PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Joe Dinapoli (ranked 55 p4p, 238 weight class) and Leonzar Kennedy (ranked 12 p4p, 41 weight class). Buckle up people - heeeeeeeeeere we go!

Dinapoli
vs
Kennedy

195 cm
24
207
15 - 0 - 0

188 cm
24
215
11 - 3 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Good wrestler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Savage Fightwear
Voodoo Nutrition

Savage Fightwear
Conviction

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the light heavyweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 15 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Sydney, Joe Dinapoli!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 3 - 0, fighting out of New York, Leonzar Kennedy!
The judges for this bout are Percy O'Donnell, Frank Antenori and Don Winkell.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Kennedy swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Dinapoli ducks under a wild hook from Kennedy.
Dinapoli throws a quick counter kick to the body but Kennedy avoids it.
Dinapoli throws the left hand but Kennedy avoids the punch easily.
Dinapoli avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Kennedy walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
Kennedy rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Dinapoli counters with a nice uppercut.

It looks like Leonzar Kennedy has been cut.
Kennedy loads up on a big right hand but Dinapoli slips the punch.
A looping hook to the body misses from Dinapoli. Kennedy does a little dance to reset his feet.
Kennedy throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
An attempted straight right counter from Dinapoli misses the target.
Kennedy keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Dinapoli ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Dinapoli slips under a jab from Kennedy.
Dinapoli half committed to a counter leg kick.
Kennedy misses with a few strikes there.
Kennedy fails with an attempt to clinch.
Dinapoli was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Dinapoli fakes a head shot and lands one to the body.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.

Kennedy gets a clinch.
Kennedy has a couple of punches blocked by Dinapoli.
Kennedy misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Dinapoli throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Kennedys head.
Kennedy tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Dinapoli avoids it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Dinapoli digs a right hand into Kennedy's ribs. Those have got to be taking their toll on Kennedy's gas tank.
Dinapoli makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.
Kennedy misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Dinapoli.
Dinapoli swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Kennedy landing some nice looking knees to the body.
Kennedy blocking some punches.
Kennedy tries a body shot but Dinapoli blocks it.
Dinapoli lands with a light punch inside.
Kennedy throws a knee to the head but misses.
Kennedy lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt Dinapoli or not.
Dinapoli presses Kennedy against the cage and delivers a mid-strength body shot.
Dinapoli throws a punch but it's blocked by Kennedy.
Dinapoli working aggressively here.
A nice right hand lands inside from Dinapoli.
Kennedy lands a right hand that snaps the head of Dinapoli backwards.
Kennedy pushes Dinapoli back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Kennedy is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Dinapoli is defending well for now.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
A right handed body shot lands from Dinapoli.
Kennedy doesn't land with the attempted body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kennedy misses with a short punch on the inside.
Dinapoli misses with a punch on the inside.
Dinapoli managing to block the knees to the body from Kennedy.
Kennedy is looking to score with knees to the body. Maybe he'll change it up and go body then head. Dinapoli is defending well for now.
Kennedy blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Dinapoli blocking some punches.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Dinapoli.
Dinapoli lands a left hand.
Dinapoli misses with a hook from the clinch.
Dinapoli misses with some punches.
Kennedy lands a body punch in the clinch.
Kennedy throws a knee to the head but misses.
A short left from Dinapoli.
Kennedy goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Dinapoli tries to throw a body punch but Kennedy avoids it by throwing Dinapoli back against the cage.
Dinapoli gets through Kennedy's defenses to land a nice punch to the side of the head.
Kennedy is struggling to control the position.
A short right hand to the side of the head by Dinapoli.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Dinapoli swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Kennedy throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Dinapoli blocks it with crossed arms.
Kennedy tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Dinapoli lands with a left to the head.
Kennedy tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Dinapoli avoids it.
Kennedy with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
Kennedy lands a body punch.
Kennedy missing with knees to the body.
Kennedy lands with a right to the head.
Kennedy stalling.
Kennedy blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Dinapoli misses with a punch on the inside.
Kennedy works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Kennedy lands an uppercut.
Dinapoli working some nice short punches in the clinch.
Dinapoli blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Kennedy working some nice short punches in the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Dinapoli misses with a punch on the inside.
Dinapoli stays in close to his opponent and throws a right hand to the body.
Dinapoli misses with a body punch.
Dinapoli blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Dinapoli managing to block the knees to the body from Kennedy.
A short right from Dinapoli.
Kennedy throws a punch but it's blocked by Dinapoli.
Kennedy blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Dinapoli lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Kennedy swings away with an uppercut that misses.
Knees in the clinch landing for Kennedy.
A right hook to the body lands for Kennedy.
Kennedy lands a hook that snaps the head of Dinapoli backwards.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Dinapoli doesn't land with the attempted body shot.
Kennedy digs a right hand underneath Dinapoli's ribcage. Dinapoli let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Dinapoli misses with a hook from the clinch.
Kennedy is really struggling to land any decent head shots against his taller opponent.
Dinapoli blocks a punch to the side of the head.
Kennedy misses with a punch on the inside.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

