PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Johan Christ (ranked 613 p4p, 226 weight class) and Gianni Castellana (ranked 91 p4p, 36 weight class). Castellana has chosen Good night as his entrance music, which hasn't gone down very well with the crowd. I'm sure you'll be fascinated to know that I was talking to some pointless Z list celebrity before the fight and he thought that Gianni Castellana was going to win. Let's see if he was right.

Christ
vs
Castellana

180 cm
22
170
10 - 2 - 0

168 cm
34
165
23 - 15 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Excellent MT
Very quick

Excellent grappler
World class boxer
Good gas tank

Arcticus University: London
Bondi MMA 🏝️

Seventh Circle Clothing

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 10 - 2 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Johan Christ!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 23 - 15 - 0, fighting out of London, Gianni Castellana!
The judges for this bout are John Mangel, Eliza Hachem and Donatello Bradman.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A decent looking cross lands there for Castellana.
Christ gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Castellana tries to clinch up
and Christ counters with a straight right hand.
Christ avoids the body shot from Castellana.
Christ swings for the body but Castellana moves out of range.
Castellana misses with an uppercut. Christ saw that one coming.
Christ is looking to counter punch.
Christ throws a shot to the body.
Castellana tries to land with a swinging hook to the body but Christ was well out of range. Poor timing from Castellana.
Christ is looking to counter with a shot to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Castellana displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Christ throws out the jab.
Castellana throws a counter combo.
Castellana lands with a head kick! That's gotta hurt.

It looks like Johan Christ has been cut.
Castellana ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
A nice combination there by Castellana.
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!
Castellana throws out a loose jab but Christ uses good head movement to avoid it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Castellana scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Christ takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Castellana connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Christ's hands.
Christ is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Castellana.
Christ throws the left hand but Castellana avoids the punch easily.
The fighters circling - Christ throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Castellana lands with a shot to the body.
Christ throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Castellana misses with a straight right.
Christ looks to score with a jab to the body but Castellana is just out of range.
And Castellana responds with a good body kick, but Christ manages to step out the way in time.
Christ walks into a jab.
Castellana misses with a looping left.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Castellana closes the distance and pushes Christ back into the cage.
Christ wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
The two fighters are working to gain dominance in the clinch.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Castellana.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.

Christ pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Castellana takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Castellana takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Castellana takes a body punch that cleary hurt but he's trying not to show any weakness.
Castellana swings widly with a right hand
and Christ counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.
Castellana on the wrong end of a nice jab.
Castellana stuns Christ with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
Castellana misses with the combination.
Christ throwing a counter right hand but Castellana manages to avoid it.
Castellana throws the left hand but Christ avoids the punch easily.
Gianni Castellana seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Christ gets tackled into the cage by Castellana. Castellana maintains the clinch.
Castellana lands a short shot on the inside that snaps the head of Christ backwards.
Christ working hard to break the clinch.
Christ tries to work over Castellana's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Christ lands a left hand that snaps the head of Castellana backwards.
Castellana fails to land with a short punch on the inside.

Castellana pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
Castellana changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Christ ducks under a wild hook from Castellana.
Christ was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Castellana lands a jab, followed by a cross and another cross, as Christ backs up against the cage.
Castellana cracks Christ with a nice right hand that draws applause from the crowd.
Castellana lands a vicious shot with the stealth of a sniper and the strength of a viper. Are vipers that strong? I can think of lots of things that are stronger than a viper - not many rhyme with sniper though.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Castellana doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Castellana throws a hard body shot but it just misses.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
A good leg kick by Castellana.
The fighters circle momentarily. Castellana darts into range and connects with a nice straight punch.
A jab from Christ finds it's way through Castellana's defenses.

