PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a heavyweight MMA rules bout between Billy Blank (ranked 483 p4p, 844 weight class) and Daniel Steel (ranked 73 p4p, 120 weight class). These two fighters really are very evenly matched on the feet - it will be fascinating to see who can assert themselves in that aspect of the fight.

Blank
vs
Steel

225 cm
28
265
12 - 6 - 0

225 cm
26
265
9 - 4 - 0

Good wrestling
World class boxer
Insanely flexible

Excellent grappler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Gatoroids
Fantasy Threads

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 12 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Billy Blank!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 9 - 4 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Daniel Steel!
The judges for this bout are Shigeki Fujiwara, Yuuki Gou and Shigeki Sano.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Blank thuds his right hand into Steel's forehead from close range. That could be painful for both fighters.
Blank lands the left hand.
A big right from Blank misses.
Blank looks to score with a combo but nothing lands.
A slow jab from Blank misses its intended target.
Steel lands a lovely overhand right.
Blank misses the shot to the body.
Blank uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Steel.
Blank swung with a counter right hand that didn't connect.
Steel misses with a hook to the body
and Blank counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Blank misses with a lunging right hand
and Steel counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Blank takes a swing at Steel's ribcage but misses.
Steel displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Blank throws out the jab.
Steel avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Blank misses with an uppercut
and Blank takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.

It looks like Billy Blank has been cut.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Steel lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.
Blank misses with an uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Steel jabbing away but nothing is landing.
Steel slips a straight right by Blank.
Blank throws a hook but Steel blocks it.
Blank throws a poor cross that misses

and Steel counters with a left hand that sends Blank to the canvas!
Steel wants to pass the guard but Blank is keeping the position.
Blank is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Blank is pulling down on Steel's head. It's preventing any offense from Steel, at least for the moment.
Steel trying to control the position from guard on top but Blank is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Steel drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Steel jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Blank looking for a guillotine here but Steel defends easily.
Blank looking to control.
Steel controls from within his opponent's guard.
Blank wants to control but instead he gets his guard passed and Steel is now in half guard.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Blank is trying is best to control the position here.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Blank wants to get back to full guard but Steel has mounted him!
Blank is looking to get to half guard.
Steel controlling his opponent.

Steel looking for a guillotine from mount but Blank is having none of it.
Steel avoids the attempt from Blank to control.
Steel can't quite control the action as he would like just now, as Blank is looking to escape.
The fighters are starting to get a bit slippery now, which will make submissions a bit more difficult.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Steel working to secure an arm triangle but it's not happening for him just yet.
Blank is in all sorts of trouble here.
Steel trying to control but Blank is having none of it.
Blank prevents Steel from taking his back.
Blank tries to lock up and control but Steel gives him a forearm to the face and pushes him away.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Daniel Steel dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Billy Blank'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.

Blank throws a lazy uppercut
and Steel counters with a nice uppercut.
Steel misses with a lunging right hand
letting Blank counter with a right hand.
Steel has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Blank misses with a straight left.
Blank loads up on a big right hand but Steel slips the punch.
Steel is looking for the big counter here.
Blank misses with a right hand
and Steel counters with a stiff right hand.
Blank throws a looping overhand right but Steel ducks down to avoid it.
Steel appears to be waiting to throw a counter punch to the body.
Blank misses with a looping left.
Blank misses with an uppercut
and Steel counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Steel takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
A jab from Blank misses.
Steel misses with a looping left.
An attempted straight right counter from Blank misses the target.
Blank feints a straight left to the body, then turns around with a flashy move and hits Steels jaw with a dramatic spinning back fist!
Blank swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Steel is on the wrong end of a nice combination from Blank.

