Barnes takes a shot to the head.
Karuso blocks a body shot from Barnes.
Karuso tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Karuso tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Barnes's elbow.
Barnes blocking some punches.
Karuso misses with a shot to the kidneys.

Barnes breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Barnes swats away the attempt to clinch by Karuso.

And that's the end of the fight!
Frank Karuso showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Karuso 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 Frank Dennis scores the fight 29:28
Judge Chris Downing scores the fight 29:28
Judge George Francis scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Frank Karuso!
Frank Karuso decided to go for the less than humble approach in his post fight interview, telling everyone how he is going to conquer the world. The crowd seemed to like it when really that sort of approach could have gone either way.