It looks like Gianni Castellana has been cut.
Castellana is landing a lot of head punches in this opening round! Christ had better start moving his head a bit unless he wants his face to turn into mush.
Castellana looks to score with a jab to the body but Christ is just out of range.
Christ seem to be loading up, looking for a big counter.
Christ is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Castellana.
Christ ducks down and throws a hook to the body but Castellana moves away.
Christ throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
Castellana fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Christ.
Left hook, right uppercut from Christ.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Christ throws a right hand that Castellana ducks under and follows up with a left that Castellana also avoids with ease.
Castellana looked like he wanted to counter with a punch but didn't throw it.
Castellana uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Christ.
Castellana stuns Christ with a nice body shot, before stepping back out of range.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Gianni Castellana dominated that round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Christ throws a series of punches but Castellana moves out of range.
Christ looks to have improved his striking defense since last time we saw him fight.
Christ misses with a looping right.
Christ uses good footwork to get in and out and land a nice right hand before Castellana has time to react.
Christ throws out a loose jab but Castellana uses good head movement to avoid it.
Castellana blocks a jab.

Castellana darts in and clinches Christ up against the cage.
A bit of stalling here from Castellana.
Castellana has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Castellana has Christ pressed against the cage, preventing Christ from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
Christ swings away with an uppercut that misses.

Castellana escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Castellana has been working his punching technique in the buildup to the fight and it appears to be paying off.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Christ will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Gianni Castellana seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Christ takes a step back and watches a body kick go sailing past his mid section.
Christ throws an ugly left hook that misses
and Castellana counters with a straight right hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Christ lands a straight punch to the body, keeping Castellana at a distance.
Castellana lands a pitter patter jab to the forehead of his opponent.

Castellana closes the distance and presses his opponent up against the cage.
Christ is trying to force a seperation but Castellana has the dominant position.
Christ misses with a short punch on the inside.
Christ wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
Castellana dictating the pace here, as the fighters clinch against the cage.
Castellana can't find room to land a body shot as Christ controls the action.
Castellana tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Christ looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
A short right from Christ.
Christ has a couple of punches blocked by Castellana.
Christ tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.

Christ breaks the clinch.

Castellana has managed to clinch.
Christ misses with the head strike.

Christ breaks from the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Christ jabbing away but nothing is landing.

Castellana gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Christ is looking to break free of the clinch but Castellana has double underhooks.
Christ wants to break free but Castellana has control.
Christ is trying to push Castellana away but Castellana has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Castellana lands a hook that snaps the head of Christ backwards.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Castellana stalling in the clinch.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Castellana creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Christ is trying to push Castellana away but Castellana has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.

Castellana manages to break the clinch.
Castellana throws a nice inside leg kick.
Castellana misses with a straight right.
Castellana throws a head kick but Christ moves out of range.
Nice body punch from Castellana.
Christ uses good head movement to avoid the hook from Castellana.
Castellana fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Christ manages to avoid it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Christ throws a looping overhand right but Castellana ducks down to avoid it.
Christ uses some good footwork to avoid the body shot by Castellana.
Christ was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Castellana scores with a hook to the body. Christ takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Castellana connects with a body shot that sends Christ's belly button to the back.
Castellana throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Christ misses with a hook. Castellana ducked under it nicely.
Christ misses with a left hand
and Castellana counters with a left and a right that stings Christ.
Christ takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.

Castellana instigates a clinch.
Castellana blocks an uppercut.
Castellana blocks an uppercut.

Christ manages to break the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Christ takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Christ misses with a straight right.
Christ rushes in with a sloppy looking punch
and Castellana counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Christ shuffles to his left behind two crisp jabs. Castellana eats them both and turns towards Christ to reposition himself and eats a stinging right hand-left hook combo.
Castellana throws a jab when Christ was well out of range.
Castellana connects with a body shot.
Nice shot lands for Castellana.
Christ on the wrong end of a nice hook.

Christ is rocked!
Castellana throws an overhand right from the outside, which connects and sends Christ stumbling backwards into the cage! Christ bounces back off the cage towards Castellana, who cracks him with a two punch combination that drops him to his knees! Castellana lands two more shots before the referee has chance to intervene - what a finish! Castellana celebrates with his corner as the crowd cheer loudly.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 4:47 of round 2, we have a winner by way of TKO (Punches). Gianni Castellana!
Our winner, Gianni Castellana, made sure he spent some time buttering up the crowd during his post fight interview, which will no doubt bring him a few more fans.