It looks like Daniel Steel has been cut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Steel misses with a left hand
and Blank counters with a lovely straight right hand!
Steel slips under a jab from Blank.
Steel takes a jab on the nose. He smiles like he loves it and keeps coming.
Blank is really head hunting here, hardly looking to strike to the body at all.
Steel misses with a straight left.
Blank looks to throw the jab but Steel is out of range.
A little jabbing left from Steel on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Blank lands a slapping body shot.
Billy Blank is winning the standup battle so far.
Steel doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Steel throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Blank sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Blank lands the left hand.
Blank uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Steel.
Steel throws a hook but Blank blocks it.
Blank displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Steel throws out the jab.
Blank blocks a jab.
Blank just misses with a punch to the body.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Blank lands a beauty of a right hand that gets the crowd cheering.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Blank looks to throw the jab but Steel is out of range.
Blank misses with a straight right.
Blank throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Steel connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Billy Blank seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Blank throws a predictable looking body shot
and Steel counters with a good right hand that lands right on the jaw.
Steel looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Blank throws an uppercut from half a mile away. Steel sees it coming and avoids it easily.
Blank misses with the combination.
Steel uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Blank.
Steel looks like he wants to counter punch here.
A big left from Blank misses.
Blank fakes a jab and then connects with a hook.
Blank misses with a jab, cross combination.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Blank throws a hook but Steel blocks it.
Blank throws a big shot that misses.
A looping hook to the body misses from Blank. Steel does a little dance to reset his feet.
Steel moves forwards but Blank connects with a nice, crisp jab.
Blank dips down and scores with a jab to the body.
Blank misses the shot to the body.
Blank pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
A countering left hand to the body from Steel misses.
Blank throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Steel cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Blank misses with a wild body shot.
And an attempted straight right on the counter from Steel! But no joy.
Steel slips a straight right by Blank.
Blank rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Steel moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Steel looks like he wants to counter punch here.
Steel defending well as Blank loads up on a big left hand.
Steel looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Steel throws an off balance right hand
and Blank counters with a lovely shot to the body.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Blank misses with an uppercut.
Steel with poor footwork there. He got himself in a bit of a tangle, enabling Blank to score with a decent uppercut.
Blank misses with a jab to the body
and Steel counters with a one-two to the body.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Steel ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
Steel throws out a counter right but Blank avoids it with no problem.
Blank uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Steel.
Blank throws out a loose jab but Steel uses good head movement to avoid it.
Blank misses with a hook
and Steel counters with a nice uppercut.
Blank throws an off balance right hand
and Blank takes a counter punch right on the button for his troubles.

Blank is rocked!
Steel throws a lazy right hand but Blank sees it coming a mile off and sidesteps it easily.
Steel misses with an uppercut. Blank saw that one coming.
Blank misses with an uppercut. Steel saw that one coming.
Blank moves out of range of the strikes.
A slow jab from Steel misses its intended target.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Billy Blank dominated that second round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! Let's get this one finished - here comes the final round!

Steel cracks Blank with a big right hand and Blank goes down!
Oh Blank is still in real trouble! Will he be able to recover?!!
Steel stopping the sweep attempt from Blank.
Blank seems to have got his legs back now.
Steel wants to pass the guard but Blank is keeping the position.
Blank is adopting a defensive guard.

Blank had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Steel defends it easily.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Blank looking for subs off his back but Steel has passed one foot through into half guard.
Blank trying to control but Steel postures up.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Steel is figuring out what he wants to do next.

Blank is defending against the submission attempts here by Steel.

Steel is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Blank has managed to free his arm - good work.
Blank wants to control but Steel is keeping busy.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A few boos can be heard. I'm sure they will multiply if the fighters don't pick up the pace.

Steel is looking for a kimura here.
Blank is trying to maintain the position but Steel is very close to passing his half guard.

Steel is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Blank is trying to maintain the position but Steel is very close to passing his half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Steel is trying to work for a kimura. This could be trouble! No, Blank has managed to free his arm - good work.

Steel is looking for a kimura here.
Blank is looking to control Steel's leg but it's slowly edging free. Can Blank avoid being mounted?

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Blank blocks a jab.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A lull in the action here being met with boos from the crowd.
Steel uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Blank.
Steel swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Blank loads up on a big right hand but Steel slips the punch.
Steel defending well as Blank loads up on a big left hand.
A little jabbing left from Steel on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
Blank throws a jab when Steel was well out of range.
It seemed like Steel was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Blank throws a lazy uppercut
and Steel counters with a nice uppercut.
Steel ducks under a wild hook from Blank.
Blank misses with a body shot.
Steel swings away with a counter right hand but no contact made.
Blank misses with a left hand
and Steel cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

Blank ducks straight into an uppercut from Steel and tumbles to the canvas! It’s a flash knockdown though - Blank manages to regain guard straight away.
Blank really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.
Steel postures up.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Steel trying to control but Blank is working from the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
Daniel Steel comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well Steel has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. 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 Shigeki Fujiwara scores the fight 28:29
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 28:29
Judge Shigeki Sano scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Daniel Steel!
Daniel Steel decided to thank the fans in attendance for making a great atmosphere. It seemed to go down pretty well.
Billy Blank was interviewed post fight and said 'I lost focus and i paid for it. it was a great fight and i am coming back much better.'.