PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Mustafa Owens (ranked 132 p4p, 196 weight class) and Manny Tavares (ranked 16 p4p, 25 weight class). The crowd giving both fighters a great reception on their way into the arena. That's good to see.

Owens
vs
Tavares

188 cm
23
190
8 - 1 - 0

183 cm
24
185
11 - 1 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Good wrestler
World class MT
Good gas tank

Conquer
Altitude Clothing

Altitude Clothing
Conquer

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 5 rounds, for the middleweight championship of the world!
Introducing the champion to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 8 - 1 - 0, fighting out of New York, Mustafa Owens!
And introducing the challenger to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 11 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Manny Tavares!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, Percy O'Donnell and Jack Bonds.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Owens staying out of range there.
Owens quickly followed up with a counter body kick but doesn't connect.
Owens throws a leg kick that is checked
and Tavares counters with a lovely straight right hand!
A lazy left from Owens finds it's target.
Owens fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Tavares.
Owens takes one to the chin there.
Owens rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Tavares counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Tavares thuds a left hand into Owens's body.
Owens scores with a nice head shot.

It looks like Manny Tavares has been cut.
Tavares moves out of range of the body kick from Owens.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!

Owens gets a clinch.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Owens scores with a hook to the body.
Owens blocking some punches.
Owens throws a punch but it's blocked by Tavares.
Owens misses with the head strike.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Owens.
Owens misses with a punch to the body.
Tavares working aggressively here.
Tavares pushes Owens back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.
Owens lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
Tavares tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Owens's elbow.
Owens lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
An uppercut to the body lands inside from Owens.

Owens breaks the clinch.
Owens misses with a jab and misses with a cross straight after too.
Owens misses with an attempted mid kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tavares misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Owens.
Owens misses with a shot to the body
and Tavares counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Tavares takes one on the chin but seems OK.
Tavares ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Owens moves away.
Owens fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Tavares manages to avoid it.
Tavares looks to score with a jab to the body but Owens is just out of range.
Owens takes a body punch but keeps moving.
Owens misses with a body kick.
Tavares scores with a punch to the gut of his opponent.
Owens is looking to land body kicks.
Both fighters are looking to counter, which isn't making for the most exciting fight in the world.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Owens uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Tavares.
Tavares throws a right and a left that both miss.
Owens is looking light on his feet compared to last time was saw him fight.
Owens throws a front kick that sends Tavares stumbling back into the cage.
A big right from Owens misses.
Owens throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Tavares has done a lot of speed work in the buildup to this fight.
Owens takes a shot to the eye socket. That's gotta hurt.
Owens cracks a nice hook into Tavares's ribs.
Owens turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
Tavares swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Owens.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tavares lands a nice looking body shot.
Owens keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Tavares.
Owens is looking to clinch but Tavares is avoiding it.
Owens moves out of range of the strikes.
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!
Tavares keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Owens.
Owens misses with a hook. Tavares ducked under it nicely.
Owens takes a jab on the nose there. A little bit of blood seems to be coming out. Hopefully that won't affect his breathing.
Owens scores with a jab to the head.
A leg kick checked by Owens.
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 Mustafa Owens will probably get the nod.
The cut man is working on Manny Tavares's cut.
The referee calls time. The cornermen exit stage left and we're back to business.

Tavares connects with a body shot.
Tavares sees a low kick coming and goes to check it, but it's actually a body kick and it thuds into his unprotected ribs.
Owens uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Tavares.
Tavares doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Owens lands a jab to Tavares's midsection.
Tavares cracks a nice hook into Owens's ribs.
Owens misses with a low kick.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Tavares walks into a jab.
Owens connects nicely with a jab. Noted by the judges no doubt.
Owens ducks down and throws a hook to the body.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tavares throws a body shot but no joy.
Owens scores with a jab to the body.
Owens throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Tavares on the side of the head.
Tavares scores with a crisp jab that stopped Owens in his tracks.
Tavares keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Tavares looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Mustafa Owens is winning the standup battle so far.
Tavares ducks under a wild hook from Owens.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Tavares! But no joy.
Tavares takes a push kick to the midsection and stumbles backwards.
Owens lands with a nice combination. Tavares backs away looking to recover.
Owens connects with a solid leg kick.
Owens is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Tavares can do to turn this around?

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Tavares misses with an uppercut
and Owens counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Nice uppercut lands for Owens. That snapped Tavares's head back.
Owens lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Owens tries to clinch up but Tavares circles away and keeps his distance.

Owens closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Tavares has a couple of punches blocked by Owens.
Tavares tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Owens's elbow.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Owens creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Owens lands with a short head shot on the inside.
Tavares tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Owens's elbow.
Owens doesn't land with the attempted body shot.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Tavares avoids a wild elbow strike from Owens.
Owens misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Tavares tries to work over Owens's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Nice body punch from Owens - that landed with a thud.
Mustafa Owens has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Tavares misses with a short punch on the inside.
Owens misses with an elbow strike.
Tavares tries a body shot but Owens blocks it.
Tavares blocks an elbow strike from Owens.
Owens looks to throw an elbow but misses.
Tavares blocks a body shot from Owens.
Nice body punch from Tavares - that landed with a thud.
We are yet to see a takedown attempt from Tavares in the fight. On paper you would think he is the more dominant ground fighter so let's see if these unusual tactics pay off.
Owens swings wildly with an uppercut but Tavares uses good head movement to avoid it.
Tavares tries a body shot but Owens blocks it.

Owens's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Tavares throws a leg kick but Owens sees it coming and moves out of range.
Tavares throws a shot from downtown. Owens moves away and avoids it.
Owens misses with a kick to the body.
Tavares swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Tavares on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Tavares uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Owens.
Tavares appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
Tavares doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
The fighters circling - Tavares throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Sloppy strikes from Owens. Those never looked like landing.
Owens moves away from the strike by Tavares.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Mustafa Owens dominated that second round.
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.

Tavares throws the left hand but Owens avoids the punch easily.
Owens works Tavares's body with a nice hook.
Tavares throws a leg kick
and Owens counters with a solid body kick.
Tavares slips under a jab.
A low kick from Tavares misses
and Owens counters with a straight right hand.
Tavares takes an uppercut right on the button but keeps his composure.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A nice inside leg kick there by Tavares. That's going to slow Owens down.
Owens's corner calls for a 1-2. Owens obliges with the 1 part as he scores the single shot and moves back out of range.
Good work by Owens as he checks the leg kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Owens lunges at Tavares with a hook that half lands and is half blocked by Tavares's hand.

Tavares is rocked!

Owens drops Tavares with a beautiful combination! Tavares stares up at his opponent, who ushers him back to his feet - Owens is looking for the KO!
Tavares is still on wobbly legs! Can Owens finish him?
Owens closes the distance and lands a vicious right hand that drops Tavares! Owens dives in looking to finish! Tavares is still trying to defend himself but he's taking too many shots and the referee has no choice but to stop the fight!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 1:20 of round 3, we have a winner by way of TKO (Strikes). Mustafa Owens!
Mustafa Owens retains his middleweight title!
A relieved looking Mustafa Owens thanked the fans for their support and gave the usual line about them being amazing. They seemed to believe that he actually meant it.