A close round but Leonzar Kennedy will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Leonzar Kennedy's cut.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Kennedy on the wrong end of an overhand right that came out of nowhere.
Dinapoli takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Dinapoli bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Kennedy's head.
Kennedy throws a hook but Dinapoli blocks it.
Dinapoli appears to be looking for a counter punch to the body.
A big right from Kennedy misses.
Kennedy throws the left hand but Dinapoli avoids the punch easily.
Dinapoli steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Kennedy.
A chopping leg kick lands by Dinapoli.
Kennedy throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Kennedy misses with a wild combination.
Dinapoli looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Kennedy misses with a jab, cross combination.
A slow jab from Kennedy misses its intended target.
Dinapoli steps to the side to avoid the strikes from Kennedy.
Kennedy misses with an uppercut.
Kennedy misses with an uppercut
and Dinapoli counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Dinapoli is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Nice cross by Dinapoli.
Dinapoli slips a jab from Kennedy.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Kennedy connects with a slap. Keep your fist closed son.
Dinapoli scoring well with a low kick there.
Kennedy misses with an uppercut.
Dinapoli avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Kennedy misses with a straight left.
Dinapoli swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Dinapoli lunges at Kennedy with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Kennedy's hand.
Kennedy swings widly with a right hand
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Kennedy on the wrong end of a nice low kick. He's acting like it's no big deal but he doesn't want to take many more of those.
Dinapoli works his jab well there, keeping his opponent at a distance.

Kennedy is rocked!
Kennedy misses with a lunging right hand
enabling Dinapoli to counter with a crisp jab.
Kennedy is still on wobbly legs! Can Dinapoli finish him?
Dinapoli changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Kennedy throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Dinapoli sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Dinapoli misses with a looping left.
A little jabbing left from Kennedy on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Kennedy seems to have recovered his senses.
Leonzar Kennedy seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Kennedy bobs and weaves and unloads with a good uppercut.

Dinapoli cracks Kennedy with a big right hand that sends him crashing to the floor. Dinapoli has the opportunity to follow him to the ground but instead he's beckoning Kennedy to stand back up!
Joe Dinapoli is winning the standup battle so far.
A telegraphed right hand from Dinapoli misses the target.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Kennedy pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Dinapoli fakes a right and follows up with a big left that drops Kennedy to one knee - oooooh, he's wobbly! Kennedy looks to clinch but Dinapoli throws him off and pummels him into the canvas! Kennedy taps out under the strikes! The fight is over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 2:10 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Strikes). Joe Dinapoli!
Joe Dinapoli retains his light heavyweight title!
During a confident post fight interview, Joe Dinapoli thanked all his fans. He seemed very genuine when describing how motivated his fans keep him.